National Roller Coaster Dayannually on August 16th (since 1986)National Roller Coaster Day is dedicated to roller coasters, and has been celebrated since 1986. In the 17th century, "Russian Mountains", which were constructed hills of ice used as slides, were near what would become St. Petersburg. These were precursors to modern day roller coasters, which were first patented and built in the late 19th century in America. John G. Taylor was issued a patent in 1872 for a roller coaster in Rhode Island, and LaMarcus Adna Thompson built one in Coney Island in 1884. Early roller coasters were wooden, but now steel is mainly used in making them. How to ObserveNational Roller Coaster Day should be celebrated by riding on a roller coaster. Here are some amusement parks across the United States that have roller coasters. If you don't have the courage to ride in a roller coaster, make a trip to the National Roller Coast Museum.