Amusement Park News

The thrills are rolling on at Jenkinson's Boardwalk on the Jersey Shore. Opening in 2026 on the boardwalk: the Patriot's Run roller coaster.

The coaster is over 35 feet in height, with a red, white, and blue themed design that pays homage to seaside attractions of the past and serves as a celebration for the 250th birthday of the U.S. itself in 2026.

Patriot's Run will provide a traditional lift hill followed by multiple curves, as it carries conventional trains on the coaster track in what the park describes as a series of “exhilarating cycle of twists, turns and thrills for all ages.”



The ride was manufactured by Italy's SBF Visa and is a brand new Cyclone Coaster with Americana theming and a red, white, and blue color scheme. Making space for the new arrival, parkgoers took their last spin on the ride it is replacing, the Tidal Wave, on September 1st. Tidal Wave was a spinning coaster, also from SBF Visa. The Cyclone is a steel coaster with a relatively small footprint. With the increasing presence of SBF Visa rides similar to the Tidal Wave at other amusement parks, the addition of this new coaster is expected to add fresh appeal to the park's roster of rides as its replacement.

Located on New Jersey's Point Pleasant Beach, Jenkinson's offers guests 28 rides, primarily geared to younger children and families. The arrival of Patriot's Run will mark a significant change for the park's lineup, by introducing a new attraction that will offer considerable appeal to all ages. The park describes the new coaster as offering fun for a “new, more adventurous audience while still remaining family-oriented and accessible for riders of different ages.”



Founded by Charles Jenkinson in 1928, the boardwalk amusement park has added a wide range of attractions over the years, from a dance hall to mini golf added by its original owner, to the rides of today. When both Jenkinson and his son passed away, the park was purchased by the Storino family in 1976, who renovated the park's deteriorating seaside Pavilion, and created an arcade, concessions, and for a time, acquired and ran a small kiddie amusement park called Fun Fair, which closed in 1987.



The park added a Fun House in 1998, an atypical and unique attraction that still draws crowds, with its unusual and funny animatronics, whoopee cushions built into the floors, and a wildly disorienting vortex tunnel.

Today the close to a hundred-years-old boardwalk park includes an aquarium and miniature golf course as well as the family-friendly amusement park.

The aquarium completed a revamp of the second floor in 2024; rain forest dwellers including Wally the Sloth are exhibited there. Overall, the aquarium currently houses a beloved seal named Turbo, African penguins, other harbor seals, sharks, rays, and corals, and holds regular events, like a “Penguins & Pajamas” program for children, and a painting class titled “Art and Sea.”



This year the amusement park introduced a new cashless system called the Boardwalk Bounce card, eliminating the need for cash purchases. On weekdays, a three-hour unlimited ride wristband is also available, priced between $48.95-$52.95; on several special dates this September, the park offered a 2-hour discounted wristband for just $20.

Rides include bumper cars, kiddie rides such as boats, doggies, elephants, dragons, fire engines, and little swings, a pint-size version of the park's Wave Swinger thrill ride. From the massive 50- foot tower drop ride, Pirate's Plunge, to the Super Himalaya, and the pendulum ride Pendolo, the park balances rides for its youngest visitors with some thrillers.



Known for embracing change, the Storinos' replacement of the just 6-year-old Tidal Wave with the new Patriot's Run pays tribute to a coaster from the past that once occupied that same spot, a classic called the Flitzer.

According to Alex Taylor, marketing and brand manager for Jenkinson's, “Patriot's Run shares many similarities with the Flitzer in both style and spirit.”

He points out that the old Flitzer cars featured race car flames; Patriot's Run cars share a similar aesthetic but feature an American flag and flame. The all-American theming was chosen, he notes, because of the “upcoming America 250 next year…Patriot's Run will not only celebrate America's 250th milestone, but also provide guests with a ride experience that balances adventure and family fun,” Taylor says. He describes the ride as “perfect for thrill-seekers and younger riders alike.”
Taylor also stresses that the park is committed to both providing fresh attraction options for guests to enjoy while still staying true to its family friendly approach. Patriot's Run should accomplish both of those goals.



Most of all, he asserts, “we're always looking for new and innovative ways to enhance our amusement park…Patriot's Run will celebrate America's 250th milestone while giving families a thrilling new ride to share together.”