Montezooma’s Revenge will be granted landmark status this week when the 1978 Knott’s Berry Farm attraction is designated as a roller coaster of historic significance and joins a distinguished list of award-winning thrill rides that have stood the test of time.

The 148-foot-tall looping ride will be honored with American Coaster Enthusiasts Landmark status on Thursday during an early morning celebration at the Buena Park theme park.

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“Knott’s Berry Farm is proud to be receiving the ACE Landmark designation for Montezooma’s Revenge,” Knott’s said in a prepared statement. “This roller coaster was a pioneer in the industry at the time of its debut by being the first flywheel launch coaster. We take great pride in our legacy, roller coaster innovation and by introducing industry firsts.”

The ACE Landmark plaque will recognize Montezooma’s Revenge as the last operating ride of its kind in the United States and the longest standing in its original location. Montezooma’s Revenge is the 43rd ride in the world to be designated an ACE roller coaster landmark.

The Knott’s ride joins an ACE Landmark list of storied attractions that include Coney Island’s 1927 Cyclone, Disneyland’s 1959 Matterhorn Bobsleds and the 1902 Leap-the-Dips in Pennsylvania, the world’s oldest operating roller coaster.

The ACE Landmark designation tends to grant eternal life to older roller coasters, with 42 of the historically significant rides still in operation. The 5,000-member American Coaster Enthusiasts non-profit organization promotes the appreciation and preservation of roller coasters.

Knott’s coaster history stretches back to the 1975 Corkscrew, the world’s first coaster to feature a modern corkscrew element. In 2018, Knott’s added the five-inversion HangTime coaster with a beyond-vertical first drop. The theme park is home to 10 coasters.

Knott’s removed the Corkscrew in 1989 and the ride was relocated to Idaho’s Silverwood theme park, where an ACE Landmark plaque stands in front of the ride.

Montezooma’s Revenge becomes the fifth California coaster to be bestowed ACE Landmark status, joining Disneyland’s Matterhorn Bobsleds, the New Revolution at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia and a pair of coasters named Giant Dipper at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and San Diego’s Belmont Park.

Montezooma’s Revenge was built by Germany-based roller coaster manufacturer Anton Schwarzkopf based on plans developed by renowned coaster designer Werner Stengel. Stengel has worked on more than 500 coasters, including the 310-foot-tall Millennium Force and 120 mph Top Thrill Dragster at Ohio’s Cedar Point and the 456-foot-tall Kingda Ka and 4,400-foot-long El Toro at New Jersey’s Six Flags Great Adventure.

A ride on the 800-foot-long Montezooma’s Revenge lasts a mere 36 seconds, according to Roller Coaster Database. The steel shuttle loop coaster features a flywheel launch that propels the train from 0 to 55 mph in 4.5 seconds.

The high-speed launch sends riders racing through a 76-foot-tall vertical loop. After climbing a 148-ft-tall dead-end tower, the train retraces the loop backward, flies through the station and ascends another 112-ft-tall dead-end tower. The brief but thrilling ride comes to an end when the train rolls back into the station.

Many of the rides on the ACE Landmark list reign from the 1920s “Golden Age of Roller Coasters” or earlier. In fact, 14 of the 15 oldest coasters in the United States have received the ACE Landmark designation. Montezooma’s Revenge is one of the youngest coasters on the ACE Landmark list, which includes only three rides built since 1980.

ACE Landmark rides include 12 of the top 50 wooden roller coasters in the world as ranked by Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket Awards, including Phoenix at Pennsylvania’s Knoebels amusement park, the reigning 2018 champ.

A third of the ACE Landmark rides hail from bigger Six Flags and Cedar Fair parks. But plenty of coasters on the list reside at small, independent amusement parks, including the 1938 Blue Streak at Pennsylvania’s Conneaut Lake Park, the 1967 Cannon Ball at Georgia’s Lake Winnepesaukah and the 1995 Raven at Indiana’s Holiday World.

Several parks have been awarded multiple ACE Landmarks: Kennywood in Pennsylvania, (Jack Rabbit, Racer and Thunderbolt), Playland in New York (Dragon and Kiddy), Kings Island in Ohio (Racer and Beast), Six Flags Over Georgia (Great American Scream Machine and Mind Bender) and Six Flags Great America in Illinois (Batman: The Ride and Whizzer).