[10] RCDB was started in 1996 by Duane Marden,[1] a computer programmer from Brookfield, Wisconsin.

[9] The website is run off web servers in Marden's basement and a location in St.

[3] Each roller coaster entry includes any of the following information for the ride: current amusement park location, type, status (existing, standing but not operating (SBNO), defunct), opening date, make/model, cost, capacity, length, height, drop, number of inversions, speed, duration, maximum vertical angle, trains, and special notes.

Each roller coaster entry links back to a page which lists all of that park's roller coasters, past and present, and includes a brief history and any links to fan web pages saluting the park.

[11] The site is available in ten languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese, Italian, Swedish, Japanese and Simplified Chinese.