Roller coasters are amusement rides developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. Early iterations during the 16th and 17th centuries, which were popular in Russia, were wooden sleds that took riders down large slides made from ice. The first roller coasters that attached a train to a wooden track appeared in France in the early 1800s. [1] Although wooden roller coasters are still being produced, steel roller coasters, introduced in the mid-20th-century, became more common and can be found on every continent except Antarctica. [2]
Amusement parks often compete to build the tallest, fastest, and longest rides to attract thrill seekers and boost overall park attendance. [3] Ranked by height, speed, length, and number of inversions, roller coasters often became the focal point for competing parks. Computer-simulated models led to new innovations that produced more intense thrills while improving quality and durability. [4] The debut of Magnum XL-200 in 1989 at Cedar Point introduced the first complete-circuit roller coaster to exceed 200 feet (61 m), [5] [6] marking a pivot point in the industry. [4] The new era, sometimes referred to as the Coaster Wars, [4] saw increasing competition as parks sought to be the latest to break world records, with some only lasting a year or less. [7]
The pace of competition eventually slowed, however. [4] [7] Record holder Kingda Ka, the tallest coaster in the world at 456 feet (139 m), [8] has held onto its record since 2005. [4] [7] Other notable coasters include Formula Rossa, the world's fastest, which reaches a top speed of 149 mph (240 km/h), [9] Steel Dragon 2000, the world's longest, measuring 8,133 feet (2,479 m), [10] and The Smiler which features fourteen inversions. [11]
Key | Meaning |
---|---|
1 | Record holder |
** | Under construction |
* | Still exists but not operating |
Rank | Name | Park | Country | Height | Manufacturer | Record held |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | T Express | Everland | South Korea | 183.8 ft (56.0 m) | Intamin | June 2009 – present |
Wildfire | Kolmården Wildlife Park | Sweden | 183.8 ft (56.0 m) | Rocky Mountain Construction | June 2016 – present | |
3 | El Toro | Six Flags Great Adventure | United States | 181 ft (55 m) | Intamin | — |
4 | Goliath | Six Flags Great America | United States | 165 ft (50 m) | Rocky Mountain Construction | — |
5 | Colossos - Kampf der Giganten | Heide Park | Germany | 164 ft (50 m) | Intamin | — |
6 | The Voyage | Holiday World & Splashin' Safari | United States | 159 ft (48 m) | The Gravity Group | — |
7 | Hades 360 | Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park | United States | 136 ft (41 m) | The Gravity Group | — |
8 | Wodan Timbur Coaster | Europa-Park | Germany | 131.2 ft (40.0 m) | Great Coasters International | — |
9 | Le Monstre | La Ronde | Canada | 130.9 ft (39.9 m) | Martin & Vleminckx | July 1985 – March 1990 |
10 | American Eagle | Six Flags Great America | United States | 127 ft (39 m) | Intamin | May 1981 – July 1985 |
Rank | Name | Park | Country | Drop length | Manufacturer | Record held |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Goliath | Six Flags Great America | United States | 180 ft (55 m) | Rocky Mountain Construction | June 2014 – present |
2 | El Toro | Six Flags Great Adventure | United States | 176 ft (54 m) | Intamin | June 2009 – June 2014 |
3 | Outlaw Run | Silver Dollar City | United States | 162 ft (49 m) | Rocky Mountain Construction | — |
4 | Wildfire | Kolmården Wildlife Park | Sweden | 160.8 ft (49.0 m) | Rocky Mountain Construction | — |
5 | Colossos - Kampf der Giganten | Heide Park | Germany | 159.1 ft (48.5 m) | Intamin | — |
6 | The Voyage | Holiday World & Splashin' Safari | United States | 154 ft (47 m) | The Gravity Group | — |
7 | T Express | Everland | South Korea | 150.9 ft (46.0 m) | Intamin | — |
8 | The Boss | Six Flags St. Louis | United States | 150 ft (46 m) | Custom Coasters International | — |
9 | American Eagle | Six Flags Great America | United States | 147 ft (45 m) | Intamin | May 1981 – May 1991 |
10 | The Beast | Kings Island | United States | 141 ft (43 m) | Kings Island | April 1979 – May 1981 |
Rank | Name | Park | Country | Length | Manufacturer | Record held |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | The Beast | Kings Island | United States | 7,361 ft (2,244 m) | Kings Island | April 1979 – present |
2 | The Voyage | Holiday World & Splashin' Safari | United States | 6,442 ft (1,964 m) | The Gravity Group | — |
3 | T Express | Everland | South Korea | 5,383.8 ft (1,641.0 m) | Intamin | — |
4 | Shivering Timbers | Michigan's Adventure | United States | 5,383 ft (1,641 m) | Custom Coasters International | — |
5 | Jupiter | Kijima Amusement Park | Japan | 5,249 ft (1,600 m) | Intamin | — |
6 | Python in Bamboo Forest | Nanchang Wanda Theme Park | China | 5,111 ft (1,558 m) | Great Coasters International | — |
7 | Wood Coaster | Knight Valley | China | 4,817 ft (1,468 m) | Great Coasters International | — |
8 | Hades 360 | Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park | United States | 4,746 ft (1,447 m) | The Gravity Group | — |
9 | Boulder Dash | Lake Compounce | United States | 4,725 ft (1,440 m) | Custom Coasters International | — |
10 | American Eagle | Six Flags Great America | United States | 4,650 ft (1,420 m) | Intamin | — |
This listing contains all types of roller coaster inversions.
Rank | Name | Park | Country | Inversions | Manufacturer | Record held |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | The Smiler | Alton Towers | United Kingdom | 14 | Gerstlauer | May 2013 – present |
** | Eleventh Roller Coaster | Great Xingdong Tourist World | China | 11 | Hebei Zhongye | — |
2 | 10 Inversion Roller Coaster | Chimelong Paradise | China | 10 | Intamin | February 2006 – May 2013 |
Altair | Cinecittà World | Italy | Intamin | — | ||
Colossus | Thorpe Park | United Kingdom | Intamin | March 2002 – May 2013 | ||
Crazy Coaster | Locajoy Holiday | China | Intamin | — | ||
Velikolukskiy Myasokombinat-2 | Wonder Island | Russia | Intamin | — | ||
Sik | Flamingo Land | United Kingdom | Intamin | — | ||
* | LightSpeed | Wonderland Eurasia | Turkey | 10 | Intamin | — |
7 | Avalancha | Xetulul | Guatemala | 8 | Intamin | — |
Dragon Khan | PortAventura Park | Spain | Bolliger & Mabillard | May 1995 – March 2002 | ||
Steel Curtain | Kennywood | United States | S&S - Sansei Technologies | — | ||
** | unknown (formerly known as Monte Makaya) | Mirabilandia | Brazil | 8 | Intamin | January 1998 – March 2002 |
Rank | Name | Park | Country | Inversions | Manufacturer | Record held |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Outlaw Run | Silver Dollar City | United States | 3 | Rocky Mountain Construction | March 2013 – present |
Wildfire | Kolmården Wildlife Park | Sweden | Rocky Mountain Construction | June 2016 – present | ||
3 | Goliath | Six Flags Great America | United States | 2 | Rocky Mountain Construction | — |
4 | Hades 360 | Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park | United States | 1 | The Gravity Group | — |
Jungle Trailblazer | Oriental Heritage, Ningbo | China | Martin & Vleminckx Rides | — | ||
Jungle Trailblazer | Oriental Heritage, Wuhu | China | Martin & Vleminckx Rides | — | ||
Jungle Trailblazer | Oriental Heritage, Jinan | China | Martin & Vleminckx Rides | — | ||
Mine Blower | Fun Spot America: Kissimmee | United States | The Gravity Group | — |
Rank | Name | Park | Country | Drop angle | Manufacturer | Record held |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | TMNT Shellraiser | Nickelodeon Universe | United States | 121.5° | Gerstlauer | October 2019 – present |
2 | Takabisha | Fuji-Q Highland | Japan | 121.0° | Gerstlauer | 15 July 2011 – October 2019 |
3 | Green Lantern Coaster | Warner Bros. Movie World | Australia | 120.5° | S&S Worldwide | — |
4 | Crazy Bird | Happy Valley Tianjin | China | 120.0° | S&S Worldwide | — |
5 | Cannibal | Lagoon | United States | 116.0° | ART Engineering GmbH | — |
6 | Timber Drop | Fraispertuis City | France | 113.0° | S&S Worldwide | 2 – 14 July 2011 |
7 | Mumbo Jumbo | Flamingo Land Resort | United Kingdom | 112.0° | S&S Worldwide | July 2009 – 1 July 2011 |
8 | Steel Hawg | Indiana Beach | United States | 111.0° | S&S Worldwide | July 2008 – July 2009 |
9 | Defiance | Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park | United States | 102.3° | Gerstlauer | — |
10 | Monster | Adventureland | United States | 101.0° | Gerstlauer | — |
Toutatis | Parc Astérix | France | Intamin | — |
A wooden roller coaster is a type of roller coaster classified by its wooden track, which consists of running rails made of flat steel strips mounted on laminated wood. The support structure is also typically made of wood, but may also be made of steel lattice or truss, which has no bearing on a wooden coaster's classification. The type of wood often selected in the construction of wooden coasters worldwide is southern yellow pine, which grows abundantly in the southern United States, due to its density and adherence to different forms of pressure treatment.
A steel roller coaster is a roller coaster that is defined by having a track made of steel. Steel coasters have earned immense popularity in the past 50 years throughout the world. Incorporating tubular steel track and polyurethane-coated wheels, the steel roller coasters can provide a taller, smoother, and faster ride with more inversions than a traditional wooden roller coaster.
Top Thrill 2, formerly known as Top Thrill Dragster, is an upcoming launched roller coaster at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, United States. Originally manufactured by Intamin and designed by Werner Stengel, Top Thrill Dragster opened in 2003 as the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world, as well as the first strata coaster. It debuted with a height of 420 feet (130 m), a maximum speed of 120 mph (190 km/h), and a total track length of 2,800 feet (850 m). Its speed and height records were surpassed in 2005 by Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure.
Kingda Ka is a hydraulically-launched steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey, United States. Manufactured by Intamin and designed by Werner Stengel, Kingda Ka opened as the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world on May 21, 2005, surpassing Top Thrill Dragster. It is the second strata coaster ever built, exceeding 400 feet (120 m) in height. Both were made with similar designs, although Kingda Ka's layout adds an airtime hill on the return portion of the track.
Millennium Force is a steel roller coaster located at Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio. Manufactured by Intamin, it was the park's fourteenth roller coaster when it opened in 2000, dating back to the opening of Blue Streak in 1964. Upon completion, Millennium Force broke five world records and was the world's first giga coaster, a term coined by Intamin and Cedar Point to represent roller coasters that exceed 300 feet (91 m) in height. It was briefly the tallest and fastest in the world until Steel Dragon 2000 opened later the same year. The ride is also the third-longest roller coaster in North America following The Beast at Kings Island and Fury 325 at Carowinds.
A hypercoaster is a roller coaster with a height or drop measuring at least 200 feet (61 m).
Superman: Escape from Krypton, originally known as Superman: The Escape, is a steel shuttle roller coaster located at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California. When it opened in 1997, it was the tallest roller coaster in the world, and its maximum speed of 100 mph (160 km/h) was tied for the fastest with Tower of Terror II, a similar roller coaster which opened two months earlier at Dreamworld in Australia. Both were the first to utilize Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM) launch technology to propel vehicles, although the intended opening date in 1996 at Magic Mountain was postponed due to issues with the launch system.
Green Lantern, formerly known as Chang, is a stand-up roller coaster located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, New Jersey. Green Lantern stands 155 feet (47 m) tall and features a top speed of 63 miles per hour (101 km/h). The 4,155-foot-long (1,266 m) ride features five inversions and a duration of approximately 21⁄2 minutes. This steel coaster was designed and built by Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard.
The Riddler's Revenge is a steel stand-up roller coaster located at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, the ride opened as the park's eleventh roller coaster on April 4, 1998, setting multiple world records among stand-up coasters. Originally located in the Movie District section of the park, which later became Metropolis in 2017, The Riddler's Revenge was also the park's single biggest investment at a cost of $14 million. It features a height of 156 feet (48 m), a maximum speed of 65 mph (105 km/h), six inversions, and a track length of 4,370 feet (1,330 m).
Kumba is a steel roller coaster located at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, the ride opened in 1993. It stands 143 feet (44 m) tall and has a top speed of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h). Kumba features a total of seven inversions across the 3-minute ride.
Montu is an inverted roller coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida. Designed by Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard, it is the park's second roller coaster designed by that company following the success of Kumba, which opened 3 years prior. When the ride opened on May 16, 1996, it was the world's tallest and fastest inverted roller coaster, a title it has since conceded to Alpengeist at sister park Busch Gardens Williamsburg. The ride stands 150 feet (46 m) tall and reaches speeds of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h).
Steel Vengeance, formerly known as Mean Streak, is a steel roller coaster at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. The roller coaster, originally constructed by Dinn Corporation as a wooden roller coaster, was rebuilt by Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) and opened to the public on May 5, 2018. It is a hybrid coaster, using RMC's steel I-Box track and a significant portion of Mean Streak's former support structure. Upon completion, Steel Vengeance set 10 world records, including those for the tallest, fastest, and longest hybrid roller coaster.
An Accelerator Coaster is a hydraulically launched roller coaster model from Intamin. The model usually consists of a long, straight launch track, a top hat tower element, and magnetic brakes that smoothly stop the train without making contact. The technology was developed by Intamin engineers as an alternative to electromagnetic launch systems, such as the Linear Induction Motor (LIM) and Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM), that are found on earlier launched roller coasters like the Flight of Fear and The Joker's Jinx. Unlike the earlier linear induction motors, the Accelerator Coaster's launch system exhibits constant acceleration and is capable of reaching greater speeds.
Volcano: The Blast Coaster, or simply Volcano, was an inverted roller coaster located at Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia, United States. Designed by Werner Stengel, it was the first launched roller coaster manufactured by Intamin and the first of its kind in the world to be inverted. Its launch mechanism utilized linear induction motor (LIM) technology. After a series of delays, Volcano opened to the public on August 3, 1998. A portion of the ride was enclosed inside an artificial mountain, constructed in 1979, which previously housed other attractions. Following nearly two decades of operation, Volcano abruptly closed a few weeks into the 2018 season, and the closure became permanent during the following offseason.
Formula Rossa is a launched roller coaster located at Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Manufactured by Intamin and opened in 2010, it is currently the world's fastest roller coaster, featuring a maximum speed of 240 km/h (149.1 mph).
SheiKra is a steel Dive Coaster roller coaster at the Busch Gardens Tampa Bay amusement park in Tampa, Florida, United States. The roller coaster was proposed by Mark Rose, vice-president of design and engineering for the park, and designed by Bolliger & Mabillard. The ride was planned to be 160 feet (49 m) high, but the park's executives rejected this and the height was changed to 200 feet (61 m). SheiKra reaches a maximum speed of 70 miles per hour (110 km/h) and has a total track length of 3,188 feet (972 m). It first opened on May 21, 2005, and was converted to a floorless roller coaster on June 16, 2007, following the opening of its sister Dive Coaster Griffon at Busch Gardens Williamsburg that year.
Polercoaster was a type of amusement ride offered by US Thrill Rides and Intamin. An installation consists of a large tower structure which features glass elevators to an observation deck, as well as a steel roller coaster wrapping around the tower. The model was first introduced in 2012, and in 2013, four were proposed for construction. However, US Thrill Rides cancelled all future Polercoaster locations, after the company went bankrupt.
Fury 325 is a steel roller coaster located at Carowinds amusement park in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, Fury 325 opened to the public on March 28, 2015. It features a 6,602-foot-long (2,012 m) track that reaches a maximum height of 325 feet (99 m), making it the fifth-tallest roller coaster in the world and the tallest overall among roller coasters that use a traditional chain lift hill. Riders experience speeds of up to 95 mph (153 km/h), winding through high-speed curves and passing over and under the park's main entrance. Beginning in 2016, Fury 325 has consistently ranked as the world's best steel coaster in the annual Golden Ticket Awards published by Amusement Today.
Red Force is a steel launched roller coaster located at Ferrari Land within PortAventura World in Salou, Catalonia, Spain. The ride was manufactured by Liechtenstein based Swiss manufacturer Intamin and opened on 7 April 2017. With a height of 112 metres (367 ft) and a maximum speed of 180 kilometres per hour (112 mph), Red Force is the tallest and fastest roller coaster in Europe as of 2024, beating Shambhala which has a height of 76 metres.