Thrill Seekers Welcome
In need of an adrenaline kick? Want to add a little stomach-flipping to your life? Look no further than twisting, speeding, diving roller coasters. Theme parks across the globe compete to have the highest, fastest, tallest or steepest rides known to man. There are so many first-rate options, in fact, that it can be hard to know where to begin when seeking out a ride to line up for.
Solution? We’ve rounded up the most iconic, must-ride roller coasters ever. Whether wooden, steel or even hybrid, these coasters are a sound addition to any travel itinerary (or even a reason unto themselves to travel).
Check out the best roller coasters in the world — from classic rides showcased in famous movies and books to steel monsters reaching speeds of up to (seriously) 155 mph.
Falcon's Flight
To be located at Six Flags Qiddiya in Saudi Arabia
Let's kick off the list with the much-anticipated Falcon's Flight, set to debut as the main attraction of the Six Flags Qiddiya when it opens in Riyadh in 2023. When it does, this roller coaster is expected to break all — yes, all — existing roller coaster records for speed, height and track length.
It will travel 2.5 miles with speeds of up to 155 mph and a drop of 525 feet. To put that in perspective, the current record holders include the Formula Rossa (the fastest with speeds of 149 mph), the Kingda Ka (the tallest at 456 feet) and Stell Dragon 2000 (the longest at 1.54 miles).
Space Mountain
Located at Disneyland in California, Walt Disney World in Florida, Disneyland Tokyo, Disneyland Paris and Hong Kong Disneyland
You’ve probably been familiar with Space Mountain, Disney's classic indoor roller coaster, since you were a kid. This outer space-themed ride features two exciting tracks to choose from. With a max speed of 28 mph (we know, thrilling!), riders zoom past asteroids, spaceships and stars as they twist and turn in complete darkness in a single-row rocketship.
While this coaster might not go as fast as we would like, the hard turns, deep dips and out-of-this-world scenery more than makeup for it.
Millennium Force
Located at Cedar Point in Ohio
Stationed in the wildly popular Cedar Point Amusement park, Millennium Force is one of the most iconic roller coasters ever created. Named for the introduction of the new millennium (it opened in 2000) this steel ride was considered the tallest in the world until it was beaten by Steel Dragon just a few months later.
While this world-breaking-record coaster was only Cedar Point’s 14th, it’s still one of the most sought-after by thrill seekers across the globe, reaching a height of 310 feet and the heart-pounding speed of 93 mph.
Steel Dragon 2000
Located at Nagashima Spaland in Japan
Japan not only has the world’s busiest intersection but also the longest steel roller coaster (to date). On Steel Dragon, riders strap in for a four-minute joy ride with an 8,000-foot threshold. And while it might not be the fastest coaster in the world, Steel Dragon is known as the fastest non-launching ride, getting up to an exhilarating speed of 95 mph.
The coaster got its name because it opened in 2000, the year of the dragon, a fitting symbol for the powerful ride.
The Cyclone
Located at Coney Island in New York
On the beach side of Brooklyn’s Coney Island lies a historic wooden coaster by the name of The Cyclone. Built in 1927, it has become synonymous with the infamous boardwalk, and for good reason: It pairs classic throwback design with thrills that have held up surprisingly well, including an 85-foot first drop, 60 mph speed and 12 drops.
Make sure to indulge in sugary confections at the Coney Island Boardwalk after you enjoy the ride.
Superman Escape From Krypton
Located at Six Flags Magic Mountain in California
In the heart of the Golden State is one of the best Superman roller coasters in the world. Superman Escape From Krypton propels you backwards at 100 mph in seven seconds up a 41-story tower that then dramatically drops you down 415 feet on a 90-degree track.
The result: A feeling of weightlessness for 6.5 surreal seconds, followed by a scream-inducing descent at 92 mph.
Formula Rossa
Located at Ferrari World Park at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi
Opened to the public in 2010, Formula Rossa mimics the maximum speed of a Ferrari and features a train modeled after the car’s sleek design. While the track itself doesn’t involve any inversions, the ride is currently the fastest coaster in the world, clocking in at an astounding 149 mph.
No wonder riders are advised to wear safety goggles before strapping in.
Giant Dipper
Located at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in California
While 60 million riders have experienced this iconic roller coaster, it’s known by many millions more for its big-screen exposure in movies like The Lost Boys and Dangerous Minds.
Today, the fifth-oldest coaster in the world remains one of its most charming and fun. For seven dollars, you can ride the Victorian-style Giant Dipper at a speed of 46 mph, while looking out over the stunning Monterey Bay.
As legendary newspaper man Herb Caen put it, this ride is “a tooth-loosener, eyeball-popper and one long shriek.”
The Incredible Hulk
Located at Islands of Adventure in Florida
Even though Orlando is best-known as the House of Mouse, it also has a handful of impressive coasters up its sleeve. Among the best, if not the best, is The Incredible Hulk, a coaster as powerful as its superhero-inspired name. (Bruce Banner and the Hulk play a role in the coaster’s storyline as well, involving a gamma radiation science experiment.)
Boosting its visitors up a 150-foot track, this mean, green machine has seven inversions and two subterranean trenches, and reaches top speeds of 67 mph.
Top Thrill Dragster
Located at Cedar Point in Ohio
This coaster’s tagline, “Race to the Sky,” is fitting. With a max speed of 120 mph, Top Thrill Dragster launches you up a 90-degree twist over a track height of 420 feet, then instantly drops you down 270 degrees back to the ground. The whole ride only takes 17 seconds...but we promise you won’t be disappointed.
(Fun fact: The ride is one of only two “strata coasters” — a ride with a height or drop of at least 400 feet — in the world. The other is Kingda Da at Six Flags Great Adventure, which also features on this list.)
Goliath
Located at Walibi Holland
This aptly named monster-ride travels at 66 mph along a 3,983-foot track. In addition to being named the world’s second “Mini Hypercoaster” — thanks to its height above 200 feet — this purple coaster accelerates down a 152-foot drop and includes bunny hops, helixes and a curved hill.
Essentially, Goliath is a must-ride for the thrill enthusiast who's looking to experience something more than just museums in Europe.
Montu
Located at Busch Gardens in Florida
With a 60-foot vertical loop and seven inversions, Montu in Tampa Bay is one of the most sought-after coasters in the U.S. Visitors hang below the track as they’re thrown around a three-minute ride with a G-force of 3.8. While no longer the fastest and tallest inverted roller coaster in the world, as it was when it opened in 1996, Mantu remains one of the highest-ranked rides, according to the prestigious Golden Ticket Awards.
Trivia for coaster buffs: It was the first in the world to include the Immelmann loop, a simultaneous loop and roll.
Takabisha
Located at Fuji-Q Highland in Japan
While this coaster only holds eight people at a time, it has the steepest drop in the world. Instead of a typical 90-degree dip, Takabisha features a heart-pounding 121-degree tilt drop — which pretty much means you’re nearly upside down. Within two minutes, riders also experience surprise falls, loops and intense speeds of 62 mph.
Suitably, the kanji characters used in the name translate to “high fly car.”
The Beast
Located at Kings Island in Ohio
A wooden roller coaster after our own heart, The Beast is a classic ride that every enthusiast needs to try at least once. In addition to being one of the longest roller coasters in the world, locking in at 65 mph, it’s also famous; tn 1994, it was immortalized in a spooky book by R.L. Stine about the ride possibly being haunted by a ghost.
The ride is so iconic that it spawned a spin-off ride, The Son of Beast, though that one was unfortunately later dismantled.
Kingda Ka
Located at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey
If you don’t already know, Kingda Ka currently holds the distinction of being the tallest roller coaster in the world. At a staggering height of 456 feet — you know, as in 45 stories — this steel ride shoots visitors up a 90-degree vertical track at 128 mph in 3.5 seconds flat.
But what goes up, must come down, right? After reaching the top, riders plummet down a 270-degree spiral. Pro tip: Don’t eat lunch right before jumping in.
El Toro
Located at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey
Another exciting ride from Six Flags Great Adventure is El Toro. While this coaster looks normal as can be, it is considered one of the world’s smoothest, fastest and tallest wooden coasters.
After a 19-foot vertical ride up, riders drop 176 feet and zoom around the track at 70 mph. Oh, another reason why you need to ride this coaster? Because it was named the #1 Wooden Roller Coaster in the world last year by Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Awards. Just sayin’.
Gatekeeper
Located at Cedar Point in Ohio
Gatekeeper is one of the world’s best examples of a “wing coaster”; pairing riders on either side of a track with nothing beneath or above them, these rides mimic the feeling of riding on the wings of a plane. When it debuted in 2013, the coaster smashed no fewer than seven records, including tallest upside-down drop (165 feet), highest number of inversions, and fastest and longest wing coaster.
Popular Science described the experience of riding the Gatekeeper as akin to “the thrill of stunt flying—minus the turbulence.”
Lightning Rod
Located at Dollywood in Tennessee
Whether you’re a Dolly Parton fan or not, if you’re a coaster enthusiast, you have to give Lightning Rod at the country crooner’s amusement park a go. The world’s first launched wooden coaster, it hits 73 mph at the beginning of the ride, the fastest speed for a wooden coaster in the world, then falls 165 feet at its first drop.
As a fun touch, the cars on the train are modeled after flame-streaked hot rod cars from the 1950s.
Magnum XL-200
Located at Cedar Point in Ohio
Opened in 1989, Magnum XL-200 — or just Magnum — is the world’s first hypercoaster, transcending a height of 200 feet. It’s also known as the ride that started the Coaster Wars (a battle between all amusement parks in the world to have the fastest and tallest coaster).
Hitting speeds of 72 mph, this steel ride drops thrill-seekers 195 feet, then accelerates them through its signature “pretzel turnaround.”
Nitro
Located at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey
While Nitro hits a top speed of 80 mph, it offers minimal protection to each rider — there are no sides or roofs on the cars, which only feature a wide lap belt that locks into place. The resulting sensation feels a lot like flying.
Warning: Prepare for a 215-foot drop and a 540-degree helix spiral. Only the most courageous should go for the ride.
The Smiler
Located at Alton Towers in the United Kingdom
Even though the name sounds polite, The Smiler is far from friendly. The world’s first 14-loop coaster will make you see colors due to its multiple dive loops, corkscrews and 90-degree vertical lift.
The center point of the ride is “The Marmaliser,” a “mind manipulating” system designed to make riders smile through the use of features like a wraparound LED screen, lights, rotating brushes and “joy serum” blast.
T Express
Located at Everlane in South Korea
Not many people know that South Korea has something for adrenaline seekers, too. Example A: the T Express, the country’s first wooden roller coaster, featuring not one, not two, but three trains. The fourth steepest and sixth longest wooden roller coaster in the world, it reaches a speed of 104 km per hour at a 77-degree angle.
It is the first ride of its type in all of Asia.
Behemoth
Located at Canada’s Wonderland
With a name like Behemoth, you can probably guess that this coaster is not small in size. At a staggering height of 230 feet, the coaster is one of the scariest rides in the park. With four airtime hills, a 180-hairpin turn and two helixes hitting speeds of 77 mph, there’s plenty to keep the thrills coming.
But the coaster’s real selling point is its open-air seating, offering every rider a “front row” view.
Wicked Twister
Located at Cedar Point in Ohio
Currently holding the record for world’s tallest and fastest inverted coaster, Wicked Twister is not for the faint of heart. With one train on a double-ended, 450-degree twisted track, it shoots riders up one side of the track at 72 mph and then drops and shoots them back up to the other vertical twisted track. While the ride is short, it’s definitely worth three or four rounds.
Just know that it has an extremely apt tagline: “Break the scream barrier.”
Twisted Colossus
Located at Six Flags Magic Mountain in California
While this ride was originally the fastest wooden roller coaster when it opened in 1978, the team at Six Flags Magic Mountain gave Colossus — its old name — an upgrade in 2015 by converting it into a steel-wood hybrid ride. Now called Twisted Colossus, the revamped coaster takes visitors on a four-minute joy blast, featuring two 80-degree, 128-foot drops. The trains — usually situated side-by-side — twist and turn on the white wooden beams as if they’re almost, at any moment, about to collide.
In 1983, the old ride was featured in the film “National Lampoon's Vacation” as “Screemy Meemy.”