Strap in, adrenaline junkies, August 16 is National Roller Coaster Day! Created to honor the date in 1878 that Richard Knudsen and J.G. Taylor were granted a patent for the first roller coaster, it’s been all downhill ever since (in a good way!)
The past 50 years have been insane in roller coaster innovation. The move to steel track coasters from wooden made way for smoother rides, faster speeds, more complex loops, and higher drops, though a classic wooden roller coaster still has its old world bumpy charm. Additionally hydraulics, magnets, and a better understanding of how vector forces can be controlled by design have vastly improved the capabilities and the thrills.
With super acceleration engineering and higher falls, every few years a new roller coaster claims the top spot in “fastest in the world”. As of August 2025, that spot is held by the Formula Rossi in Saudi Arabia, but is expected to be beaten out by the Falcon’s Flight when Six Flags Qiddiya finally opens.
I absolutely love roller coasters, so I actually celebrate National Roller Coaster Day a few times a year. Over time, I’ve been won over from wooden to the smoother steel tracks with crazy drops and great airtime. Here are my six current favorites from the past year of riding:
Busch Garden, Tampa
Refurbished and relaunched in 2022, the Iron Gwazi is the tallest and fastest hybrid coaster in North America. Taking the classic elements of a wooden coaster by building steel track on a wooden frame, the ride is violent yet smooth, like wrestling with a non-lethal alligator. Easily one of the best rides in the US. The ride also reaches a top speed of 76 mph and includes three inversions and twelve moments of airtime.
Knott’s Berry Farm, Buena Park
For this one, you’ve got to sit in the back row to truly experience the magic. Blast from 0 to 82 mph in just 2.3 seconds, soaring 205 feet into the sky before plunging straight down at a thrilling 90-degree drop on Xcelerator The Ride. One of the most powerful launches of any coaster I’ve ever been on, the hydraulics on the front end of the Xcellerator make it absolutely wild compared to the now more common magnetic launch. If you’ve never experienced a hydraulic launch on a roller coaster and you love that adrenaline rush of being rocketed forward, this is a must try.
Universal, Orlando
This roller coaster really packs in the theater with the rush. This ride has a Jurassic Park theme, and it fully commits, from seeing animated raptors while waiting in line to the ride itself’s barrel-style Mollossasaurus Roll, which uses state of the art force vector design to give crazy air to the riders as they are flipped around. This roller coaster offers both beautiful design as well as a great ride, where you really feel like you’re flying through the Jurassic jungle.
Jurassic World VelociCoaster is now the fastest and tallest launch coaster in Florida. Right out of the gate, you’ll blast from 0 to 70 mph in just 2.4 seconds, tearing through the Raptor paddock and skimming past the Raptors at an uncomfortably close range!
King’s Island, Cincinnati
Thrill-seekers find their ultimate challenge at Kings Island aboard Orion.One of only seven “giga coasters” in the entire world, which means it’s more than 300 feet tall, the Orion is top ten in the world in both speed and height. With more than a mile of length, 300 feet of drop, and speeds up to 91 miles per hour, thrill seekers come from all over to enjoy its twists and turns. It’s smooth, fast, and terrifying in the best way.
Sea World, Orlando
Mako is a steel coaster with a 200 foot drop that’s smooth as butter and gives the rider great floating moments throughout. The setting is stunning, zooming over the water, and Sea World is so efficient with crowds that the lines are never too bad. This is a great one to ride over and over, put your hands up and enjoy feeling alive.
Taking its name from one of the ocean’s fastest sharks, this coaster races to 73 mph and climbs nearly 200 feet high, diving through Shipwreck Reef on Orlando’s tallest and fastest thrill ride.
Knott’s Berry Farm, Buena Park
This one lives up to its name; Hang Time has the absolute scariest climb to drop section. You head up slowly on the lift hill at a 90 degree angle, pause and look out at the park for a full minute while the anticipation builds, and then it’s a sheer vertical drop for 150 feet before a full set of loops and turns as you finish out the ride. The seat belts make you feel like you’re not really strapped in, which adds to the intensity. HangTime towers over the Boardwalk area showcasing a beyond vertical drop that is the steepest in California.
Even if you can’t make it out to Florida, California or Ohio, make sure to celebrate National Roller Coaster Day by planning your next trip, heading out to the fair, or just playing a little Roller Coaster Tycoon on your computer.