Scream Machines

    Let’s take a ride on the tallest roller coaster on Earth, Kingda Ka. It’s 50 seconds of crazy speed, shocking drops, and wild twists and turns. Are you ready?

    The ride begins like a rocket launch. It goes from zero to 128 miles per hour in under four seconds. Your heart pounds as you fly up a tower as tall as a skyscraper. Then you’re going down, and—Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    Your guts turn to mush. Your skin strains against your bones. Is this car going to fly off the tracks? Make it stop!

    And then it does. The ride is over. You catch your breath. And you realize—that was awesome! You can’t wait to go again.

    Every year, tens of millions of people climb on board huge, fast, and scary thrill rides. Those rides take years to create. They cost tens of millions of dollars. And they earn fortunes for the parks that own them.

    The tallest roller coaster on Earth is called Kingda Ka. The ride has huge drops. It has wild turns. It moves very fast. It lasts 50 seconds. Do you want to try it?

    The ride begins like a rocket launch. It goes from zero to 128 miles per hour in under four seconds. You fly up a tower as tall as a skyscraper. Your heart pounds. Then you go down. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    Your stomach feels twisty. Your skin stretches against your bones. Are you going to fly off the tracks? Make it stop!

    And then the ride is over. It was awesome! You want to go again.

    Every year, tens of millions of people go on scary thrill rides. Those rides take years to create. They cost tens of millions of dollars. They earn a lot of money for the parks that own them.

    It’s 50 seconds of crazy speed, shocking drops, and wild twists and turns. It’s Kingda Ka—the tallest roller coaster on Earth. Are you ready to take a ride?

    It begins like a rocket launch, going from zero to 128 miles per hour in under four seconds. Your heart pounds as you zoom up a tower as tall as a skyscraper. Then you’re zooming downward, and—Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    Your guts turn to mush, and your skin strains against your bones. Is this car going to fly off the tracks? Make it stop!

    And then . . . the ride is over. You finally have a moment to catch your breath. And you realize—that was awesome! You want to go again.

    Every year, tens of millions of people climb on board huge, fast, and scary thrill rides. Those rides take years to create, cost tens of millions of dollars, and earn fortunes for the parks that own them.

    The history of thrill rides in the U.S. starts in the late 1800s. They began in a town called Mauch Chunk [mawk chunk]. It’s in Pennsylvania.

    For decades, a train brought coal down a mountain. The last part of the trip was a steep drop. The train would go as fast as 50 miles per hour. In 1870, the owners turned it into a thrill ride. They called it the Mauch Chunk Switchback Railway. 

    At the time, most Americans traveled by horse and buggy. They rarely went faster than 15 miles per hour. Imagine the thrill of careening down a mountain at high speeds! Soon, the ride was one of the country’s top tourist attractions. 

    In 1884, the country’s first roller coaster opened. It was in Coney Island, New York. By the 1920s, the U.S. was the world’s coaster capital. The country had more than 1,500 thrill rides.

    The earliest thrill rides in the U.S. date back to the late 1800s. The first one could be found in a quiet coal mining town in Pennsylvania called Mauch Chunk [mawk chunk].

    For decades, a train had made a 9-mile run to bring coal down a mountain. In the final half mile of the trip, which involved a steep drop, the train would reach speeds of up to 50 miles per hour. In 1870, the railroad’s owners turned it into a thrill ride, which they called the Mauch Chunk Switchback Railway. 

    At the time, most Americans traveled by horse and buggy, rarely going faster than 15 miles per hour. Imagine the thrill of careening down a mountain at more than three times that speed! The ride quickly became one of the country’s most popular tourist attractions—second only to Niagara Falls.

    In 1884, the country’s first roller coaster opened in Coney Island, New York. By the 1920s, the U.S.—with more than 1,500 thrill rides—had become the world’s coaster capital.

    Early roller coaster designers competed to make faster and steeper rides. They created “inversions.” These are loops that turn riders upside down. Throwing up was common. Some riders blacked out. By the 1930s, several people had died in grisly accidents. 

    But as time passed, things changed. New rides offered thrills with fewer spills (and less vomit). Today’s coaster designers are skilled engineers. They use high-tech tools. They know how many twists and turns most humans will enjoy. 

    Materials have changed too. Some tracks are made with steel tubing. It can be molded into tight curves. The Thunderbird coaster is in Indiana. The ride twists around trees and buildings. Riders feel like they’re about to crash. (Fun, right?)

    Early roller coaster designers competed to make the fastest, steepest, and curviest rides. They created “inversions”—loops that turned riders upside down. Throwing up was fairly common, and some riders even blacked out in the middle of a ride. By the 1930s, several people had died in grisly accidents. 

    But as time passed, roller coasters improved. New rides offered thrills with fewer spills (and less vomit). Today’s coaster designers are skilled engineers who use high-tech tools. They know exactly how many twists and turns the average human can stand before the ride stops being enjoyable. 

    Materials have changed too. Tracks made of steel tubing can be molded into tight curves and loops. For example, the Thunderbird coaster at Holiday World in Indiana twists around trees and buildings, making riders feel like they’re about to crash. (Fun, right?)

    Today’s coasters are far safer than the rides of the early 1900s. Automatic systems stop rides if there’s a problem. But accidents happen. Google the words “roller coaster” and “stranded.” You’ll find harrowing stories of people trapped upside down.

    Still, people keep lining up for thrill rides. Each year, more than 400 million people visit theme parks in the U.S. and Canada. Dozens of new coasters have opened in the past few years. 

    In 2023, the Falcon’s Flight will open in Saudi Arabia. That’s a country in the Middle East. The ride will be taller than Kingda Ka. It will climb 655 feet, drop 525 feet straight down, and reach speeds of 156 mph.

    Would you climb on board? 

    Today’s roller coasters are far safer than the rides of the early 1900s. Automatic systems stop rides if there’s a problem—but accidents do happen. Google the words “roller coaster” and “stranded,” and you’ll find harrowing stories of people trapped upside down.

    Still, people keep lining up for thrill rides. Each year, more than 400 million people visit theme parks in the U.S. and Canada. Dozens of new coasters have opened in the past few years. 

    In 2023, the Falcon’s Flight will open in Saudi Arabia—a country in the Middle East. Climbing 655 feet, it will beat out Kingda Ka as the world’s tallest roller coaster. It also drops 525 feet straight down and reaches speeds of 156 mph.

    Would you climb on board?