The Corn Belt Circuit is an 11-day, 7-park coaster road trip through Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Missouri, running from Six Flags Great America outside Chicago down to Mid America Adventure near St. Louis. The full loop covers about 1,282 miles and roughly 24 hours 30 minutes of driving, linking wooden classics, steel hypercoasters, and one of the Ozarks’ most-visited parks along the way.
This itinerary suits coaster riders with a week and a half to spare and a tolerance for long highway stretches between stops. Below is the stop order with drive times, 2 to 3 verified must-ride coasters at each park, a day-by-day plan that gives the longest drives their own time, what’s new for 2027 at two stops on the route, and notes on when to go and how to handle tickets.
🗺️ Open the full route in Google Maps · ✅ Track this trip in the ThrillZing app
Stats at a Glance
- Parks: 7
- Days: 11
- Total Driving: about 24 hr 30 min / 1282 mi
- Best Season: June to mid-August
- Start → Finish: Six Flags Great America → Mid America Adventure
The Route at a Glance
The circuit runs south and west from Chicago to the Ozarks before looping back toward St. Louis, with no single drive longer than about four and a half hours.
| Stop | Park | Location | Drive from Previous Stop | Must-Ride Coasters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Six Flags Great America | Gurnee, IL | Start | Goliath, American Eagle, Sky Hawk (2027) |
| 2 | Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park | Wisconsin Dells, WI | about 3 hr 15 min / 168 mi | Hades 360, Zeus |
| 3 | Valleyfair | Shakopee, MN | about 4 hr 30 min / 233 mi | Wild Thing, Renegade |
| 4 | Adventureland (Iowa) | Altoona, IA | about 4 hr 30 min / 237 mi | Tornado, Phoenix |
| 5 | Worlds of Fun | Kansas City, MO | about 3 hr 45 min / 197 mi | Mamba, Prowler |
| 6 | Silver Dollar City | Branson, MO | about 4 hr 15 min / 220 mi | Outlaw Run, Wildfire, Miner’s Mountain Express (2027) |
| 7 | Mid America Adventure | Eureka, MO | about 4 hr 15 min / 227 mi | The Boss, Screamin’ Eagle |
Stop by Stop
Each stop below lists the must-ride coasters confirmed as operating, one verified detail per ride, and where to base yourself for the night.
1. Six Flags Great America — Gurnee, IL
The trip opens near Chicago at a park built around a wooden coaster that still holds world records. Goliath, a Rocky Mountain Construction wood coaster, drops 180 feet at an 85-degree angle and reaches 72 mph (115.8 km/h), the fastest recorded for a wooden coaster. American Eagle, a wooden racing coaster from 1981, reaches 66 mph (106.2 km/h) and, as of the park’s 2026 anniversary season, dispatches both trains at once again for side-by-side racing. Sky Hawk, a Vekoma suspended family coaster, is scheduled to open in 2027 as part of the new Camp Timber Trail area (see the New for 2027 section).
Plan on a full day; arrive at opening to get ahead of lines for American Eagle’s racing format, which doesn’t run every day. Stay in Gurnee itself or in nearby Kenosha, Wisconsin, both a short drive from the gate.
🏨 Find hotels near Six Flags Great America (Gurnee, IL)
2. Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park — Wisconsin Dells, WI
Wisconsin Dells’ combined water-and-coaster park includes a wooden coaster with a feature found nowhere else. Hades 360, built by The Gravity Group, drops 140 feet into an 800-foot tunnel and carries riders through a 360-degree roll on genuine wood track, the only wood-tracked inversion on any coaster. Zeus, a wooden coaster dating to 1997, reaches 60 mph (96.5 km/h) over an 85-foot drop.
A half day covers both coasters more than once. The outdoor rides run seasonally, roughly mid-May through mid-October in past years, so confirm the 2027 dates before visiting outside summer. Stay in Wisconsin Dells, where lodging clusters close to the park.
🏨 Find hotels near Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park (Wisconsin Dells, WI)
3. Valleyfair — Shakopee, MN
Minnesota’s largest amusement park pairs a steel hypercoaster with a wooden layout that twists through the park’s tree line. Wild Thing, a steel hypercoaster that opened in 1996, stands 207 feet tall and reaches 75 mph (120.7 km/h). Renegade, a 2007 Great Coasters International wood coaster, reaches 51.3 mph (82.5 km/h) off a 91-foot first drop.
A full day covers the coaster lineup and the attached water park. Stay in Shakopee or in the Minneapolis–Bloomington area, both about 20 minutes from the gate.
🏨 Find hotels near Valleyfair (Shakopee, MN)
4. Adventureland (Iowa) — Altoona, IA
A few minutes from Des Moines, this park is anchored by one of the country’s older continuously operating wooden coasters. Tornado has run since 1978, reaching 58 mph (93.3 km/h) over a 76-foot drop, and was awarded an American Coaster Enthusiasts landmark plaque in 2024. Phoenix, a steel spinning coaster, opened in 2019 and tops out at 37.3 mph (60 km/h).
A half to full day is enough. The park has opened its season in mid-May on a reduced Thursday-through-Monday schedule before going daily in summer, so check the 2027 calendar if visiting in shoulder season. Stay in Altoona or in nearby Des Moines.
🏨 Find hotels near Adventureland (Iowa) (Altoona, IA)
5. Worlds of Fun — Kansas City, MO
Kansas City’s main gate pairs a 1998 steel hypercoaster with a well-regarded wooden coaster from 2009. Mamba drops 205 feet and reaches 75 mph (120.7 km/h) with no inversions, relying on airtime over a sprawling out-and-back layout. Prowler, a Great Coasters International wood coaster, reaches 51.2 mph (82.4 km/h) over a roughly 86-foot first drop.
A full day covers the coaster lineup. Stay in Kansas City, Missouri, near the park, or in nearby Overland Park, Kansas.
🏨 Find hotels near Worlds of Fun (Kansas City, MO)
6. Silver Dollar City — Branson, MO
This Ozarks mountain park already has one of the more decorated wooden coasters in the country, and for 2027 it’s adding a new family mine-train ride. Outlaw Run, Rocky Mountain Construction’s first wooden coaster, carries three inversions and reaches 68 mph (109.4 km/h) off a 162-foot drop that uses the hillside terrain to drop well below its 107-foot lift hill. Wildfire, a Bolliger & Mabillard steel coaster that opened in 2001, carries five inversions and reaches 66 mph (106.2 km/h). Miner’s Mountain Express, a Mack Rides family mine-train coaster, is scheduled to open in spring 2027 with two lift hills, the taller — Prospector’s Peak — rising 97 feet (29.6 m) (see New for 2027 below).
Give this stop a full day; it has the widest ride variety on the trip. Stay in Branson, which has the area’s broadest lodging selection, a short drive from the entrance.
🏨 Find hotels near Silver Dollar City (Branson, MO)
7. Mid America Adventure — Eureka, MO
The trip’s final stop, outside St. Louis, was renamed from Six Flags St. Louis in August 2026 after a change in ownership; the new operator has signaled that some of the park’s DC Comics-themed rides could change down the road, so this guide sticks to coasters without that theming. The Boss, a 2000 wooden ‘terrain twister’ coaster, reaches 66.3 mph (106.7 km/h) over a 150-foot drop that follows the natural terrain. Screamin’ Eagle, a Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters wood coaster from 1976, reaches 62 mph (99.8 km/h) over a 92-foot drop.
A full day covers the park before heading home through St. Louis. Stay in Eureka or in the St. Louis metro area, about 30 minutes from the gate.
🏨 Find hotels near Mid America Adventure (Eureka, MO)
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Long drives of about four hours or more get their own day; shorter legs are paired with a park day.
Day 1: Six Flags Great America
Ride a full day at Six Flags Great America, hitting Goliath and American Eagle before the park fills up. Overnight in Gurnee or Kenosha, WI.
Day 2: Drive to Wisconsin Dells + Mt. Olympus
Drive about 3 hr 15 min / 168 mi to Wisconsin Dells in the morning, then spend the afternoon and evening at Mt. Olympus. Overnight in Wisconsin Dells.
Day 3: Drive to Shakopee, MN
A dedicated drive day covering about 4 hr 30 min / 233 mi to the Minneapolis–Shakopee area. Overnight near Valleyfair.
Day 4: Valleyfair
Spend the full day at Valleyfair, covering Wild Thing, Renegade, and the rest of the lineup. Overnight in Shakopee or the Twin Cities.
Day 5: Drive to Altoona, IA
Another dedicated drive day, about 4 hr 30 min / 237 mi south to the Des Moines area. Overnight in Altoona or Des Moines.
Day 6: Adventureland (Iowa)
Full day at Adventureland, including Tornado and Phoenix. Overnight in Altoona or Des Moines.
Day 7: Drive to Kansas City + Worlds of Fun
Drive about 3 hr 45 min / 197 mi to Kansas City in the morning, then ride Worlds of Fun in the afternoon and evening. Overnight in Kansas City, MO.
Day 8: Drive to Branson, MO
A dedicated drive day of about 4 hr 15 min / 220 mi into the Ozarks. Overnight in Branson.
Day 9: Silver Dollar City
Full day at Silver Dollar City, covering Outlaw Run, Wildfire, and the rest of the park. Overnight in Branson.
Day 10: Drive to Eureka, MO / St. Louis area
Dedicated drive day of about 4 hr 15 min / 227 mi back north toward St. Louis. Overnight in Eureka or the St. Louis metro area.
Day 11: Mid America Adventure
Close out the trip with a full day at Mid America Adventure, riding The Boss and Screamin’ Eagle, before departing from the St. Louis area.
New for 2027 on This Route
Two stops on the Corn Belt Circuit have new coasters under construction for 2027, and neither is open yet — both are scheduled, not running, as of this writing. Sky Hawk at Six Flags Great America is a Vekoma suspended family coaster, part of the new Camp Timber Trail family area announced in August 2026; the park has billed it as the Midwest’s longest, tallest, and fastest suspended family coaster, though full ride stats haven’t been published. Miner’s Mountain Express at Silver Dollar City is a custom Mack Rides family mine-train coaster set for a spring 2027 opening, with two lift hills — Prospector’s Peak at 97 feet (29.6 m) — themed around a runaway mine-car chase near Marvel Cave. Both additions give the trip’s family-ride lineup a boost without changing the core thrill-coaster must-rides at either park; riders visiting early in the 2027 season should confirm both have opened before building a day around them.
When to Go
June through mid-August is the safest window for this trip, since every park on the route is confirmed to run a daily schedule in summer. In 2026, Adventureland (Iowa) opened in mid-May on a reduced Thursday-through-Monday schedule before going daily around June 1, and Mt. Olympus runs its outdoor coasters only roughly from mid-May through mid-October — both can mean shorter hours or closed rides if you visit in the shoulder season. Summer also means heavier crowds at Silver Dollar City and Wisconsin Dells, so arriving at opening matters more than usual at those two stops.
Before booking, check each park’s published 2027 calendar once it’s live, especially for Adventureland and Mt. Olympus, since their spring and fall schedules vary from year to year.
Road Trip Tips
Three of these seven parks — Valleyfair, Worlds of Fun, and Mid America Adventure (formerly Six Flags St. Louis) — were sold by Six Flags to a new operator in 2026, so a Six Flags pass no longer covers the whole route the way it once might have. Buy each park’s own ticket or season pass, and check each operator’s site directly for any multi-park bundle before assuming reciprocity; confirm whatever you find still applies for 2027.
The entire route stays in the Central time zone, so there’s no clock-shifting to plan around. Summer humidity is heavy across Iowa, Missouri, and the Dells, so pack for heat and sudden thunderstorms, and build extra buffer into the Wisconsin Dells and Branson legs, since both towns see heavy tourist traffic on summer weekends.
Explore more: Roller Coasters guide.
One adapter for 150+ countries, with USB-C and USB-A built in. Useful for European park trips.
Locking zippers and slash-resistant fabric for crowded midways, transit and city days.
Coffee at rope drop, ice water by lunch. Fits most car cupholders.
The Corn Belt Circuit FAQs
How many days do you need for The Corn Belt Circuit?
Plan on 11 days: seven park days plus four dedicated drive days for the longest legs between Wisconsin Dells, Minneapolis, Kansas City, and Branson.
Can you run this road trip in the opposite direction?
Yes. The same seven stops and drive times work in reverse, starting at Mid America Adventure near St. Louis and finishing at Six Flags Great America near Chicago — useful if you’re flying into St. Louis instead of Chicago.
When is the best time to drive the Corn Belt Circuit?
June through mid-August, when all seven parks run their full daily summer schedules; outside that window, Adventureland (Iowa) and Mt. Olympus’s outdoor coasters can have reduced days, so check each park’s 2027 calendar first.
What’s the one coaster not to miss on this trip?
Goliath at Six Flags Great America, a Rocky Mountain Construction wood coaster with an 85-degree, 180-foot first drop and a 72 mph top speed — the fastest drop angle and speed recorded for a wooden coaster.
Get More from The Corn Belt Circuit
Log the coasters, stadiums, and venues you’ve experienced, rate The Corn Belt Circuit, and see what your friends thought. Get the ThrillZing app.
Want the day’s theme park news in your inbox? Subscribe to ThrillZing Daily — free.
Photo: Jeremy Thompson from United States of America / CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.