Banshee at Kings Island doesn’t pause at the top of the lift hill. The train crests 167 feet and immediately pitches into a 150-foot, steeply banked dive loop, with inversions starting before riders have time to brace. What follows is 2 minutes and 40 seconds of continuous, back-to-back inversion intensity across 4,124 feet of steel track, the longest inverted coaster layout ever built.
Designed by Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard and opened on April 18, 2014, Banshee was the most expensive project in Kings Island’s history at the time, costing $24 million. The investment earned a Golden Ticket Award for Best New Ride in its debut year and a world record that has stood for more than a decade. Before you ride, here’s every number and requirement you need to know.
Quick Answer
Banshee is a Bolliger & Mabillard inverted roller coaster at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio. Riders must be between 52 and 78 inches tall, the coaster has seven inversions, it stands 167 feet at its peak, and it opened to the public on April 18, 2014.
Stats at a Glance
Park: Kings Island, Mason, Ohio | Manufacturer: Bolliger & Mabillard | Type: Steel inverted coaster | Opened: April 18, 2014 | Height: 167 feet | First drop: 150 feet | Top speed: 68 mph | Track length: 4,124 feet (world’s longest inverted coaster) | Inversions: 7 | Ride duration: 2 minutes, 40 seconds | Minimum height: 52 inches | Maximum height: 78 inches | Trains: 3 trains, 8 cars each | Hourly capacity: approximately 1,650 riders | Cost at opening: $24 million
How Tall Is Banshee?
Banshee tops out at 167 feet, measured from the ground to the top of its lift hill and first drop. That makes it taller than most B&M inverted coasters, though noticeably shorter than Kings Island’s other flagship, Orion, a giga coaster that climbs past 300 feet.
On an inverted coaster, height matters less for the view than for the drop it sets up: the entire 150-foot descent happens with your feet dangling free below the track, since Banshee’s train hangs from the rail rather than riding on top of it. That single design detail is why Banshee’s 167-foot stat feels more intense in person than the number alone suggests.
Banshee’s Height Requirement, Explained
Banshee’s height requirement is 52 inches to 78 inches, one of the stricter windows at Kings Island. Riders shorter than 52 inches (4 feet 4 inches) cannot ride, and riders taller than 78 inches (6 feet 6 inches) are also turned away.
The minimum protects smaller riders, who need enough body size for the over-the-shoulder restraints to lock down securely during inversions. The maximum exists for the same reason in reverse: on an inverted coaster, taller riders can run out of clearance in the leg and shoulder area as the train banks and rolls, so the restraint system won’t close safely above 78 inches. Kings Island staff measure riders at the entrance if there’s any doubt, and since ride requirements are occasionally adjusted, the official Banshee ride page is the source to check before a visit.
When Did Banshee Open?
Banshee opened to the public on April 18, 2014, after construction that made it the most expensive ride investment in Kings Island’s history at the time, at roughly $24 million. It replaced the former Son of Beast site and was built specifically to set a world record: at 4,124 feet of track, it remains the longest inverted roller coaster on the planet more than a decade later.
In its debut year, Banshee won the Golden Ticket Award for Best New Ride from Amusement Today, cementing it as one of the most significant coaster openings of the 2010s.
All Seven Inversions, In Order
Banshee delivers seven inversions in a fixed order, and riders experience them within seconds of leaving the station. First comes a dive loop directly off the 150-foot drop, a sideways-sweeping inversion rather than a straight vertical loop. Second is a full vertical loop that wraps around the base of the lift hill structure. Third is a zero-G roll, a barrel-roll element that produces a floating sensation while riders are fully upside down.
Fourth and fifth come from a single element called a pretzel knot, a rare B&M configuration that threads two inversions through a valley dip in the layout — it’s also where the train hits its top speed. Sixth is a second vertical loop, and the sequence closes with an inline twist as the seventh and final inversion before the brake run.
The First Drop: What Makes This Roller Coaster Drop Different
Banshee’s first drop is defined by what it withholds: a moment to prepare. Most roller coaster drops on traditional sit-down coasters are a straight vertical plunge that lets riders brace before the next element arrives. Banshee’s 150-foot drop is different on two counts. First, it’s banked into a curve rather than falling straight down, so the train is already rotating as it descends. Second, that curve flows directly into the ride’s first inversion, the dive loop, before the train has finished accelerating.
On an inverted coaster, where your feet hang free below the track, hitting an inversion mid-drop compounds the falling sensation with a rotating one, which is why reviewers consistently describe Banshee’s opening as more forceful than a typical B&M invert.
Why Banshee Hits Top Speed Mid-Ride
Most coasters reach their top speed at the bottom of the first drop, the most direct conversion of elevation into velocity. Banshee is an exception: its peak speed of 68 mph occurs roughly midway through the layout, at the lowest point of the pretzel knot element, not right after the opening descent.
The reason is terrain. Kings Island built Banshee into a hillside, routing the back half of the course into a valley that sits well below the lift hill’s starting elevation, so the total vertical drop across the ride exceeds the 150-foot first drop alone. Riders spend much of the first half descending in stages, with each inversion pushing the train lower until the terrain drops away entirely at the pretzel knot, giving the middle of the ride an urgency that usually belongs only to opening drops.
How Banshee Compares to Other B&M Inverts
Bolliger & Mabillard built its reputation partly on inverted coasters, and Banshee represents the format’s outer edge in scale. Its 4,124-foot track length surpasses every other inverted coaster from any manufacturer, not just other B&M models, and the gap to the next-longest inverted coasters is wide enough that the world record has gone unchallenged since 2014.
On inversions, Banshee ties Busch Gardens Tampa’s Montu at seven, the joint record for inverted coasters. Montu spreads its seven inversions across a more varied pace with breathing room between elements, while Banshee’s layout keeps the intervals tight and the train moving quickly between them, a difference that’s a common talking point among coaster enthusiasts.
What to Know Before You Ride
Banshee is an inverted coaster, meaning the train hangs below the track and there’s no floor under your feet at any point in the ride. Riders sit in individual seats with over-the-shoulder restraints that lock down before dispatch, and loose articles, including phones, hats, and glasses without a strap, aren’t permitted in the seating area.
Because of the 52-to-78-inch height window, taller and shorter riders in a group should expect to be checked separately at the entrance rather than assuming the whole party qualifies together.
Banshee height requirements and inversions FAQs
What is Banshee’s height requirement?
Riders must be between 52 and 78 inches tall. Guests under 52 inches (4’4″) cannot ride, and guests over 78 inches (6’6″) are also restricted because the over-the-shoulder restraints need a specific size range to lock safely on an inverted coaster.
How tall do you have to be to ride Banshee at Kings Island?
You have to be at least 52 inches (4 feet 4 inches) tall, with a maximum height of 78 inches (6 feet 6 inches).
How many inversions does Banshee have?
Banshee has seven inversions: a dive loop, a vertical loop, a zero-G roll, a pretzel knot (which contains two inversions), a second vertical loop, and an inline twist.
When did Banshee open?
Banshee opened to the public at Kings Island on April 18, 2014.
How tall is Banshee at Kings Island?
Banshee’s lift hill and structure reach 167 feet, with a first drop of 150 feet.
What is Banshee’s first drop like?
Banshee’s first drop is a 150-foot, banked descent that flows directly into the ride’s first inversion, a dive loop, rather than giving riders a straight, unbroken plunge before the next element.
How fast does Banshee go?
Banshee reaches a top speed of 68 mph, hit roughly midway through the layout at the bottom of the pretzel knot element rather than right after the first drop.
Is Banshee the world’s longest inverted coaster?
Yes. At 4,124 feet of track, Banshee is the longest inverted roller coaster in the world, a record it has held since opening in 2014.
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