Banshee at Kings Island: Height, Speed & Stats

Banshee at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio, is the longest inverted roller coaster in the world — 4,124 feet of ski-lift-style track where the trains hang beneath the rails and riders’ legs dangle free. Built by Bolliger & Mabillard and opened on April 18, 2014, it screams through seven inversions at up to 68 mph.

At $24 million, Banshee was the most expensive project in Kings Island’s history when it was announced, and it earned its keep fast: more than one million riders in under three months. Its seven-inversion count also ties Montu at Busch Gardens Tampa for the most on any inverted coaster, placing it on our list of the roller coasters with the most inversions in the world.

Key Stats

Height	167 ft (51 m)
Drop	150 ft (46 m)
Speed	68 mph (109 km/h)
Length	4,124 ft (1,257 m) — world’s longest inverted coaster
Inversions	7
Duration	2:40
Capacity	1,650 riders per hour
Manufacturer	Bolliger & Mabillard
Model	Inverted Coaster
Cost	$24 million
Opened	April 18, 2014

Overview of Banshee's inverted track at Kings Island — Banshee’s 4,124 feet of inverted track make it the longest coaster of its kind in the world. — Photo: Jeremy Thompson via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

A Record-Holding Layout

Banshee’s seven inversions read like a B&M greatest-hits album: two vertical loops, a dive loop, a zero-g roll, a pretzel knot, and an inline twist. The most striking visual is the first vertical loop, which wraps around the lift hill itself — trains climbing to the 167-foot peak watch other trains loop right around them.

The terrain-hugging course drops 150 feet out of the gate and never really lets up, stretching the ride to a generous two minutes and forty seconds. Three trains of eight cars keep the line moving at up to 1,650 riders per hour.

Built on the Grave of Son of Beast

Banshee occupies the former site of Son of Beast, the ill-fated wooden hypercoaster that closed in 2009 and was demolished in 2012. Kings Island embraced the haunted lineage — a Son of Beast memorial headstone sits in Banshee’s queue, and the ride’s wailing-spirit theme fits a coaster named for the Irish omen of death.

Banshee's dive loop inversion at Kings Island — The dive loop, one of seven inversions packed into the layout. — Photo: Jeremy Thompson via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

The announcement itself was a slow-burn haunting: through summer 2013 the park teased guests with scarecrows around the construction site, hidden screams near the fences, and owls placed in nearby trees before revealing the world’s longest inverted coaster on August 8, 2013.

How Banshee Stacks Up

More than a decade after opening, Banshee still holds the inverted-coaster length record it claimed in 2014, and it consistently ranks among the top steel coasters in Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket Awards. For inverted-coaster fans it’s a bucket-list ride: the length of a hyper, the inversion count of a looper, and B&M’s signature sure-footed smoothness.

Banshee train climbing the 167-foot lift hill — A 32-passenger train climbs the 167-foot lift hill, which threads through one of the ride’s vertical loops. — Photo: Jeremy Thompson via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

Visiting tip: Banshee sits in the Action Zone near the front-left of the park, and its three-train operation keeps waits reasonable for a headliner. The back row delivers the wildest whip through the pretzel knot, while the front gives an unobstructed view of the loop wrapping the lift hill.

Banshee Photo Archive: 2022 & 2023

These are original ThrillZing photos of Banshee taken at Kings Island on July 29 and 30, 2022 and June 1, 2023, shot on an iPhone and published as taken. They show the B&M inverted coaster’s screaming-spirit sign, the lift hill running through the vertical loop, and trains swinging through the layout with the Eiffel Tower behind. All photos are free to reuse under a CC BY 4.0 license with credit to ThrillZing and a link to this page.

June 2023

July 2022

The Banshee sign with the maroon track and blue supports of the vertical loop behind it, Kings Island, July 2022 — The sign with the loop behind it. *Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)*

The Banshee sign with the lift hill and loop rising behind the trees, Kings Island, July 2022 — The sign and the lift hill. *Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)*

A Banshee train cresting the top of the track above the blue supports with the Eiffel Tower behind, Kings Island, July 2022 — A train cresting the top, the Eiffel Tower behind. *Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)*

Banshee's vertical loop framed by tall pine trees, Kings Island, July 2022 — The loop framed by the pines, July 29, 2022. *Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)*

The maroon track and blue supports of Banshee's loop seen between evergreens, Kings Island, July 2022 — The loop between the trees. *Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)*

A Banshee train high on the outside of a tall maroon curve at sunset, Kings Island, July 2022 — A train high on the curve at sunset. *Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)*

A Banshee train with riders' legs dangling on the outside of the big curve, Kings Island, July 2022 — Riders’ legs dangling on the big curve. *Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)*

A Banshee train swinging down the maroon curve between the blue supports, Kings Island, July 2022 — Swinging down the curve. *Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)*

A Banshee train leaving the station toward the lift with the vertical loop beyond, Kings Island, July 2022 — A train heading for the lift, the loop beyond. *Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)*

A Banshee train climbing the lift hill inside the vertical loop, Kings Island, July 2022 — Climbing the lift inside the loop. *Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)*

A Banshee train on the lift and the loop above a blue patio umbrella, Kings Island, July 2022 — The lift and loop above a patio umbrella. *Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)*

Looking up a blue support column at a Banshee train on the lift, Kings Island, July 2022 — Looking up a support at a train on the lift. *Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)*

A Banshee train higher on the lift hill, seen from below the loop, Kings Island, July 2022 — Higher on the lift. *Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)*

A Banshee train cresting the track above the vertical loop, Kings Island, July 2022 — A train cresting above the loop. *Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)*

A Banshee train in the vertical loop above the midway lamp posts, Kings Island, July 2022 — In the loop above the midway. *Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)*

A Banshee train at the top of the track above the queue's black shade sails, Kings Island, July 2022 — Over the queue’s shade sails. *Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)*

A Banshee train upside down at the top of an inversion against a pale sky, Kings Island, July 2022 — Upside down at the top. *Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)*

A Banshee train on the lift hill where it runs through the vertical loop, Kings Island, July 2022 — The lift running through the loop. *Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)*

A Banshee train climbing the lift hill inside the maroon loop, Kings Island, July 2022 — A train climbing through the loop. *Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)*

A Banshee train partway up the lift inside the loop, Kings Island, July 2022 — Partway up, inside the loop. *Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)*

Banshee's loop and lift hill with more of the maroon layout beyond, Kings Island, July 2022 — The loop and lift with more of the layout beyond. *Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)*

A wider view of Banshee's loop and lift hill against the evening sky, Kings Island, July 2022 — A wider view of the loop and lift. *Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)*

Close under Banshee's loop and the steel walkway of the lift hill, Kings Island, July 2022 — Close under the loop and lift. *Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)*

Banshee's maroon track curving past a gabled building lit by chandeliers, the loop beyond, Kings Island, July 2022 — The track curving past a lit gabled building. *Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)*

Banshee's track and loop beside the gabled building with its chandeliers glowing, Kings Island, July 2022 — Past the building, the loop beyond. *Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)*

A Banshee train at the top of the loop above a carved stone cross in the plaza, Kings Island, July 2022 — A train in the loop above the carved stone cross. *Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)*

A Banshee train in the loop above the stone cross and hedges, Kings Island, July 2022 — In the loop above the hedges. *Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)*

A Banshee train at the top of the track with the Eiffel Tower behind the supports, Kings Island, July 2022 — A train at the top, the Eiffel Tower behind. *Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)*

A Banshee train dropping off the top of the curve with the Eiffel Tower in the distance, Kings Island, July 2022 — Dropping off the top. *Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)*

The Banshee sign from the path with the track at the top right, Kings Island, July 2022 — The Banshee sign from the path. *Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)*

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