Missouri’s coaster scene splits between a historic Ozarks hillside park and two former Six Flags/Cedar Fair properties in Kansas City and the St. Louis area, and that split shows in the rides: wood coasters cut into real terrain at Silver Dollar City, a tall steel hyper coaster at Worlds of Fun, and a mix of inverted loopers and launch coasters at Mid America Adventure outside St. Louis. The best ride in the state is Time Traveler at Silver Dollar City, a spinning launch coaster that doesn’t ride the same way twice.
This ranking weighs how a ride actually feels in the seat, airtime, pacing, intensity, and how it holds up on a second or third lap, over raw height or speed numbers alone. Beyond the list itself, the page below has a side-by-side comparison table, park-by-park advice for serious riders versus families, and a road-trip plan for driving between all three parks.
Stats at a Glance
- Top Pick: Time Traveler — Silver Dollar City
- Tallest: Mr. Freeze: Reverse Blast, 218 ft (66 m)
- Fastest: Mamba, 75 mph (121 km/h)
- Best Park for Coasters: Silver Dollar City
- Best Time to Go: April–May and September–October
The Ranking: Best Roller Coasters in Missouri
These are ranked by overall ride experience, not height or speed alone, from the state’s best coaster down to a solid family-level ride.
1. Time Traveler — Silver Dollar City
Time Traveler is a steel spinning launch coaster built by Mack Rides, standing 100 ft (30 m) tall with a top speed of 50.3 mph (81 km/h). It opened in 2018 and is defined by two linear synchronous motor launches that send free-spinning cars through a 90-degree drop and three inversions without a traditional lift hill.
Riders never know which way their car will be facing going into a drop or inversion, so the same layout feels different almost every lap. The launches keep the pacing tight and the forces arrive in short, sharp bursts rather than sustained airtime, which suits riders who like unpredictability over float. It tops this list because nothing else in the state reinvents itself the same way on every ride.
2. Outlaw Run — Silver Dollar City
Outlaw Run is a wooden coaster built by Rocky Mountain Construction using steel-topped track, rising 107 ft (33 m) with a top speed of 68 mph (109 km/h). It opened in 2013 as RMC’s first wood coaster and is defined by a double heartline roll near ground level, one of three inversions on a layout cut into an Ozark hillside.
The ride mixes sustained airtime over rolling hills with twisting, low-to-the-ground banks that feel closer to a steel coaster than a traditional wood layout. It rewards riders who want speed and disorientation together rather than a smooth cruise, and it holds up on repeat rides because the terrain hides the sightlines. It ranks just behind Time Traveler because its forces are more intense and consistent, but it asks more of first-time riders.
3. Mamba — Worlds of Fun
Mamba is a steel hyper coaster built by D.H. Morgan Manufacturing, reaching 205 ft (62 m) with a top speed of 75 mph (121 km/h). It opened in 1998 and is defined by its 205-foot first drop followed by a string of airtime hills running the length of the park’s back lot.
The ride leans on speed and sustained airtime rather than inversions, so the appeal is in the stretch of hills after the drop rather than any single moment. It suits riders who want a fast, physical ride without disorientation, and the hills still deliver float on every train after nearly three decades. It’s the fastest coaster in the state and the clear highlight of the Worlds of Fun lineup.
4. Wildfire — Silver Dollar City
Wildfire is a steel coaster built by Bolliger & Mabillard, standing 120 ft (37 m) tall with a top speed of 66 mph (106 km/h). It opened in 2001 and is defined by an Immelmann loop into a cobra roll, part of a five-inversion layout packed into a compact hillside footprint.
The ride is smooth in the way most B&M loopers are, so the inversions feel controlled rather than jarring, which makes it a good step up for riders moving from family coasters into bigger inversions. It ranks behind the park’s two signature rides because it’s a known quantity rather than something unusual, but the pacing and smoothness make it the most repeatable ride at Silver Dollar City.
5. Prowler — Worlds of Fun
Prowler is a wooden coaster built by Great Coasters International, standing 102 ft (31 m) tall with a top speed of 51 mph (82 km/h). It opened in 2009 and is defined by a figure-eight layout of two interlocking out-and-back halves that cross each other repeatedly.
The ride is built around quick, sustained airtime on low hills rather than one big drop, with a rhythm that keeps catching riders off guard because the crossing track hides what’s coming next. It suits riders who prefer wood coasters that stay low and move fast over ones built for height, and it ranks ahead of the park’s steel inverted coaster because the pacing rarely lets up.
6. Mr. Freeze: Reverse Blast — Mid America Adventure
Mr. Freeze: Reverse Blast is a steel launch coaster built by Premier Rides, standing 218 ft (66 m) tall with a top speed of 70 mph (113 km/h). It opened in 1998 and is defined by a backward launch that fires the train out of the station in reverse before it climbs the ride’s signature tower.
The ride is short, but the launch and the top-hat tower deliver a concentrated hit of speed and weightlessness that nothing else in the state matches. It suits riders who want intensity without a long ride time, and it ranks this high because the launch feel is distinct even though the overall layout is brief.
7. Powder Keg: A Blast into the Wilderness — Silver Dollar City
Powder Keg is a steel launch coaster built by S&S, standing 98 ft (30 m) tall with a top speed of 64 mph (103 km/h). It opened in 2005 and is defined by a compressed-air launch that pushes the train from 0 to 53 mph in under three seconds before a drop through the trees.
The ride is built around pacing rather than inversions, with the launch and drop acting as the main event and the rest of the layout staying low and fast through wooded terrain. It suits riders who like a strong initial hit followed by a shorter, playful back half, and it sits in the middle of this list because the launch is the highlight rather than the whole ride.
8. Batman: The Ride — Mid America Adventure
Batman: The Ride is a steel inverted coaster built by Bolliger & Mabillard, standing 110 ft (34 m) tall with a top speed of 55 mph (88 km/h). It opened in 1995 and is defined by five inversions, ridden with legs hanging free below the track.
The ride is smooth and precise in the way most B&M inverted coasters are, so the inversions feel controlled rather than abrupt, which makes it approachable for riders trying an inverted coaster for the first time. It ranks in the middle of this list because it’s a well-built but familiar layout rather than something distinct to Missouri.
9. American Thunder — Mid America Adventure
American Thunder is a wooden coaster built by Great Coasters International, standing 82 ft (25 m) tall with a top speed of 48 mph (77 km/h). It opened in 2008 and is defined by 14 crossovers packed into a layout that repeatedly doubles back on itself.
The ride stays low to the ground and moves quickly through tight turns rather than big drops, giving it a different feel from the state’s taller wood coasters. It suits riders who like a fast, twisty wood coaster over a tall one, and it ranks here because the crossovers keep it interesting without matching the intensity of the rides above it.
10. Patriot — Worlds of Fun
Patriot is a steel inverted coaster built by Bolliger & Mabillard, standing 149 ft (45 m) tall with a top speed of 60 mph (97 km/h). It opened in 2006 and is defined by four inversions, including a cobra roll, ridden with legs dangling free.
The ride is the tallest inverted coaster in the state and spreads its inversions out more than its counterpart at Mid America Adventure. It suits riders who want a bigger, smoother inverted coaster experience, and it ranks here rather than higher because there’s more coasting between elements than on the rides above it.
11. The Boss — Mid America Adventure
The Boss is a wooden terrain coaster built by Custom Coasters International, standing 122 ft (37 m) tall with a top speed of 66 mph (106 km/h). It opened in 2000 and is defined by a 150-foot first drop that follows the natural slope of the park’s Britannia section.
The ride uses the hillside to build speed early and then holds it through tight turns and dips rather than repeating the drop’s intensity throughout. It suits riders who like a physical, sometimes rough wood coaster with a big opening move, and it ranks lower on this list because the back half doesn’t match the opening drop.
12. Screamin’ Eagle — Mid America Adventure
Screamin’ Eagle is a wooden coaster designed by John Allen and built by Philadelphia Toboggan Company, standing 110 ft (34 m) tall with a top speed of 62 mph (100 km/h). It opened in 1976 and is defined by a long out-and-back layout, one of the older wood coaster designs still running in the state.
The ride is milder than the park’s newer coasters, with long, sweeping turns rather than abrupt hills, which makes it a good fit for riders who want a classic wood coaster without the roughness of a terrain layout. It ranks here because its age and gentler pacing put it behind more modern, more intense rides on this list.
13. Thunderation — Silver Dollar City
Thunderation is a steel mine train coaster built by Arrow Dynamics, standing 81 ft (25 m) tall with a top speed of 48 mph (77 km/h). It opened in 1993 and is defined by tunnels and sudden drops built into the park’s hillside terrain; the park has announced 2026 as its final full season ahead of a planned January 2027 closure.
The ride is paced for variety rather than speed, with blind turns and dips that surprise riders through terrain more than height. It suits families and riders who want a milder, story-driven coaster, and it ranks near the bottom of this list because its mine-train pacing is gentler than the rides above it.
14. Timber Wolf — Worlds of Fun
Timber Wolf is a wooden coaster built by the Dinn Corporation, standing 100 ft (30 m) tall with a top speed of 53 mph (85 km/h). It opened in 1989 and is defined by a 95-foot first drop into a layout that runs through trees along the edge of the park.
The ride sat closed for most of 2025 while Worlds of Fun and the Gravity Group rebuilt several sections of track, and it returned for the 2026 season by Memorial Day weekend, with that work meant to smooth out some of the roughness the ride had picked up over the decades. It suits riders who want a classic wood coaster experience, and it ranks here because other wood coasters in the state still edge it out on pacing and consistency.
15. Zambezi Zinger — Worlds of Fun
Zambezi Zinger is a wood and steel hybrid coaster built by Great Coasters International, standing 74 ft (23 m) tall with a top speed of 45 mph (72 km/h). It opened in 2023 as a reimagined, smaller-scale tribute to the original Zambezi Zinger, a steel Schwarzkopf coaster that ran at the park from 1973 to 1997.
The ride is shorter and milder than the rest of this list, built around quick, low hills rather than sustained drops or inversions. It suits families and riders easing into wood coasters rather than thrill-seekers, and it ranks last here because its scale and intensity are modest next to every other ride on this list.
Quick Comparison
The same height and speed figures used in the ranking above, side by side.
| Rank | Coaster | Park | Type | Height | Top Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Time Traveler | Silver Dollar City | Steel spinning launch coaster | 100 ft (30 m) | 50.3 mph (81 km/h) |
| 2 | Outlaw Run | Silver Dollar City | Wood coaster (RMC) | 107 ft (33 m) | 68 mph (109 km/h) |
| 3 | Mamba | Worlds of Fun | Steel hyper coaster | 205 ft (62 m) | 75 mph (121 km/h) |
| 4 | Wildfire | Silver Dollar City | Steel looping coaster | 120 ft (37 m) | 66 mph (106 km/h) |
| 5 | Prowler | Worlds of Fun | Wood coaster | 102 ft (31 m) | 51 mph (82 km/h) |
| 6 | Mr. Freeze: Reverse Blast | Mid America Adventure | Steel launch coaster | 218 ft (66 m) | 70 mph (113 km/h) |
| 7 | Powder Keg: A Blast into the Wilderness | Silver Dollar City | Steel launch coaster | 98 ft (30 m) | 64 mph (103 km/h) |
| 8 | Batman: The Ride | Mid America Adventure | Steel inverted coaster | 110 ft (34 m) | 55 mph (88 km/h) |
| 9 | American Thunder | Mid America Adventure | Wood coaster | 82 ft (25 m) | 48 mph (77 km/h) |
| 10 | Patriot | Worlds of Fun | Steel inverted coaster | 149 ft (45 m) | 60 mph (97 km/h) |
| 11 | The Boss | Mid America Adventure | Wood terrain coaster | 122 ft (37 m) | 66 mph (106 km/h) |
| 12 | Screamin’ Eagle | Mid America Adventure | Wood coaster | 110 ft (34 m) | 62 mph (100 km/h) |
| 13 | Thunderation | Silver Dollar City | Steel mine train coaster | 81 ft (25 m) | 48 mph (77 km/h) |
| 14 | Timber Wolf | Worlds of Fun | Wood coaster | 100 ft (30 m) | 53 mph (85 km/h) |
| 15 | Zambezi Zinger | Worlds of Fun | Wood and steel hybrid coaster | 74 ft (23 m) | 45 mph (72 km/h) |
Which Missouri Park Should You Pick?
Serious riders should make Silver Dollar City in Branson the priority stop. Time Traveler, Outlaw Run, and Wildfire all land in the top four of this ranking, and Powder Keg backs them up, giving the park the highest concentration of distinctive rides in the state even though its overall lineup is smaller than the other two parks.
Families with younger kids are better served by Worlds of Fun in Kansas City, where Zambezi Zinger and other family-level rides give younger riders plenty to do alongside Mamba for the one or two members of the group chasing speed, and the adjoining Oceans of Fun water park gives everyone a break from the midday heat.
For a mixed group spanning ages and nerve levels, Mid America Adventure in Eureka (formerly Six Flags St. Louis) covers the widest range in a single visit, from River King Mine Train and Pandemonium for younger or more cautious riders up to Mr. Freeze: Reverse Blast and Batman: The Ride for the thrill-seekers, with an attached water park for an afternoon break.
Planning a Missouri Coaster Road Trip
The three parks form a rough triangle across the state. Worlds of Fun in Kansas City to Silver Dollar City in Branson is about 3.5 hours by car; Silver Dollar City to Mid America Adventure in Eureka, just outside St. Louis, is about 4 hours; and closing the loop from Eureka back to Kansas City is about 3.5 hours. A sensible order is Kansas City, then Branson, then Eureka, since it avoids backtracking and finishes closest to the interstate corridor leading out of the state.
Go in April–May or September–October for shorter lines and milder weather; mid-summer brings the longest waits at all three parks, especially on weekends and around the July 4th holiday. Timber Wolf at Worlds of Fun returned for the 2026 season by Memorial Day weekend after an off-season rebuild, so it should be running for most of the regular season by the time you visit. Buying tickets online in advance rather than at the gate is cheaper at all three parks, and that gap widens during peak summer months.
Explore more: Roller Coasters guide.
Over 3,700 pieces, a real vertical loop and a working chain lift. Display it on a shelf in the coaster room.
Rub-on sunscreen that fits in a pocket — reapply in the queue without greasy hands on the lap bar.
Folds into its own pocket. Pop it on when the storm rolls in and the rides reopen to short lines.
Best Roller Coasters in Missouri FAQs
What is the best roller coaster in Missouri?
Time Traveler at Silver Dollar City in Branson. It’s a steel spinning, launched coaster that uses two linear launches instead of a lift hill, so the ride plays out differently almost every time depending on which way your car is facing going into each element.
What is the tallest roller coaster in Missouri?
Mr. Freeze: Reverse Blast at Mid America Adventure (formerly Six Flags St. Louis) in Eureka, standing 218 ft (66 m) tall.
Which park in Missouri has the most roller coasters?
Mid America Adventure in Eureka, just outside St. Louis, has the broadest roller coaster lineup in the state, ranging from mild family mine trains to inverted loopers and launch coasters.
When is the best time to visit Missouri theme parks?
April through May and September through October, when crowds are thinner and temperatures are milder than Missouri’s humid summer. Weekdays are quieter than weekends at all three parks year-round.
Get More from Best Roller Coasters in Missouri
Log the coasters, stadiums, and venues you’ve experienced, rate Best Roller Coasters in Missouri, 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 / CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.