DarKoaster is an indoor launched coaster at Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Virginia, built inside the former home of Curse of DarKastle in the park’s Oktoberfest section. It opened to the public on May 19, 2023, becoming the park’s tenth coaster and North America’s first all-indoor straddle coaster.
Manufactured by Intamin, DarKoaster seats riders two-by-two on motorbike-style trains that race through a completely dark layout. Switch-track technology sends each train around the compact circuit twice, delivering four accelerating launches total even though the physical track measures about 1,400 feet, stretched into a 2,454-foot experience by the double pass.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Busch Gardens Williamsburg
- Manufacturer: Intamin
- Opened: May 19, 2023
- Height: about 37 feet (11 m)
- Top speed: 36 mph (58 km/h)
- Length: 2,454 feet (748 m) experienced via two laps
- Inversions: 0
- Launches: 4 accelerating launches (2 per lap, ridden twice)
- Minimum height: 48 inches (122 cm)
The Ride Experience
Riders board motorbike-style trains inside the former Curse of DarKastle building, where tire-drive launches send them through a completely dark indoor layout. Without windows or exterior track, the ride relies on sound, lighting effects, and tight directional changes to build speed and surprise rather than drops or inversions.
DarKoaster’s signature trick is its switch-track system: after completing the roughly 1,400-foot core layout once, each train is routed onto a bypass section and sent around a second time before returning to the station, stacking two launches per lap into four total launches across the ride.
History and Theming
DarKoaster replaced Curse of DarKastle, a dark ride that closed in 2017, reusing the same building in the park’s German-themed Oktoberfest area. The new ride’s storyline follows guests racing to escape a mysterious storm, continuing the area’s supernatural theming while swapping the slow-moving dark ride vehicles for a faster coaster format.
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DarKoaster FAQs
What type of coaster is DarKoaster?
DarKoaster is a steel, indoor, launched motorbike-style coaster with straddle seating, built by Intamin.
How many launches does DarKoaster have?
DarKoaster has four accelerating launches total, because switch-track technology sends each train around its compact layout twice, with two launches per lap.
What was at DarKoaster’s location before it opened?
The ride occupies the Oktoberfest building that previously housed the dark ride Curse of DarKastle, which closed in 2017.
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Photo: Jeremy Thompson / CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.