The Mindbender roller coaster was the signature ride of Galaxyland, the indoor amusement park inside West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton, Alberta. For 37 years it held the title of the world’s tallest indoor roller coaster, hurling riders through three vertical loops entirely under one roof — an engineering feat few parks have ever attempted, let alone matched.
Built by Anton Schwarzkopf and designed by Werner Stengel, the Mindbender opened in 1985 as a $6 million centerpiece attraction and quickly became one of Canada’s most recognized thrill rides. It closed permanently in January 2023, but its story — including a fatal 1986 accident, its second life at another park, and what’s now rising in its place — is still very much worth telling.
Quick Answer
The Mindbender was a triple-loop indoor steel roller coaster at Galaxyland in West Edmonton Mall, built by Anton Schwarzkopf and opened December 20, 1985. At 145 feet (44.2 m) tall, it was the world’s tallest indoor roller coaster, reaching 60 mph and pulling roughly 5.2 Gs across three vertical loops. It closed for good on January 30, 2023, was demolished in 2025, and Galaxyland is now building a new coaster (rumored to be a Vekoma model) in its place.
What Was the Mindbender?
The Mindbender was a Schwarzkopf-built steel looping coaster housed entirely inside Galaxyland, the amusement park on the upper level of West Edmonton Mall. Its 4,198-foot layout climbed 145 feet inside the mall’s atrium before dropping into three consecutive vertical loops and a double upward helix — a track plan longer and more intense than many outdoor coasters of its era.
Park: Galaxyland, West Edmonton Mall, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Manufacturer: Anton Schwarzkopf. Designer: Werner Stengel. Opened: December 20, 1985. Closed: January 30, 2023. Height: 145 ft (44.2 m). Top speed: 60 mph (96.5 km/h). Length: 4,198 ft (1,279.5 m). Inversions: 3 vertical loops. Max G-force: approximately 5.2 G.
The Ride Experience
Riders boarded one of four trains, each carrying 12 passengers across three cars, before climbing into the darkness of the mall’s vast interior. The coaster’s 145-foot lift led straight into three back-to-back vertical loops — a sequence very few indoor rides anywhere have matched — followed by a twisting helix finale.
Because it ran entirely enclosed within the mall, the Mindbender had none of the visual cues outdoor coasters give riders: no horizon, no daylight, just the echo of steel trains thundering through a shopping center. Combined with G-forces in the same range as some of the world’s most extreme outdoor steel coasters, that made it feel far more intense than its indoor, family-mall setting suggested.
The 1986 Accident and Its Aftermath
On June 14, 1986 — about six months after opening — a wheel assembly on the rear car failed as the train entered its third loop. The car derailed at roughly 100 km/h, ejecting all four occupants onto the concrete floor below. Three riders died and a fourth was left with permanent, critical injuries.
A provincial investigation found that four cap screws holding a wheel assembly had worked loose, a failure traced to design and manufacturing flaws in the car’s German-built running gear. The Mindbender was closed for roughly seven months while its trains were rebuilt with reinforced wheel assemblies and reduced from four cars to three per train. It reopened in January 1987 and operated for the following 33-plus years without another major structural incident.
Closure, Demolition, and What’s Replacing It
The Mindbender’s final years were shaped as much by the pandemic as by age: Galaxyland shut down in 2020 due to COVID-19, and the ride never reopened to the public afterward. Despite fan campaigns urging West Edmonton Mall to preserve or relocate it, the mall confirmed on January 30, 2023 that the Mindbender was permanently decommissioned to free up space for new Galaxyland attractions.
The structure stood dormant for roughly two years before demolition crews removed it in 2025 along with the adjacent Galaxy Quest theatre. West Edmonton Mall has since confirmed a new roller coaster is under construction in the same footprint, reportedly built by Dutch manufacturer Vekoma. As of now, the mall has not officially named the ride or announced an opening date, though construction and social media teasers point to it arriving within the next couple of years.
Where the Mindbender’s Trains Are Now
The Mindbender’s original trains didn’t disappear with the ride. They were shipped to Indiana Beach in Monticello, Indiana, where they were refurbished and now run as the All American Triple Loop — meaning the same cars that carried millions of riders through Galaxyland’s loops are still in daily operation, just under a different name and a different sky.
Records and Recognition
For most of its life, the Mindbender was billed as the world’s tallest indoor roller coaster, a record tied directly to its 145-foot height inside the mall’s structure — a mark that stood for decades and was never surpassed by another fully enclosed coaster before the ride closed. Throughout the 1990s it was regularly cited by coaster enthusiasts and industry press as one of the most intense steel coasters in North America, indoor or outdoor, largely on the strength of its triple-loop layout and sustained G-forces.
Mindbender roller coaster (Galaxyland) FAQs
What is the Mindbender roller coaster?
The Mindbender was a triple-looping steel roller coaster built by Anton Schwarzkopf at Galaxyland, the indoor amusement park inside West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It opened in 1985 and was the world’s tallest indoor roller coaster for decades.
Is the Mindbender still at Galaxyland?
No. The Mindbender closed permanently on January 30, 2023, and its structure was demolished in 2025. Galaxyland is currently building a new coaster, reportedly from manufacturer Vekoma, in the same space, though it has not yet been officially named or opened.
How tall and fast was the Mindbender?
The Mindbender stood 145 feet (44.2 m) tall, reached a top speed of 60 mph (96.5 km/h), and covered 4,198 feet of track with three vertical loops and a double upward helix, generating forces of roughly 5.2 G.
What happened in the 1986 Mindbender accident?
On June 14, 1986, four cap screws on a wheel assembly failed, causing the rear car to derail while entering the third loop. All four occupants were ejected; three died and one was left with permanent, critical injuries. The ride reopened in January 1987 with reinforced wheel assemblies and three-car trains instead of four.
Where are the Mindbender’s trains now?
The original Mindbender trains were shipped to Indiana Beach in Monticello, Indiana, where they now operate as the All American Triple Loop.
What’s replacing the Mindbender at Galaxyland?
West Edmonton Mall is building a new roller coaster in the Mindbender’s former footprint, widely reported to be manufactured by Vekoma. As of this writing, the mall hasn’t confirmed the ride’s official name or opening date.
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