Monster is a steel roller coaster at Adventureland in Altoona, Iowa, that opened on June 4, 2016, as the first Gerstlauer Infinity Coaster to operate in the United States. Built to replace the park’s aging River Rapids Log Flume, the $9 million ride quickly became one of Adventureland’s signature attractions thanks to its aggressive layout and eye-catching bright-green track.
Riders climb a 133-foot vertical lift hill before plunging down a first drop angled at 101 degrees, hitting a top speed of 65 mph. From there, the custom Gerstlauer layout threads through five inversions — including a dive loop, Finnish loop, Immelmann, and corkscrew — packed into roughly 2,500 feet of track and about two minutes of ride time.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Adventureland (Altoona, Iowa)
- Manufacturer: Gerstlauer
- Opened: June 4, 2016
- Height: 133 feet
- Top speed: 65 mph
- Length: 2,500 feet
- Inversions: 5
The Ride Experience
From the station, Monster’s three eight-passenger trains climb a vertical chain lift to 133 feet before tipping over into a 101-degree beyond-vertical first drop, an element that gives riders a distinct moment of airtime right out of the gate. The rest of the layout keeps up the pace, chaining together a dive loop, Finnish loop, Immelmann, and corkscrew across five total inversions in a compact footprint.
At night, the ride’s identity shifts again: a lighting system with 46 ground lights and 137 track-mounted fixtures — designed by Mike Lambert and engineered by KCL Engineering — turns the coaster into a glowing centerpiece of the park, work that earned two Illuminating Engineering Society design awards.
A First for American Parks
Monster holds the distinction of being the first Gerstlauer Infinity Coaster model to open anywhere in the United States, giving Adventureland a rare claim among Midwest amusement parks. The steel structure was fabricated by OCEM Structural Steelwork, and the ride runs three trains to keep hourly capacity around 720 riders.
Explore more: Browse more roller coasters.
Monster FAQs
How tall do you have to be to ride Monster at Adventureland?
Riders must be at least 48 inches (122 cm) tall to ride Monster.
What replaced Monster at Adventureland?
Monster didn’t replace another coaster — it replaced the park’s River Rapids Log Flume, which was removed due to maintenance issues.
Who manufactured the Monster roller coaster?
Monster was built by Gerstlauer, a German ride manufacturer, as a custom Infinity Coaster model — the first of its kind in the U.S.
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Photo: TheCatalyst31 / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.