Pandemonium is a spinning steel roller coaster at Mid America Adventure in Eureka, Missouri, the park formerly known as Six Flags St. Louis. It opened on April 21, 2007, as part of a wave of Gerstlauer spinning coasters Six Flags installed across several of its parks in the mid-2000s, originally debuting under extreme-sports branding tied to skateboarder Tony Hawk.
Unlike a traditional coaster with inversions, Pandemonium relies on free-spinning four-passenger cars that rotate independently based on track geometry and how weight shifts among riders. That means every lap through its drop, turns, and helix plays out a little differently, making repeat rides feel genuinely unpredictable.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Mid America Adventure (Eureka, Missouri)
- Manufacturer: Gerstlauer
- Opened: April 21, 2007
- Height: 48 feet
- Top speed: 31 mph
- Length: 1,351 feet
- Inversions: 0 (free-spinning cars, no track inversions)
The Ride Experience
After a short chain-lift climb, Pandemonium’s cars drop 27 feet before working through a sequence of S-turns, a banked figure-eight, small rolling hills, and a helix on the way to a long final curve into the brakes. Because the ride is a Gerstlauer Spinning Coaster Model 420, the cars aren’t fixed in direction the way most coasters are; they rotate freely on their platforms, so the exact spin pattern depends on the track’s banking and the combined weight of the four riders in each car.
That design keeps the coaster approachable for families while still delivering surprise, since even frequent riders can’t predict exactly how a lap will spin out. A portion of the layout still passes over a half-pipe-shaped structure, a visual holdover from the ride’s earlier skate-park theming.
From Tony Hawk’s Big Spin to Pandemonium
When it opened in 2007, the coaster operated as Tony Hawk’s Big Spin, one of several Six Flags spinning coasters themed around the professional skateboarder as part of an extreme-sports marketing push. After Six Flags wound down its Tony Hawk licensing deal following the company’s 2010 bankruptcy, the ride was renamed Pandemonium for the 2011 season, matching the name already used for sister rides at other Six Flags parks.
The coaster has kept the Pandemonium name ever since, even as the park itself later rebranded from Six Flags St. Louis to Mid America Adventure, making it one of the park’s longer-running family thrill rides.
Explore more: Explore more roller coasters.
Build a working coaster on the kitchen table and learn why the first drop has to be the tallest. A good gift for young coaster fans.
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.
Pandemonium FAQs
Does Pandemonium have any loops or inversions?
No. Pandemonium is a spinning coaster, not an inverting one. Its thrill comes from the cars rotating freely as they move through turns and hills, not from upside-down track elements.
What is the height requirement for Pandemonium?
Riders must be at least 42 inches tall, making it accessible to many younger riders alongside adults.
Why do the cars spin differently every ride?
The cars aren’t locked to a fixed rotation. They spin based on the track’s banking and the distribution of riders’ weight in each car, so the amount and direction of spin varies from ride to ride.
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Photo: Pooleyusk at en.wikipedia / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.