Tucked into the wooded Halloween section of Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari in Santa Claus, Indiana, The Raven has spent three decades punching well above its 80-foot stature, earning a reputation among coaster enthusiasts as one of the finest wooden roller coasters ever built. Named for Edgar Allan Poe’s 1845 poem, The Raven opened on May 6, 1995 as Holiday World’s first major thrill coaster, designed by Larry Bill and Dennis McNulty of Custom Coasters International.
Below is everything worth knowing about the ride: its full stats, the story behind its design, the awards that built its reputation, its safety history, where to sit for the best experience, how it compares to the park’s other legendary wood coasters, what a visit costs, and answers to the questions people search for most.
Quick Answer
The Raven is an 80-foot wooden roller coaster at Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari in Santa Claus, Indiana, that opened May 6, 1995. Designed by Larry Bill and Dennis McNulty of Custom Coasters International, it drops 85, 61, and 69 feet over 2,800 feet of forested terrain, reaching roughly 48-50 mph in about 90 seconds. It won Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket Award for Best Wooden Roller Coaster four years running (2000-2003) and was named an ACE Coaster Landmark in 2016. Minimum height to ride is 48 inches.
Stats at a Glance
Park: Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari, Santa Claus, Indiana. Designers: Larry Bill and Dennis McNulty, Custom Coasters International. Opened: May 6, 1995. Cost: about $2 million to build. Height: 80 ft. Notable drops: 85 ft, 61 ft, and a 69-foot fifth-hill drop. Length: 2,800 ft. Duration: roughly 1 minute 30 seconds. Speed: officially listed at 50+ mph on Holiday World’s current ride page, though older references cite about 48 mph. Inversions: 0. Minimum height to ride: 48 inches.
Trains: two 24-passenger PTC (Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters) trains, six cars each, running on an automated dispatch system since 2005. Hourly capacity rose from about 700 to roughly 960 riders per hour once the second train and transfer track went in.
The Ride Experience
The Raven begins with a chain lift to 80 feet before diving 85 feet into a high-speed run along the hillside. The layout doesn’t let up: a second, 61-foot drop follows almost immediately, and the train never stops stringing together airtime moments as it threads through the trees rather than over cleared land.
The signature moment is a low, banked turn that carries the train right over the surface of Lake Rudolph, followed by a 120-foot tunnel that swallows riders in near-total darkness before spitting them into the finale. At the base of the fifth hill, a 69-foot drop into a double-banked S-curve — built specifically to dodge a stand of trees during construction — remains one of the most talked-about moments on any wood coaster, forceful enough that even veteran enthusiasts are caught off guard.
Design and History
Holiday World president Will Koch commissioned the ride from Custom Coasters International in the early 1990s, looking to give the park its first serious thrill coaster. Designers Larry Bill and Dennis McNulty built a terrain layout that used the natural hillside rather than steel supports to generate speed and forces well beyond what the coaster’s modest 80-foot height would suggest.
The ride went unnamed until August 1994, when trade magazine editor Tim O’Brien suggested “Raven” during a site tour, as a nod to Edgar Allan Poe’s famous poem — first published in January 1845, almost exactly 150 years before the coaster opened to the public on May 6, 1995. The park marked the occasion by leaving one seat on the ceremonial first train empty, “reserved for the spirit of Edgar Allan Poe.” Built for roughly $2 million, The Raven immediately established Holiday World as a destination for coaster enthusiasts rather than just a regional theme park.
The coaster originally ran with a single train and a single ride operator. In 2005, the park added a second train and a transfer track, upgrading to an automated control system that lifted hourly capacity from about 700 to roughly 960 riders. The track itself is built from layers of Southern yellow pine topped with steel running rails, and during the 2020-2021 off-season the park replaced roughly a quarter of the track and repainted the trains with new wing decals as part of ongoing maintenance to keep the 30-year-old layout running smoothly.
Awards and Recognition
The Raven topped Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket Awards for Best Wooden Roller Coaster four consecutive years, from 2000 through 2003 — a run that cemented its national reputation, following runner-up finishes in 1998 and 1999. American Coaster Enthusiasts later recognized that legacy by naming it an ACE Coaster Landmark on June 23, 2016, an honor reserved for rides of enduring historical significance.
Its Golden Ticket ranking naturally cooled once bigger siblings The Legend (2000) and The Voyage (2006) opened at the same park and drew enthusiast attention, and by recent polls The Raven had settled into the middle of the pack among the world’s ranked wood coasters. That it still shows up on that list at 30 years old, against a field padded with newer hypercoasters, says a lot about how well the layout has aged.
Where to Sit: Front Row vs. Back Row
Because the entire course winds through the forest, The Raven reads differently depending on where you sit and when you ride. Front-row riders get the clearest sightlines into both drops and the tunnel entrance, plus the best view of the low swoop over Lake Rudolph. Back-row riders get whipped hardest through the hills after the first drop, delivering the strongest floater airtime on the ride — a common trade-off on terrain coasters like this one. Note that front and back seats also tend to have the longest waits, since most repeat riders request them; if the line looks long, hopping in a middle row keeps you moving without giving up much of the experience.
An after-dark ride adds another layer: the wooded layout hides enough of what’s coming that even repeat riders lose track of the course, making the tunnel and the fifth-hill S-curve hit harder simply because you can’t see them coming. Afternoon hours tend to bring the shortest lines overall, so an early-evening ride often gets you both light crowds and near-dusk lighting.
How The Raven Compares to Holiday World’s Other Wood Coasters
Holiday World has built its reputation on stacking legendary wood coasters in one park, and The Raven is the smallest of the trio by the numbers but not by reputation. The Legend (2000) stands 99 feet tall with a 113-foot drop, reaches about 59 mph, and runs a 2-minute layout. The Voyage (2006) is the giant of the group at 159 feet tall with a 154-foot drop, a top speed near 67 mph, and a run time of about 2 minutes 45 seconds — widely considered one of the most intense wood coasters in the world. Thunderbird, the park’s launched wing coaster, tops out around 140 feet and 60 mph but is steel, not wood.
Against that lineup, The Raven is the shortest ride and the gentlest introduction, but many enthusiasts still rank its pacing and terrain-hugging layout above both bigger siblings for sheer flow. It’s the coaster most first-time visitors are pointed to first, both because of the modest height requirement and because it sets the tone for what makes Holiday World’s wood coasters special before riders tackle The Legend or The Voyage.
Safety Record
The Raven has operated for three decades with an overall strong safety record, but it isn’t without a documented incident. On May 31, 2003, during an American Coaster Enthusiasts event at the park, 32-year-old Tamar Fellner of New York stood up while riding in the last row and was ejected from the train during the fifth drop. An investigation found the restraint systems were functioning properly and identified no mechanical fault with the coaster. Fellner’s family filed a lawsuit in 2005 alleging negligence and design defects; it was settled out of court in 2007 on undisclosed terms.
The incident led to renewed park-wide emphasis on restraint checks and rider instructions before dispatch. No comparable incident has been reported on The Raven since, and it continues to pass Indiana’s routine state ride inspections alongside the rest of Holiday World’s fleet.
Planning Your Visit
Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari typically operates from May through October, with full daily hours through the summer months and a weekends-only schedule once school resumes in mid-to-late August. Because both the season length and daily open/close times shift year to year — and the park occasionally announces extended-hours dates in peak summer — always check the current calendar on the official Holiday World hours page before you plan a trip.
Tickets work on a tiered system: a walk-up gate price for single-day admission, discounted “Pick Your Day” tickets when you buy online in advance for a specific date, “Flex” tickets covering two visits in the same week, and season passes for repeat visitors. One admission price covers both Holiday World and Splashin’ Safari and includes perks like free parking, unlimited soft drinks, sunscreen, and Wi-Fi. For current prices and to buy tickets, visit the official Holiday World ticket page.
The Raven roller coaster (Holiday World) FAQs
How tall do you have to be to ride The Raven?
The minimum height to ride is 48 inches (122 cm), per Holiday World’s official ride requirements.
How fast is The Raven, and how long does the ride last?
The Raven runs about 2,800 feet of track in roughly 90 seconds, reaching a top speed listed at 50+ mph on Holiday World’s current stats (older references cite approximately 48 mph).
Is The Raven intense? What should first-timers expect?
It’s considered a strong intro to serious wood coasters: an 85-foot first drop and a surprise 69-foot fifth drop deliver real airtime and a jarring double-banked S-curve, but the 80-foot height and lack of inversions make it less extreme than Holiday World’s bigger coasters, The Legend and The Voyage.
What happened on The Raven in 2003, and is it safe today?
On May 31, 2003, a rider stood up during the fifth drop and was fatally ejected from the train. Investigators found the restraints were working properly with no mechanical defect, and a lawsuit was settled out of court in 2007. No similar incident has occurred since, and the ride operates under Indiana’s routine state inspection program along with regular re-tracking and maintenance.
Where’s the best seat on The Raven — front or back?
Front row gives the clearest views of the drops, tunnel, and the swoop over Lake Rudolph. Back row delivers the strongest airtime as the train whips through the hills. Middle rows are a good compromise if the front/back lines are long.
How does The Raven compare to The Legend and The Voyage?
The Raven is the smallest of Holiday World’s three signature wood coasters at 80 feet tall, versus 99 feet for The Legend and 159 feet for The Voyage. It’s shorter and gentler than both, but many enthusiasts rate its terrain-hugging layout and pacing just as highly.
When is Holiday World open and what do tickets cost?
The park runs a seasonal schedule from roughly May through October, with full days in summer and weekends-only dates late in the season, and offers gate tickets, discounted advance-purchase tickets, and season passes. Because hours and prices change by date and season, check the official Holiday World hours page and ticket page for current details.
Get More from The Raven roller coaster (Holiday World)
Log the coasters, stadiums, and venues you’ve experienced, rate The Raven roller coaster (Holiday World), 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.