If there is one wooden roller coaster that coaster enthusiasts build entire road trips around, it is The Voyage at Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana. Since opening on May 6, 2006, this 6,442-foot giant has held the world record for wooden coaster airtime, delivering 24.3 seconds of sustained weightlessness across a nearly three-minute run through the Indiana hills — and as of 2026, that record still stands.
Built by The Gravity Group for $6.5 million, The Voyage punches far above its price tag: five underground tunnels, three drops exceeding 100 feet, and three sections of extreme 90-degree banking have kept it in the global top-five conversation for nearly two decades. Below, we cover the exact stats, height and rider requirements, how it stacks up against its closest wooden-coaster rivals, its full awards history through 2026, and everything you need to plan a visit.
Quick Answer
The Voyage at Holiday World is the current world record holder for wooden coaster airtime, delivering 24.3 seconds of weightlessness over 6,442 feet of track — a record that has held since it opened in May 2006. It crests a 163-foot lift hill, reaches roughly 67 mph, and features five underground tunnels (eight underground moments total), more than any other coaster on earth. In the 2026 USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards, it ranked #6 nationally among all roller coaster types, and in Amusement Today’s 2025 Golden Ticket Awards it ranked #2 among wooden coasters worldwide, behind only Phoenix at Knoebels.
Stats at a Glance
Park: Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari, Santa Claus, Indiana. Manufacturer: The Gravity Group (Cincinnati, Ohio). Trains: Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters (PTC), two 24-passenger trains. Opened: May 6, 2006. Construction cost: $6.5 million. Materials: 320,000 board feet of Southern Yellow Pine and 750 tons of steel. Lift hill: 163 feet. First drop: 154 feet at a 66-degree angle. Top speed: about 67 mph. Track length: 6,442 feet (1.2 miles). Ride duration: 2 minutes 45 seconds. Height requirement: 48 inches minimum to ride, measured with shoes on. Restraints: individual lap bars with seat belts. Approximate capacity: 1,200 riders per hour.
World records held: most airtime of any wooden coaster (24.3 seconds) and most underground tunnels of any roller coaster (five tunnels, producing eight underground moments).
The Ride Experience
From the moment the train crests the 163-foot lift hill, The Voyage means business. The first plunge sends riders 154 feet downward at a 66-degree angle — among the steepest descents on any wooden coaster — immediately into the first underground tunnel. The darkness swallows the train at full speed before the track erupts back into daylight and launches straight into a relentless string of airtime hills.
What defines The Voyage is that it never finds a quiet moment. Three drops exceed 100 feet (154 feet, 107 feet, and 100 feet). Three sections of track bank to a full 90-degree angle. The out-and-back layout crosses over itself multiple times, weaving through the wooded terrain on the park’s edge in a way that makes the ride feel genuinely sprawling. By the time the brakes catch the train, riders have experienced 24.3 seconds of sustained weightlessness.
The five underground tunnels deserve special attention. Because some tunnels are wide enough for the track to enter more than once, riders experience eight separate underground moments — the disorienting sensation of charging into darkness at speed before bursting back into sunlight. One tunnel houses the ride’s signature ‘triple down’: three back-to-back drops taken entirely in the dark, consistently the loudest moment of the ride. The coaster is themed to the Pilgrims’ voyage aboard the Mayflower, fitting naturally into Holiday World’s Thanksgiving-themed section.
Height Requirement, Restraints & Who Should Ride
The Voyage requires a minimum height of 48 inches to ride, measured with shoes on, and riders are secured with individual lap bars plus seat belts rather than the fixed over-the-shoulder harnesses used on some steel coasters. That restraint style is part of why the airtime feels so pronounced — there’s nothing pinning your shoulders down through the hills.
Holiday World’s own ride guidelines flag The Voyage as not recommended for guests with high blood pressure, back or neck conditions, recent surgery, pregnancy, heart conditions, motion sickness, a fear of heights, or sensitivity to strobe-like flickering light (from the tunnel sequences). Riders must be able to maintain an upright position and control of their head, neck, and upper torso for the full 2-minute, 45-second run. If you’re coaster-averse or riding with a nervous first-timer, this is a genuinely intense ride, not a starter coaster — Holiday World’s gentler wooden coaster, The Raven, is the better warm-up before tackling The Voyage.
How The Voyage Compares to Other Wooden Coasters
The Voyage is almost always discussed alongside a small handful of rivals. In Amusement Today’s 2025 Golden Ticket Awards, the top five wooden coasters worldwide were: Phoenix at Knoebels (its seventh consecutive #1 finish), The Voyage at Holiday World (#2), El Toro at Six Flags Great Adventure (#3), The Beast at Kings Island (#4), and Thunderhead at Dollywood (#5).
The comparison enthusiasts make most often is Phoenix versus The Voyage. Phoenix is a shorter, smoother ride at under 3,000 feet of track and around 45 mph, prized for its buttery pacing and re-rideability. The Voyage is more than double the length at 6,442 feet and reaches roughly 67 mph, trading some of Phoenix’s smoothness for sheer intensity and its unmatched, record-setting airtime total. Neither ride has been dethroned in its specialty in years.
The Voyage also placed 6th nationally in the 2026 USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards for best roller coaster — a category that includes steel launch coasters and hypercoasters, not just wood. Holding a top-six spot in a field that includes every type of coaster in the country is a strong showing for a wooden ride built on a modest $6.5 million budget.
Awards and Legacy
The Voyage announced itself immediately, winning the 2006 Golden Ticket Award for Best New Ride before a full season had even passed. It then swept the Best Wooden Roller Coaster category from 2007 through 2011 — five consecutive victories, a streak matched by very few rides of any type in the award’s history. In 2013, TIME Magazine independently named it the top wooden coaster in the United States.
It has remained a fixture near the top of Amusement Today’s annual rankings ever since, finishing #2 among wooden coasters worldwide in the 2025 Golden Ticket Awards, and landing at #6 nationally across all coaster types in the 2026 USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards — a resume that spans two decades of consistent recognition. The ride also established The Gravity Group as a premier force in wooden coaster design, using The Voyage as proof that modern engineering could push wood coasters into speed and airtime territory once thought exclusive to steel.
Planning Your Visit
The Voyage is included with regular park admission — there’s no separate upcharge to ride it. Holiday World sells single-day tickets and multi-visit season passes, and unlike most parks, its admission price bundles in unlimited soft drinks, sunscreen, parking, and Wi-Fi at no extra cost, which is worth factoring in when comparing it to other parks’ day-ticket pricing.
Holiday World operates seasonally, typically running from spring through the fall Halloween season, with hours that vary by day and season (some days run 10am–7pm, others later into the evening). 2026 is the park’s 80th anniversary season, with an extended operating calendar. Because exact hours, ticket prices, and calendar dates change year to year, check Holiday World’s official hours & calendar page and official ticket page before you go.
The Voyage is a The Gravity Group creation — see our full The Gravity Group profile for the company’s history and signature coasters.
The Voyage airtime record and stats FAQs
What is the airtime record on The Voyage?
The Voyage delivers 24.3 seconds of sustained airtime across its 6,442-foot layout, the current world record for a wooden roller coaster. It has held this record since opening in 2006.
How tall do you have to be to ride The Voyage?
Riders must be at least 48 inches tall, measured with shoes on. There is no separate front-row or back-row height requirement — the 48-inch minimum applies to every seat.
Is The Voyage the best wooden roller coaster in the world?
It’s consistently ranked among the top two or three worldwide. In Amusement Today’s 2025 Golden Ticket Awards, The Voyage finished #2 among wooden coasters globally, behind Phoenix at Knoebels, and it holds the outright world record for wooden coaster airtime.
How many tunnels does The Voyage have?
The Voyage runs through five underground tunnels. Because a couple of the tunnels are wide enough for the track to pass through more than once, riders actually experience eight separate underground moments during the ride, the most of any roller coaster in the world.
How fast does The Voyage go, and how long is the ride?
The Voyage reaches a top speed of roughly 67 mph and runs for about 2 minutes, 45 seconds — long by wooden-coaster standards, which is part of why it can pack in 24.3 seconds of total airtime.
Is The Voyage rough or smooth?
It’s on the intense, high-energy end rather than the buttery-smooth end of wooden coasters. Riders are held in with individual lap bars and seat belts rather than rigid over-the-shoulder harnesses, so expect a rattling, forceful ride with strong airtime rather than a gentle glide — it’s built for thrill-seekers more than first-time coaster riders.
Do I need a separate ticket to ride The Voyage?
No. The Voyage is a standard ride included with regular Holiday World admission or a season pass — there’s no extra fee to ride it.
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