Time Traveler opened on March 14, 2018, at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri, instantly claiming three world records: the fastest, tallest, and steepest full-circuit spinning roller coaster on the planet. Manufactured by Mack Rides on their custom Xtreme Spinning Coaster platform and costing $26 million, the ride brought unprecedented scale and complexity to the spinning-coaster genre.
The attraction wraps its thrills in a time-travel narrative centered on Charles Henry, a fictional clockmaker, and his daughter. Two LSM launches catapult freely spinning trains to 50.3 mph, sending riders through a 95-foot vertical loop, a Zero-G Roll, and a Dive Loop — the first spinning coaster ever to feature three inversions — before the nearly two-minute journey ends back at the station.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Silver Dollar City (Branson, Missouri)
- Manufacturer: Mack Rides
- Opened: March 14, 2018
- Height: 100 ft (30 m)
- Top Speed: 50.3 mph (81 km/h)
- Length: 3,020 ft (920 m)
- Inversions: 3
The Ride Experience
Riders board 16-passenger trains divided into four cars of four, each mounted on a spinning turntable that rotates freely rather than on a fixed axis. The first LSM launch accelerates the train from a standstill to 47 mph in about three seconds, sending it into the layout’s opening elements. A mid-course boost brings the speed back up before the train dives through the final inversion sequence. Because no two rides spin identically, the experience varies noticeably from cycle to cycle — a key reason enthusiasts return for multiple laps.
The track’s 90-degree maximum vertical angle and 14 crossings over itself pack a dense, compact layout into the Ozark hillside terrain. The ride’s smooth Mack Rides engineering drew praise for eliminating the jarring head-bang common on older spinning designs, and Amusement Today ranked it the second-best new roller coaster of 2018 in its Golden Ticket Awards.
Records and Legacy
When Time Traveler debuted, it simultaneously held the records for the world’s fastest, tallest, and steepest full-circuit spinning coaster — an unusual triple-crown achievement for a single attraction. It was also the first spinning coaster anywhere in the world to incorporate three inversions, a benchmark that had long been considered impractical for a freely rotating ride vehicle.
The $26 million investment signaled Silver Dollar City’s ambition to compete with larger coastal parks on a purely thrill basis. Time Traveler helped elevate the Branson, Missouri, park’s national profile and demonstrated that Mack Rides’ spinning platform could scale beyond the family-thrill segment into full-on, record-setting territory.
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Time Traveler FAQs
What world records does Time Traveler hold?
When it opened in March 2018, Time Traveler was certified as the world’s fastest, tallest, and steepest full-circuit spinning roller coaster, and it was the first spinning coaster ever to feature three inversions.
Where is Time Traveler located?
Time Traveler is located at Silver Dollar City, a theme park in Branson, Missouri.
What is the height requirement for Time Traveler?
Riders must be at least 51 inches (about 130 cm) tall to board Time Traveler.
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Photo: PiperPilotButter / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.