originally posted on 7/28/2025 3:59:00 PM
Photo: courtesy National Roller Coaster Museum and Archives. View full-sized image.
The iconic front car of Kingda Ka (Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, New Jersey) has joined trains from Canada's Wonderland's (Vaughan, Ontario) Time Warp, Six Flags Over Texas' (Arlington) La Vibora and Carowinds' (Charlotte, North
Carolina) Nighthawk as the latest installments at the National Roller Coaster Museum and Archives in Plainview, Texas.
First opening in 2005, Kingda Ka was named after a mythical tiger (as well as a real-life tiger in the animal exhibits at Six Flags Great Adventure). It was one of two strata coasters to exist (the other being Top Thrill
Dragster, now known as Top Thrill 2), which meant the biggest drop on the ride was between 400 and 499 feet (456 in Kingda Ka's case).
This, combined with a 128-mph launch, meant that Kingda Ka was the tallest and fastest roller coaster from when it was built until 2010 when Formula
Rossa in the United Arab Emirates took the speed record. Kingda Ka would keep the height record all the way up until it was demolished in early 2025 to make room for future additions.
The ride was an Intamin Accelerator Coaster (much like Xcelerator at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California, or the original version of Top
Thrill Dragster) and was part of a very rare breed in that class. The ride also had the world's tallest drop tower, Zumanjaro, attached to its main supports, thus hosting two record-breaking rides in a single structure (Zumanjaro was also demolished
alongside Kingda Ka, giving the tallest drop tower award back to Six Flags Magic Mountain's Lex Luthor's Drop of Doom in Valencia, California, the former and now current record holder).
Rumors quickly popped up at the end of the 2024 season that it would be Kingda
Ka's last, and videos online show tearful goodbyes of riders on the final public train chanting, "Long live the king!," as they dispatched to the launch zone. While this historic machine can no longer be ridden, it's good to know that the lead car
of Kingda Ka will be around to delight and educate thrill enthusiasts for generations to come.
— Josh Hughes
#ACENews