16 Theme Park Rides Closed After Incidents
Theme parks meticulously design their rides to strike the ideal balance between pleasure and fear, promising thrills and excitement. Even with strict safety regulations, unfathomable things can happen and convert family vacations into nightmares. The repercussions of rides breaking down or having design problems can range from minor injuries to tragic incidents that alter the lives of people affected forever.
The following list includes 16 theme park rides that were closed due to severe safety concerns or catastrophic events.
Verrückt Water Slide
The world’s tallest water slide at Schlitterbahn Kansas City stood at a dizzying 168 feet high before it was demolished following the death of a 10-year-old boy in 2016. Caleb Schwab, son of a Kansas state representative, was decapitated when his raft went airborne on a section of the slide.
Investigators later discovered that the designers had rushed the project with inadequate safety testing, and the park faced criminal charges that were later dropped due to improper evidence submission.
Thunder River Rapids
Australia’s Dreamworld experienced its darkest day in October 2016 when four people were killed on the Thunder River Rapids ride. The circular raft flipped after colliding with another raft, trapping victims underwater in the conveyor belt mechanism.
The investigation revealed shocking maintenance failures, including the use of everyday hardware store parts to repair critical safety systems and employees without proper training operating the ride.
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Battersea Park Big Dipper
In 1972, a wooden roller coaster’s train broke away from the chain lift, rolled backward, and crashed into the loading area, resulting in one of the deadliest amusement park accidents in Britain. The cars crashed and fell onto the pavement below, killing five children and badly injuring thirteen more.
The accident resulted in major modifications to British amusement ride laws, and the ride was promptly shut down and disassembled.
Fujin Raijin II
This Japanese roller coaster at Expoland was shut down permanently after a 19-year-old woman died when one of the coaster’s wheels broke off during operation in 2007. The subsequent investigation revealed that the axle had never been replaced or properly inspected during the 15-year lifespan of the ride.
The accident was so damaging to public trust that the entire Expoland park eventually closed in 2009.
Eco-Adventure Valley Ride
At Overseas Chinese Town East in Shenzhen, China, this water rafting ride experienced a catastrophic accident in 2010 when a raft overturned, throwing passengers into the machinery below. Six people died, and ten others were injured when they became trapped underwater between the raft and the ride’s mechanisms.
The entire water park section was permanently closed following the incident, with investigators citing design flaws that made rescue attempts nearly impossible.
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Perilous Plunge
Knott’s Berry Farm’s once-popular water ride featured the world’s steepest and highest water descent, but safety issues plagued it throughout its operation. The ride was finally closed in 2012 after multiple incidents, including one in 2001 where a 40-year-old woman fell to her death when her restraint failed.
Though the park made modifications after each incident, recurring problems with the restraint system and evacuation procedures ultimately led to its permanent closure.
The Smiler
While not permanently closed, The Smiler at Alton Towers in the UK was shut down for an extended period after a horrific crash in 2015 that resulted in two young women requiring leg amputations. A test car was sent out while a passenger car was stalled on the track, resulting in a high-speed collision equivalent to a 90 mph car crash.
The park’s owner, Merlin Entertainments, was fined £5 million after admitting safety violations, and the ride reopened with additional safety measures nearly a year later.
Ride of Steel
Known as Superman: Ride of Steel at Six Flags New England, this roller coaster was temporarily closed and modified after a double-amputee Iraq War veteran died in 2004 when he was ejected from the ride. The man, who had no legs, was allowed to board despite signs indicating riders needed to have both legs to ride safely.
The tragedy led to substantial changes in how parks accommodate riders with disabilities and resulted in the installation of different restraint systems.
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The Haunted Castle
Six Flags Great Adventure’s infamous walkthrough attraction burned to the ground in 1984, claiming the lives of eight teenagers who were trapped inside. The fire spread rapidly through the non-fireproofed structure, which was built using highly flammable materials like foam padding and tar paper.
Despite the fatalities, Six Flags was acquitted of criminal charges, but the disaster led to major fire safety reforms for dark rides and walkthrough attractions throughout the industry.
Mindbender
The world’s largest indoor triple-loop roller coaster at Canada’s West Edmonton Mall suffered a catastrophic failure in 1986 when bolts came loose on a wheel assembly. The train derailed at high speed, slamming into a concrete pillar and killing three passengers.
The investigation revealed that the German manufacturer had used improper materials for the ride’s wheel assembly, and missing bolts had not been noticed during routine inspections.
Space Journey
This motion simulator ride at Ecoventure Valley in Shenzhen, China, malfunctioned in 2010, causing one of the cabins to disconnect from its supports and drop several feet. Ten people died and dozens more were injured when electrical and mechanical failures caused the ride to violently shake and ultimately collapse.
The ride, which simulated a journey through space, had only been in operation for a short time before the fatal accident led to its immediate and permanent closure.
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Hayride of Horror
This seemingly innocent seasonal attraction at Pumpkin Land Farm in Maine turned deadly in 2014 when the jeep pulling the hayride lost control on a downhill section. The vehicle hit a tree and overturned, throwing passengers from the ride and killing a 17-year-old girl.
The investigation revealed mechanical failures, including inadequate brakes and improper maintenance procedures, leading to criminal charges against the farm’s owner and the end of the hayride attraction.
VertiGo
Six Flags Magic Mountain’s short-lived thrill ride was designed to launch riders 300 feet up and then drop them in free fall. After just two months of operation in 2001, the ride’s cable snapped during an ascent, severely injuring three passengers when they fell approximately 20 feet to the ground.
The injuries included broken bones and head trauma. Engineers determined that the stress on the cables had been miscalculated, leading to the ride’s immediate dismantling.
Tsunami
This steel roller coaster at M&D’s theme park in Scotland collapsed in 2016, sending eight children and two adults crashing to the ground from a height of 20 feet. Five gondolas detached from their rails and fell onto a children’s ride below, resulting in multiple serious injuries.
The subsequent investigation revealed that the ride had not been properly assembled and had inadequate maintenance, leading to its dismantling and the park’s temporary closure.
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Ferris Wheel at Hersheypark
One of the oldest examples of a ride closure occurred in 1943 when Hersheypark’s Ferris wheel experienced a catastrophic failure, killing one person and injuring 14 others. The wheel’s axle snapped under stress, causing several cars to break loose and crash to the ground.
The accident led to some of the earliest modern safety regulations for amusement rides, and the Ferris wheel was never rebuilt in its original form.
Tidal Wave Pool
New Jersey’s Action Park, nicknamed “Class Action Park” for its numerous lawsuits, operated a dangerous wave pool that was often called “The Grave Pool.” Between 1982 and 1987, three people drowned in the pool, which featured powerful waves that could reach heights of up to three feet.
Despite the presence of up to 12 lifeguards at once, the combination of deep water, powerful waves, and inexperienced swimmers proved deadly, eventually leading to the pool’s modification and the park’s closure.
From Thrills to Tragedies
These incidents remind us that behind the excitement and wonder of theme parks lies the potential for catastrophe when safety measures fail. Each tragedy has led to stronger regulations, better inspection protocols, and improved ride designs that make modern attractions safer than ever before. The industry’s response to these accidents demonstrates how failure often becomes the catalyst for critical innovation in safety systems.
The ghosts of these shuttered attractions continue to influence theme park design today, with their tragic legacies living on in the form of stricter testing requirements, redundant safety systems, and more thorough staff training. While we can’t bring back those who lost their lives, the lessons learned from these accidents have undoubtedly saved countless others from similar fates on the thrill rides of today.
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