Kentucky Kingdom Theme and Water Park in Louisville announced on Nov. 3 that Midnight Showdown, a family-friendly indoor coaster inspired by horse racing, will open in spring 2027. The attraction will become the park’s seventh roller coaster.
Midnight Showdown claims the record as the world’s largest indoor wooden roller coaster by packing a massive 1,130-foot wooden track entirely inside a fully enclosed building.
Per Kentucky Kingdom’s official announcement, the three-story attraction shatters conventional coaster scale by fitting 11 distinct airtime moments and top speeds of 32 mph completely under one roof. By compressing a full-scale wooden track layout within the park’s former 5D theater space, the ride effectively breaks all global size and length benchmarks for an enclosed wooden layout.
The ride, which is housed inside a building more than three stories tall, contains two trains seating 10 riders each (20 riders total), that will carry guests through the indoor attraction.
In a press release issued by Kentucky Kingdom, the park described the experience as one in which Midnight Showdown:
“charges guests into the night, guided by pounding hooves and a booming call of ‘And they’re off!'”
Meanwhile, Carly Uglow, Director of Sales and Marketing at Kentucky Kingdom, said in the statement:
“We’ve been building toward this for years, and 2027 is the moment guests will see just how far Kentucky Kingdom has come.”
She went on:
“From two brand-new roller coasters and reimagined lands to refreshed rides and new theming throughout the park, this is a very different Kentucky Kingdom than guests may remember from years past. We encourage everyone to come out and visit the all-new Kentucky Kingdom.”
Cincinnati-based Gravity Group is reportedly building the coaster.
Kentucky Kingdom’s two new themed lands alongside Midnight Showdown coaster
The new ride will serve as the centerpiece of Bluegrass Downs, one of two themed areas debuting alongside the attraction.
The horse racing-inspired section will give five existing rides a complete makeover, with decorations including white fences, grand spires, and jockey-silk colors.
The second new area, Happy Valley Farms, will draw inspiration from Kentucky farm life. A barn will anchor the section, which will feature eight reimagined attractions, including Friendly Frogs, Loopy Lambs and Country Cruisers.
Flying Fox, the park’s $14 million suspended family coaster introduced in 2026, will also be part of the area.
The expansion marks another phase in Herschend’s redevelopment of Kentucky Kingdom. The Georgia-based attractions company acquired the park in 2021 and says it has invested nearly $50 million over the past five years.
Previous additions include Flying Fox, the revamped Discovery Meadow area, and expanded fall and holiday programming.
How much are Kentucky Kingdom’s 2027 season passes?
Kentucky Kingdom has also put its 2027 season passes on sale, with prices starting at $69.99. Each pass includes admission for the entire 2027 season, along with free access to the remainder of 2026.
That includes Christmas at Kentucky Kingdom, one of the park’s signature holiday events. The seasonal celebration features more than 1.5 million lights, 300 Christmas trees, holiday decorations, themed entertainment, and food offerings. Guests will also have access to Kentucky’s largest snow tubing hill.
Additional information about pass prices and payment plans is available through the park’s official website, kentuckykingdom.com.
