Roller Coasters in Missouri

Unlike the last park in our series, there are some big parks with some big roller coasters in Missouri! Most notably, Six Flags St. Louis and Cedar Fair’s Worlds of Fun. Then there are several mountain coasters in Branson and a few more small options in St. Louis and Kansas City. Let’s take a look!

As always, click on the ride name for videos of each coaster. Ride all the roller coasters in Missouri from your couch!

Six Flags St. Louis

Six Flags St. Louis (actually outside St. Louis in Eureka) has the most roller coasters of any park in Missouri with nine, plus one more on the way. Wooden coasters in the park include The Boss, an expansive ride built into the terrain, John C. Allen‘s Screamin’ Eagle from the ’70s, and GCI’s American Thunder. (Though this one looks more like Thunderhead in Dollywood than Steel Vengeance in Cedar Point. And all of them look a little rough.) Steel coasters include the suspended Batman: The Ride, the Ninja, and two shuttle coasters, Boomerang and the unique Mr. Freeze Reverse Blast. On the tamer end is Pandemonium with spinning cars and the River King Mine Train, the oldest coaster in the park. The Rookie Racer will be the park’s only kiddie/family coaster when it opens later this year.

Other thrill rides include Catwoman Whip, a catapult-like ride, the Fireball coaster-like looper, the fun dark ride Justice League: Battle for Metropolis, the Skyscreamer high swings, Spinsanity spinning disc, and the enterprise-like Supergirl Sky Flyer. Under family rides, you find the Colossus Ferris wheel, a train, a log flume, a scrambler, and a Joker-themed pirate ship. Water rides include a river rapids ride and the spinning Tsunami Soaker where both the riders and spectators have water cannons. Nine rides just for small kids take up a central area in the park. A Hurricane Harbor water park can be included as an add-on.

Tickets

Daily tickets can cost as low as $35, depending on the day, or as much as $70 at the gate. The water park is a $7 add-on, and parking costs $30 per car. Right now, they offer a $45 admission plus unlimited soda all day. And for $70, you get admission, parking, and an all-day dining plan.

Worlds of Fun

Cedar Fair’s Worlds of Fun in Kansas City has eight roller coasters. On the steel side, there’s the sprawling Mamba, a Boomerang, and the suspended Patriot. Wooden coasters include the Prowler, Timber Wolf, and a remake of an old coaster with a spiral lift hill called the Zambezi Zinger. The Spinning Dragons coaster with spinning cars is a tamer option. Cosmic Coaster is a wacky worm-style kid’s coaster.

The rest of the thrill lineup includes several spinning rides, including one indoors with effects. There’s also the Steelhawk high swings, a pirate ship, and a power shot tower called the Detonator. Under family rides, there are a few more spinners like the Fjord Fjarlane which looks fun, a flying dutchman, a carousel, and a Ferris wheel. Plus, there’s a log flume, train, bumper cars, antique autos, and Fury of the Nile river rapids ride. Little kids get 16 Snoopy-themed rides for themselves. There’s also an attached Oceans of Fun water park included in the admission price.

Tickets

Daily tickets start at $45 online, up to $65 at the gate. Parking is an extra $30. Currently, there are bundles available for Grand Carnivale. $60 includes admission, parking, and three food “tastes,” while a $40 bundle is the same for after 4 pm. There are regular after-4 tickets available for $35 and 2-day passes for $75. Other events include fireworks during the summer and Halloween haunts in the fall.

Silver Dollar City

Silver Dollar City in Branson, operated by the same folks who do Dollywood in Tennessee, has seven roller coasters in its Missouri park. The newest coaster is the Time Traveler, a spinning coaster with a looping track! Plus there’s Power Keg: A Blast in the Wilderness with an air-compression launch, Wildfire by B&M, Thunderation mine train, and Outlaw Run wooden coaster. The Grand Exposition Coaster is good for smaller kids, and Fire in the Hole is a dark mine ride with enough drops to consider it a roller coaster. (Though it looks like it’s retiring after this season!)

Other rides in the park include a log flume, a spinning disk, a short drop tower, a steam train, swings ride, a river rapids ride, swinging pirate ship, teacups, a power/super swing, and a water cannon fight. There are 12 kid’s rides scattered around the park, and several low-key attractions, like cabins, a barnyard, a wilderness school and church, a swinging bridge, and a mystery spot-style Grandfather’s Mansion. Like in Dollywood, there is an avenue of craftsmen blowing glass, making candy, working wood, leather, pottery, and more. Plus an extra focus on live entertainment. And under it all is Marvel Cave, the original attraction for the Branson area. In fact, Silver Dollar City is built up from the old mining town that used to be around the mouth of that cave. A cave tour is included in your park ticket.

Tickets

One-day tickets to Silver Dollar City are $85 for adults and $10 less for ages 4-11 and 65+. The majority of parking is free, though there are paid options that are closer to the gate. Two-day options start at $105, and three days for $115. Right now, there’s an online-only summer sale for $85 that includes the nearby White Water water park. There are also after-5 tickets in the summer for $40, and after-5 on Saturday is $35. You can buy the water park separately, and there’s even an affiliated dinner cruise on a paddlewheel riverboat for around $65 and an official campground nearby.

Branson Mountain Coasters

Elsewhere in Branson is a solid collection of mountain coasters. We have the Runaway at Branson Mountain Adventure Park ($18), The Branson Coaster at Branson Sawmill ($17), and the Copperhead Mountain Coaster at Shepherd’s Adventure Park ($17).

There’s one more coaster at the Track Family Fun Park, one of those go-kart, arcade, mini-golf, laser tag places with a few thrill rides. The rides look big here, but the Spinning Coaster is small – one of those spinning figure-8 rides good for kids. Otherwise, there’s a big Ferris wheel, a pendulum ride, and a Skyscraper/slingshot situation. Everything is priced separately and the coaster is $10.

St. Louis’s Incredible Pizza Company

There’s an Incredible Pizza Company chain location in St. Louis with another of these spinning figure-8 coasters, this one called The Incredible Spin Coaster. This is one of those indoor arcade/laser tag places with attractions priced separately. The roller coaster is $7.50 on its own.

PowerPlay Family Entertainment Center

At another indoor arcade, this time in Kansas City, there’s an easy coaster called Python Pit at the PowerPlay Family Entertainment Center. It’s not big on thrill but it looks nice, with a cave and green strip lighting along the track. All the rides are priced individually, and the roller coaster here costs 15 credits, or $3.75.

Miner Mike’s Adventure Town

Our last roller coaster in Missouri is a tiny one in Miner Mike’s Adventure Town in Osage Beach. The Runaway Mine Train is one of several attractions in this indoor, themed arcade/go-kart spot. It’s just $1 to ride the roller coaster, or you can get a pass to a mine-themed maze and all the rides for $14.

Water Park in Missouri

There are a lot of water parks in Missouri! But with no real standouts or many stand-alone parks. Oceans of Fun looks like the best one to me, but there are an awful lot of these small city-run parks all over, so much that I had to break up my long, long list below. Most are only open from Memorial Day (or later!) to Labor Day, so get in your water park time now before they close!

Water parks Attached to Theme Parks

• Oceans of Fun attached to Worlds of Fun in Kansas City has 11 slides, 4 kids’ areas, the standard lazy river and wave pool, plus a separate large kids pool, and a gated adults-only pool with a swim-up bar. Admission is included in your daily ticket, $45-65 plus $30 parking. Make sure to check out bundled deals and after-4 prices.
• Hurricane Harbor at Six Flags St. Louis has 8 slides, 2 kids’ areas, a wave pool, and a lazy river. It all looks like water park 101 to me. Admission is only as a $7 add-on to your daily admission to the theme park or included in a season pass.
• White Water in Branson near Silver Dollar City looks pretty standard. There are 8 slides, 2 kids’ areas, a wave pool, and a lazy river. Admission is separate from the theme park, though there are bundles available. Otherwise, it’s $48 for adults and $32 for ages 4-11 and 65+. Parking is free.

Other Water Parks

• Big Surf Waterpark is in Linn Creek, sort of equidistant from St. Louis, Kansas City, and Springfield. There, they have 5 slides, a kids splash area and an activity pool, a lazy river, wave pool, and sand volleyball courts, basketball, and a sand play area. An all-day pass costs $40 for adults, $35 for ages 4-10, and $33 for ages 60+. After-3 pass cost $27 for adults or $22 for youth and seniors.
• The Water Zone at Mark Twain Lake’s Jellystone Park says they have 6 slides, but I only see 5. (Some of these parks take some intense Google Maps sleuthing.) One of them might be into the kiddie pool. There’s also a large wave pool and lazy river, as well as a tiki bar and an arcade. Admission is $35, though it’s $20 for kids under 48″ and 65 and over, and there are military & first responder discounts. And it’s only $16 after 4 pm.

Indoor Water Parks

• Splash Country Waterpark inside the Grand Country Resort is open to the public, though the waterpark is free for hotel guests. Inside, there is a big splash tower, 5 slides, a big wave pool, an activity pool, and large hot tubs, plus a lazy river and outdoor play areas. The cost for non-guests is $45 for adults and $25 for kids 4-11.
• The Jolly Mon indoor water park is inside a Margaritaville in Osage Beach. It has “600 feet of water slides” but doesn’t indicate how many. They might all be attached to the splash tower which seems to be the centerpiece. There’s also a lazy river and hot tub, and an activity pool. You don’t have to be a guest at the hotel to visit. It costs $20 for guests and $25 for non-guests.

City-Run Neighborhood Water Parks

• Aquaport is in the city of Maryland Heights on the outskirts of St. Louis. They have 5 slides, a kid’s area, a lazy river, family pool, and a flowrider body surfing simulator. Adults cost $15 and under and the flowrider costs an extra $3.
• River Rapids Waterpark in Ste. Genevieve, right on the border with Illinois, has 4 big slides, a kid’s water play area, a lazy river, and a lap pool with a diving board. Daily rates are $12 and under, and $10 after 4 pm.
• Cape Splash Family Aquatic Center in Cape Girardeau is a small regional park with 5 proper slides, 2 smaller kid’s slides, a splash area, pirate ship play structure, water playground, vortex pool, and a lap pool. Admission for adults costs $10, and $9 for 13 and under or 60 and over.

• Joplin has three city-run aquatic centers, though only one seems open for the 2023 season. The Schifferdecker Aquatic Center has 4 slides, a lazy river, and two big lap pools with diving boards. When they’re open, the Cunningham center has 5 slides, a splash pad, and a zero entry pool and the Ewert center has basically 2 slides, splash pad, and games hoops. The rate is $6.50 for adults, $5.50 for kids 3-15.
• Alligator’s Creek Aquatic Center in O’Fallon is in the outer reaches of the St. Louis outskirts. They have 3 slides, a diving board, lap pool, lazy river, splash pad, floating bridge, and a water playground structure for kids. The cost for non-residents is $11

Kansas City Area Parks

• Summit Waves in Lee’s Summit on the outskirts of Kansas City is a city park with a tube slide, a body slide, a lazy river and wave pool, and what sounds like a splash tower. There’s also a lap pool with diving boards. Admission for non-residents is $12, or $9 after 5 pm.
• The Springs Water Park in Kansas city is a small city park with at least 2 big slides, a lazy river, play tower, and a lap pool. It costs $11 and under.
• The Bay Water Park in Kansas City is another small regional aquatic park with “slides, swirl bowl, and lazy river” and that’s all it says about attractions! Cost is $8 and under.

• Farmington Water Park & Splash Pad in Farmington has two slides that splash down into a lazy river, a kid’s play structure and pool, and a large splash pad. Admission is $8.50 and under, and it’s a $1 less after 4 pm.
• Licking Aquatic Center run by the city of Licking has what looks like one slide, a small lazy river, a lap pool and diving board, and a water play structure. Ages 4 and up are $4 and 62 and over are $3.
• Beebe’s Roaring River Waterslide in middle-of-nowhere Cassville is a single, long, winding slide dug into the hillside that you ride on a mat. Admission is $10 per hour and cash only. Food and snacks are available for sale.

Did I miss anything? Have you been to any of these parks? What are you looking forward to doing this year? Let me know in the comments below!