World’s Largest Indoor Wooden Roller Coaster Coming to Louisville

LOUISVILLE, KY (November 6, 2026) – The Spring of 2027 will have Louisville off to the races with Midnight Showdown, the World’s Largest Indoor Wooden Roller Coaster, coming to Kentucky Kingdom Theme and Water Park. The park’s seventh coaster, this family-friendly, horse racing-themed attraction is the centerpiece of Bluegrass Downs, a new land inspired by Kentucky’s horse racing legacy. The coaster will feature 1,130 feet of pure wood track, two trains with seats for 10 riders each, and will stand more than three stories tall.

Constructed by The Gravity Group of Cincinnati, Midnight Showdown charges guests into the night, guided by pounding hooves and a booming call of "And they're off!" before hurtling riders along thrilling twists, turns, airtime, and unexpected surprises all while racing through the dark.

In addition to the new indoor coaster, the newly themed Bluegrass Downs will completely reimagine five existing rides to complement a racing-inspired setting, with white fences, grand spires, and jockey-silk colors, bringing the excitement of Kentucky's legendary horse races to life.

Since acquiring Kentucky Kingdom in 2021, Herschend has invested nearly $50 million to reshape the park from the ground up, the largest transformation in Kentucky Kingdom's history, bringing reimagined rides and attractions, new immersive theming, and revitalized guest areas throughout the park.

Just last spring Herschend introduced Flying Fox, the park's new suspended family coaster, along with Discovery Meadow, featuring three new attractions and 24 reimagined rides and experiences. The company also extended the park's annual calendar introducing two new seasonal events including Pumpkins at Kentucky Kingdom and Christmas at Kentucky Kingdom.

“We've been building toward this for years, and 2027 is the moment guests will see just how far Kentucky Kingdom has come," said Carly Uglow, Director of Sales and Marketing at Kentucky Kingdom. "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.”

The announcement of Midnight Showdown adds to the myriad of new family-friendly museums and attractions coming to Louisville in 2027 including the opening of the Son’s of the American Revolution Museum & Education Center, Japanese Garden at Waterfront Botanical Gardens, AHOY! Children's Museum, The Hat Vault Millinery Museum, and Highland Bike Park.

2027 season passes are available now at kentuckykingdom.com for as low as $69.99, giving guests access to the entire 2027 season plus the rest of 2026 for FREE, including Christmas at Kentucky Kingdom, one of the park's signature seasonal events complete with over 1.5 million lights, the largest snow tubing hill in Kentucky, 300 Christmas trees, holiday décor, themed entertainment, food offerings and more. Pricing and payment plan details are available online.