Indiana
When is 2024 National Roller Coaster Day? Where to find Indiana amusement park thrill rides
See Six Flags’ new dive roller coaster, Wrath of Rakshasa
Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois, will introduce a record-breaking dive coaster with a 96-degree, 171-foot drop in 2025.
Provided by Six Flags Great America
National Roller Coaster Day has arrived and it’s time to celebrate.
There are multiple Indiana theme parks offering roller coasters, from Holiday World and Indiana Beach to the Indianapolis Zoo.
Holiday World Splashin’ Safari: Here’s everything you need to know.
Here’s where to find roller coasters in Indiana:
What is National Roller Coaster Day?
The day honors Edwin Prescott’s patent of the first vertical loop roller coaster in 1898, according to nationaldaycalendar.com.
When is 2024 National Roller Coaster Day?
National Roller Coaster Day falls on Aug. 16 each year, according to nationaldaycalendar.com.
Good Gravy! Family Coaster
- Construction: Steel
- Minimum height requirement: 48 inches
- Maximum height requirement: None
- Weight requirement: None
- More details: May ride at 38 inches tall with a companion. Patrons with high blood pressure, back or neck conditions, dizziness or motion sickness, and those who are pregnant or have a recent illness, injury or surgery are not allowed to ride. Rider requirements and accessibility guide.
The Howler
- Construction: Steel
- Minimum height requirement: 42 inches
- Maximum height requirement: None
- Weight requirement: None
- More details: May ride at 36 inches tall with a companion. Patrons with high blood pressure, back or neck conditions, dizziness or motion sickness, and those who are pregnant or have a, injury or surgery are not allowed to ride. Rider requirements and accessibility guide.
The Legend Wooden Coaster
- Construction: Wood
- Minimum height requirement: 48 inches
- Maximum height requirement: None
- Weight requirement: None
- More details: Loose articles should be stored before riding. Patrons with a heart condition, high blood pressure, back or neck conditions, dizziness or motion sickness, have fear of heights, are pregnant, or have had a recent illness, injury or surgery are not allowed to ride. Rider requirements and accessibility guide.
The Raven Wooden Coaster
- Construction: Wood
- Minimum height requirement: 48 inches
- Maximum height requirement: None
- Weight requirement: None
- More details: Loose articles should be stored before riding. Patrons with a heart condition, high blood pressure, back or neck conditions, dizziness or motion sickness, have a fear of heights, are pregnant, or have had a recent illness, injury or surgery are not allowed to ride. Rider requirements and accessibility guide.
The Voyage Wooden Coaster
- Construction: Wood
- Minimum height requirement: 48 inches
- Maximum height requirement: None
- Weight requirement: None
- More details: Loose articles should be stored before riding. Patrons with a heart condition, high blood pressure, back or neck conditions, dizziness or motion sickness, fear of heights, those who are pregnant, and those with sensitivity to strobe lights, or recent illness, injury or surgery are not allowed to ride. Rider requirements and accessibility guide.
Thunderbird Launched Wing Coaster
- Construction: Steel, wing
- Minimum height requirement: 48 inches
- Maximum height requirement: None
- Weight requirement: None
- More details: Loose articles should be stored before riding. Patrons with a heart condition, high blood pressure, back or neck conditions, dizziness or motion sickness, fear of heights, those who are pregnant, and those who have sensitivity to strobe lights, or recent illness, injury or surgery are not allowed to ride. Rider requirements and accessibility guide.
Cheetah Chase Water Coaster
- Minimum height requirement: 48 inches
- Maximum height requirement: None
- Minimum weight requirement: 225 pound minimum per boat
- Maximum weight requirement: 340 pound max per individual; 500 pound max per boat
- More details: May ride at 42 inches tall with a companion. Patrons with a heart condition, high blood pressure, back or neck conditions, dizziness or motion sickness, fear of heights, those who are pregnant, or have sensitivity to strobe lights or recent illness, injury or surgery are not allowed to ride. Rider requirements and accessibility guide.
Mammoth Water Coaster
- Number of riders: 2-6 per raft
- Minimum height requirement: 48 inches
- Maximum height requirement: None
- Minimum weight requirement: 500 pound minimum per raft
- Maximum weight requirement: 1,050 pound max per raft
- More details: May ride at 42 inches tall with a companion. Patrons with a heart condition, high blood pressure, back or neck conditions, dizziness or motion sickness, fear of heights, are pregnant, or have had a recent illness, injury or surgery are not allowed to ride. Rider requirements and accessibility guide.
Wildebeest Water Coaster
- Number of riders: Up to 4 per raft
- Minimium height requirement: 48 inches
- Maximum height requirement: None
- Minimum weight requirement: 200 pound minimum per raft
- Maximum weight requirement: 800 pound max per raft
- More details: May ride at 42 inches tall with a companion. Patrons with a heart condition, high blood pressure, back or neck conditions, dizziness or motion sickness, fear of heights, those who are pregnant, or have sensitivity to strobe lights or recent illness, injury or surgery are not allowed to ride. Rider requirements and accessibility guide.
Indiana Beach: The G-force on newest roller coaster is insane
American Triple Loop
- Construction: Steel
- Minimum height requirement: 49 inches
- Maximum height requirement: 77 inches
- Weight requirement: None
- More details: Patrons with heart conditions, high blood pressure, back or neck conditions, and those who pregnant, under the influence of alcohol or have had a recent illness, injury or surgery are not allowed to ride. Rider requirements and accessibility.
Cornball Express
- Construction: Wood
- Minimium height requirement: 46 inches
- Maximum height requirement: None
- Weight requirement: None
- More details: Patrons with heart conditions, high blood pressure, back or neck conditions, and those who are pregnant, under the influence of alcohol or have had a recent illness, injury or surgery are not allowed to ride. Rider requirements and accessibility.
Cyclone
- Construction: Steel
- Minimum height requirement: 48 inches
- Maximum height requirement: None
- Weight requirement: None
- More details: Patrons with heart conditions, high blood pressure, back or neck conditions, and those who are pregnant, under the influence of alcohol or have had a recent illness, injury or surgery are not allowed to ride. Rider requirements and accessibility.
Hoosier Hurricane
- Construction: Wood
- Minimum height requirement: 48 inches
- Maximum height requirement: None
- Weight requirement: None
- More details: Patrons with heart conditions, high blood pressure, back or neck conditions, and those who are pregnant, under the influence of alcohol or have had a recent illness, injury or surgery are not allowed to ride. Rider requirements and accessibility.
Lost Coaster of Superstition Mountain
- Construction: Wood
- Minimum height requirement: 48 inches
- Maximum height requirement: None
- Weight requirement: None
- More details: Patrons with heart conditions, high blood pressure, back or neck conditions, and those who are pregnant, under the influence of alcohol or have had a recent illness, injury or surgery are not allowed to ride. Rider requirements and accessibility.
Steel Hawg
- Construction: Steel
- Minimum height requirement: 48 inches
- Maximum height requirement: None
- Weight requirement: None
- More details: Patrons with heart conditions, high blood pressure, back or neck conditions, and those who are pregnant, under the influence of alcohol or have had a recent illness, injury or surgery are not allowed to ride. Rider requirements and accessibility.
Tig’rr
- Construction: Steel
- Minimum height requirement: 54 inches
- Maximum height requirement: None
- Weight requirement: None
- More details: Patrons with heart conditions, high blood pressure, back or neck conditions, and those who are pregnant, under the influence of alcohol or have had a recent illness, injury or surgery are not allowed to ride. Rider requirements and accessibility.
Indianapolis Zoo: Take a peak inside the new chimpanzee complex
Kōmbo Family Coaster
- Construction: Steel
- Minimum height requirement: 47 inches
- Maximum height requirement: None
- Weight requirement: None
- More details: Children younger than 6 meeting the minimum height requirement must be accompanied by an adult. Anyone with limited mobility will need to transfer themselves from wheelchair/scooter to coaster car in order to ride. Patrons with heart disease or back injuries, those wearing a cast and women who are pregnant are not allowed to ride.
Twist N Shout Coaster
- Construction: Steel
- Minimum height requirement, rider: 47 inches
- Minimium height requirement, passenger: 38 inches — must be age 4 or older with paying adult
- Maximum height requirement: 6 feet, 5 inches
- Weight requirement: 240 pound maximum
- Indiana location: Lafayette
Spinning Coaster
- Construction: Steel
- Minimum height requirement: 47 inches
- Maximum height requirement: 6 foot, 3 inches
- Weight requirement: 250 pound max
- More details: May ride at 36 inches tall if riding with an adult
Find more roller coasters: Your guide to theme parks not too far from Indianapolis
Chris Sims is a digital content producer at Midwest Connect Gannett. Follow him on Twitter: @ChrisFSims.
Fairfield native, David K. Wells, 69, and his wife Aileen, were found dead inside their home in Newburgh, Indiana, Monday night. Warrick County Sheriff Michael Wilder said that deputies responded to the residence just before 8:00 p.m. after dispatch received a call around 7:40 p.m. from a friend of the family requesting a welfare check. When officers didn’t get an answer at the door, they entered through the back of the home and found the couple deceased. Officers cleared the home and waited for detectives to arrive. Investigators also obtained a search warrant to do a further examination of the residence. Authorities were able to notify family members and conduct interviews to gather additional information. Sheriff Wilder said investigators believe the couple had been dead for less than 24 hours before they were found. He also said there is no indication of any forced entry or an intruder. Sheriff Wilder has not made a formal determination as to what happened. Autopsies for the couple were scheduled for yesterday morning to help determine a cause. David Wells grew up in Fairfield and graduated from Fairfield High School in 1975. He had a long career in television commercial production in Evansville and had more recently operated the Cigar! Cigar! tobacco store in Evansville.
INDIANAPOLIS (WRTV) — Indiana saw a significant decline in veteran homelessness last year, despite the total number of homelessness rising across the state.
According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) annual estimation of the homeless population, known as the Point in Time (PIT) count, Indiana saw an 18.7% decline in veteran homelessness in 2025 compared to the year before.
That marked the second-largest decline of any state by percentage.
Helping Veterans and Families (HVAF) of Indiana specializes in assistance for veterans facing homelessness. CEO Emmy Hildebrand told News 8 the formula that’s finding success is the same that works with any at-risk group: housing and wrap-around services.
Hildebrand said that the formula needs support from the state.
“There is no state funding supporting homeless services in our state,” Hildebrand said. “And very little local funding outside Indianapolis.”
Safety net programs have faced budget cuts, with lawmakers eliminating funding for the Housing First program in 2025. It supported organizations helping people secure stable housing.
And housing advocates have criticized Indiana’s public camping ban as essentially making it illegal to be homeless.
HVAF client Terri Massey, a 34-year-old Navy veteran, said the stigma of being homeless was the most difficult challenge to overcome.
“I’m still trying to provide for my kids,” Massey said “I’m (not) out here being lazy or not trying to do better.”
Massey was working, supporting her children, but found herself sleeping in cars and hotel rooms because she didn’t have stable housing. “Going to that work, working 10 hours, leaving, going to sleep in my car.”
HVAF helped place Massey in a permanent apartment. HVAF also placed Massey in a different kind of “bootcamp” years after her time in the military, learning job skills. She’s looking for a job, but thankful to do it from a place she can call home.
“I am beyond grateful and thankful. I literally pray and thank God every day,” Massey said. “Because for the longest I felt like I was alone. And I had to figure everything out by myself. I didn’t.”
It’s estimated that seven percent of Indiana’s homeless are veterans. Hildebrand said there are federal funds for organizations working with veterans, which support HVAF’s programs.
Still, finding permanent housing is a struggle.
According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, for every 100 extremely low-income households in Indiana, just 34 rental homes are affordable and available.
“There are so many people on the bubble that are just one emergency away from living in their car, staying with friends and family, or living on the streets because we don’t have the appropriate system here in Indiana,” Hildebrand said.
Hildebrand said lawmakers assured her they would work to support homeless services, but she hasn’t seen any drafted legislation that might be introduced in the next legislative session.
Across the country, about one in 25 people experiencing homelessness previously served active duty in the armed forces, according to numbers from HUD. Veteran homelessness declined 56% between 2009 and 2025.
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management has issued an Air Quality Action Day for July 8th in Northwest Indiana.
Ozone levels are expected to be in the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups range, also known as the “orange” level. While not everyone will notice or be effected by the conditions, and while they may not be as severe as recent wildfire smoke events, individuals with asthma, COPD, and other health issues should proceed with caution when exercising outside.
Ozone levels are expected to be in the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups range, also known as the “orange” level. (WSBT Photo)
The affected area is all of Northwest Indiana, including the cities of: Crown Point, Gary, Hammond, Kentland, LaPorte, Michigan City, Portage, Rensselaer, Valparaiso and all other cities in the region, especially those near Lake Michigan.
Warm temperatures, mostly sunny skies, and light and varied winds coming off of Lake Michigan are expected to contribute to elevated ozone levels.
To stay up to date on issuances and quality levels in Indiana, visit SmogWatch.IN.gov.
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