I’ve already shared my picks for the most anticipated coasters scheduled to roll out this year in the U.S. along with a rundown of some thrill machines that made the 2026 honorable mention list. This week, let’s take a look at three more coasters that will will be coming to America’s midways in the coming months. One of them will be brand new, while two of them will be new to the parks in which they will be located, but will be transplants from elsewhere.
Let’s start in New Jersey at Six Flags Great Adventure. Purple track pieces recently arrived at the park for what will be a “multi-record-breaking launch coaster” according to Six Flags. It will purportedly be from Mack Rides and may scale a tower in excess of 400 feet (filling the void left by the scrapped 456-foot-tall record-breaker, Kingda Ka). But that mystery ride is not scheduled to open until 2027.
Great Adventure recently announced that it will welcome Barrel O’ Fun, a modest spinning coaster, this year. Previously known as Rajin’ Cajun, the ride made the journey north from the shuttered Six Flags America in Maryland. But the coaster predates that park as well. Rajin’ Cajun originally debuted at Six Flags Great America near Chicago in 2004 and was transplanted to the Maryland park in 2014.
A Reverchon spinning Wild Mouse coaster, it features four-passenger cars that are dispatched one at a time. It rises 43 feet and hits a top speed of 29 mph. The hairpin turns, which are a staple of Wild Mouse coasters, combined with the free-spinning of the Reverchon rides have been known to make some passengers’ stomachs start rajin’ (if you know what I mean). The round cars will be designed to resemble wooden barrels. The relocated coaster will be part of the park’s refreshed Boardwalk area, which will be known as Shoreline Pier.
Barrel O’ Fun will be joined by three other reborn rides from the defunct Maryland park, two of which are classic midway staples: Flying Scooters, which equips passengers with a rudder to control the ride vehicles, and Wave Swinger, which spins suspended swing-like seats around and into the air. Hypno Twister, a Zamperla Nebulaz ride is also part of the package making the journey. Another classic flat ride, Super Roundup, will be moved from another location at Great Adventure. The reimagined land will take inspiration from the famed Jersey shore.
There’s no word on what will become of the other rides at Six Flags America. It would be nice to think that coaster headliners such as Superman: Ride of Steel and Joker’s Jinx could find new homes. As I’ve previously written, it would be especially gratifying to me personally if the woodie, Wild One, extended its 109-year-old life. It started thrilling riders at Paragon Park in Massachusetts, a defunct park that I used to frequent. Although it’s likely a long shot, here’s hoping it’s not the end of the road for the vintage coaster.
Wild and wooly coaster coming to Nebraska
Fun-Plex Waterpark will welcome Mammoth, a new ride from Italian manufacturer Preston & Barbieri, to its modest midway this year. That will increase the number of thrill coasters in Nebraska to [quickly checks rcdb] one. (There are only three coasters, all of which are kiddie rides and one of which is also located at Fun-Plex in Omaha, in the state). The steel ride will rise 70 feet, top out at about 40 mph, and span 2,000 feet. Primarily a water park, Fun-Plex also includes a few dry rides including a Tilt-A-Whirl, go-karts, and a carousel.
Lookout Safari, a Zierer family coaster, will be added to the midway at Lake Winnepesaukah in Georgia this season. It will use a booster wheel lift hill to climb 20 feet and accelerate to 20 mph. It will join two other coasters, the wooden Cannon Ball and the Wacky Worm kiddie ride, at the small park, which is affectionately known as “Lake Winnie” and is located along the state line near Chattanooga, Tennessee. Lookout Safari is being relocated from the Indianapolis Zoo where it was known as Kombo.
Have you been on Rajin’ Cajun or similar Wild Mouse spinning coasters? Like me, would you want to see Wild One continue its long legacy of thrilling riders?
As a resident of Nebraska, I am finally glad that we are now on the board with having one roller coaster.