Six Flags’ Kingda Ka roller coaster, which once broke records as the tallest and fastest in the world, is no more. The 456-foot-tall Kingda Ka tower was reduced to rubble in a planned implosion early the morning of Friday, Feb. 28 at New Jersey’s Six Flags Great Adventure.
Roller coaster fans and local theme park enthusiasts gathered to watch the implosion, which was caught on camera by Philadelphia’s FOX 29 news station just before 7 a.m. In the video, planned detonations at the base of the roller coaster send the structure plummeting to the earth, where it breaks apart in just seconds.
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Kingda Ka opened in 2005 as the world’s tallest and fastest roller coaster, reaching a top speed of 128 miles per hour. The coaster’s speed record was eventually broken in 2010 by Formula Rossa at Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi, which reaches 149 miles per hour. Kingda Ka’s height record was also set to be broken soon with the opening of Six Flags Qiddiya City’s Falcon’s Flight, which will measure 640 feet tall when it opens later this year.
Six Flags Entertainment Corporation’s merger with fellow theme park chain Cedar Fair sparked the closure of several rides across the country, including Kingda Ka and the nearby Green Lantern roller coaster. There are plans to replace the two closed coasters, but no specific plans have been announced at this point.
“We understand that saying goodbye to beloved rides can be difficult, and we appreciate our guests’ passion. These changes are an important part of our growth and dedication to delivering exceptional new experiences,” Brian Bacica, Six Flags Great Adventure president, said in a November 2024 press release.
Six Flags is set to invest $2 billion in rides, attractions and general upgrades this year and next. “The investments, which will total between $500 million and $525 million in both 2025 and 2026, will include new rides, attractions, themed areas, dining upgrades, and technology enhancements that are sure to deliver an unparalleled level of fun and excitement to guests of all ages,” the announcement revealed.
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