Mystery Mine facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mystery Mine |
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Entrance to Mystery Mine
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| Dollywood | |
| Location | Dollywood |
| Park section | Timber Canyon |
| Coordinates | 35°47′44″N 83°31′48″W / 35.795583°N 83.530059°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Soft opening date | March 31, 2007 |
| Opening date | April 13, 2007 |
| Cost | $17.5 million |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel – Euro-Fighter |
| Manufacturer | Gerstlauer |
| Designer | Werner Stengel |
| Model | Euro-Fighter (Custom) |
| Track layout | Terrain |
| Lift/launch system | Chain lift hill x2 |
| Height | 85.3 ft (26.0 m) |
| Length | 1,811 ft (552 m) |
| Speed | 43.5 mph (70.0 km/h) |
| Inversions | 2 |
| Duration | 2:30 |
| Max vertical angle | 95° |
| Capacity | 1000 riders per hour |
| Height restriction | 48–76 in (122–193 cm) |
| Trains | 7 trains with a single car. Riders are arranged 4 across in 2 rows for a total of 8 riders per train. |
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TimeSaver Pass available
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 Must transfer from wheelchair |
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| Mystery Mine at RCDB | |
Mystery Mine is an exciting steel roller coaster at Dollywood amusement park. You can find it in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. This unique ride was built by a company called Gerstlauer. It's designed to look like a spooky old mining operation from the 1800s.
Mystery Mine was a huge project for Dollywood. It cost $17.5 million to build, making it the park's biggest investment at the time. A large part of the ride is indoors, where it uses lots of cool special effects. When it opened, Mystery Mine was the first Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter coaster in the United States. It also had the steepest drop of any roller coaster in North America!
Contents
The Story of Mystery Mine
How the Ride Was Built
Dollywood first announced Mystery Mine on July 7, 2006. They planned for it to open in the 2007 season. The ride was built in a new area of Timber Canyon, close to the Thunderhead coaster.
Dollywood promised that Mystery Mine would have amazing special effects. It would also feature "dark ride" parts and a cool mine theme. Gerstlauer created a special version of their Euro-Fighter coaster just for Dollywood. This was the first Euro-Fighter in the United States. It was also the first one to have two vertical lift hills.
Mystery Mine officially opened its doors on April 13, 2007. It was one of two Gerstlauer Euro-Fighters to open that year. The other was Rage at Adventure Island in England.
Your Adventure on Mystery Mine
Entering the Haunted Mine
The story of Mystery Mine starts even before you get on the ride. As you wait in line, you'll see old newspaper articles and signs. They warn you about an abandoned mine shaft. The line winds through a rocky area, then up some stairs to where you board the ride. Sometimes, you'll hear a voice say, "If the canary ain't tweetin'...you'll be sleepin'!" You might also hear fast banjo music playing.
The First Drop and Surprises
Once you're in the 8-person car, it quickly launches out of the station. You'll hear an evil miner's laugh as the car goes down a small drop. Then it rushes around a curve. You'll pass a wall with cawing crows and a caged canary. As you turn the corner, you'll face a giant spinning rock crusher! The car quickly drops under it and whips around a sharp curve. The car then slows down. A crow caws, and a lever labeled "mine gas" turns on.
Climbing and Falling
Next, your car goes straight up a vertical wall of track. It climbs about 85 feet at a 90-degree angle! You'll see graffiti on the metal walls. At the top, the car drops down a short hill outside the building. A sign warns of a "Burnt out bridge ahead!" The car swerves across a wooden bridge. Then, a steep drop sends the vehicle up a vertical U-turn. The car swings around a few small turns before going back into the mine building. It slows down inside.
A spotlight turns on, showing the canary cage you saw earlier. Lightning flashes from the shaft ahead. The canary falls over, showing it has died. The car starts to climb up the mine shaft again. Crows peek out from broken boards around the shaft. A window effect above you shows a storm outside. Another lightning flash hits the top of a tower, which then collapses onto the window!
The Final Plunge
Now it's dark. The car stops at the top of the hill. You hear a lit fuse in the distance. Soon, you can see it snaking along both sides of your car. A green lantern lights up, sitting on a pile of dynamite boxes. The fuse is heading right for it! As the lit part reaches the dynamite, fake flames shoot out! The car then drops at a beyond-vertical angle of 95 degrees. It goes into a barrel roll, then a half loop. The car slows down and returns to the station.
Awards and Recognition
- On July 2, 2007, Theme Park Insider gave Mystery Mine the "Best New Theme Park Attraction" award for that year.
- Mystery Mine was ranked 48th on the Amusement Today Top 50 Best Steel Coasters list in 2007.
- Amusement Today also ranked Mystery Mine as the #2 new ride for 2007. It was just behind Cedar Point's Maverick.
Key Ride Features
- Two vertical lifts
- A 95-degree drop
- A heartline roll (where the track twists you upside down)
- A turn-over loop
Images for kids
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Part of Mystery Mine's back section, before the 95-degree drop
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More of Mystery Mine's back section, before the 95-degree drop
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Mystery Mine's exciting finale
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