Tornado (Adventureland) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tornado |
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Ride entrance
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| Adventureland (Iowa) | |
| Location | Adventureland (Iowa) |
| Park section | County Fair |
| Coordinates | 41°39′5.25″N 93°30′9.07″W / 41.6514583°N 93.5025194°W |
| Status | Open |
| Opening date | July 4, 1978 |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Wood |
| Manufacturer | Frontier Construction Company |
| Designer | William Cobb |
| Track layout | Out and Back |
| Lift/launch system | Chain-lift |
| Height | 93 ft (28 m) |
| Length | 2,850 ft (870 m) |
| Speed | 58 mph (93 km/h) |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Duration | 2 minutes |
| Height restriction | 42 in (107 cm) |
| Tornado at RCDB | |
The Tornado is a thrilling wooden roller coaster located at Adventureland in Altoona, Iowa. This exciting ride is close to Des Moines.
The Tornado first opened on July 4, 1978. This was during Adventureland's third year of being open. A famous designer named William Cobb created the ride. The Frontier Construction Company built it. When it first opened, many people thought it was one of the top ten wooden roller coasters in the world! Even today, after many years and new rides, the Tornado is still a very special attraction at Adventureland. It used to have two trains, one red and one blue. Now, it usually runs with just the red train.
The name Tornado is very important to the park's history. Adventureland was supposed to open for the first time in July 1974. But a real tornado hit the park before it could open! This caused the opening to be delayed until August of that year. So, when the Tornado roller coaster opened in 1978, park ads excitedly announced, "Another Tornado has hit Adventureland!"
What is the Tornado Roller Coaster Like?
The Tornado roller coaster has a special design. It's called a 90-degree curved out and back layout. This means it goes out and then comes back, following the edge of a small lake.
After you leave the station, the train rolls down a small slope and around a curve. Then, it starts climbing up the lift hill to the very top. This first drop is the biggest one on the ride! Depending on where you sit, you might even feel a moment of "air time" as you go down.
The second drop is shorter. It leads right into the third drop. At the bottom of the third drop, there's a fun "head-chopper" moment. This is where the track goes under some support beams, making it feel like your head might get close (but it's totally safe!). After the third drop, there's one more small hill. Then, the train goes around a banked turn and heads back to the station. On the way back, you'll experience three more smaller drops before the ride ends.
How Many Trains Does Tornado Use?
In the past, when the park was very busy, two trains could run at the same time. This helped more people ride faster. One train would be loading while the other was out on the track. However, new safety features were added to the ride. These features take a bit more time to get riders ready. Because of this, it's no longer possible to run two trains at once. The park now swaps the red and blue trains during the season.
