Arkansas Twister, Wooden roller coaster at Magic Springs and Crystal Falls, Arkansas, United States.
Arkansas Twister is a wooden roller coaster at Magic Springs and Crystal Falls, a theme park in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The track runs through the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains, with a steep drop that sends riders toward the ground at a sharp angle.
The coaster first opened in 1978 under the name Florida Hurricane at Circus World, a theme park in Florida. Magic Springs bought it and had it moved to Arkansas in 1991, where it has run ever since under its current name.
When the ride operated at Circus World in Florida, it was known as Michael Jackson's Thrill Coaster, named after the pop star who had ties to the park at the time. That chapter is largely forgotten today, but it shows how closely theme parks and entertainment were linked in the 1980s.
There is a height requirement to ride, which is checked at the boarding point, so it is worth confirming this before joining the queue. Going earlier in the day generally means shorter waits, as lines tend to grow as the afternoon goes on.
The structure was built from Douglas fir, a wood known for its strength and commonly used in wooden coaster construction. The trains were made by a specialist European manufacturer, which was fairly uncommon for an American park ride of that era.
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