Ranking The Top 10 Six Flags Great Adventure Rides
Six Flags Great Adventure Rides
Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey is one of America’s most iconic Six Flags theme parks. It is the second-largest amusement park in the world (only behind Disney’s Animal Kingdom) and contains 58 attractions. Of those 58 attractions, 14 are roller coasters, and the rest are family rides, kid’s rides, thrill rides, and water rides.
One difference between Six Flags Great Adventure and most other Six Flags theme parks is that every ride feels high quality. Six Flags put all its best attractions in Six Flags Great Adventure and left the rest of the parks (except Magic Mountain and maybe Over Texas) in the dust.
Six Great Adventure is clearly one of the parks that Six Flags dedicates most of its income towards, and the rides represent that through their theming, upkeep, and uniqueness. But of the 58 attractions, which rides are the best?
It was hard to narrow the list to only 10, but every attraction here is exciting, thrilling, unique, and, most importantly, fun! These are the best rides at Six Flags Great Adventure you HAVE to ride!
#10 – Houdini’s Great Escape
Number 10 is one of the most mystifying experiences at any Six Flags theme park. Houdini’s Great Escape is an indoor Vekoma Madhouse attraction and one of the park’s most themed attractions.
The queue and pre-show room are one of the ride’s highlights, unlike anything else in Six Flags Great Adventure. It does a great job introducing you to the story of Harry Houdini and getting you to believe that he’s a ghost haunting the mansion with the clever usage of moving furniture and showing some of Houdini’s iconic magic trick props in motion.
However, the experience of Houdini’s Great Escape makes this attraction one of the best in the park. Houdini’s Great Escape is one of the most disorienting experiences at a Six Flags Park. In life, Harry Houdini was known for his illusions. The entire concept of this ride is to make you question what you are seeing and feeling.
You can think of Houdini’s Great Escape as an extreme version of the Haunted Mansion’s iconic stretching room from Disney. The ride takes place in a single room that rotates and twists around you, making you ask yourself, is the room moving, or are you moving?
Overall, this is one of the best rides in the park that you have to experience yourself to believe.
#9 – Medusa
Number nine is a historically significant roller coaster made by Bollinger & Mabillard. Medusa is the world’s first floorless coaster, initially launching in 1999. It was rebranded as Bizzaro in 2009-2020 but returned to its Medusa origins in 2022.
Though it might be worth going on Medusa to say that you went on the first-ever floorless roller coaster, that isn’t the main reason why you have to ride it.
| Max Speed | 61 mph |
| Max Height | 142 ft |
| Drop | 132 ft |
| Inversions | 7 |
| G-Force | 4 |
| Height Requirement | 54″ |
The main reason is because Medusa is one of the smoothest roller coasters in the park that manages to maintain a high intensity from beginning to end. The ride has seven inversions that feel incredible with the floorless style. There are also practical effects like fireballs that trigger as you pass by them on the track.
Medusa may not be the best roller coaster in the park, but it is one you must try at least once during your trip!
#8 – Congo Rapids
Congo Rapids is one of the first river rapid rides in the world, initially launching in 1980. Yet, it remains the best water ride at Six Flags Great Adventure.
What is the main reason why you would want to get on a water ride? It’s simple, you want to get wet! On Congo Rapids, you get more than wet; you get soaked!
Congo Rapids puts you on a round raft and floats you down a scenic raging river where each turn and drop leads to a huge wave crashing into your boat, causing most riders to get wet.
The best part about Congo Rapids is the freeform motion of the raft that constantly spins so that you never know who will be the lucky (or unlucky) riders to get the brunt of the wave as it enters the boat. Because of this, Congo Rapids is one of the funniest rides in the park, where you’ll laugh as you watch your friends and family struggle not to get wet!
If you like water rides, you have to get on this ride! But you have a limited time to get on it. Congo Rapids only operates from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day Weekend (May 27th – September 4th).
#7 – Wonder Woman Lasso of Truth
If you like thrill rides or extreme adrenaline boosts, Wonder Woman Lasso of Truth is the ride for you. It is the tallest pendulum swing ride standing at 172 ft and reaching speeds up to 75 mph.
The rush you get when the pendulum swings in each direction, gradually building up momentum and eventually reaching a height where you go nearly upside-down, is unlike anything else in Six Flags Great Adventure.
It’s an incredible ride and one of the best experiences you can have in the park. You’ll be missing out if you don’t try it!
#6 – Jersey Devil Coaster
Jersey Devil Coaster is the next ride you have to ride at Six Flags Great Adventure. It’s a record-breaking ride being the tallest, fastest, and longest single-rail roller coaster in the world.
| Max Speed | 58 mph |
| Max Height | 130 ft |
| Drop | 122 ft |
| Max Vertical Angle | 87 degrees |
| Inversions | 3 |
| Height Requirement | 48″ |
Jersey Devil Coaster stands at 130 ft and reaches up to 58 mph on a 3,000 ft track. Though those stats may not seem that impressive compared to normal roller coasters, on a single rail coaster, speeds feel faster, heights feel taller, and inversions are more intense.
Why?
Because on a single rail coaster, you ride in a single file line. Each row on the train holds only a single rider meaning you’ll feel each coaster element even more due to the small size of the train.
As of 2023, no other coaster in the world can give you the same experience as Jersey Devil Coaster, so for that reason, you have to get on it on your trip to Six Flags Great Adventure!
#5 – Safari Off Road Adventure
Though the Safari Off Road Adventure may not be as exciting as some other entries on this list, it is still the most unique ride at any Six Flags theme park.
The only other ride similar to the Safari Off Road Adventure is Kilimanjaro Safari at Disney’s Animal Kingdom or Serengeti Safari at Busch Gardens.
On Safari Off Road Adventure, you go on a guided bus tour and get up close with various wild animals, including buffalo, zebra, elephants, rhinos, and more.
The Safari Off Road Adventure is fun for the whole family any time, but there is a way that makes it more exciting. Try to go on the Safari on a rainy day.
The animals love rain and are way more active than on a sunny day. On a rainy day, you can catch the elephants playing in the water or the zebras splashing in the rain. It makes the experience way more fun for everyone!
#4 – Zumanjaro Drop of Doom
For some, Zumanjaro Drop of Doom may be the scariest ride at Six Flags Great Adventure. It’s one of those rides where it’s understandable why someone wouldn’t want to go on it. It’s definitely one of the most intimidating rides in the park, for a good reason.
Zumanjaro Drop of Doom is the world’s tallest tower drop ride, standing at a massive 415 ft. The entire ride consists of slowly making your way to the top of the tower and then dropping down to the bottom. It’s a simple but incredible experience.
Zumanjaro Drop of Doom is actually a cathartic experience. On a clear day, at the tower’s peak, you can see both the Philadelphia and New York City Skyline simultaneously. It’s a breathtaking view offered only by one other ride in the park, but not at nearly the same length.
But, the relaxing nature of the ride lasts mere moments before you drop nearly the entire length of the tower, reaching speeds up to 90 mph on your way down.
This would be the best ride by far at any other park, but since this is Six Flags Great Adventure, there are even better rides to come.
#3 – Nitro
Nitro is, without question, one of the best steel roller coasters in the world. It constantly ranks within the top 25 best steel roller coasters in the world by the Golden Ticket Awards, and deservedly so. Nitro contains all the essential elements of a roller coaster that makes one memorable.
| Max Speed | 80 mph |
| Max Height | 230 ft |
| Max Drop | 215 ft |
| Inversions | 0 |
| G-Force | 4.3 |
| Ride Duration | 2:20 |
| Height Requirement | 54″ |
Nitro is insanely fast, reaching speeds of up to 80 mph. It is longer than average, with a ride duration of 2:20, making you feel like the wait in line was worth it. It’s also approachable for casual roller coaster riders considering there are no inversions throughout the ride, making it an excellent way for people to overcome their fear of roller coasters. And above all, it’s tons of fun.
The main element of Nitro is its multiple drops. The first drop of Nitro is 215 ft, making it one of the largest in the park. The rest of the drops are as big but are still significant. The best part of Nitro is that the ride remains intense from beginning to end. During Nitro, you’ll experience up to 4.3 Gs, so there is hardly any time to relax.
Nitro proves you don’t need inversions on a roller coaster to be one of the best.
#2 – El Toro
El Toro is arguably the best wooden roller coaster in the world and is likewise one of the best rides at Six Flags Great Adventure.
There is no other wooden roller coaster that is this intense from beginning to end, containing sharp twists and turns, steep and sudden drops, and somehow managed to have all of that without causing significant headaches or discomfort to the riders.
| Max Speed | 70 mph |
| Max Height | 181 ft |
| Drop | 176 ft |
| Max Vertical Angle | 76 degrees |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Ride Duration | 1:42 |
| Height Requirement | 48″-77″ |
Though all seats give an incredible experience, the best seat on El Toro is the second to last row on the train. Though the last row will provide you with a more extreme ride, which some riders will prefer, the second to last row is almost as intense as the last row, but with one key difference; it doesn’t sit on a wheel. Because of that, you get a smooth ride without the feeling of the track beneath you, which the last row gives you.
But, no matter which row you choose to sit in, El Toro remains one of the best roller coaster experiences in the world. When you go to Six Flags Great Adventure, El Toro should be one of the highest priorities on your to-do list!
#1 – Kingda Ka
And the best ride at Six Flags Great Adventure is arguably the most famous roller coaster in the world, and the park’s main attraction, Kingda Ka.
| Max Speed | 128 mph |
| Max Height | 456 ft |
| Drop | 418 ft |
| Max Vertical Angle | 90 degrees |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Launch | 0-128 mph in 3.5 seconds |
| Ride Duration | 0:28 |
| Height Requirement | 54″-77″ |
Kinga Ka is the world’s tallest and second fastest roller coaster, standing at 456 ft and reaching a max speed of 128 mph. It has one of the most intense launches you can experience on a ride, going from 0-128 mph in 3.5 seconds.
Kingda Ka is unlike any other roller coaster you can experience, especially if you sit in the front row. Nothing is like feeling the insane wind pressure against your face as you launch across the straightaway track. Racing up the 456 ft hill in only 6 seconds is unbelievable, as it’s hard to grasp just how high in the air you are.
Dropping 418 ft at a near-vertical angle is breathtaking and intense, but it happens so fast that it won’t even feel like you dropped that high.
If you can conquer Kingda Ka, you can get on anything (spinning rides not included). Out of all the attractions in the park, Kingda Ka is one you HAVE to ride! It’s the best ride at Six Flags Great Adventure and an experience you cannot miss!
Remember, “Arms down, head back, hold on!”
Six Flags Great Adventure and Hurricane Harbor
Those are the ten must-ride attractions at Six Flags Great Adventure, but don’t let that stop you from trying as many other rides as you can around the park!
With 58 total attractions, including the other thrill rides, family rides, kid’s rides, and water rides, you will surely have a packed day filled with fun!
But if you’d rather spend your day soaking up the sun and getting wet, you can do that too!
At Hurricane Harbor, Six Flags’ water park, you can spend your day riding water rides, getting on water slides of all sizes, swimming in a wave pool, playing in a kid’s water play area, or relaxing in the lazy river!
No matter how you plan to spend your day, you’ll have a great time at Six Flags Great Adventure!