Midnight Showdown packs 1,130 feet of wooden track into Kentucky Kingdom's old 5D movie theater. The horse race coaster from Dollywood's owner, Herschend, opens in spring 2027.
Kentucky Kingdom is putting a wooden roller coaster inside its old movie theater.
The Louisville park announced Midnight Showdown on Nov. 5, a family coaster themed to a Kentucky horse race. Kentucky Kingdom bills it as "The World's Largest Indoor Wooden Roller Coaster," and it opens in spring 2027.
The ride runs about 1,130 feet of wooden track inside the park's former 5D Cinema building, Park Rovers and Coaster Nation reported. By our math, that's more than three football fields of track, end zones included, under one roof.
Midnight Showdown will be the park's seventh coaster. Herschend, the company behind Dollywood and Silver Dollar City, runs Kentucky Kingdom.
Here's Kentucky Kingdom's announcement video:
How big is Midnight Showdown?
Here's what Kentucky Kingdom and the coaster sites have shared so far:
Track: About 1,130 feet of wood
Height: More than three stories
Trains: Two, with 10 riders each
Builder: The Gravity Group of Cincinnati, which also designed the park's Kentucky Flyer wooden coaster in 2019
Building: The former 5D Cinema
Height requirement: 40 inches is planned, Attractions Magazine reported
Coaster101 counted 11 airtime moments, which is a lot of seat-lifting for a ride in a movie theater. Top speed hasn't been announced. Coaster101 said more details should come at the IAAPA Expo in Orlando, which runs Nov. 16 to 20 at the Orange County Convention Center.
What is the Midnight Showdown theme?
A horse race after dark. The park's release says the ride "charges guests into the night, guided by pounding hooves" and a booming call of "And they're off!"
Attractions Magazine reported the show will use projected animation, lighting, sound effects and a race announcer. The official art shows glowing blue jockeys running alongside the train. Derby Day comes every day, no big hat required.
When does Midnight Showdown open?
Spring 2027, with the park's 2027 Opening Day. Kentucky Kingdom hasn't set a date. For reference, the 2026 season opened May 9.
What else is new at Kentucky Kingdom in 2027?
Two new lands, both opening with the coaster.
Bluegrass Downs is the horse racing land, with white fences, spires and jockey-silk colors. Midnight Showdown is the centerpiece. Five existing rides get new names and themes, Attractions Magazine reported:
Jolly Juleps, formerly the Mad Hatter teacups
My Old Kentucky Carousel, formerly Musical Carousel, with musical instruments in place of horses
Soaring Silks, formerly Zeppelin
Whirlwind, formerly Scream Extreme
Bumper Derby, formerly the bumper cars
Yes, the horse racing land's carousel has no horses. Also, Lightning Run becomes Stampede Run, Coaster Nation and Coaster101 reported.
Happy Valley Farm has a big barn in the middle, sunflowers and eight reimagined family rides, including Friendly Frogs, Loopy Lambs and Country Cruisers. It's also home to Flying Fox, the $14 million Vekoma suspended family coaster that opened in May 2026. Coaster101 said the land replaces King Louie's Playland.
Who owns Kentucky Kingdom?
Herschend took over in 2021. The Georgia company calls itself the world's largest family-held themed attractions company, and it says it has put nearly $50 million into Kentucky Kingdom over five years. Midnight Showdown is the final phase.
"We've been building toward this for years," said Carly Uglow, the park's director of sales and marketing. She called it "a very different Kentucky Kingdom than guests may remember."
That's a long road. Kentucky Kingdom opened in 1987 and ran as Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom starting in 1998. Six Flags walked away in early 2010, and the park sat closed until it reopened in 2014. It covers 67 acres next to the Kentucky Exposition Center.
Is Midnight Showdown the first indoor wooden coaster?
No, and the park doesn't claim that. It claims "largest." Adventureland Resort in Altoona, Iowa, already runs The Underground, which Time Out called "the world's only fully-enclosed wooden roller coaster" before it reopened in 2024. Coaster101 also pointed to Coasting Thru Switzerland, an indoor ride at Coney Island's Dreamland from 1904 to 1911.
Disney fans know indoor coasters well, but Disney World's are all steel, from Space Mountain to Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. Universal also confirmed a new indoor coaster for Epic Universe's Dark Universe, which we reported Nov. 5. Universal hasn't said what it's made of.
How much are Kentucky Kingdom 2027 season passes?
They start at $69.99 and are on sale now. Buying one now also covers the rest of 2026, including Christmas at Kentucky Kingdom, which has more than 1.5 million lights, 300 Christmas trees and what the park calls the largest snow tubing hill in Kentucky. Payment plans are available.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
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Hat Tips:
Kentucky Kingdom (Nov. 5, 2026), the Midnight Showdown announcement, stats, theme wording, new lands, Uglow quotes, season pass prices and Herschend details
Coaster101 (Nov. 5, 2026), airtime count, IAAPA timing, King Louie's Playland, Stampede Run and the Coney Island history
Attractions Magazine (Nov. 6, 2026), height requirement, show effects and the five Bluegrass Downs ride names
Coaster Nation (Nov. 5, 2026), the 5D theater location, Stampede Run and concept art
Park Rovers (Nov. 5, 2026), the 5D Cinema location and land details
WKYT (Nov. 5, 2026), the $50 million expansion and 2021 purchase
Exhibit City News (June 18, 2026), IAAPA Expo 2026 dates and location
Time Out (Aug. 22, 2023), The Underground at Adventureland
Wikipedia (Nov. 8, 2026), Kentucky Kingdom history and size
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