12,098,923
Number of rides given through the end of last season on Wild Thing—Valleyfair’s tallest, fastest, and longest roller coaster—since it opened in 1996. That’s 96,791,384 white knuckles.
196
feet. The vertical drop on Wild Thing. Aficionados come to Valleyfair from around the globe to experience one of the longest low-gravity stretches on any coaster in the world.
90
decibels. Average volume of a child’s scream. WARNING: Prolonged exposure to sounds of more than 85 decibels can cause permanent hearing damage.
1973
The year Excelsior Amusement Park closed down. Everything from buildings to gadgets to the 16 acres of rides was auctioned off. Feeling nostalgic? At Valleyfair, you can still hop a ride on Excelsior Amusement Park’s Scrambler and its historic 1925 handcarved carousel.
$2,000
Amount the Rolling Stones were paid to play the Excelsior Park ballroom in 1964. Only 283 people showed up; the park lost dough on the deal.
2.5
seconds. Time it takes riders to go from 0 to 60 miles per hour on the Minnesota State Fair’s Super Bungee. Snap!
97,985
Number of rides sold on the Minnesota State Fair’s cream-puffs-to-Ag-Building Sky Ride last year. Time yours to synch up with the evening fireworks and win true Fair Genius points.
4
miles per hour. Top speed of the Como Town Driving School cars at Como Park. Buckle up, Buttercup.
St. Paul writer Maria Hidalgo is over the age of 7 and is taller than 42 inches. She is not pregnant or prone to motion sickness and has no back or heart problems that could be aggravated by any of the rides mentioned on this page.
