30+ Dangerous Roller Coasters We Can't Believe Were Ever Made

There’s no pastime quite like visiting a theme park. It’s controlled chaos, from towers that drop you hundreds of feet to thrilling roller coasters. But some theme park rides are so scary, we question whether they’re even safe! That’s why we’re bringing you a compiled list of the most dangerous roller coasters and theme park rides to ever exist. It’s hard to believe they were ever even made!

Revere Beach Derby Racer

To start off our list we travel to the 1910s, where technology and safety protocols were nowhere near as advanced as they are today. In comes the original Derby Racer - built in 1911 in Revere Beach, Massachusetts.

This cute-looking ride actually caused several deaths in its 25 years of existence. Riders were thrown clean off of the ride, one person broke almost every bone in their body, and most people who rode the Derby Racer just had an all-around bad time.

Six Flags Haunted Castle

Imagine being at an attraction like a haunted mansion, when suddenly you see smoke and flames. You'd probably just think it was all a part of the show, but if you were one of those killed at the Haunted Castle in Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey, that wasn't the case at all!

Back in 1984, the attraction actually caught on fire - and thanks to basically no fire safety and highly flammable material - eight teens were trapped and killed in the freak accident.

Action Park’s Tidal Wave Pool

Anyone who knows anything about American theme parks won't be at all surprised to see New Jersey's Action Park on this list multiple times. Aptly nicknamed "Class Action Park", it was the ultimate playground for dangerous rides.

One such "ride" was their tidal wave pool. Anyone who has been in one knows how scary they can be, but the park's nearly four-foot-tall tidal waves went on for so long that fatigued swimmers frequently had to be rescued by lifeguards.

Alton Towers’ The Smiler

Sure, roller coasters with lots of loops seem fun at first glance, but if it's The Smiler at Alton Towers in England, you're probably not in for a good time considering how often the ride has broken down.

There have even been reported train collisions, which resulted in serious injuries. The ride has also been known to leave passengers stranded on the track. Basically, what we're saying is - you're better off never going on this coaster.