One Of The World's Longest Wooden Roller Coasters Is An Award-Winning Midwest Gem

Roller coaster purists love to debate the merits of steel versus wooden rides. On one Reddit thread, some say they "love the out-of-control feeling" of "woodies" and others "prefer steel for the sake of smoothness." The split opinions are a reminder that amusement park lovers haven't forsaken the wooden roller coaster, especially one of the world's longest wooden roller coasters. An award-winning Midwest gem, The Voyage is a star attraction at Holiday World & Splashin' Safari, an underrated theme park in Santa Claus, Indiana, where the thrill ride makes for a jolly time.

Hurtling its passengers at speeds up to 67 mph, The Voyage elicits screams during its 154-foot drop before racing through hilly terrain and negotiating curves with 90-degree banking.  Its 1.2-mile track makes it the second-longest wooden roller coaster in the world, and the ride packs underground tunnels and a seemingly never-ending total of 24.3 seconds of airtime. Open since 2006, it may not be the newest ride, but it keeps racking up accolades two decades later. In September 2026, The Voyage reclaimed Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Award for Best Wooden Coaster for the first time since 2011. USA Today 10Best readers also ranked it No. 6 among the country's best roller coasters in 2026.

It even has some pop culture cred. In a feat of insanity, heavy metal band Fozzy filmed the music video for its song "Sane" while riding The Voyage. Riders are also fans. One Reddit daredevil gushed, "Voyage is genuinely so ambitious, so unique, so timeless, and delivers in every single aspect in a way that I'm not sure will ever be duplicated." Another enthusiast ruefully acknowledged on Facebook the pains endured on a wooden coaster. "20 years worth of headaches but worth it! LOL!" they wrote.

Designed by The Gravity Group, The Voyage runs two trains built by Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters, whose 90 wooden projects include the Giant Dipper on one of the world's best boardwalks, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. It seats 24 riders and sends them roaring as they plunge down three drops of more than 100 feet and disappear into five tunnels. While it's by no means the wooden coaster with the highest drop — that belongs to Goliath at Six Flags Great America, with a 180-foot plunge – The Voyage doesn't skimp on ride time, clocking in a lengthy 2 minutes and 45 seconds. 

The Voyage is one of three wooden coasters at Holiday World, while Splashin' Safari has three water coasters. But it's fair to say that The Voyage is one of the park's crown jewels. Experts say part of the ride's allure is its disorienting layout. Per the New York Times, that first drop, coupled with an unexpected 66-degree angle, makes you practically stand in your seat as you descend again and again before racing through sporadic darkness, then turning around in the intertwining "spaghetti bowl." Andrew Stilwell of Coaster101 wrote, "The Voyage didn't let up through the entire ride — it was fast ... and left me guessing the entire ride. I loved it."

The park is open seasonally, with ticket prices ranging from $45 for advance sales to $77 at the gate as of this writing. And unlike other parks, admission includes unlimited soft drinks, sunscreen, and parking.  Make your way to Santa Claus by flying into Indiana's Evansville Regional Airport (EVV), less than 50 miles away.  The closest hotel is Santa's Lodge, ideal for families, with complimentary breakfast, pools, and a playground. It's also a great winter stay for the town's Christmas festivities.