Kentucky Kingdom announced Midnight Showdown, a family indoor wooden coaster scheduled to open in spring 2027.
The header shows Kentucky Kingdom's existing Thunder Run coaster. Jeremy Thompson's photograph is licensed under CC BY 2.0 and was cropped for display.
The Louisville park says the horse-racing-themed ride will anchor Bluegrass Downs, a new land based on Kentucky racing traditions. Midnight Showdown will be Kentucky Kingdom's seventh coaster.
The plans call for 1,130 feet of wooden track, two trains seating 10 riders each and a structure standing more than three stories tall. The Gravity Group of Cincinnati is building the coaster. Riders will move through the dark with racing sound effects.
Bluegrass Downs will rework five existing rides
Bluegrass Downs will also retheme five existing rides with white fencing, grandstand-style spires and jockey-silk colors.
Herschend says it has invested nearly $50 million at Kentucky Kingdom since acquiring the park in 2021. The 2027 work follows the 2026 debut of Flying Fox and Discovery Meadow.
Source: Kentucky Kingdom's November 5 Midnight Showdown announcement, published by Louisville Tourism.