30 Years Of The Raven in Santa Claus, IN: A Roller Coaster of a Story

It swoops. It soars. It's what you've been cravin'. Hold on tight and enjoy your ride on The Raven.

This year marks a very important milestone at Holiday World, the beloved amusement park in Santa Claus, Indiana. The Raven, the park's first wooden coaster, is celebrating its 30th Anniversary!

THE HISTORY OF HOLIDAY WORLD'S RAVEN ROLLER COASTER

Now, keep in mind that Holiday World- previously known as Santa Claus Land- opened way back in 1946 and, in many ways, created the blueprint for theme parks around the world. Nearly fifty years after the park's grand opening, the Holiday World gained nationwide, worldwide attention with the addition of a new $2 million dollar coaster.

It was May of 1995 that The Raven, described by coaster enthusiasts as a "sidewinder," made its much-anticipated debut at the park.

The impact of The Raven was felt immediately by Holiday World fans and journalists.A headline in Louisville, Kentucky's Courier-Journal captured the coaster beautifully. It read- "Raven twists and tumbles on 90 second flight."

Yes! The ride was an instant hit. In the coaster world, it was an instant classic. According to park officials, The Raven was voted the #1 Wooden Roller Coaster on the Planet from the mid to late '90s through 2002. To this day, it still manages to fly its way onto various Top 10 Wooden Coaster lists.

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Holiday World fan Amanda Bee says, The Raven is "always the first ride . . . when we enter the park!!!!! I remember the first time we underestimated it! It was such a thrill when we got off we couldn’t believe it."

Kendra Lea Griffin and Danielle Bennignus share the exact same sentiment about the iconic coaster. Both declare it a "masterpiece!" This year, Holiday World guests will get to experience that masterpiece in its 30th Anniversary season.

Happy Birthday, Raven! Here's to more twists and tumbles.