Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari in Santa Claus, Indiana, has announced its biggest attraction investment ever. A brand-new, $22 million water roller coaster named Cannonball! is officially heading to the park's Fourth of July section, with an opening date set for May 2027.
Designed by the famous manufacturer Mack Rides, this massive addition will be the very first steel-track water coaster in the Midwest, and only the third of its kind in the entire United States.
The Stats: America's Newest Record-Breaker
If your family loves a mix of big drops and big splashes, Cannonball! is going to deliver. Holiday World is building this to be a true "bridge" attraction, perfect for kids who are ready for more thrill than the family-favourite Good Gravy! coaster but aren't quite ready for the park's most extreme roller coasters.
When it opens, it will officially claim two major titles for water roller coasters in the United States:
- The Fastest: Reaching top speeds of 45 mph.
- The Tallest Drop: Plummeting down a huge 75-foot first drop from a 90-foot-tall lift hill.
The ride will feature five total drops packed into more than 1,000 feet of twisting track, ending with a giant splashdown into a pool.
https://www.themeparks-us.com/news/holiday-world-presents-cannonball-new-22-million-water-coaster-for-2027#sigProIdc31ba8f3e3
A Quirky, Nostalgic Theme
Holiday World is famous for its unique themes, and Cannonball! is leaning heavily into small-town nostalgia. The entire ride is themed around a retro community pool party and an annual cannonball diving competition in the fictional town of Boulder Canyon, USA.
Instead of standard coaster trains, you will board one of seven highly detailed boats designed to look like giant novelty pool inner-tubes. Keep an eye out for these fun designs when you line up to ride:
- A giant pink frosted donut
- A slice of watermelon or a fresh strawberry
- A classic patriotic popsicle
- An American flag or a red-and-white life preserver
- The iconic Holiday World rainbow
The adventure takes you past a backyard barbecue cookout before climbing high into the air. After navigating the drops and splashing into the pool, your inner-tube boat will take a relaxing float past giant inflatable swan sculptures named "Ron the Swan" and "Ron Swan’s Son" before heading back to the station.
With construction already underway, Cannonball! is shaping up to be an absolute must-visit for family road trips in 2027.
