Kemah Boardwalk - Rides and Games

Rides and Games

Here is a description of all the rides at the Kemah Boardwalk, primarily a collection of Chance-Morgan–built devices:

• Aviator – riders can swing their airships in and out with a rudder as they circle in the air on the fire ball a looping coaster
• Balloon Wheel – a miniature Ferris wheel
• Boardwalk Bouncer – a small bouncing drop ride, a variation of the S&S Power "Frog Hopper".
• Boardwalk Bullet– a high-speed wooden roller coaster. Opened August 31, 2007. This is currently the only roller coaster in Greater Houston. It is a 96-foot-tall (29 m), 3,236-foot-long (986 m) twisted wooden roller coaster designed by The Gravity Group built on a 1-acre (0.40 ha) footprint, making it the most compact wooden coaster in the world.
• Boardwalk Tower – a raising observation deck
• Carousel – a double-decker carousel
• Century Wheel – a gondola wheel
• Drop Zone – a 140-foot-tall (43 m) Larson/ARM drop tower
• Kemah Railroad – miniature railroad that traverses the premises
• Inverter – a ride that flips people, and the only one that takes people upside down
• Pharaoh's Fury – a swinging ship ride
• Red Baron – a little airplane "Dumbo" ride
• Wipeout – a Chance ride original

The attractions are individually priced pay-per-ride, and an unlimited wristband option is also available. Property owner Tilman Fertitta has spoken in recent interviews that he plans to expand the ride selection in Kemah.

There are also many carnival-style skill games on the boardwalk, priced between three and five dollars. Winners receive prizes (typically stuffed animals and sports merchandise) of various sizes depending on the difficulty of the game.

One of the most popular rides is the 140-passenger speedboat called "Boardwalk Beast". The "Beast" is a 70-foot (21 m) open-deck speedboat that takes passengers out into Galveston bay for a wild, wet 25-minute ride at speeds up to 40 miles per hour (64 km/h). Riders should be aware that they will get wet, possibly soaked as the "Beast" performs high-speed turns out in the Bay. The "Beast" season is from around Spring Break until about Thanksgiving.