Amusement Park Rides That Go in a Circle

Amusement park rides have been popular with the public since the early World Fairs of the 19th century. Many of these attractions operate through the use of circular motion. From rides that spin riders around in circles on the ground, to ones that rotate riders in different directions through the air, these rides continue to attract park-goers.

  1. One Direction

    • Ferris wheels are among the most common sights at fairs and amusement parks. These rides spin vertically in the air, while riders in hanging cars move along the outer part of the circle. On a gravitron, riders stand on the floor against the wall while gravity holds them in place, as the entire ride spins. Rotors are similar to gravitrons, except the floor drops out and riders end up lying against the wall when the ride spins, instead of standing on the floor. On swing carousels, also known as wave swingers, riders sit in locked swings that spin around the base.

    Multiple Directions

    • Zippers rotate through the air at different degrees, while riders in the cars flip around from the force of the ride turning. Claws, also known evolutions, swing through the air like a pendulum, while rotating riders together on one platform. Enterprises are similar to Ferris wheels, except that they rotate from a horizontal position to a vertical position while spinning. Top spins rotate through the air both clockwise and counterclockwise, turning riders in bleacher-like rows completely upside down. Super loops spin riders in a train of cars, on a vertical wheel, in clockwise and counterclockwise directions.

    Sections Move Separately

    • On kamikazes, or rangers, riders in two different car sections spin in the air in opposite ways to each other like pendulums, with each pendulum spinning all the way around as the ride builds up. Scramblers, also known as twisters, spin on the ground at their base, while three sections, with four cars each, rotate separately. Troikas, or tumble bugs, are like scramblers, but riders rotate in the air. In addition, troikas contain three sections with seven gondolas each.

    Cars Move Separately

    • A rok-n-rol spins around on the ground at its base while riders spin their individual tubs around like hamster wheels. Rock-o-planes are an airborne version of the rok-n-rol. Teacups or other spinning tub rides spin on the ground, while user-operated cups or tubs spin around each other on divided platforms. An octopus, or spider ride, spins around with eight arms in the air, with cars on each arm that spin separately as the entire ride rotates. A tilt-a-whirl rotates cars on the ground separately, while moving them around a circular ramp at the same time.