Maverick
Cedar Point Amusement Park
Sandusky, Ohio

Brace Yourself: No list is complete without mentioning at least one of the 17 roller-coaster rides at the self-proclaimed home of the roller coaster, Cedar Point. Of the many to choose from, Maverick, the newest (built in 2007) and most expensive ($21 million), is not one of the park’s highest-tallest-fastest record-holders, but it’s one of its best. It’s plenty fast—at 70 mph—and features eight airtime-filled hills and countless twists and turns. It’s just a more complete ride, and during the longish 2.5-minute trip, there’s even an unusual surprise…which would be spoiled if we told you beforehand.

If You Chicken Out: Because Cedar Point is known for its coasters, you should check out another one of the park’s superstars, Millennium Force. From a height of 310 feet, it drops 300 feet down at an 80-degree angle and reaches a top speed of 93 mph at the bottom. It gets even better (read: calmer) from there. Or, you could just hop on the runaway-mine-car-themed Cedar Creek Mine Ride, which is not too fast and has a few twists and sharp spiral turns.