A nice looking Gravitron!

If there is one ride that is so common that just about every fair has one, then the Gravitron is it. The Gravitron is made by Wisdom and is basically a stylized Rotor type ride. The Gravitron is probably the most easily recognized ride on the midway next to a Ferris Wheel or Carousel. It looks like a giant UFO with multicolored lights and a big ass sign over it that screams “GRAVITRON.” Newer versions of this ride are called Starship 2000, or sometimes Starship 3000 however all versions of the Gravitron are virtually the same.

The inside of the UFO has multicolored lights running along the ceiling sweeps and typically has a couple of speakers blaring music. The roof of the UFO looks like it’s some type of canvas and the walls are made up of individual panels that riders stand against.

The Ride

First you board the UFO and stand against one of the 45 padded panels; the panels are titled backwards a bit so you kind of lean back onto it. The ride op mans his position in the little booth in center of the UFO, immune to any g-force, closes the hatch and starts the ride. The UFO starts to spin…and spin…and spin some more until the riders are stuck to the wall. On an old Rotor type ride the floor would mechanically lower at a sufficient speed. On the Gravitron it works a bit differently; at a certain speed the panels slide up the wall due to the centrifugal force pushing on the tilted panels. Since the riders are on the panels, they rise up as well!

Other Info

DoD3 ProTip: Don’t ride this if you have sunburn!!

…the G force from the spinning seems to push your face back a bit. With some sunburn on ones face (like I had one time) the ride isn’t very pleasent at all!

A racked Gravitron awaiting assembly

Finally, the most probable reasons as to why the Gravitron is so prevelent among midways is because…

• It has a high thrill factor
• It is very bright and visually appealing on the midway
• It racks on one trailor making it easy to move