The Patriot Roller Coaster at Worlds of Fun gets a Fresh Coat of Paint

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A Fresh Coat of Paint on Patriot

McKenzie Koppe Photo McKenzie Koppe |
March 9, 2020

When taking a drive in Kansas City, it is nearly impossible to miss Worlds of Fun. Our scream machines can be seen from miles away. But what keeps these thrilling attractions shining? You guessed it… nothing like a fresh coat of paint!

A Red, White and Blue Makeover

Patriot, our American-themed roller coaster, received a complete repaint for 2020. This massive steel structure is over a half a mile long, exactly 3,081 feet from start to finish. Not only does the red and white track need to be painted, but so do the blue supports that keep the roller coaster standing tall. All in all, that’s a lot of roller coaster, and it is all painted by hand. 

The Twisty Facts

With the help of about 230 brushes, 700 rollers and 300 gallons of paint, the project was finally completed early this year. 

So how is it done? The process starts by cleaning the roller coaster from top to bottom. Every inch is pressure washed and scrubbed to perfection. Patriot is then separated into four different areas. Within each area, the red track and blue supports are painted. Once all four areas are complete with fresh red and blue paint, the white stripe is painted. This is one of the more intricate aspects of the repaint because it requires an even line to be painted following the entire length of the track.  

Who is Making This American Dream Happen

The skilled painters of Million Painting are the magic behind this huge undertaking. Owned by Andrew Million, Million Painting is a theme park painting company based in Norman, Oklahoma. The company started out in 1999 as an automotive body shop. However, a few years later, the company began painting fiberglass characters from theme parks. Since then Million Painting has grown tremendously. Now the company has taken on hundreds of theme and water park attractions around the world, while still continuing the automotive body shop back in Oklahoma. Today, most of the painters that work in the shop also travel to paint roller coasters and other thrilling attractions.

Finishing Touches

Patriot is looking more patriotic than ever, with a shiny new paint job that will last for decades.