The listed minimums on this site
Alton Towers does not have one height rule for the whole park. In this directory the major coasters sit on three bands: 140 cm, 120 cm and 90 cm. 5 rides are listed at 140 cm (The Smiler, Nemesis Reborn, Oblivion, Rita, Galactica). 2 are listed at 120 cm (Wicker Man, TH13TEEN). Runaway Mine Train is listed at 90 cm.
That split is the whole planning problem for a mixed-height group. People who meet 140 cm can ride the inversion and drop machines. People who meet 120 cm but not 140 cm still have a proper coaster block in Dark Forest. The 90 cm listing is a different day entirely.
These figures are a snapshot from published ride information. Alton Towers can change a minimum, add a health restriction, or close a ride. The sign at the entrance is the rule that counts.
| Ride | Listed minimum | Type | On-ride video |
|---|---|---|---|
| Galactica | 140 cm / 55 in | Flying coaster | POV on this site |
| Nemesis Reborn | 140 cm / 55 in | Inverted coaster | POV on this site |
| Oblivion | 140 cm / 55 in | Steel coaster | POV on this site |
| Rita | 140 cm / 55 in | Launch coaster | POV on this site |
| The Smiler | 140 cm / 55 in | Steel coaster | POV on this site |
| TH13TEEN | 120 cm / 47 in | Steel coaster | POV on this site |
| Wicker Man | 120 cm / 47 in | Wooden coaster | POV on this site |
| Runaway Mine Train | 90 cm / 35 in | Steel coaster | POV on this site |
If some of the group are under 140 cm
Do not build the day around The Smiler and then discover half the group cannot board. Start with a shared list, then add 140 cm rides as optional splits.
- Shared 120 cm block: Wicker Man, TH13TEEN. No inversions on Wicker Man; TH13TEEN is the indoor drop-track surprise.
- 140 cm block: The Smiler, Nemesis Reborn, Oblivion, Rita, Galactica.
- Runaway Mine Train at 90 cm is the listed option if younger riders are in the group. It is a mine train, not a substitute for Nemesis.
- Pick a meeting point before you split. Dark Forest (Wicker Man) and Forbidden Valley (Nemesis) are a walk apart; X-Sector is another walk again.
140 cm is not the same as “ready for The Smiler”
Meeting 140 cm / 55 in gets you onto the ride. It does not tell you whether you will enjoy 14 inversions in a compact industrial plot. Watch the POV on the ride page before you spend a peak-day queue on it.
Oblivion is the other decision that height does not make for you. The listed minimum is the same 140 cm, but the ride is a hold over a near-vertical drop into a tunnel. If that is the problem, the POV shows it in ten seconds.
The Smiler — 14 inversions, 140 cm Oblivion — vertical drop, 140 cm Nemesis Reborn — inverted, 140 cm
How to use this the morning you go
Measure riders the night before, in socks, against a proper mark — not a door frame guess. If someone is within a couple of centimetres of a minimum, assume they may be turned away and have a fallback ride in the same land.
Then open the official Alton Towers ride pages for anything with a health warning (heart, back, pregnancy, loose clothing on launches). This site does not copy medical rules.