Coaster101 Photo Contest 2026: Enter Your Photos
Calling all coaster and theme park photographers — the 2026 Coaster101 Photo Contest is here! Our annual photography contest shines a spotlight on the best in roller coaster and theme park photography, and we are excited to begin gathering the next round of winning photos in three categories—steel coasters, wooden coasters and the “coaster-less” category.
Keep reading to learn how to enter your photos in the 2026 Coaster101 Photo Contest:
Coaster101 Photo Contest Entry Categories
1. Steel Coaster Photos
Photos in this category should contain at least one steel coaster. They must not be noticeably altered (via Photoshop or a similar image editor). Minor retouching is acceptable, as are black-and-white photos. If a photo contains a steel and wooden coaster, the steel coaster must be the focal point.
2. Wooden Coaster Photos
Photos should contain at least one wooden coaster. They must not be noticeably altered. Minor retouching is acceptable, as are black-and-white photos. If a photo contains a steel and wooden coaster, the wooden coaster must be the focal point.
3. Coaster-less Photos
These “coaster-less” photos must be taken at an amusement or theme park, but the photos themselves cannot have a roller coaster in the frame. The focus should be on something else: a flat ride, food, a show, etc. — be as creative as you’d like.
Note: We reserve the right to omit photos from this category if we cannot determine whether or not they were taken at a park. Please include the park name in the description with your entry.
Coaster101 Photo Contest Rules & Information
- Entries will be accepted through Saturday, October 10, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. CST.
- You may enter one photo per category.
- Photos may be no larger than 2mb in size.
- Photos must be at least 1080 pixels wide by 1080 pixels tall.
- Photos must be submitted in the JPEG or .JPG format.
- The photo submitted must have been taken by the person entering.
- Entries in the steel coaster and wooden coaster categories should contain at least one roller coaster in the photo.
- If a photo entered in the steel or wooden coaster categories contains two or more coasters, the focus should be on a steel or wooden coaster, depending on the category.
- Photos entered in the “Coaster-less” category can, of course, not contain roller coasters (even in the background).
- Do not add text or watermarks to any photos.
- Photos may not be significantly altered with software such as Photoshop.
- No park rules may be broken while taking the photos. If a park doesn’t allow on-ride photography, do not submit a photo taken on the ride.
- By entering a photo, the photographer agrees to allow Coaster101 to (1) post the photo on Coaster101.com, Coaster101’s social media pages (including but not limited to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) and (2) use the photo for future photo contest promotions.
- NOTE: Depending on the number and quality of photos entered, the Coaster101 team reserves the right to omit any photo from the public voting stage without notice or explanation.
Need to resize your photos? Try the simple and free Adobe Express image compressor tool to optimize your photos without reductions in quality.
iPhone users, you can download a free image resizing app such as “Image Size.”
Android users, a similar Photo & Picture Resizer app is available for free on Google Play.
Winners
Two winners will be named for each of the three categories: one determined by readers’ votes and the other selected by the Coaster101 team. Each category will also have two honorable mentions: one determined by readers and the other determined by the Coaster101 team.
Winning photos will be featured on Coaster101.com and our social media pages. Winners will receive a Coaster101 shirt from our online store and a print of their winning photo!
Voting
Voting will begin soon after the entry period concludes and will last for one week. Readers’ choice winners will be determined by votes gathered via a Facebook image gallery for each category. Every “like” a photo receives will count as one vote.
Enter Your Photos Here
Enter using the form below. Entries will be accepted through Saturday, October 10, at 11:59 p.m. CST.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to leave a question in the comments section below or contact us.
Need tips for taking that perfect theme park picture? Read our two-part series on park photography tips and tricks:
Best of luck, photographers!
