Verruckt water slide to open at Schlitterbahn Thursday (VIDEOS)

The world’s tallest water slide is finally, finally set to open.

Officials at Schlitterbahn water park in Kansas City, Kan., announced Tuesday that Verruckt will open to the public on Thursday.

At 168 feet, 7 inches, Verruckt was certified in April as the tallest water slide in the world by Guinness World Records. Riders, who must be at least 54 inches tall and 14 years old, will have to climb 264 steps to reach the three-person raft.

The ride — its German name means “crazy” — was originally set to open on May 23, when Schlitterbahn opened for the season. But the date was delayed three times, most recently from June 29.

However, the hype around the ride continued to grow as videos were released, including the most recent one showing test riders on the slide. The Travel Channel also aired a special on “Xtreme Waterparks” that included a story on the building of Verruckt. Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback, among others, have vowed to take the plunge.

This story was originally published July 8, 2014 at 11:57 AM.