SCIENCETECH · HISTORICAL MARKER
Batman The Ride
Park City, Illinois
· ACE Roller Coaster Landmark
Science & Tech
6
Batman The Ride at Six Flags Great America became a landmark in modern coaster history as the world's first inverted looping roller coaster. Its revolutionary design was developed by Swiss engineers Walter Bolliger and Claude Mabillard, together with engineer Robert Mampe and former park manager Jim Wintrode, who first envisioned a train running on the outside of a loop. From a maximum track height of 105 feet, riders are suspended and turned upside down five times through vertical loops, flat-spin corkscrews, and the first zero-gravity heartline spin. Its 84-foot, 6-inch curved first drop and floorless trains, designed to simulate a flying ski lift seat, combined intensity with smoothness, comfort, and pacing along a tight 2,693-foot course. With theming based on the popular Batman films, it quietly opened to the public on May 2, 1992, followed by a gala premiere a week later. Its debut inspired successful reproductions and larger installations worldwide, and it remains an integral part of Six Flags Great America's roller coaster collection.
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Park City, Illinois
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