Batman: The Ride opened on May 9, 1992 at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois, and made history as the world’s first inverted roller coaster. Designed by Bolliger & Mabillard, it introduced a new breed of thrill ride — one where riders sit in open-air trains with their feet dangling beneath them, fully exposed to every twist and turn.
The original installation proved so successful that clones followed at five additional Six Flags parks across the United States: Great Adventure, Magic Mountain, St. Louis, Over Georgia, and Over Texas. In 2005, the American Coaster Enthusiasts recognized the ride’s revolutionary impact by awarding the Six Flags Great America installation its prestigious Coaster Landmark designation.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Six Flags Great America (original); clones at 5 other Six Flags parks
- Manufacturer: Bolliger & Mabillard
- Opened: May 9, 1992
- Height: 100 ft (30 m)
- Top Speed: 50 mph (80 km/h)
- Length: 2,700 ft (820 m)
- Inversions: 5 (two vertical loops, one zero-G roll, two corkscrews)
- Duration: About 2 minutes
The Ride Experience
From the moment the train crests the 100-foot chain-lift hill, Batman: The Ride delivers relentless intensity. Riders accelerate to 50 mph before diving into the first vertical loop, then thread through a zero-gravity roll and two corkscrews — all with legs hanging free and no floor beneath them. The layout generates sustained forces up to 4 g’s while maintaining the silky smoothness that became a hallmark of Bolliger & Mabillard’s engineering.
The five-inversion sequence runs without pause, giving the ride a breathless, almost balletic quality. That pacing — full commitment from first drop to final brake run — is exactly what made the design so widely copied and why enthusiasts still rank original Batman installations among the finest examples of the inverted coaster format.
Legacy and Influence
Before Batman: The Ride, suspended looping coasters kept trains swinging beneath a track but passengers inside enclosed vehicles. Bolliger & Mabillard’s inverted design locked the vehicles in place and eliminated the gondola entirely, leaving riders exposed to the elements on every maneuver. That seemingly simple shift redefined what a thrill ride could feel like and sparked a wave of inverted coasters from competing manufacturers throughout the 1990s.
The ride’s ACE Coaster Landmark status, granted in 2005, acknowledged that the Great America original didn’t just entertain — it permanently altered roller coaster design. Decades after opening, Batman: The Ride installations continue drawing long queues, a testament to a layout that has never needed updating to remain a park headliner.
Explore more: Roller Coasters hub.
Batman: The Ride FAQs
Where did Batman: The Ride first open?
The original Batman: The Ride opened on May 9, 1992 at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois. It was the world’s first inverted roller coaster.
What is the height requirement for Batman: The Ride?
Riders must be at least 54 inches (137 cm) tall to board Batman: The Ride at Six Flags parks.
How many inversions does Batman: The Ride have?
Batman: The Ride features 5 inversions: two vertical loops, one zero-G roll, and two corkscrews, all completed at speeds up to 50 mph.
Get More from Batman: The Ride
Log the coasters, stadiums, and venues you’ve experienced, rate Batman: The Ride, and see what your friends thought. Get the ThrillZing app.
Photo by ROBERT MORROW on Pexels.