American Eagle is the twin-track wooden racing roller coaster at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois, opened on May 23, 1981. Built by Intamin of Switzerland — its first-ever wooden coaster — it debuted as the world’s tallest and fastest wooden roller coaster and still holds the record for the world’s longest, tallest, and fastest racing wooden coaster.
In 2026, for the park’s 50th anniversary season, American Eagle is doing something it hasn’t done in nearly a decade: dispatching both trains at once so the red and blue sides race side by side again, exactly as designer Curtis D. Summers intended in 1981.
Quick Answer
American Eagle is a wooden twin-track racing roller coaster at Six Flags Great America (Gurnee, Illinois), designed by Curtis D. Summers and built in 1981 by Intamin — the manufacturer’s first wooden coaster. It stands 127 feet tall, drops 147 feet at 55 degrees, hits 66 mph, and runs 4,650 feet of track per side, making it the world’s longest, tallest, and fastest racing wooden roller coaster. For summer 2026, the park has restored true side-by-side racing for the first time in almost 10 years.
Stats at a Glance
Park: Six Flags Great America, Gurnee, Illinois (County Fair section). Designer: Curtis D. Summers. Builder: Figley-Wright. Manufacturer: Intamin (Switzerland). Opened: May 23, 1981. Cost: roughly $10 million.
Height: 127 ft (38.7 m). Drop: 147 ft (44.8 m) at 55°. Top speed: 66 mph (106 km/h). Track length: 4,650 ft (1,417 m) per side. Trains: two per track, five cars each, seating 30 riders per train. Height requirement: 48 inches. Inversions: 0.
The Ride Experience
Riders board one of two parallel trains — red or blue — and the dual lift hills build the suspense of not knowing which side will win. At the crest, a 55-degree drop plunges both trains 147 feet, building toward that 66 mph top speed before the out-and-back layout unwinds through camelback hills and sweeping turns at the far end of the course.
Throughout the ride the trains trade the lead, vanishing into the wooden lattice structure and re-emerging beside each other to cheers from the queue and station. The creak and rumble of the wood structure, combined with 1,800 riders per hour of dual-train capacity, give American Eagle an old-school intensity modern steel racers rarely match.
American Eagle Races Again in 2026
For most of the 2010s and 2020s, American Eagle ran single-track, alternating dispatches between the red and blue sides rather than launching them together — a change the park made largely to reduce staffing needs and ease the structural stress that simultaneous dual-track operation puts on a 4,650-foot wooden structure.
As part of Six Flags Great America’s 50th anniversary celebration, the park brought back genuine side-by-side racing, dispatching both trains together from June 20 through August 9, 2026 — the coaster’s first true race in nearly a decade. It’s a rare, time-limited chance to experience American Eagle exactly as it debuted in 1981.
Design, Trains & Height Requirement
American Eagle was designed by Curtis D. Summers, the engineer also known for structural work on The Beast at Kings Island, and built by the contracting firm Figley-Wright. Because the building site wasn’t perfectly level, Summers had the ground excavated at the base of the first drops to squeeze out extra height — part of how the ride reached its record-setting 147-foot plunge.
Each side runs two trains of five cars, with three benches per car seating two riders across, for 30 riders per train and roughly 1,800 riders per hour of combined capacity. Riders must be at least 48 inches tall to ride.
A Record-Breaking Legacy
When American Eagle opened in 1981, it set world records for tallest wooden coaster (127 ft), fastest wooden coaster (66 mph), and longest drop (147 ft) — and held the title of world’s fastest wooden roller coaster for almost two decades before being surpassed. It was not the longest wooden coaster overall; The Beast at Kings Island had already claimed that title in 1979 at over 7,000 feet of track.
What American Eagle claimed then, and has never relinquished, is the title of the world’s longest, tallest, and fastest racing wooden roller coaster — a twin-track category where no rival has come close. In February 2025, American Coaster Enthusiasts officially designated American Eagle an ACE Landmark coaster, with a plaque ceremony held that June recognizing its historical significance and its role as the first wooden coaster Intamin ever built.
American Eagle roller coaster FAQs
What is the American Eagle roller coaster?
American Eagle is a twin-track wooden racing roller coaster at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois. It opened May 23, 1981, and is recognized as the world’s longest, tallest, and fastest racing wooden roller coaster.
Where is American Eagle located?
American Eagle is located in the County Fair section of Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois, about 30 miles north of downtown Chicago.
How fast is American Eagle and how long is the ride?
American Eagle reaches a top speed of 66 mph (about 106 km/h) after a 147-foot drop, and each side runs 4,650 feet of track, giving roughly two and a half minutes of ride time.
Who designed and built American Eagle?
American Eagle was designed by engineer Curtis D. Summers and built by the contracting firm Figley-Wright, with Intamin of Switzerland serving as manufacturer — its first-ever wooden coaster.
Is American Eagle racing side by side in 2026?
Yes. As part of Six Flags Great America’s 50th anniversary season, American Eagle is dispatching both trains together for true side-by-side racing from June 20 through August 9, 2026, for the first time in nearly a decade.
Why did American Eagle stop racing in previous years?
The park moved to single-track, alternating operation for a period largely to reduce staffing needs and ease the structural stress that running both sides simultaneously puts on the wooden structure.
What is the height requirement for American Eagle?
Riders must be at least 48 inches tall to ride American Eagle.
Is American Eagle an ACE Landmark coaster?
Yes. American Coaster Enthusiasts officially designated American Eagle an ACE Landmark in February 2025, with a plaque ceremony that June honoring its historical significance.
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