Batman: The Dark Knight is a steel floorless roller coaster at Six Flags New England in Agawam, Massachusetts, built by Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard. It opened to the public on April 20, 2002, as the park’s answer to the caped crusader, dropping riders into the Gotham City section of the park with their feet dangling free of any floor beneath the train.
The $9.5 million ride briefly operated under the name Batman: The Ride in 2008, before reverting to its original Dark Knight branding. More than two decades after debuting, it remains one of Six Flags New England’s signature inverting coasters, pairing a classic B&M floorless layout with the dark, theatrical Gotham City theming that surrounds its queue and station.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Six Flags New England
- Manufacturer: Bolliger & Mabillard
- Opened: April 20, 2002
- Height: 117.8 feet (35.9 m)
- Top speed: 55 mph (89 km/h)
- Length: 2,600 feet (790 m)
- Inversions: 5
- Cost: $9.5 million
The Ride Experience
Because it’s a floorless coaster, riders are seated above the track with their legs hanging free, which heightens the sense of exposure through every inversion. The layout sends the train through a vertical loop, a zero-gravity roll, a dive loop, and interlocking corkscrews packed into a compact footprint, all at speeds reaching 55 mph.
The ride’s two 28-passenger trains keep the line moving at a steady clip, and the roughly 2,600-foot layout is dense enough that the inversions come in rapid succession rather than being spread across long straightaways.
Gotham City Theming
Batman: The Dark Knight sits within Six Flags New England’s Gotham City area, where dark color schemes and comic-inspired signage set the mood before riders even board. The theming leans into the brooding tone of the Batman franchise rather than a bright, cartoonish take on the character.
A brief rebrand to Batman: The Ride in 2008 coincided with plans for a separate Dark Knight Coaster model elsewhere in the Six Flags chain; when that project was scrapped, the Massachusetts ride reverted to its original name.
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Batman: The Dark Knight FAQs
What type of roller coaster is Batman: The Dark Knight?
It’s a steel floorless coaster manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, meaning riders sit above the track with no floor beneath their feet.
How fast does Batman: The Dark Knight go?
The coaster reaches a top speed of about 55 mph during its course.
How many inversions does the ride have?
It features 5 inversions, including a vertical loop, a dive loop, and a zero-gravity roll, along its roughly 2,600-foot track.
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Photo: Rene Schwietzke / CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.