Batman: The Ride is a steel inverted roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California. Built by Bolliger & Mabillard, it opened on March 26, 1994, and it was the first inverted coaster in Southern California. Riders sit in floorless-style seats with their legs hanging free beneath the track as they race through five inversions at about 50 mph.
The Magic Mountain ride is a clone of the original Batman: The Ride at Six Flags Great America, which debuted in 1992 as the world’s first inverted roller coaster. Magic Mountain’s version was the second copy of that design, after the one at Six Flags Great Adventure. It is still operating today.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Six Flags Magic Mountain (Valencia, California)
- Manufacturer: Bolliger & Mabillard
- Opened: March 26, 1994
- Height: 105 ft (32 m)
- Top speed: 50 mph (80 km/h)
- Length: About 2,700 ft (823 m)
- Inversions: 5
- Trains: 2 trains, 8 cars each, 4 riders across (32 riders per train)
The Ride Experience
After a chain lift up the 105-foot hill, the train drops toward the ground at roughly a 59° angle. It then works through two vertical loops, a zero-G roll and two further inversions. RCDB lists the elements as an 88 ft loop, a zero-G roll, a 77 ft loop and two wing-overs. Riders feel up to about 4 g along the way.
Because the seats hang beneath the track and nothing sits under your feet, the ride feels more exposed than a traditional coaster. The whole run lasts a little under two minutes.
History and Gotham Theming
Batman: The Ride arrived in 1994 and was themed to Gotham City, with the queue and station styled around the Batman films and animated series of the time. Its original track was grey with dark purple supports. For the 2010 season the coaster was repainted blue, with black supports, to match other Batman: The Ride installations in the chain.
The ride is a landmark of the park’s B&M inverted lineup. It shows how quickly the design spread across Six Flags parks after the 1992 original in Illinois.
Explore more: Explore more roller coasters.
Batman: The Ride FAQs
Who built Batman: The Ride at Six Flags Magic Mountain?
Bolliger & Mabillard, the Swiss coaster manufacturer, designed and built it as an inverted coaster. It opened on March 26, 1994.
How fast and how tall is Batman: The Ride at Magic Mountain?
It stands 105 feet tall and reaches a top speed of about 50 mph. The track is roughly 2,700 feet long and has five inversions.
Is Batman: The Ride still open at Six Flags Magic Mountain?
Yes. Wikipedia and RCDB both list the ride as operating, and it was repainted blue in 2010. Check the park’s website for daily ride availability before you visit.
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Photo: Jeremy Thompson / CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.