Big Bad Wolf was a steel suspended roller coaster that operated at Busch Gardens Williamsburg from 1984 to 2009. Built by Arrow Dynamics and designed by Ron Toomer, the ride carried swinging, individually hinged cars through the park’s Bavarian-themed Oktoberfest section, giving riders a pendulum-like sensation as the trains swept through banked turns.
The coaster’s signature moment came near the end of the ride, when trains plunged over a 80-foot drop and swooped low across the park’s Rhine River, a finale that made it one of the most memorable attractions at Busch Gardens for a generation of guests. After 25 seasons of operation, Big Bad Wolf closed in September 2009 and was eventually replaced by the launched coaster Verbolten in 2012.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Busch Gardens Williamsburg
- Manufacturer: Arrow Dynamics
- Opened: June 15, 1984
- Closed: September 7, 2009
- Height: 113 feet
- Top speed: 48 mph
- Length: 2,800 feet
- Inversions: 0
The Ride Experience
As a suspended coaster, Big Bad Wolf’s trains hung beneath the track and swung freely from side to side as cars rounded turns, a sensation that was still relatively novel for American theme parks in the mid-1980s. After leaving the station, the ride wound through a recreated Bavarian village before climbing its lift hill.
The ride’s climax sent trains diving roughly 80 feet toward the Rhine River below, skimming just above the water before curving back toward the station. Mist effects near the river added to the drama of the finale during much of the coaster’s operating life.
Legacy and Closure
Big Bad Wolf operated for 25 years, making it one of the longest-running attractions of its type before Arrow Dynamics-style suspended coasters largely fell out of favor with parks seeking smoother, more versatile ride systems.
Busch Gardens Williamsburg closed the ride in September 2009 and later built Verbolten, a launched coaster themed to the Black Forest, on much of the same footprint. On May 23, 2025, the park opened an unrelated new attraction also named Big Bad Wolf: The Wolf’s Revenge, a family coaster that pays homage to the original by name only.
Explore more: Explore more roller coasters.
Big Bad Wolf Photo Archive: July 2001
These are original ThrillZing photos of the Big Bad Wolf taken at Busch Gardens Williamsburg on July 12, 2001, restored and upscaled from the original camera files. They show the Arrow suspended coaster eight years before it closed: the wolf entrance sign, the trains hanging in the station beneath the red track, and the track weaving through the trees of the Bavarian village and out over the Rhine River. All photos are free to reuse under a CC BY 4.0 license with credit to ThrillZing and a link to this page.
Big Bad Wolf FAQs
What type of roller coaster was Big Bad Wolf?
It was a steel suspended coaster built by Arrow Dynamics, meaning its cars hung beneath the track and swung side to side through turns.
When did Big Bad Wolf close?
The original Big Bad Wolf closed on September 7, 2009, after 25 years of operation, and was later replaced by Verbolten.
What was Big Bad Wolf’s most famous feature?
Its finale sent trains diving toward the park’s Rhine River, skimming low over the water before curving back to the station.
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Photo: The original uploader was Link5001 at English Wikipedia. / CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons.