Dark Knight is an enclosed steel Wild Mouse roller coaster at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois. It opened on May 21, 2008, and was built by Mack Rides at a reported cost of about $7.5 million.
It is not a big-drop thrill machine. The ride works through theming and disorientation instead. You go through the dark in tight hairpin turns and sudden dips, with lit Gotham City scenery flashing past. Speed and height are modest, but the darkness makes it feel faster than it is.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Six Flags Great America, Gurnee, Illinois
- Manufacturer: Mack Rides
- Model: Wild Mouse (enclosed)
- Opened: May 21, 2008
- Height: About 45 ft
- Top speed: About 30 mph
- Length: 1,213 ft
- Inversions: 0
- Ride duration: About 2 minutes
The Ride Experience
Dark Knight is a Wild Mouse, so it uses small, tight cars and flat, sharp hairpin turns instead of long airtime hills. Each car seats four riders, two across in two rows, and the track is fully enclosed. The Joker has hijacked a press conference hosted by Gotham City district attorney Harvey Dent, and you board with that story in mind.
The turns come with little warning and the drops are short and sudden. Gotham City buildings light the dark room as you pass. The ride lasts about two minutes and is more of a family-friendly thrill than an intense coaster.
Theming and Background
The ride sits in a building that was originally the park’s Theater Royale. It was heavily modified and themed as a Gotham City rail terminal, and the queue is fully indoors. Mack Rides built the coaster, and RCDB credits Ing.-Büro Stengel with the design.
Similar versions of The Dark Knight Coaster opened at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey in 2008 and at Six Flags México in 2009. The Great America version has an indoor queue that the others lack. In 2022 the park added a single rider line.
Explore more: Explore more roller coasters.
Dark Knight FAQs
Who made Dark Knight at Six Flags Great America?
Mack Rides built it as a Wild Mouse coaster. RCDB lists Ing.-Büro Stengel as the designer.
Does Dark Knight have any inversions or big drops?
No. It has zero inversions and reaches only about 45 feet and about 30 mph. The thrills come from tight hairpin turns and quick drops in the dark.
How long is Dark Knight and how tall do you need to be?
The track is 1,213 feet long and the ride lasts about two minutes. Six Flags lists a 48-inch minimum height, or 42 inches with an accompanying rider, so check the park’s website for current rules.
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Photo: Jeremy Thompson from United States of America / CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.