Double Loop was a steel roller coaster at Geauga Lake in Aurora, Ohio, that made history in 1977 as the first coaster in the world to feature two consecutive vertical loops. Built by Arrow Dynamics at a cost of $1.35 million, the ride quickly became one of the park’s signature attractions and a milestone in coaster engineering.
For three decades, riders climbed the coaster’s lift hill before plunging through a 90-foot drop and looping through a 55-foot and then a 50-foot inversion in quick succession. Double Loop operated until Geauga Lake’s amusement side shut down in 2007, and the ride was ultimately auctioned off and scrapped the following year, closing the book on one of the park’s most historically significant attractions.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Geauga Lake & Wildwater Kingdom
- Manufacturer: Arrow Dynamics
- Opened: 1977
- Closed: 2007
- Height: 95 ft
- Top speed: 36 mph
- Length: 1,800 ft
- Inversions: 2
The Ride Experience
After a chain-lift climb, Double Loop’s train plunged 90 feet before rocketing riders through two back-to-back vertical loops, the first of its kind anywhere in the world. Held in by shoulder harnesses, 24 riders per train experienced the roughly 90-second circuit at speeds up to 36 mph along 1,800 feet of track.
The coaster’s two trains, each with six cars, were originally painted red and yellow before being repainted yellow and purple after Six Flags acquired Geauga Lake in 2000. With a capacity of about 525 riders per hour, Double Loop remained a steady favorite near the park’s other classic steel coasters for its entire 30-year run.
A Landmark in Coaster History
When it opened, Double Loop’s back-to-back inversions were an engineering first, helping cement Arrow Dynamics’ reputation as a leader in looping coaster design during the late 1970s. Its influence helped pave the way for the wave of multi-inversion steel coasters that followed at parks across the country.
Double Loop closed along with the rest of Geauga Lake’s amusement park in September 2007. After sitting dormant, it was sold at auction on June 17, 2008, to a local scrap company for $23,000 and subsequently demolished, marking the end of a ride that once represented the cutting edge of coaster technology.
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Double Loop FAQs
What made Double Loop historically significant?
It was the first roller coaster in the world to feature two consecutive vertical loops, opening in 1977 at Geauga Lake.
Who manufactured Double Loop?
Arrow Dynamics (Arrow Development) built the coaster, which cost about $1.35 million to construct.
When did Double Loop close?
It closed in September 2007 when Geauga Lake’s amusement park shut down, and it was auctioned and scrapped in 2008.
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Photo: Chris Hagerman from St Louis, MO, US / CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.