Goliath rises out of the trees on Île Sainte-Hélène, its yellow track framed by the St. Lawrence River and the Montreal skyline behind it. For anyone scrolling past La Ronde’s lineup wondering whether this B&M hyper coaster is worth the wait, the short version is yes: it’s still the park’s signature thrill ride two decades after it opened.
This guide covers everything a first-time rider actually needs to know beyond the basic stats: how intense Goliath really feels, who’s tall enough to ride, how the trains and restraints work, and where the coaster sits in Canada’s ever-shifting height-and-speed rankings.
Quick Answer
Goliath at La Ronde is a Bolliger & Mabillard steel hyper coaster that opened in 2006, standing 174.8 feet tall with a top speed of 68.4 mph, a 170.6-foot first drop, and zero inversions. It held the title of Canada’s tallest and fastest coaster until Behemoth opened in 2008, and riders must be at least 54 inches (137 cm) tall to board.
Goliath at a Glance
Park: La Ronde (Montreal, Quebec) | Manufacturer: Bolliger & Mabillard | Opened: May 13, 2006 | Height: 174.8 ft (53.3 m) | Drop: 170.6 ft (52.0 m) at roughly a 70-degree angle | Top speed: 68.4 mph (110.1 km/h) | Length: 4,038.8 ft (1,231.0 m) | Ride time: about 3 minutes | Inversions: 0 | Minimum height: 54 in (137 cm).
Goliath was built as an $18.7 million investment, the largest single-ride expenditure in the park’s history up to that point, and its support structure needed 150 foundations, 300 pilings, 106 steel supports, and roughly 850 anchor bolts to stand on the island’s soft riverbank ground.
How Intense Is Goliath, Really?
Goliath skips loops entirely, but that doesn’t make it a mild ride. The 170.6-foot first drop launches the train at a steep angle before it rockets through seven camelback hills, each one tuned to deliver a jolt of floating, “ejector” airtime rather than a smooth hump. B&M’s track is famous for being glassy-smooth even at speed, so the sensation is less jarring than a wooden coaster’s and more about sustained weightlessness.
Because there are no inversions, Goliath tends to feel less disorienting than loop-heavy coasters, which makes it a good fit for riders who want strong airtime and a fast pace without going upside down. The out-and-back layout also means the entire ride happens in a straight line and back, so there’s no mid-course surprise element — just repeated drops that get shorter, but no less punchy, as the train races toward the brakes.
Who Can Ride: Height Requirement and Restraints
Riders must be at least 54 inches (137 cm) tall to ride Goliath, a standard threshold for B&M hyper coasters of this size. Each seat uses a clamshell-style lap bar — a padded restraint that locks down over the lap and upper legs rather than a full over-the-shoulder harness — which is typical for B&M hypers and part of why the airtime on the camelback hills feels so pronounced.
As with any major thrill ride, Goliath isn’t recommended for guests with heart conditions, back or neck problems, or who are pregnant. Loose articles, including phones and loose clothing, generally need to be secured in a locker before boarding.
Trains, Capacity, and Where to Find It
Goliath runs two trains, each made up of nine cars seating four across in a single row, for 36 riders per train. That capacity, combined with a roughly three-minute ride cycle, lets La Ronde move a steady stream of guests through even during the park’s busiest Fright Fest weekends in the fall.
The coaster sits on Île Sainte-Hélène, the island setting of the entire park, with several stretches of track running close enough to the water’s edge that riders get open views of the St. Lawrence River and downtown Montreal between hills.
Goliath’s Place in Canadian Coaster History
When Goliath opened on May 13, 2006, it immediately became the tallest, fastest, and longest roller coaster in Canada, giving La Ronde its first true record-holder. That reign lasted two years: in 2008, Canada’s Wonderland opened Behemoth, another B&M creation, which reached 230 feet and 77 mph and took over as the country’s tallest and fastest coaster, pushing Goliath to second place.
Goliath held that runner-up ranking until 2012, when Canada’s Wonderland debuted Leviathan, a 306-foot, 92 mph B&M giga coaster that became the new benchmark and bumped Goliath further down the list. Even so, Goliath remains the tallest and fastest coaster at La Ronde itself and one of the most-ridden attractions in Quebec.
For the 2016 season, La Ronde briefly outfitted Goliath with a virtual reality overlay, pairing the physical layout with a sci-fi headset experience — a notable first for a Canadian coaster at the time, even though VR hardware has since moved to other attractions in the park. More recently, in 2026 La Ronde began transitioning away from direct Six Flags ownership as part of a wider sale of Six Flags regional parks to EPR Properties, with day-to-day operations shifting to Premier Parks-affiliated La Ronde Operations Inc. — a change in ownership structure that hasn’t altered the ride lineup or Goliath’s record-holding place in the park’s history.
Planning Your Visit
La Ronde operates seasonally, generally opening in spring and running through fall events like its Halloween-season Fright Fest, with hours that vary by day and time of year. Tickets are sold online in advance — single-day admission, multi-tier season passes, and skip-the-line add-ons are all typically available — rather than at a park gate ticket window.
Because exact hours, ticket tiers, and pricing change by season and promotion, check La Ronde’s official website before you go for the current calendar, admission prices, and parking rates. If you’re chasing shorter lines for Goliath specifically, arriving at opening or riding in the last hour or two before close tends to beat the midday peak.
Photos
Rub-on sunscreen that fits in a pocket — reapply in the queue without greasy hands on the lap bar.
Folds into its own pocket. Pop it on when the storm rolls in and the rides reopen to short lines.
Keeps your phone strapped to you, not in a loose-article bin. Zip it before the lift hill and walk straight off the exit ramp.
Goliath at La Ronde FAQs
How tall and fast is Goliath at La Ronde?
Goliath stands 174.8 feet tall and reaches a top speed of 68.4 mph, with a 170.6-foot first drop.
Does Goliath have any inversions?
No. Goliath is a hyper coaster that relies on airtime from seven camelback hills rather than inversions — it has zero loops or twists across its 4,038.8-foot track.
What is the minimum height to ride Goliath?
Riders must be at least 54 inches (137 cm) tall. The ride uses clamshell lap-bar restraints rather than over-the-shoulder harnesses.
Who manufactured Goliath at La Ronde?
Goliath was designed and built by Bolliger & Mabillard, the Swiss firm behind most of the world’s steel hyper coasters, and opened on May 13, 2006.
Is Goliath still the tallest or fastest coaster in Canada?
No. Goliath held both titles from 2006 to 2008, when Canada’s Wonderland’s Behemoth surpassed it, and Canada’s Wonderland’s Leviathan took the national record again in 2012. Goliath is still La Ronde’s tallest and fastest coaster.
Is La Ronde still a Six Flags park?
La Ronde operated under Six Flags for decades, but in 2026 it began transitioning to new ownership as part of Six Flags’ sale of several regional parks to EPR Properties, with operations run by Premier Parks-affiliated La Ronde Operations Inc. The ride lineup, including Goliath, hasn’t changed as a result.
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