Iron Gwazi at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is the tallest hybrid roller coaster in North America and a regular fixture near the top of world coaster rankings.
Rocky Mountain Construction rebuilt the defunct wooden coaster Gwazi into a steel-and-wood hybrid, opening Iron Gwazi in 2022 with a near-vertical 91-degree first drop.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Florida
- Manufacturer: Rocky Mountain Construction (hybrid)
- Opened: 2022
- Height: 206 feet
- First drop: 206 feet at 91 degrees
- Top speed: 76 mph
- Inversions: 3
- Length: 4,075 feet
The Ride Experience
Iron Gwazi crests its lift and drops at a beyond-vertical 91 degrees, hitting 76 mph before tearing through three inversions and a barrage of airtime hills. It packs RMC’s signature mix of steep drops, ejector air, and snappy transitions into a compact, relentless layout.
From Gwazi to Iron Gwazi
The original Gwazi was a rough dueling wooden coaster that closed in 2015. RMC kept the wooden structure and re-tracked it with steel I-Box rail, transforming a retired ride into one of the best coasters in the world.
Explore more: types of roller coasters.
Iron Gwazi FAQs
How tall is Iron Gwazi?
206 feet, making it the tallest hybrid roller coaster in North America.
How steep is Iron Gwazi’s drop?
A beyond-vertical 91 degrees.
What was Iron Gwazi before?
It was rebuilt by RMC from the defunct wooden coaster Gwazi.
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Photo: Jeremy Thompson / CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.