Iron Wolf opened on April 28, 1990, in the County Fair section of Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois, and holds a special place in coaster history: it was the very first roller coaster ever built by Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M), the Swiss firm that went on to become one of the industry’s most respected manufacturers. Designed by engineer Werner Stengel, Iron Wolf debuted as the tallest and fastest stand-up coaster in the world, a title it would hold for a couple of years before being overtaken by newer designs.
Riders straddled B&M’s signature stand-up trains through a 2,900-foot layout featuring a 90-foot first drop, a vertical loop, and a corkscrew, reaching a top speed of 55 mph. Iron Wolf operated for 21 seasons before Six Flags Great America closed it permanently on September 5, 2011, to make way for the RMC hybrid coaster Goliath. The ride itself didn’t disappear: it was relocated to Six Flags America in Maryland, reopening as Apocalypse in 2012 and later converted into the floorless coaster Firebird in 2019, which operated until that park’s permanent closure in late 2025.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Six Flags Great America (Gurnee, IL)
- Manufacturer: Bolliger & Mabillard
- Opened: April 28, 1990
- Closed: September 5, 2011 (relocated; later became Firebird at Six Flags America)
- Height: 100 ft
- Top speed: 55 mph
- Length: 2,900 ft
- Inversions: 2 (vertical loop, corkscrew)
The Ride Experience
Iron Wolf’s stand-up format was novel for its era, locking riders into a bicycle-seat-style restraint that put them on their feet through every twist of the layout. After a chain lift to 100 feet, the coaster dropped 90 feet before threading a vertical loop and a corkscrew inversion, all completed in about two minutes. The stand-up positioning intensified the loop’s forces in a way seated coasters of the time couldn’t replicate, making Iron Wolf a standout attraction in Great America’s County Fair area for over two decades.
A Pioneering Legacy
Beyond its ride experience, Iron Wolf’s real significance is historical: it launched Bolliger & Mabillard as a coaster manufacturer, setting the stage for the company’s later landmark designs like inverted, floorless, and hyper coasters found at parks worldwide. When Six Flags Great America retired Iron Wolf in 2011 to build Goliath, the ride found new life at Six Flags America as Apocalypse, then as the floorless Firebird starting in 2019 — a fitting second act for the coaster that started it all for B&M.
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Iron Wolf FAQs
Is Iron Wolf still at Six Flags Great America?
No. Iron Wolf closed permanently at Six Flags Great America on September 5, 2011, and its former site was used to build the RMC hybrid coaster Goliath, which opened in 2014.
What happened to the Iron Wolf coaster after it closed?
It was relocated to Six Flags America in Maryland, reopening as Apocalypse in 2012 and later converted into a floorless coaster renamed Firebird in 2019. Six Flags America permanently closed in November 2025.
Why was Iron Wolf historically significant?
Iron Wolf was the first roller coaster ever manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M), the company behind many of the world’s most acclaimed modern coasters.
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Photo: Iron_Wolf_(Six_Flags_Great_America)_01.JPG: Jonrev derivative work: Themeparkgc Talk / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.