High above Fiesta Village at Knott’s Berry Farm, a train of 30 riders prowls along nearly half a mile of orange track, stalking its prey — and at one point, it pounces straight through the vertical loop of another roller coaster. Jaguar! opened on June 17, 1995, and has been one of Southern California’s favorite family coasters ever since.
Built by German manufacturer Zierer as a custom Tivoli model, Jaguar! trades raw intensity for length, theming and views — a long, breezy flight over the Buena Park landmark that nearly anyone in the family can ride.
Key Stats
| Height | 65 ft (20 m) |
| Drop | 45 ft (14 m) |
| Speed | 35 mph (56 km/h) |
| Length | 2,602 ft (793 m) |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Duration | 2 minutes |
| Trains | 2 trains, 30 riders each |
| Riders per hour | 1,800 |
| Manufacturer | Zierer |
| Model | Tivoli (custom) |
| Opened | June 17, 1995 |
A Temple in Fiesta Village
Jaguar!’s story starts in its queue: an elaborate Mayan-style temple decorated with jungle drawings and paintings, rising over the Fiesta Village section of Knott’s Berry Farm. Riders wind up through the temple before boarding one of two 15-car trains, each seating 30 riders two across. Layout design came from the famed Ingenieur Büro Stengel GmbH — the Werner Stengel firm whose fingerprints are on many of the world’s great coasters.
In its early years the ride amped up the hunt with fire effects and jaguar snarls along the course; those effects were later removed, but the temple theming remains one of the park’s most distinctive settings.
Through Another Coaster’s Loop
Jaguar!’s party trick is unique in California: its track threads directly through the vertical loop of MonteZOOMa: The Forbidden Fortress, the classic Schwarzkopf flywheel-launch shuttle coaster next door. Two coasters interlocking in one skyline moment — it is one of the most photographed spots at Knott’s.
The rest of the 2,602-foot (793 m) course is a swooping tour of Fiesta Village at up to 35 mph: a 65-foot-tall structure, a 45-foot main drop at a gentle 25-degree angle, and two full minutes of curving, diving track. With two trains running, Jaguar! moves about 1,800 riders per hour — solid family-coaster throughput, even if the giants on our highest-capacity roller coasters list push past it.
Like many long-running coasters, Jaguar! has also worn several coats over the years. It opened in a red-and-brown scheme, spent a stretch of its life in orange and blue, and returned to its original red-and-brown colors in 2016 — a deliberate nod to the ride’s mid-1990s roots and to the look longtime Knott’s visitors remember.
FAQ
Is Jaguar! at Knott’s Berry Farm scary?
Jaguar! is a family coaster: 65 feet tall, 35 mph, no inversions, and a gentle 25-degree maximum drop angle. It is a long, scenic ride rather than an extreme one — a great first “big” coaster.
Does Jaguar! really go through another roller coaster?
Yes. Jaguar!’s track passes through the vertical loop of MonteZOOMa: The Forbidden Fortress, the neighboring Schwarzkopf shuttle loop coaster in Fiesta Village.
How long is Jaguar!?
The course is 2,602 feet (793 m) long and takes about two minutes to complete — a long ride for a family coaster, built by Zierer as a custom Tivoli model in 1995.
Photo: Jeremy Thompson via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)