Joker is a fourth-dimension “Free Spin” roller coaster at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois, opened to riders on May 27, 2017. Built by S&S – Sansei Technologies and designed by engineer Alan Schilke, it became the park’s 15th roller coaster and joined a family of similarly named S&S Free Spin coasters installed at several other Six Flags parks around the same time.
Riders are hauled straight up a 120-foot, 90-degree vertical lift before plunging through a pair of “raven” drops that tip past vertical. Along the way, individually mounted wing seats spin freely on an axle independent of the train’s forward motion, so no two rides play out exactly the same.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Six Flags Great America
- Manufacturer: S&S – Sansei Technologies
- Opened: May 27, 2017
- Height: 120 ft
- Top speed: 38 mph
- Length: 1,019 ft
- Inversions: None on the track; free-spinning seats can flip riders up to six times
The Ride Experience
After an elevator-style vertical chain lift hoists trains up the 120-foot spike, Joker noses over a 90-degree drop and into a second “raven” drop that exceeds vertical, delivering a free-fall sensation. Because riders sit in winged seats hung off the sides of the track rather than inside an enclosed car, there’s nothing overhead or underneath — just open air.
The signature feature is the free-spin mechanism: magnetic kickers along the course nudge each seat, and how much it rotates depends on rider weight, balance, and the placement of those kickers, meaning the ride’s flips are never fully predictable from one lap to the next.
Design and Legacy
Six Flags Great America’s Joker was one of several nearly identical S&S Free Spin coasters the chain rolled out under the Joker name in 2016–2017 at parks including Six Flags Great Adventure and Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, part of a broader push to add DC Comics-themed thrill rides across the company’s parks.
The coaster sits in the area now branded DC Universe, a section that was called Yankee Harbor until Six Flags re-themed it in 2022, placing Joker alongside other DC-inspired attractions like Batman: The Ride.
Explore more: Explore more roller coasters.
Joker FAQs
How tall is the Joker at Six Flags Great America?
The lift hill stands 120 feet tall, and the ride begins with a 90-degree vertical ascent followed by drops that go slightly past vertical.
Does Joker have inversions?
The track itself has no traditional inversions. Instead, the free-spinning wing seats can flip riders upside down up to six times during the ride, with the exact number varying by trip.
When did Joker open at Six Flags Great America?
Joker opened on May 27, 2017, as the park’s 15th roller coaster.
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Photo: Jeremy Thompson / CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.