On April 2, 1999, Medusa at Six Flags Great Adventure changed coaster design forever: it was the world’s first floorless roller coaster, a Bolliger & Mabillard creation where riders sit in open-sided seats with nothing but air beneath their feet. Add seven inversions across nearly 4,000 feet of track and you get a New Jersey legend that still places among the roller coasters with the most inversions in the world — and one that spent 13 years living under an alias.
Key Stats
| Height | 142 ft (43 m) |
| Drop | 132 ft (40 m) |
| Top speed | 61 mph (98 km/h) |
| Length | 3,985 ft (1,215 m) |
| Inversions | 7 |
| Duration | 2:20 |
| G-force | 4.0 |
| Manufacturer | Bolliger & Mabillard (floorless coaster) |
| Opened | April 2, 1999 |
| Cost | $15 million |
The First Floorless Coaster
Medusa’s claim to history is structural: B&M removed the train floor entirely, leaving riders’ legs dangling above the track. From the 142-foot lift, the $15 million ride drops 132 feet into a 114-foot vertical loop, then a 96-foot dive loop, a zero-g roll, a cobra roll (two inversions), and a finale of two interlocking corkscrews — seven inversions at up to 61 mph and 4 g. Three 32-passenger trains keep the line moving at about 1,350 riders per hour.
Medusa, Bizarro, and Back Again
In May 2009, Six Flags rethemed the ride as Bizarro, wrapping it in the mythology of Superman’s imperfect clone, complete with blue track and dark purple supports. The comic-book overlay lasted until July 2022, when the park restored the original Medusa name for the ride’s modern era — now wearing green track with orange supports, a fresh twist on the lime-green-and-purple scheme it debuted with in 1999.
Why It Still Matters
Every floorless coaster on the planet — including its West Coast sibling Medusa at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom — traces its lineage to this ride. And 25+ years later the stats hold up: seven inversions is still elite territory, matching B&M heavyweights like Montu, and its 3,985-foot layout remains one of the longest of any floorless coaster. See where both Medusas rank on our list of the most inversions on a roller coaster.
FAQ
Was Medusa really the first floorless coaster?
Yes. Medusa opened at Six Flags Great Adventure on April 2, 1999 as the world’s first floorless roller coaster, built by Bolliger & Mabillard.
Why was Medusa called Bizarro?
From May 2009 to July 2022 the ride was rethemed as Bizarro, after the Superman villain. In 2022 Six Flags restored the original Medusa name with a green-and-orange color scheme.
How many inversions does Medusa have?
Medusa has 7 inversions: a vertical loop, a dive loop, a zero-g roll, a cobra roll, and two interlocking corkscrews.
Photo: Jeremy Thompson via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)