Mind Bender opened at Six Flags Over Georgia on March 31, 1978, and was marketed as the world’s first triple-loop roller coaster. Built by German manufacturer Anton Schwarzkopf and designed by engineer Werner Stengel, the steel sit-down coaster cost about $2.8 million and quickly became one of the park’s signature attractions near Atlanta.
The ride’s third “loop” was actually a diving helix that plunged into a ravine rather than a true vertical loop, but the two genuine loops combined with that dramatic terrain drop still made Mind Bender a standout for its era. Riders have climbed aboard for decades, and the coaster remains in operation today under a new name, The Riddler Mindbender, after a Gotham City-themed retheme and a 2019-2021 refurbishment that swapped its original trains for new Bolliger & Mabillard cars.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Six Flags Over Georgia (Austell, GA)
- Manufacturer: Anton Schwarzkopf
- Opened: March 31, 1978
- Height: about 80 feet
- Top speed: about 50 mph
- Length: about 3,253 feet
- Inversions: 2 loops plus a diving helix
The Ride Experience
Mind Bender’s layout sends riders through two interlocking vertical loops before dropping into a ravine on the park’s edge, a terrain feature that gave the coaster its reputation for a wild, out-of-control feeling despite its modest 80-foot height. The original two seven-car trains were later replaced with three five-car Bolliger & Mabillard trains, which run over roughly two and a half minutes per circuit.
For 1978, a coaster with two full loops and 50 mph speeds was a genuine engineering feat, and Mind Bender helped cement Schwarzkopf’s reputation as a leading coaster builder of the era alongside contemporaries like Arrow Dynamics.
From Mind Bender to The Riddler Mindbender
The coaster kept its original Mind Bender name and layout for nearly two decades before Six Flags Over Georgia rethemed the surrounding area to Gotham City in 1997, repainting the ride green and tying it to the Riddler character. The formal name change to The Riddler Mindbender came during a 2019-2021 refurbishment, and the ride reopened under that name on September 18, 2021, still running the same signature loops and ravine dive that made it famous in 1978.
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Mind Bender FAQs
Is Mind Bender still open?
Yes. It still operates at Six Flags Over Georgia, though it was renamed The Riddler Mindbender following a refurbishment completed in 2021.
Who built Mind Bender?
German manufacturer Anton Schwarzkopf built the coaster, with engineering by Werner Stengel. It opened March 31, 1978.
Does Mind Bender really have three loops?
It was marketed as the world’s first triple-loop coaster, but the ride only has two true vertical loops; the third element is a helix that dives into a ravine.
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