The New Revolution is the name Six Flags Magic Mountain gave, starting with the 2016 season, to its pioneering steel coaster that first opened on May 8, 1976. Built by Anton Schwarzkopf and designed by Werner Stengel, it holds a landmark place in coaster history as the first modern roller coaster to feature a full vertical loop, a breakthrough that reshaped what steel coasters could do and influenced designers for decades afterward.
Over its long life the ride has carried several names, opening as The Great American Revolution for the U.S. Bicentennial, becoming La Revolución after Six Flags took over the park, then simply Revolution, before its 2016 refresh brought the New Revolution branding along with a repaint, new lap-bar trains, and a short-lived virtual reality overlay. For its 50th anniversary in May 2026, Six Flags renamed the ride back to The Great American Revolution, so New Revolution now refers to the coaster’s 2016-2026 era rather than its current signage, though the physical ride keeps running at Magic Mountain.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Six Flags Magic Mountain
- Manufacturer: Anton Schwarzkopf
- Opened: May 8, 1976 (as New Revolution beginning 2016)
- Height: 113 ft
- Top speed: 55 mph
- Length: 3,457 ft
- Inversions: 1 (vertical loop)
The Ride Experience
The layout climbs a chain lift to 113 feet before dropping 83 feet into a single 90-foot-tall vertical loop, the ride’s signature moment and the reason it earned American Coaster Enthusiasts Landmark status. Trains run through a 144-foot tunnel and cover 3,457 feet of track at up to 55 mph, generating close to 4.9 g’s through the loop, all in about 79 seconds.
The 2016 New Revolution update swapped the older over-the-shoulder restraints for lap bars, repainted the structure, and briefly added a Samsung Gear VR headset experience that placed riders in a futuristic dogfight. The VR option was discontinued after the 2017 season due to long lines and limited popularity, and the ride has operated as a traditional coaster since.
A Landmark in Coaster History
When it opened in 1976, this Schwarzkopf-Stengel design was recognized as the first modern roller coaster built with a vertical loop, a format that had been abandoned decades earlier due to rough forces but was reengineered here using a smoother, teardrop-shaped clothoid loop. That innovation opened the door for the looping steel coasters that followed at parks worldwide.
The ride even appeared on film, featured in the 1977 disaster movie Rollercoaster. After operating under the New Revolution name for a decade, Six Flags restored the original Great American Revolution title in May 2026 to mark the coaster’s 50th anniversary, closing the loop on a ride that has now carried five different names.
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The New Revolution FAQs
Is The New Revolution still open?
The ride itself is still operating at Six Flags Magic Mountain, but as of May 2026 it was renamed The Great American Revolution for its 50th anniversary, so the New Revolution name is no longer current signage.
Why is The New Revolution considered historically important?
It was the first modern roller coaster to feature a vertical loop when it opened in 1976, a design breakthrough by Schwarzkopf and Stengel that earned it Coaster Landmark status from American Coaster Enthusiasts.
Did The New Revolution ever have virtual reality?
Yes. Starting in 2016, riders could wear Samsung Gear VR headsets for a themed sci-fi experience, but Six Flags removed the VR option after the 2017 season.
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