New Texas Giant is the steel-and-wood hybrid coaster at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington that put Rocky Mountain Construction on the map. It reuses the timber structure of the original 1990 Texas Giant but rides nothing like it, thanks to a brand-new steel I-Box track that turned a notoriously rough wooden coaster into one of the smoothest, most intense rides in the park.
Beyond the stats and the history, this guide also covers the parts most write-ups skip: how the ride actually compares to the coaster it replaced, what happened during the widely reported 2013 safety incident and how Six Flags responded, and what to know before you ride, including the height requirement and where to find current park hours and tickets.
Quick Answer
New Texas Giant is a 153-foot steel hybrid roller coaster at Six Flags Over Texas, built by Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) on the wooden frame of the original 1990 Texas Giant. It opened April 22, 2011, reaches 65 mph, drops 147 feet at a 79-degree angle, and has zero inversions. Following a fatal 2013 incident, Six Flags redesigned the restraints and added seat belts to every train; the ride has operated safely with those upgrades ever since.
Ride Stats at a Glance
Park: Six Flags Over Texas, Arlington, TX. Manufacturer: Rocky Mountain Construction (I-Box steel track). Designer: Alan Schilke. Opened: April 22, 2011. Height: 153 ft (47 m). First Drop: 147 ft at 79°. Top Speed: 65 mph (105 km/h). Length: 4,200 ft (1,300 m). Inversions: 0. Trains: 3, each seating 24 riders (2-across, 2-row) and themed to a 1961 Cadillac Deville. Restraints: individual hydraulic lap bar plus seat belt. Height Requirement: 48 inches (122 cm).
The Ride Experience
The 153-foot chain lift is the last calm moment before RMC’s signature aggression takes over. Riders plunge 147 feet at 79 degrees, then get thrown through a sequence of airtime hills, sweeping S-curves, and the famous over-banked turn that rolls well past vertical, all on I-Box steel track that feels nothing like a traditional wooden coaster despite sitting on wood supports. There are no loops or inversions here; every thrill comes from speed, banking, and sustained negative-g airtime.
Seating position matters more than on most coasters. The back row amplifies the airtime on the drop and hills, while the front row gives the clearest view down the 79-degree first drop and through the over-banked turn. Every seat now has its own hydraulic lap bar and a seat belt, a restraint setup that was upgraded industry-wide after this specific ride’s 2013 incident, covered below.
New Texas Giant vs. the Original Texas Giant
The original Texas Giant opened March 17, 1990, as the tallest wooden coaster in the world at 143 feet, with a comparatively tame 53-degree first drop. It earned a loyal following but became progressively rougher over nearly two decades, eventually falling out of favor with enthusiasts.
Rather than demolish it, Six Flags closed the ride in 2009 and handed it to a then-largely-unknown Idaho contractor, RMC, which stripped every inch of wooden track while keeping most of the original timber support structure. The rebuild added 10 feet of height, steepened the drop from 53° to 79°, and swapped wood-on-wood track for RMC’s new I-Box steel rail system. The result eliminated the roughness almost entirely while making the ride objectively faster and more intense than the coaster it replaced.
The 2013 Safety Incident and What Changed
On July 19, 2013, a 52-year-old rider fell to her death from New Texas Giant, and Six Flags closed the ride indefinitely while state and internal investigators examined the restraint system. On September 10, 2013, Six Flags announced that the investigation found no mechanical failure. The coaster reopened on September 14, 2013, after redesigned restraint bars, new padding, and individual seat belts were installed on all three trains.
That incident had ripple effects across the whole chain: Six Flags subsequently added seat belts to other roller coasters at its parks as an extra precaution, even on rides that hadn’t had any issues. New Texas Giant has operated with the upgraded restraint package since 2013 and remains an active, popular ride at Six Flags Over Texas today.
A Landmark in Coaster History
New Texas Giant holds a singular place in coaster history as the first ride ever built with RMC’s I-Box track and the first coaster the company ever converted from wood to steel hybrid. Its success proved the hybrid-conversion concept viable at a moment when RMC was still a niche player, and it set off a wave of similar wood-to-steel rebuilds at parks across North America over the following decade.
The ride won the Golden Ticket Award for Best New Ride in 2011 and ranked among the top hybrid coasters in industry polls in the years after opening. Designer Alan Schilke’s steep drops and aggressive over-banked turns, first proven here, became the signature style of nearly every RMC project that followed, cementing this Arlington coaster as the origin point of an entire hybrid-coaster movement.
Planning Your Visit
Riders must be at least 48 inches (122 cm) tall to ride New Texas Giant, and it’s rated among the park’s most intense attractions, so expect a fast-moving standby line to relax somewhat outside of peak summer weekends. Six Flags Over Texas typically runs a full daily schedule in summer and a lighter, weekend-and-holiday schedule the rest of the year, with hours that shift by season and even by day.
Because operating hours and admission pricing change throughout the year and vary by ticket type (single-day tickets, season passes, and memberships all price differently), check the official Six Flags Over Texas site for the current calendar, ride hours, and ticket options before you go.
New Texas Giant roller coaster FAQs
Where is New Texas Giant located?
New Texas Giant is located at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Texas.
Who built New Texas Giant and what makes it a hybrid coaster?
Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) built it by stripping the wooden track from the original Texas Giant and installing their new I-Box steel track on top of the retained wooden support structure — a steel-track ride on a wood frame is the defining trait of a hybrid coaster.
How fast and tall is New Texas Giant?
It stands 153 feet tall, drops 147 feet at a 79-degree angle, and reaches a top speed of 65 mph along 4,200 feet of track.
Did someone die on New Texas Giant?
Yes. On July 19, 2013, a rider fell from the coaster and died. Six Flags closed the ride, investigated with state officials, found no mechanical failure, and reopened it in September 2013 with redesigned restraint bars and added seat belts on every train.
Is New Texas Giant safe to ride now?
The ride has operated with upgraded hydraulic lap bars and individual seat belts on all three trains since the restraint redesign following the 2013 incident, and it continues to run as one of Six Flags Over Texas’s regular attractions.
How is New Texas Giant different from the original Texas Giant?
The original 1990 Texas Giant was an all-wood coaster, 143 feet tall with a 53-degree first drop that grew rough with age. RMC’s 2011 rebuild kept most of the wooden supports but replaced the track with steel I-Box rail, added 10 feet of height, and steepened the drop to 79 degrees, producing a smoother, faster, more intense ride.
Does New Texas Giant have any loops or inversions?
No. Despite its steep drops and extreme over-banked turns, New Texas Giant has zero inversions — all of its thrills come from speed, banking, and airtime.
What is the height requirement for New Texas Giant?
Riders must be at least 48 inches (122 cm) tall.
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