Poltergeist is a steel launch coaster at Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio, Texas, tucked into the park’s Rockville section. Designed by Werner Stengel and built by Premier Rides, it opened on May 28, 1999, using linear induction motors (LIMs) to fling trains from a standstill to 60 mph in about 3.5 seconds without a traditional lift hill.
Once launched, the ride packs a cobra roll, sidewinder, and corkscrew into a tightly wound ‘spaghetti bowl’ layout across 2,705 feet of track, delivering four inversions and forces up to 4.5 Gs in roughly 75 seconds. The ride’s restraints were reworked in 2002, swapping uncomfortable over-the-shoulder harnesses for individual ratcheting lap bars, and the attraction received a full theming and queue refresh in 2021.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Six Flags Fiesta Texas, San Antonio, Texas
- Manufacturer: Premier Rides
- Designer: Werner Stengel (Ing.-Büro Stengel)
- Opened: May 28, 1999
- Height: 78.8 ft (24.0 m)
- Top speed: 60 mph (97 km/h)
- Length: 2,705 ft (824 m)
- Inversions: 4
The Ride Experience
There’s no lift hill on Poltergeist. Instead, linear induction motors catapult the six-car trains to 60 mph in under four seconds, immediately sending riders into a cobra roll before the layout winds through a sidewinder and a corkscrew. The whole circuit is over in about 75 seconds, with the train’s momentum reversing at points as it threads back through the compact course.
The launch coaster carries 24 riders per train across two trains, with a 54-inch height requirement. Its dense, twisting footprint made it one of the more physically intense rides in the park when it debuted, which is part of why the original over-the-shoulder restraints were swapped out in 2002 for lap bars that riders found far more comfortable.
History and Updates
Poltergeist has operated at Six Flags Fiesta Texas since 1999, making it one of the longer-running attractions in the park’s coaster lineup. In July 2021, the ride closed for a multi-month refurbishment that added an air-conditioned indoor queue, new theming elements, and a full repaint of the station and track before reopening that September.
The coaster remains a staple of the park’s steel coaster collection, valued for its short but intense launch-driven layout that packs inversions into a small footprint rather than relying on height or length.
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Poltergeist FAQs
What launches Poltergeist instead of a lift hill?
Poltergeist uses linear induction motors (LIMs) to launch its trains from a standing start to 60 mph in about 3.5 seconds, eliminating the need for a traditional chain lift hill.
How many inversions does Poltergeist have?
Poltergeist has four inversions, including a cobra roll, sidewinder, and corkscrew, packed into a compact 2,705-foot layout.
When did Poltergeist open?
Poltergeist opened at Six Flags Fiesta Texas on May 28, 1999, and it was manufactured by Premier Rides and designed by Werner Stengel.
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Photo: Chris Hagerman from New Port Richey, FL, US / CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.