Ragin’ Cajun was a spinning “Crazy Mouse” roller coaster that opened at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois, on May 28, 2004. It anchored the park’s newly built Mardi Gras themed area, throwing riders through tight switchbacks in cars that spun freely once the ride’s second half kicked in.
Built with cars manufactured by Reverchon Industries of France and a structure supplied by Zamperla, the Twister Coaster 420STD model ran for nearly a decade at the Illinois park before Six Flags shut it down after the 2013 season. Rather than being scrapped, the coaster was disassembled and shipped to Six Flags America in Maryland, where it reopened under the same name in 2014.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Six Flags Great America (Gurnee, Illinois)
- Manufacturer: Reverchon Industries (cars) / Zamperla (structure) — Twister Coaster 420STD
- Opened: May 28, 2004
- Closed: October 27, 2013 (relocated)
- Height: About 43 feet
- Top speed: About 29 mph
- Length: About 1,378 feet
- Inversions: 0
The Ride Experience
Classified as a Wild Mouse-style layout, Ragin’ Cajun sent single cars up a chain lift before diving into a series of sharp, unbanked switchbacks that gave riders the sensation of nearly flying off the edge of the track. Because it was a “Crazy Mouse” variant rather than a standard Wild Mouse, the four-passenger cars were free to spin on their own axis during the descent, adding an unpredictable, disorienting twist that regular Wild Mouse coasters don’t have.
Each train ran up to five cars at a time, with a capacity of around 900 riders per hour and a ride time of about 90 seconds. The 48-inch height requirement made it one of the more accessible thrill rides in the Mardi Gras section, appealing to families looking for a first taste of spinning, high-speed switchbacks.
History and Legacy
Six Flags Great America announced Ragin’ Cajun as part of a five-attraction expansion revealed in January 2004, with the Mardi Gras area opening that May. The ride’s debut was overshadowed the very next day, May 29, 2004, when a 52-year-old ride mechanic was fatally struck while working near the track — a somber footnote in the coaster’s otherwise routine operating history.
Ragin’ Cajun operated at Great America through the 2013 season before being removed to make room for The Joker. Six Flags relocated the ride to Six Flags America in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, where it ran under the same name from 2014 until that park’s closure in November 2025. The coaster has since moved again, repainted and reopened at Six Flags Great Adventure in 2026 as Barrels O’ Fun.
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Ragin’ Cajun Photo Archive: August 2005
These are original ThrillZing photos of Ragin’ Cajun taken at Six Flags Great America on August 10, 2005, restored and upscaled from the original camera files. They show the spinning coaster’s French Quarter facade and sign and the green track above it. The ride moved to Six Flags America in 2014. All photos are free to reuse under a CC BY 4.0 license with credit to ThrillZing and a link to this page.
Ragin’ Cajun FAQs
What happened to the Ragin’ Cajun at Six Flags Great America?
It operated at Six Flags Great America from 2004 to 2013, when it was removed and replaced by The Joker. The ride itself was relocated rather than scrapped.
What type of roller coaster was Ragin’ Cajun?
It was a steel Wild Mouse-style “Crazy Mouse” spinning coaster, with cars built by Reverchon Industries and a structure supplied by Zamperla (Twister Coaster 420STD model).
Is Ragin’ Cajun still operating anywhere?
The same ride later ran as Ragin’ Cajun at Six Flags America until 2025, and in 2026 it was relocated again and reopened at Six Flags Great Adventure under the name Barrels O’ Fun.
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Photo: Martin Lewison / CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.