Raging Bull is a steel hyper coaster located at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois. Built by Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard and opened on May 1, 1999, it made history as the world’s first hyper-twister roller coaster — a model that combines the raw height and speed of a hyper coaster with sweeping banked turns designed to produce relentless airtime rather than inversions.
Standing 202 feet tall and stretching 5,057 feet of track, Raging Bull remains the tallest and longest coaster in the park. Its signature move is a 208-foot drop at a 65-degree angle that plunges riders into a 127-foot underground tunnel before launching them into a series of camelback hills at 73 mph. The coaster ranked among Amusement Today’s top 50 steel coasters every year from 1999 through 2022, peaking at number 9 in 2005.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Six Flags Great America, Gurnee, Illinois
- Manufacturer: Bolliger & Mabillard
- Model: Hyper Coaster (hyper-twister variant)
- Opened: May 1, 1999
- Height: 202 ft (62 m)
- Drop: 208 ft (63 m) at 65°
- Top Speed: 73 mph (117 km/h)
- Length: 5,057 ft (1,541 m)
- Inversions: 0
- Ride Duration: 2 min 30 sec
The Ride Experience
Riders board one of three 36-passenger trains and climb the chain lift to 202 feet before plunging into the underground tunnel — the coaster’s most dramatic moment and a signature touch rarely found on hyper coasters. From there, the layout unwinds across a sweeping series of camelback hills and overbanked turns engineered by Stengel Engineering to generate sustained floater and ejector airtime without a single loop or inversion.
The ride’s heartline banking technology keeps turns smooth and free of lateral forces, earning Raging Bull a reputation as one of the most re-rideable coasters in the Midwest. Themed to a cattle town in the park’s Southwest Territory area, the coaster’s narrative casts the bull as a beast that drove settlers away — a tongue-in-cheek setup that fits the relentless pace of the ride itself.
Legacy and Records
When Raging Bull debuted in 1999, it was only the second Hyper Coaster ever built by Bolliger & Mabillard — and the first to incorporate the twister-style layout that sent the hyper-coaster format in a new direction. Its combination of extreme height, underground tunnel, and airtime-focused hills set a template that influenced later B&M hypers around the world.
More than two decades after opening, Raging Bull continues to draw enthusiasts seeking its blend of speed and smoothness. The coaster consistently ranked among the top 50 steel coasters in Amusement Today’s annual Golden Ticket Awards from 1999 through 2022, cementing its status as one of Six Flags Great America’s signature steel attractions.
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Raging Bull FAQs
Who built Raging Bull?
Raging Bull was designed and built by Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M), a Swiss roller coaster manufacturer, with layout engineering by Stengel Engineering. It opened in 1999 as only the second Hyper Coaster B&M had ever produced.
How tall is Raging Bull and how fast does it go?
Raging Bull stands 202 feet (62 m) tall and reaches a top speed of 73 mph (117 km/h) at the bottom of its 208-foot drop, which descends at a 65-degree angle into an underground tunnel.
Does Raging Bull have any loops or inversions?
No — Raging Bull has zero inversions. Instead of loops, it relies on a series of camelback hills and overbanked turns engineered to maximize airtime and smooth, high-speed transitions throughout the 5,057-foot course.
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Photo by ROBERT MORROW on Pexels.