Roar was a wooden roller coaster at Six Flags America in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, that opened on May 2, 1998. Built by Great Coasters International (GCI) and designed by Mike Boodley, it was a custom twister-style wooden coaster set on a sloping hillside in the park’s Chesapeake section, with trains built and maintained by Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters.
For 27 seasons, Roar delivered fast, low-to-the-ground turns typical of GCI’s out-and-back-and-twister hybrids, climbing to 95 feet before dropping 85 feet and topping out around 50.5 mph across 3,468 feet of track. The ride closed for good on November 2, 2025, when Six Flags America itself shut down permanently, ending Roar’s run as one of the Mid-Atlantic’s few classic wooden coasters.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Six Flags America, Upper Marlboro, Maryland
- Manufacturer: Great Coasters International (GCI)
- Opened: May 2, 1998
- Closed: November 2, 2025
- Height: 95 feet
- Top speed: About 50.5 mph
- Length: 3,468 feet
- Inversions: 0
The Ride Experience
Roar’s layout made the most of its hillside site, using the natural terrain to stretch its 3,468-foot track farther than GCI’s similarly sized sister coaster at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. After the lift hill, riders dropped 85 feet into a series of quick, banked turns and a signature ‘Speed Shed’-style element built to heighten the sensation of speed without the full sensory blackout of a traditional tunnel.
Two trains, each with six cars seating riders two-across for 24 total, ran the circuit with lap bars and seat belts. Roar was also known as one of only a few rides at Six Flags America equipped with on-ride camera capability, letting riders capture the wooden coaster’s rapid direction changes.
A Wooden Legacy Cut Short
Six Flags announced in May 2025 that it would permanently close Six Flags America, citing declining attendance, aging infrastructure, and financial pressure following the Six Flags-Cedar Fair merger. Roar operated through the final season before the park shut its gates on November 2, 2025.
As of its closure, no relocation, sale, or demolition plan for Roar had been publicly confirmed, leaving the wooden coaster in limbo on the shuttered property. It remains remembered as one of the region’s few classic wooden twister coasters and a long-running GCI design.
Explore more: Browse more roller coasters, Read about the closure of Six Flags America.
Roar Photo Archive: July 2001
These are original ThrillZing photos of Roar taken at Six Flags America on July 14, 2001, restored and upscaled from the original camera files. They show the Great Coasters International twister in its third season: the carved rock entrance letters, a train on the natural-wood structure, the lattice from below, and the hills above the entrance plaza. All photos are free to reuse under a CC BY 4.0 license with credit to ThrillZing and a link to this page.
Roar FAQs
Is Roar at Six Flags America still open?
No. Roar closed permanently on November 2, 2025, along with the rest of Six Flags America, after Six Flags announced the park’s closure earlier that year.
Who built Roar?
Roar was built by Great Coasters International (GCI), a wooden coaster manufacturer, with trains designed and maintained by Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters.
How fast was Roar and how tall was it?
Roar reached a top speed of about 50.5 mph, stood 95 feet tall, and featured an 85-foot first drop across 3,468 feet of wooden track.
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