The Bat is a suspended family coaster at Lagoon Amusement Park in Farmington, Utah, built by Dutch manufacturer Vekoma and opened to riders on April 16, 2005. It stands apart from the park’s bigger steel coasters by welcoming both kids and adults with a gentler minimum height requirement, while still delivering swinging, bat-cave-themed turns that single-row trains swoop through side to side.
The coaster was built on the former site of the Lake Park Terrace, a pavilion originally located on the shore of the Great Salt Lake before being relocated to Lagoon and eventually removed in 2004 due to deterioration. The Bat became the first inverted-style coaster at the park and introduced Lagoon’s first magnetic braking system, two firsts that made it a notable addition to the park’s growing lineup of thrill rides.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Lagoon Amusement Park, Farmington, Utah
- Manufacturer: Vekoma
- Model: Suspended Family Coaster
- Opened: April 16, 2005
- Height: About 49 feet
- Top speed: About 26 mph
- Length: 1,122 feet
- Inversions: 0
The Ride Experience
Riders board single-file, two-across seats suspended beneath the track and climb a pinch-wheel lift before swinging through a series of helices and small hills around a themed ‘bat cave.’ The single ten-car train, finished in black and purple with orange restraints, swoops through the turns before magnetic brakes bring it to a smooth stop back at the station.
The ride’s purple track and green supports carry the bat theme into the queue and station areas, where cave-like facades and bat imagery set the mood. With a 42-inch minimum height requirement, it runs noticeably lower than most of Lagoon’s other coasters, making it one of the park’s most accessible rides for younger or first-time coaster riders.
A Shared Design Across Parks
The Bat was the last in a run of seven nearly identical 342-meter Vekoma Suspended Family Coasters built in the early 2000s, with sibling versions operating at other parks across North America and Australia. At Lagoon, the model’s arrival capped a decade in which the park added four new roller coasters, rounding out a lineup that mixes family-friendly rides with larger thrill machines.
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Keeps your phone strapped to you, not in a loose-article bin. Zip it before the lift hill and walk straight off the exit ramp.
Rapids, log flumes and splash zones without the rice-bag aftermath. The touchscreen still works through the window, so you can still take photos.
Cheaper than the $15 poncho at the gift shop and you get a whole bag. Toss one in every backpack for water rides and pop-up storms.
The Bat FAQs
Who manufactured The Bat at Lagoon?
The Bat was built by Vekoma, the Dutch roller coaster manufacturer, as one of its Suspended Family Coaster models.
When did The Bat open at Lagoon Amusement Park?
The Bat opened to the public on April 16, 2005.
What is the minimum height to ride The Bat?
Riders must be at least 42 inches tall, a lower requirement than most other coasters at Lagoon.
Get More from The Bat
Log the coasters, stadiums, and venues you’ve experienced, rate The Bat, and see what your friends thought. Get the ThrillZing app.
Photo: Talor Berthelson / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.