The Comet is a wooden roller coaster at Six Flags Great Escape and Hurricane Harbor in Queensbury, New York, with a history that stretches back to a demolished Ontario amusement park. Its structural steel originated from the Crystal Beach Cyclone, which opened in 1927 at Crystal Beach Park in Fort Erie, Ontario, and closed in 1946. That steel skeleton was reused by Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters designer Herbert Paul Schmeck to build a new ride called the Comet, which opened at Crystal Beach in 1948.
When Crystal Beach Park shut down in 1989, Great Escape owner Charles Wood purchased the Comet and placed it in storage before Martin & Vleminckx rebuilt it at its current home. The Comet reopened at Great Escape on June 25, 1994, and the American Coaster Enthusiasts named it a Coaster Landmark on September 8, 2009, recognizing its enduring craftsmanship as a classic double out-and-back wooden coaster.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Six Flags Great Escape, Queensbury, New York
- Manufacturer: Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters
- Designer: Herbert Paul Schmeck
- Opened: 1948 (Crystal Beach); reopened June 25, 1994 (Great Escape)
- Height: 95 feet
- Top speed: 55 mph
- Length: 4,197 feet
- Inversions: 0
The Ride Experience
The Comet follows a double out-and-back layout, sending riders down an 87-foot first drop before racing through a rhythmic series of airtime hills. At 55 mph and with a ride time of about two minutes, the coaster’s 4,197-foot wooden track delivers the smooth, punchy pacing typical of a well-tuned Schmeck design, with red and blue trains that each seat 24 riders.
A Coaster With a Second Life
Few coasters can trace their lineage to a completely different park in a different country. The Comet’s steel support structure began as the Crystal Beach Cyclone in 1927, was rebuilt into the Comet in 1948, and after Crystal Beach Park closed in 1989 was salvaged, stored, and ultimately reconstructed at Great Escape in 1994 — a rare case of a wooden coaster surviving the closure of its original home.
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The Comet FAQs
Is the Comet a wooden or steel roller coaster?
The Comet is a wooden roller coaster, though it originally reused steel support structure from the 1927 Crystal Beach Cyclone.
When did the Comet open at Great Escape?
The Comet reopened at what is now Six Flags Great Escape on June 25, 1994, after being relocated from the closed Crystal Beach Park in Ontario.
How tall is the Comet and how fast does it go?
The Comet stands 95 feet tall with an 87-foot first drop and reaches a top speed of about 55 mph.
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Photo: Zotdragon at en.wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.