Thunderbolt is a steel roller coaster at Luna Park in Coney Island, Brooklyn, that opened to riders on June 14, 2014. Built by Italian manufacturer Zamperla at a cost of roughly $9 million, it borrowed its name from a beloved wooden coaster that thrilled Coney Island visitors from 1925 until it was demolished in 2000, giving the new ride a direct link to the boardwalk’s storied coaster history.
Rising near Surf Avenue and West 15th Street along the Riegelmann Boardwalk, Thunderbolt was notable as the first steel roller coaster built at Coney Island and the first custom-built coaster there since the wooden Cyclone debuted in 1927. Its compact footprint packs a vertical lift, a near-90-degree first drop, and four inversions into a short but intense ride.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Luna Park, Coney Island
- Manufacturer: Zamperla
- Opened: June 14, 2014
- Height: about 115 feet
- Top speed: about 56 mph
- Length: about 2,234 feet
- Inversions: 4
The Ride Experience
Riders are hauled up a vertical chain lift before plunging down a drop of about 112 feet at close to a 90-degree angle. From there the single-car, nine-seat train races through a vertical loop, a Zero-G roll, a Stengel dive, an Immelmann loop, and a corkscrew, packing four inversions into a ride lasting roughly 38 seconds.
Because of its tight layout and abrupt transitions, Thunderbolt delivers forces up to about 4.3 Gs, making it one of the more intense modern rides on the boardwalk despite its short duration. Riders must be at least 50 inches tall, and the ride operates on a pay-per-ride basis rather than being included with a general park pass.
History and Legacy
The Thunderbolt name honors an earlier wooden coaster built by John Miller and operated by George Moran from 1925 to 1982, a ride later famous for towering over the house used in Woody Allen’s Annie Hall. That original coaster sat abandoned for years after closing before the city demolished it in 2000.
In June 2013, Central Amusement International, the Zamperla-affiliated operator of Luna Park, announced it would build a new steel coaster carrying the Thunderbolt name on the same general stretch of boardwalk, reviving the brand for a new generation of Coney Island riders in time for the 2014 season.
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Thunderbolt FAQs
Is the Coney Island Thunderbolt the same ride as the original 1925 wooden coaster?
No. The current Thunderbolt is a steel Zamperla coaster that opened in 2014. It shares its name and general location with the wooden Thunderbolt that operated from 1925 to 1982 and was torn down in 2000, but it is an entirely new ride.
How many inversions does Thunderbolt have?
Thunderbolt has four inversions, including a vertical loop, a Zero-G roll, a Stengel dive, and a corkscrew, packed into a ride lasting about 38 seconds.
How tall do you have to be to ride Thunderbolt?
Riders must be at least 50 inches tall to ride Thunderbolt at Luna Park in Coney Island.
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Photo: Rhododendrites / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.