Valravn Photo Archive & History: Cedar Point’s Dive Coaster

September 8, 2026

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by tz

Looking for the numbers? Height, speed, records and the height requirement are on our Valravn stats guide.

Valravn is a Bolliger & Mabillard dive coaster at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, that opened on May 7, 2016. Named after the mythical shape-shifting raven of Danish folklore, it was built as the 100th roller coaster produced by B&M since the manufacturer’s founding in 1988, and it introduced the company’s first vest-style over-the-shoulder restraints on a dive coaster.

At launch, Valravn set a sweep of world records for its class: it became the tallest, fastest, and longest dive coaster on Earth, with the longest drop and the most inversions of any dive coaster built to that point. Riders climb 223 feet before pausing on the edge of a vertical 90-degree drop that plunges them 214 feet toward the shore of Lake Erie.

Valravn
Photo: Gregory Varnum / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Stats at a Glance

  • Park: Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio
  • Manufacturer: Bolliger & Mabillard
  • Opened: May 7, 2016
  • Height: 223 feet (68 m)
  • Top speed: 75 mph (121 km/h)
  • Length: 3,415 feet (1,041 m)
  • Inversions: 3
  • Drop: 214 feet (65 m)

The Ride Experience

Valravn’s signature moment comes at the top of the lift hill, where trains stop and tilt riders face-down over a 90-degree vertical drop for a few suspenseful seconds before releasing them into a 214-foot plunge. From there the ride threads through three inversions, including a dive loop and a zero-gravity roll, before a second dive drop near the finish. Each train carries 24 riders across three eight-seat cars, using B&M’s flexible vest-style restraints rather than traditional over-the-shoulder harnesses.

The layout was engineered to fit within Cedar Point’s crowded lakefront footprint near the Frontier Trail, weaving around existing pathways and buildings while still delivering a nearly two-and-a-half-minute ride.

Records and Legacy

When it debuted, Valravn simultaneously held the titles of tallest, fastest, and longest dive coaster in the world, along with the longest dive-coaster drop and the highest inversion in the category at 165 feet. It also marked a manufacturing milestone as the 100th coaster built by Bolliger & Mabillard.

Valravn remains one of Cedar Point’s marquee attractions and a key entry in the park’s lineup of record-setting roller coasters, reinforcing Cedar Point’s reputation as the self-styled ‘Roller Coaster Capital of the World.’

Valravn
Photo: Gregory Varnum / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Explore more: Explore more record-breaking roller coasters.

Valravn Photo Archive: 2023 & 2026

These are original ThrillZing photos of Valravn taken at Cedar Point on September 13, 2026, the first HalloWeekends weekend of the year. Valravn held on the holding brake and tipping over the vertical drop, plus the Immelmann, shot from the midway near Rougarou. Plus two from 2023: the train poised at the top of the drop, and the Immelmann from directly below. All photos are free to reuse under a CC BY 4.0 license with credit to ThrillZing and a link to this page.

A Valravn train held at the top of the vertical drop above the trees
Held at the top of the drop, September 13, 2026. Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)
A Valravn dive coaster train tipping over the vertical first drop against a blue sky
Tipping over the drop. Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)
A Valravn train inverted at the top of the Immelmann loop
Inverted at the top of the Immelmann. Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)
A Valravn train on the holding brake at the top of the drop with Siren's Curse's track in the foreground
On the holding brake, Siren’s Curse’s track in front. Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)
Sidewalk sign reading 'Line to Ride Valravn is Forming', Valravn, July 2016
Sidewalk sign reading ‘Line to Ride Valravn is Forming’, July 10, 2016. Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)
Coaster lift hill and station with fast-pass entrance sign, Valravn, July 2016
Coaster lift hill and station with fast-pass entrance sign, July 10, 2016. Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)
Close-up abstract view of blue coaster track crossing overhead, Valravn, July 2016
Close-up abstract view of blue coaster track crossing overhead, July 10, 2016. Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)
Raptor lift hill and loop above entrance plaza shade sail, Valravn, July 2016
Raptor lift hill and loop above entrance plaza shade sail, July 10, 2016. Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)
Raptor loop with queue shade sail and station wall, Valravn, July 2016
Raptor loop with queue shade sail and station wall, July 10, 2016. Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)
Raptor inverted train diving through loop, riders visible, Valravn, July 2016
Raptor inverted train diving through loop, riders visible, July 10, 2016. Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)
Maverick coaster track and blue supports at night, tree lit, Valravn, October 2016
Maverick coaster track and blue supports at night, tree lit, October 14, 2016. Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)
A Valravn train poised at the top of the 214-foot dive drop at Cedar Point, 2023
Poised at the top of the dive drop, 2023. Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)
Valravn's Immelmann loop seen from directly below at Cedar Point, 2023
The Immelmann from directly below, 2023. Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)

Valravn FAQs

What type of roller coaster is Valravn?

Valravn is a Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M) dive coaster, a style known for its wide trains, face-down vertical drops, and inversions.

How tall is Valravn’s first drop?

After a 223-foot lift hill, Valravn’s vertical 90-degree first drop plunges riders 214 feet toward the shore of Lake Erie.

What records did Valravn set when it opened?

In 2016, Valravn opened as the tallest, fastest, and longest dive coaster in the world, with the longest drop and most inversions in its category.

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Photo: Gregory Varnum / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.