Viper is a wooden roller coaster at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois, that opened to the public on April 29, 1995. Designed by Dennis Starkey and built at an estimated cost of $4 million, the ride was constructed as a near mirror image of the famous 1927 Cyclone at Coney Island, giving Chicago-area riders a taste of one of the most legendary coaster layouts in the world.
Set in the park’s Southwest Territory section, Viper is themed around a fictional snake oil elixir factory, complete with a station styled after Col. B. Peabody’s Snake Oil Elixir Co. and an exit through a matching gift shop. The coaster remains a park staple decades after opening, prized by enthusiasts for its rough-and-tumble twister layout and old-school wooden-coaster airtime.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Six Flags Great America (Gurnee, Illinois)
- Designer: Dennis Starkey (Six Flags Great America)
- Opened: April 29, 1995
- Height: 100 feet
- Top Speed: 50 mph
- Length: 3,458 feet
- Inversions: 0
- Track Type: Wood
The Ride Experience
Riders climb a 255-foot chain lift to the top of Viper’s 100-foot structure before dropping 80 feet into a twister layout packed with eleven drops and roughly nine moments of airtime. The ride spans 3,458 feet of wooden track and lasts about a minute and 45 seconds, weaving through banked turns, camelback hills, and elevated turnarounds typical of the classic out-and-back-meets-figure-eight style popularized by the original Coney Island Cyclone.
Two trains, each carrying five cars and up to 30 riders, keep the line moving with a capacity of about 1,000 riders per hour. Over the years the ride has occasionally been reversed for special events, including running backwards during the summer of 2013 and again for Fright Fest in 2017.
A Nod to Coney Island’s Cyclone
Viper’s layout was deliberately designed as a near mirror image of the Cyclone, one of the most influential wooden coasters ever built. That homage, combined with Viper’s snake-themed backstory, helped it stand out among Six Flags Great America’s growing wooden coaster collection.
In 2014, Six Flags Great America set a Guinness World Record for the most wooden roller coaster track contained within a single park, with Viper contributing part of that total alongside the park’s other wood coasters.
Explore more: Explore more roller coasters.
Viper Photo Archive: 2001 & 2005
These are original ThrillZing photos of Viper taken at Six Flags Great America on May 19, 2001 and August 10, 2005, restored and upscaled from the original camera files. They show the park’s Coney Island Cyclone-style wooden coaster: the lift hill and the twisted structure from the parking lot, the weathered station and lattice up close, and the whole layout from above the park. All photos are free to reuse under a CC BY 4.0 license with credit to ThrillZing and a link to this page.
Viper FAQs
How tall is Viper at Six Flags Great America?
Viper stands 100 feet tall with an 80-foot first drop, reaching a top speed of 50 mph.
When did Viper open?
Viper opened to the public on April 29, 1995, after construction began in September 1994.
Is Viper based on another roller coaster?
Yes. Viper’s layout was designed as a near mirror image of the 1927 Cyclone at Coney Island, one of the most famous wooden coasters in the world.
Get More from Viper
Log the coasters, stadiums, and venues you’ve experienced, rate Viper, and see what your friends thought. Get the ThrillZing app.