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Viper
Wood Twister at Six Flags Great America, Gurnee, Illinois. Opened 1995.
- Height
- 100 ft
- Drop
- 80 ft
- Top speed
- 55 mph
- Length
- 3,458 ft
- Inversions
- 0
- Ride time
- 1 min 45 s
- Designer
- Dennis Starkey
Viper is a wooden roller coaster in the Southwest Territory area of Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois. It opened on April 29, 1995. The park designed it with Dennis Starkey of the Stand Company, and its layout is a near mirror image of the 1927 Cyclone at Coney Island, with changes that include an extra double down.
History
Construction began in September 1994, and the park built the ride itself with Rygiel Construction. Viper first stood in the Hometown Square area; the Southwest Territory area was built around it in 1996. Its station is themed as an abandoned snake oil factory.
The twister layout climbs a 100-foot chain lift and drops 80 feet, then winds through banked turnarounds and hills; the park counts eleven drops and gives the top speed as 55 mph. The 3,458-foot ride lasts about 1 minute 45 seconds. Two trains of five cars built by Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters each carry 30 riders. The park lists a minimum height of 48 inches.
Sources
- sixflags.com/greatamerica/attractions/viper (Park page: classic cyclone-style wooden coaster in Southwest Territory, introduced 1995, manufacturer Six Flags Theme Parks Inc.; rises 10 stories; 55 mph; eleven drops; 48-inch minimum height.)
- rcdb.com/10.htm (RCDB: Viper, operating since April 29, 1995; wood, mirror of the Coney Island Cyclone; length 3,458 ft, height 100 ft, drop 80 ft, 50 mph, 0 inversions, 53 degrees, duration 1:45; built by Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters; designer Dennis Starkey; no make listed.)
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viper_(Six_Flags_Great_America) (Opened April 29, 1995; designed by the park and Dennis Starkey of the Stand Company; near mirror image of the Coney Island Cyclone with an extra double down; construction began September 7, 1994, with Rygiel Construction; first in Hometown Square, part of Southwest Territory from 1996; snake oil factory station; 100-ft lift, 80-ft drop, 50 mph, 3,458 ft, 1:45; PTC trains of 30 riders.)
Numbers are from the ride's manufacturer and park where published; "n/a" means we have not confirmed that number yet. Spotted an error? Tell us.