On a recent trip to Chicago, I had the opportunity to visit Six Flags Great America for several hours before driving home. I rope dropped the park on a Saturday in June and did quite a lot in a short time. This included my top priorities, Goliath and Raging Bull, plus several other real gems. I’ve spent a lot of time at Six Flags St. Louis, but this was only my second Six Flags park. Great America is one of their flagship destinations and offers 15 coasters plus a lot of other offerings. I chronicled my visit during my trip report podcast, and this article will focus more on each ride.
To give a little background, Six Flags Great America opened in 1976 as Marriott’s Great America. Six Flags took ownership of the park in 1984 and changed the name at that point. There are still some attractions from the Marriott era, including the Columbia Carousel and the coaster I’m about to describe. Six Flags has made regular additions to this park, with the S&S launch coaster Maxx Force being a recent example in 2019. This season, they’ve added the DC Universe area and created a new land by painting and re-theming certain rides. There’s a lot to cover, so let’s dive into what I experienced at Great America!
The Whizzer
Type of Ride: Anton Schwarzkoph Speedracer Roller Coaster
Location: Hometown Square
Highlights: Spiral lift hill, unique ride vehicles
Rating: 7.5/10
When I mentioned on Twitter that I planned to visit Great America, multiple respondents told me how much they loved the Whizzer. After experiencing this unique coaster, I can totally understand why. Originally named Willard’s Whizzer, this is an original attraction at Marriott’s Great America in 1976. The cool seating arrangement reminds me of the set-up for Space Mountain in Florida when I was younger. It enhances the thrills despite a speed a little over 40 miles per hour. The spiral lift hill effectively uses the space, and the relaxing setting in the woods just adds to the fun. It’s a true gem!
Goliath
Type of Ride: RMC Topper Track Wooden Roller Coaster
Location: County Fair
Highlights: Steep 85-degree first drop, zero gravity stall inversion
Rating: 8.5/10
My top priority for this visit was experiencing my second coaster from Rocky Mountain Construction (after Outlaw Run at Silver Dollar City). Goliath isn’t considered one of RMC’s top rides by most coaster enthusiasts, but I still had a great time. It’s a fairly short experience, but they pack a lot into this small package. The lift hill seems imposing because you’re essentially going straight up, and the 85-degree angle on the opening 180-foot drop is no joke. Designed by Alan Schilke, Goliath includes two awesome inversions that aren’t the typical loops. In particular, the zero gravity stall provides a floating feeling as you travel under the lift hill. With a top speed of 72 miles per hour, Goliath packs a serious punch.
Justice League: Battle for Metropolis
Type of Ride: Sally Interactive Dark Ride with Oceaneering Vehicles
Location: Metropolis Plaza
Highlights: Joker animatronic and fire effects
Rating: 7/10
I first experienced Justice League: Battle for Metropolis back in 2015 when it opened at Six Flags St. Louis (I also interviewed Rich Hill of Sally Corporation about the attraction). The interactive dark ride appears now at seven Six Flags locations, and most are pretty similar. The St. Louis version has struggled with broken effects and slow loading, and I wondered how the Great America version would function. Thankfully, everything looked sharp including the physical effects. The Joker animatronic and fire actually worked! That made for a really fun ride and reminded me that Battle for Metropolis is a good attraction. I like the way the on-screen enemies respond to your shots, and there’s a lot to enjoy here.
Raging Bull
Type of Ride: B&M Steel Hyper Coaster
Location: Southwest Territory
Highlights: 208-foot opening drop into a tunnel, very smooth ride
Rating: 9/10
This next coaster was my first time experiencing a B&M Hyper, and I can’t wait to ride more of them. I’d heard mixed things about Raging Bull compared to others of its type, but I was blown away by it. The tallest coaster at Great America, this smooth ride opened in 1999 and was only the 2nd B&M Hyper. The seating with four riders across allows for great capacity, especially when Six Flags is running multiple trains. The first drop was incredible as you dive into a tunnel at up to 73 miles per hour. The layout includes more turns than big drops, but that worked for me especially with the smooth ride. Raging Bull was my favorite coaster in this park, and it would take a lot to knock it from that perch.
American Eagle
Type of Ride: Intamin Wooden Racing Roller Coaster
Location: County Fair
Highlight: 560-degree helix that circles downward
Rating: 6.5/10
I love classic out-and-back wooden coasters, and a perfect example is the Screamin’ Eagle at Six Flags St. Louis. The only downside of that classic is the rough ride, and that trend continues with American Eagle. This racing coaster was the first woodie constructed by Intamin when it opened in 1981. Unfortunately, it’s not currently racing and only offered the blue side on my visit. I still had a great time, especially on the 560-degree helix that circles down before you head towards the station. American Eagle also opens with a 147-foot drop and a top speed of 66 miles an hour, which is quite fast given its era. My only complaint is the shaky ride; with some tweaks or even the RMC treatment, American Eagle could be a top coaster.
Viper
Type of Ride: Six Flags Wooden Coaster Clone of Coney Island Cyclone
Location: Southwest Territory
Highlight: Constant air time moments
Rating: 8/10
Viper was the biggest surprise for me on this trip and possibly the most fun I had on any Great America coaster. It’s notable both for being a clone of the Coney Island Cyclone and as the only coaster designed in-house by Six Flags. While its stats aren’t overwhelming, Viper is an airtime machine with constant dips and turns that pull you out of your seat. The opening 80-foot drop is also surprising because it feels hidden while you look at other elements of the track. I was anticipating a different move when our train unexpectedly dropped. Viper is also a good coaster for aspiring fans that aren’t ready for the more intense other rides. I laughed constantly during the ride and felt fine afterwards. Don’t skip this one.
The Dark Knight Coaster
Type of Ride: Mack Rides Indoor Steel Wild Mouse Coaster
Location: Orleans Place
Highlights: Indoor theming, small ride vehicles
Rating: 6/10
I appreciate it when regional parks add indoor attractions, especially ones that are good for most guests. That feeling plays a role in my rating of the Dark Knight Coaster, which doesn’t match up with high-tech coasters at Disney and Universal. Even so, there’s a certain charm in this wild mouse coaster from Mack Rides. It’s also located at Six Flags Great Adventure and Six Flags Mexico and draws decent lines. Even so, this was my least favorite ride from my visit. It includes some decent theming and several fun drops, but I wouldn’t recommend it as a top priority.
Just a Starting Point
I was happy with how much I experienced during my limit stay at Great America, but I missed plenty big rides. Just looking at the coasters, I hope to check out Maxx Force, Demon, Superman: Ultimate Flight, and X Flight at some point in the future. The Logger’s Run log flume and and Scenic Railway train were also closed during my visit. I would love the chance to fill in the gaps during a future stop at the park. I covered some highlights and it just left me wanting more time in the future. If you’re looking for a regional destination with a lot to offer and plenty of coasters, Six Flags Great America is a strong choice.
Related Articles: Six Flags Great America
The Tomorrow Society Podcast, Episode 172: Six Flags Great America Trip Report
Ranking the Rollercoasters at Six Flags St. Louis
The Tomorrow Society Podcast, Episode 50: A Visit to Six Flags St. Louis
Learn more about Six Flags Great America on their official website.
Raging bull is the best roller coaster ever made by mankind! After being brought up by the chain lift it Maximizes the force of gravity And continues to run at high speeds for 4 and a 1/2 minutes. No other roller coaster even comes close not even 2 minutes long. Ironically halfway through the ride There is a brief moment where the brakes are applied for one and a 1/2 seconds to slow it down. Just roller coaster is a 10 of 10 in my book. It sets all records off the charge and no other coaster comes even close. I have personally wrote it 30 times in a row. And if the park wasn’t closing I would have no problem writing it another 30 times
Wow, that’s impressive that you rode it 30 times in a row. No arguments from me on your view of Raging Bull. It was the highlight of my trip, and I can’t wait to ride it again. Not sure I’m ready to call it my #1, but it’s up there for sure. I only was able to ride it once, and I suspect it will hold up really well. The first drop is a killer, and it never really lets up from there beyond the quick brake run.
They need to retire American eagle old raggedy 41 yr old ass coaster! It feels unsafe. Too fast at its age and too shaky! I hate it lol. I give it a 2!
It’s hard for me to argue; I feel like this is a perfect candidate for a full retrack or bigger overhaul. I did enjoy it, especially the helix at the end, but it also was really jarring. Definitely not a smooth ride!
I agree with you they need to knocked the American Eagle down because the wood is definitely rotted I seen that roller coaster shakes and I’m in line and when I get to the roller coaster I go out the exit and not go on
It’s definitely a rough ride. There are definitely ways they could make it better; we’ve seen a similar issue with a lot of older coasters that have been upgraded. That’s happening at Hershey Park with Wildcat for next year. American Eagle is the perfect candidate for it.
I give it .1 or 2 and I sucks cause red is not opening to have a race so 0
I do wish it was racing, as that would have made it a lot better for sure.
Did you try Maxx Force
I ran out of time, unfortunately. It’s at the top of my list for next time, as I know it’s considered one of the best coasters in the park.
The Eagle just doesn’t get the lines anymore for them to run it as a race. It was pretty cool years ago when they ran one track backwards. It is too shaky now but my kid loves riding it.
It is just my opinion but Goliath is better than Raging Bull.
Superman is a great concept but seems to break down too often and it is not fun to be stuck in the hanging position it is in. V2 (Flash) also breaks down a lot.
They also did a thing with the Demon where you could wear VR glasses while riding a few years ago. Interesting concept I would try it of they did it again.
Justice league needs an update on the animations, the characters look horrible, 20 year old cartoons look better.
That makes sense about the racing. It reminds me a lot of the Screamin’ Eagle at Six Flags St. Louis, which is older but in a similar out-and-back vein. The racing would take it to another level, but the train was only half full when I was there on a Saturday. With Goliath, that was my most anticipated coaster of the trip, and it was awesome. I just enjoyed Raging Bull a bit more; it might just be because I hadn’t done a B&M Hyper until this point. I’d heard similar about Superman and didn’t focus on it partially for that reason. They did a similar thing with the VR goggles with Ninja in St. Louis, but I heard it was really slow loading and didn’t last long. With Justice League, I was just relieved the effects actually worked. The St. Louis version rarely works well with animatronics broken and even screens randomly shutting off, which is pretty sad. Chris, thanks for the comment!