Viper (Six Flags Great America)

Viper
Viper's layout as seen from Sky Trek Tower
Six Flags Great America
LocationSix Flags Great America
Park sectionSouthwest Territory
Coordinates42°22′05″N 87°56′14″W / 42.36806°N 87.93722°W / 42.36806; -87.93722
StatusOperating
Opening dateApril 29, 1995
General statistics
TypeWood
ManufacturerSix Flags
DesignerStand Company
Track layoutConey Island Cyclone (mirror image)
Lift/launch system
Chain lift hill
Height100 ft (30 m)
Drop80 ft (24 m)
Length3,458 ft (1,054 m)
Speed50 mph (80 km/h)
Inversions0
Duration1:45
Max vertical angle
53°
Capacity1000 riders per hour
G-force3.6
Height restriction
48 in (122 cm)
Trains2 trains with 5 cars; riders arranged 2 across in 3 rows for a total of 30 riders per train
WebsiteOfficial website
Fast Lane available
Must transfer from wheelchair
Viper at RCDB

Viper is a wooden roller coaster located at Six Flags Great America, an amusement park in Gurnee, Illinois, United States. Constructed for an industry-estimated price of $4 million in 1995 ($8.45 million in 2025), Viper was intended to increase interest in and attendance at the park. The coaster was designed by Six Flags Great America and Dennis Starkey of the Stand Company, with a layout similar to that of the Coney Island Cyclone. The ride opened to the public on April 29, 1995; the following year, it became a part of the park's Southwest Territory themed land which was created around it.

The ride is themed to a snake-infested abandoned factory, featuring related theming in its station. Viper's 30-passenger trains traverse its 3,458-foot-long (1,054 m) track in 1 minute 45 seconds, reaching a maximum height of 100 feet (30 m) and a top speed of 50 miles per hour (80 km/h). Since opening, Viper has been praised by critics for its sense of speed, classic design, and moments of airtime, while its smoothness has received mixed reviews.

History

Viper's first drop

Following the 1994 season, described as an "off year" for attendance, the park's managers expressed a desire for the introduction of Viper to generate interest for the park and attract more visitors.[1] Viper was designed by Six Flags Great America and Dennis Starkey of the Stand Company.[2][3] The latter had previously worked for Curtis D. Summers, the designer of the park's other wooden roller coaster at the time, American Eagle.[3][4]

According to Six Flags Great America spokeswoman Connie Costello, Viper was inspired by the 1927 Coney Island Cyclone, part of the "golden age of roller coasters" – a period in the 1920s when over 1,500 wooden roller coasters were in operation.[5][2][6] She noted that by the 1980s, less than 100 wooden roller coasters operated in North America, but they were "growing in popularity" as the amusement park industry observed guests' continued interest in classic roller coasters.[7][8] Viper's layout was designed as a near mirror image of the Coney Island Cyclone,[9][10] though with some modifications.[5][11] She described Viper as a "complement" to American Eagle;[8] though they are both wooden coasters,[12] Viper's design features a twister layout while American Eagle has an out-and-back layout.[5]

Construction of Viper began on September 7, 1994.[13] By January 1, 1995, approximately forty percent of the coaster's structure had been erected and its track was beginning to be installed. The park's vice president of maintenance stated that despite poor weather over the winter, work was still able to be carried out during all but three scheduled days.[14] The coaster was constructed by the park in conjunction with Rygiel Construction and required 30,000 person-hours of work by a team of 40 carpenters working six-day weeks.[9][8] Viper was built by constructing sections of the coaster on the ground, then lifting them into place using a crane.[13]

The coaster was constructed using 700,000 board feet (1,652 cubic meters) of unpainted southern yellow pine supported by 1,200 concrete footers 2 feet (0.61 m) in diameter and over 5 feet (1.5 m) in height.[14][7] According to an industry estimate, the attraction cost $4 million ($8.45 million in 2025) in total.[15] Viper opened to the public on April 29, 1995.[16][10]

Viper opened as part of the Hometown Square area of the park, sitting on the park's northern perimeter at the time.[2] In 1996, the year following Viper's opening, the Southwest Territory land opened at the park, a themed land based on cattle towns of the American West during the 19th century;[17] Viper became part of this land.[18]

During the summer of 2013 and Fright Fest in 2017, Viper's trains were flipped to run backwards for a limited time. Viper was run backwards along with other rides in the park, including Batman: The Ride and American Eagle.[19][11]

Ride experience

A top-down diagram of the ride's layout

Viper has an oval-shaped twister layout with multiple levels.[8][5] It is modeled after the Coney Island Cyclone,[5] being a near mirror image,[9][10] though with an extra double down element and a maximum height of 100 feet (30 m) compared with Cyclone's maximum height of 75 feet (23 m).[11][20] Its layout features multiple banked turns, eleven drops, and nine moments of air time.[16][21] One ride lasts approximately 1 minute 45 seconds.[14][10]

After exiting the station, the train makes two left turns through the ride's support structure before climbing a chain lift hill to a height of 100 feet (30 m). The train then descends an 80-foot-tall (24 m) drop, reaching a top speed of 50 miles per hour (80 km/h). After passing below a later section of track, the train rises into an elevated turnaround before dropping beneath the ride's supports once more and ascending a camelback hill. This is followed by a second elevated turnaround which ends with a double down. The train then navigates another camelback hill and raised turnaround before a series of hills split by a third turnaround. After a final turn, trains enter the ride's final brake run before returning to the station.[22][11][9][10]

Characteristics

Viper's entrance sign
Viper's station is themed to an abandoned snake oil elixir factory.

Viper operates with two Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters-manufactured trains of five cars; each car features three rows of two seats for a total of thirty riders per train. This allows for a theoretical capacity of 1,000 riders per hour. The ride's 100-foot-tall (30 m) chain lift hill is 255 feet (77.7 m) long, angled at 27 degrees, and powered by a 162.5 kilowatt motor.[10][9]

Viper is located in the park's Southwest Territory themed land.[18] According to the ride's backstory, the station is located in what was previously "Col B. Peabody's Snake Oil Elixir factory", illustrated by snake-related theming within the station such as snakeskin on its walls.[7][2] After disembarking the ride, riders exit through the Col. J.R. Peabody and Sons Mercantile Co. gift shop.[23]

Reception and awards

Viper has been generally well received.[24] Paul Ruben, then editor of the Park World magazine, described the ride as "unrelenting",[5][8] praising how the ride enhanced riders' sensation of speed by "rushing past stationary objects".[25] He additionally noted that he preferred Viper to the original Coney Island Cyclone.[26] While Ruben called Viper "one of the smoothest" roller coasters he had ridden when it opened,[27] others later described it as "rough", "bumpy", and "rickety".[28][29] Riders have also praised the ride's classic character,[24][21] as well as its moments of airtime, especially during the double down element.[21][30][11]

Viper contributed to the Guinness World Records title for the most wooden roller coaster track in a park awarded to Six Flags Great America in 2016 upon the opening of Goliath. The track length totaled 16,558 feet (5,047 m) between Viper, Goliath, American Eagle, and Little Dipper.[31] Kings Island later surpassed Six Flags Great America's record with the debut of Mystic Timbers.[32]

In 2010, USA Today named Viper as one of the top ten best roller coasters in the United States.[25] Additionally, Viper charted in Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Awards for the fifty best wooden roller coasters in the world until 2014, peaking at a rank of 19 in 1999.[33]

Golden Ticket Awards: Top wood Roller Coasters
Year19981999
Ranking 24[34] 19[33]
Year2000200120022003200420052006200720082009
Ranking 24[35] 36[36] 24[37] 23[38] 29[39] 26[40] 32[41] 37[42] 30[43] 30[44]
Year2010201120122013201420152016201720182019
Ranking 34[45] 41[46] 26[47] 44 (tie)[48] 49[49] – – – – –
Year202020212022202320242025
Ranking N/A – – – – –

Incidents

On June 25, 1997, a 14-year-old boy's right hand was injured after becoming caught between the train and the station platform for a distance of 30 feet (9.1 m) as the train entered the station. Officials stated that it appeared that his arm was outside of the train, breaking park rules. He was freed by firefighters using a miniature hydraulic rescue tool and airlifted to the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.[50]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Crown, Judith (April 17, 1995). "Lake County goes along for the ride". Crain's Chicago Business. Vol. 18, no. 16. Retrieved February 21, 2026 – via ProQuest.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Berry, Lynn (June 1, 1995). "Great America features new coaster". The Times. Retrieved February 21, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. 1 2 "Dinn And Summers — A Brief Resurgence In Wooden Coasters". RollerCoaster! Magazine. 30 (3). American Coaster Enthusiasts. 2008. ISSN 0896-7261.
  4. ↑ Josten, Margaret (December 26, 1988). "Designer puts new twists into nation's roller coasters". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved February 21, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Westhoff, Jeffery (May 5, 1995). "Come along for one wild ride". Northwest Herald. Retrieved March 3, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "Coaster Potpourri". RollerCoaster! Magazine. 17 (1). American Coaster Enthusiasts. 1995. ISSN 0896-7261.
  7. 1 2 3 Lee, Edith C. (April 28, 1995). "Viper hails back to classic coasters". Rockford Register Star. Retrieved February 21, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Vander Velden, Patrik (May 6, 1995). "What goes up... comes down fast". Kenosha News. Retrieved February 27, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 "Physics Day Teacher Manual" (PDF). Six Flags. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 6, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2026.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Marden, Duane. "Viper (Six Flags Great America)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 CoasterCritic (April 16, 2018). "Review: Viper at Six Flags Great America". Coaster Critic. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
  12. ↑ O'Hara, Delia (April 28, 1995). "Great America Uncoils Viper". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved March 7, 2026 – via ProQuest.
  13. 1 2 Calloway, Earl (April 3, 1995). "The Viper strikes at Great America". Chicago Defender. Retrieved February 21, 2026 – via ProQuest.
  14. 1 2 3 Malham Jr., Howell J. (June 1, 1995). "Great America adds thrills". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 7, 2026.
  15. ↑ Strope, Leigh (October 31, 1997). "What's up, Doc?". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved March 3, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. 1 2 "Viper". The Charlotte Observer. May 7, 1995. Retrieved March 4, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ↑ "In 20 years, Six Flags has made its mark". Chicago Tribune. June 16, 1996. Archived from the original on December 30, 2024. Retrieved December 30, 2024.
  18. 1 2 Holzhauer, Robin (June 13, 1996). "Theme park's new addition is a welcome one". The Brookfield News. Retrieved March 15, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ↑ Snyder, Elizabeth (May 31, 2013). "Batman flips out". Kenosha News. Retrieved March 3, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Cyclone (Luna Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
  21. 1 2 3 Lopez, Joseph; Westhoff, Jeffrey (June 14, 2002). "Thrills-N-Spills: Herald writers ride their way through Great America to ride the coasters". Northwest Herald. p. 82. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
  22. ↑ "Viper - Six Flags Great America". Six Flags. Archived from the original on February 3, 2023.
  23. ↑ Uebelherr, Jan (June 14, 1996). "With technicolor headdresses and rocks painted teal, it's more Warner Bros. than old west: Great America's wild, wild Southwest Territory". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
  24. 1 2 Marcus, Sharna (August 8, 1996). "The Wild West". The South Bend Tribune. Retrieved March 3, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. 1 2 "Great America's Viper named top 10 coaster by USA Today". Lake County Journal. August 12, 2010. Retrieved March 3, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ↑ "10 great places to thrill to a roller coaster". USA Today. July 23, 2010. Retrieved March 3, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ↑ Snider, Don (June 13, 1996). "The Great Southwest". Southtown Star. Retrieved March 3, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. ↑ "We're mad about coasters". Kenosha News. May 18, 2017. Retrieved March 3, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  29. ↑ Elizabeth, Snyder (August 13, 2004). "There's no coasting on Great America's scream machines: We rate the best thrills in the park". Kenosha News. Retrieved March 3, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  30. ↑ Pang, Kevin (June 14, 2007). "Twist and shout: We rate the thrill factor on 10 coasters at Six Flags". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 15, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  31. ↑ Moran, Dan (August 26, 2015). "Coasting into the record book". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 3, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  32. ↑ Larsen, Alexis (April 14, 2017). "Kings Island has big plans for this season". Springfield News-Sun. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
  33. 1 2 "Top 25 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 6B. August 1999. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
  34. ↑ "Top 25 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 6B. August 1998. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
  35. ↑ "Top 25 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. August 2000. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
  36. ↑ "Top 25 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 6B. August 2001. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
  37. ↑ "Top 25 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 6B. September 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
  38. ↑ "Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 10–11B. September 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
  39. ↑ "Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 14–15B. September 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 3, 2007. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
  40. ↑ "Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 22–23B. September 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
  41. ↑ "Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 30–31B. September 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
  42. ↑ "Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 11 (6.2): 42–43. September 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
  43. ↑ "Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 12 (6.2): 42–43. September 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
  44. ↑ "Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 13 (6.2): 38–39. September 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
  45. ↑ "Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 14 (6.2): 38–39. September 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
  46. ↑ "Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 15 (6.2): 46–47. September 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
  47. ↑ "Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 16 (6.2): 46–47. September 2012. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
  48. ↑ "2013 Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 17 (6.2): 40–41. September 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
  49. ↑ "2014 Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 18 (6.2): 38–39. September 2014. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
  50. ↑ Buchanan, Andrew (June 25, 1997). "Thrill Park Says Teen Caused Accident". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 14, 2010.
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