Inverted roller coaster facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Inverted roller coaster
Nemesis at Alton Towers in 2010
Status	In Production
First manufactured	1992
No. of installations	231
Manufacturers	Bolliger & Mabillard, Vekoma, Intamin, Gerstlauer, and Mack Rides
Vehicles	Suspended trains
Restraint Style	Over-the-shoulder (most common style)

An inverted roller coaster is a super fun type of steel roller coaster. Imagine sitting in a car where your feet dangle freely in the air! That's what happens on an inverted coaster. The train actually runs under the track, and your seat is attached right to the wheels. This design lets you experience exciting twists and turns with nothing above your head.

The very first inverted roller coaster was created by a Swiss company called Bolliger & Mabillard in the early 1990s. They built a ride called Batman: The Ride, which opened at Six Flags Great America on May 9, 1992. It was a huge hit!

A close-up of an inverted roller coaster car, made by B&M.

Other companies also started making inverted roller coasters. Companies like Vekoma and Intamin created their own versions. Vekoma became well-known for its "Suspended Looping Coaster" design, building many of them around the world. They even made a special "Suspended Thrill Coaster" that uses a lap-bar instead of the shoulder restraints you usually see. Vekoma also built the first family-friendly inverted coaster, called Flying Ace Aerial Chase, which opened at Kings Island in 2001. Another company, Giovanola, has one inverted coaster that uses a special track design.

It's important not to confuse inverted coasters with older "suspended coasters." While both ride under the track, suspended coasters have cars that swing from a bar, and your legs are usually inside the car. Inverted coasters are different because your seat is directly attached to the track, and your feet hang free. This direct connection is what allows inverted coasters to do amazing flips and turns, called inversions!

Some cool inversions you might experience on an inverted coaster include vertical loops (going upside down in a big circle), zero-g rolls (feeling weightless as you twist), Immelmann loops, cobra rolls (a double flip that looks like a cobra's head), and corkscrews (twisting spirals).

How Inverted Coasters Started

The idea for inverted roller coasters came about in the early 1990s. Two clever engineers, Walter Bolliger and Claude Mabillard, from a Swiss company called Bolliger & Mabillard, worked with Robert Mampe and Jim Wintrode. Jim Wintrode, who managed Six Flags Great America, dreamed of a coaster that could go upside down while riders hung below the track.

Their teamwork led to Batman: The Ride, the world's very first inverted coaster. It had a special preview opening on May 2, 1992, and officially opened on May 9, 1992, at Six Flags Great America. Everyone loved it! Because it was so popular, the company that owned Six Flags at the time, Time Warner, decided to build copies of the ride at other Six Flags parks.

In 1993, another Batman: The Ride opened at Six Flags Great Adventure. This was the second inverted coaster ever built. Six Flags later added five more copies of this exciting ride.

The next unique inverted coaster was Flight Deck, which opened in 1993 at California's Great America. It was originally called Top Gun. Then, in 1994, Nemesis (now known as Nemesis Reborn) opened at Alton Towers in England. This was the first inverted coaster built outside the United States. In the same year, Raptor opened at Cedar Point. Raptor was much bigger than earlier inverted coasters, with a track over 1,160 meters long. It was also the first inverted coaster to feature a cool cobra roll inversion!

Where to Find Inverted Coasters

There are 231 inverted roller coasters installed at theme parks all over the world. Some of these rides have even moved to different parks! This list shows some of the most famous ones:

Images for kids

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  A Bolliger & Mabillard inverted roller coaster, Nemesis Inferno at Thorpe Park

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  A Vekoma built inverted coaster, Kumali at Flamingo Land Resort

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  A Bolliger & Mabillard inverted coaster, Nemesis Reborn at Alton Towers

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  A Bolliger & Mabillard inverted coaster, Afterburn at Carowinds

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  A Bolliger & Mabillard inverted coaster, Black Mamba at Phantasialand

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  A Vekoma inverted coaster, Limit at Heide Park

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  The only Bolliger & Mabillard dueling inverted coaster, Dragon Challenge at Islands of Adventure

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  A Bolliger & Mabillard inverted coaster, Great Bear at Hershey Park

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  A former Vekoma inverted coaster, Traumatizer at Pleasureland Southport

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  A Bolliger & Mabillard inverted coaster, Raptor at Cedar Point

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  A Vekoma family inverted coaster, Flying Ace Aerial Chase at Kings Island

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  An Intamin launched shuttle inverted coaster, The Flash: Vertical Velocity at Six Flags Great America

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  A former Vekoma shuttle inverted coaster, Two Face: The Flip Side at Six Flags America

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  A Vekoma inverted coaster, Thunderhawk while at Geauga Lake

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  A Gerstlauer infinity inverted coaster, Storm - The Dragon Legend at Tusenfryd

See also

In Spanish: Montaña rusa invertida para niños

• Wing Coaster
• Suspended roller coaster
• Pipeline roller coaster