Raging Bull
Six Flags Great America
Location	Six Flags Great America
Park section	Southwest Territory
Coordinates	42°21′56.89″N 87°56′13.39″W / 42.3658028°N 87.9370528°W / 42.3658028; -87.9370528
Status	Operating
Soft opening date	April 29, 1999 (1999-04-29)
Opening date	May 1, 1999 (1999-05-01)
Cost	$25,000,000[1]
Replaced	Rolling Thunder
General statistics
Type	Steel
Manufacturer	Bolliger & Mabillard
Designer	Werner Stengel
Model	Hyper Coaster
Lift/launch system	Chain lift hill
Height	202 ft (62 m)
Drop	208 ft (63 m)
Length	5,057 ft (1,541 m)
Speed	73 mph (117 km/h)
Inversions	0
Duration	2:30
Max vertical angle	65°
Capacity	1560 riders per hour
Trains	3 trains with 9 cars. Riders are arranged 4 across in a single row for a total of 36 riders per train.
Website	Official website
Flash Pass available
Must transfer from wheelchair
Raging Bull at RCDB

Raging Bull is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois. Designed by Werner Stengel and manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M), the ride opened to the public on May 1, 1999. It features a 208-foot (63 m) first drop, a maximum speed of 73 mph (117 km/h), and a track length of over 5,000 feet (1,524 m). It was the second B&M Hyper Coaster model to open in the United States, closely following the opening of Apollo's Chariot at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.

History

On October 21, 1998, Six Flags Great America announced that they would be adding Raging Bull for the 1999 season. It would be located in the Southwest Territory section next to Viper. The park hired Bolliger & Mabillard to build a brand new hyper coaster.^[2] Construction on Raging Bull began in November 1998 and was completed by the following spring. It opened to the public on May 1, 1999. A media day was held two days earlier on April 29.^[3]

In 2008, Raging Bull was repainted. The following year, the ride received a new entrance sign depicting a more aggressive bull.^[4]

On June 15, 2016, Six Flags announced that Virtual Reality (VR) would be added to the ride later in the year.^[5][6] The VR experience didn't last long on the rides that offered it across the Six Flags chain due to slower load times and longer lines, as well as additional staffing to distribute and sanitize each headset.^[7][8]

Description

Raging Bull is located in the Southwest Territory section of the park, situated between Viper and the giant helix on American Eagle. This site had been previously occupied by Rolling Thunder, a bobsled roller coaster that operated at the park from 1989 to 1995. Raging Bull's station is designed to have a run-down appearance. The track is painted orange with unpainted rails and wine-colored supports.^[9]

Ride experience

As the train exits the station, it makes a left turn and a small dip before ascending the lift hill. At the 202-foot peak (62 m), the train traverses a pre-drop into a brief straight section of track, before making a 208-foot plunge (63 m) into a tunnel, reaching speeds of up to 73 mph (117 km/h). The track then ascends into a hammerhead turn to the right. After the turnaround is a parabolic hill with a trim brake on the uphill side. This is followed by another hill that banks left over the station area, a dip under the lift hill, and another hammerhead turn to the left. The train then makes a right-hand uphill turn into a mid-course brake run. Dropping off the mid-course brakes, the track passes the on-ride camera. This is followed by an airtime hill and a three-quarter turn to the right, wrapping around the first drop and diving into a figure-eight turn. Exiting the turn, the train rises uphill and enters the final brake run before returning to the station.

Awards