Turn of the Century in Gurnee before its conversion into Demon
In 1976, Marriott Corporation opened two nearly identical theme parks in Illinois and California, both named Marriott's Great America. Each park featured an area called The Great Midwest Livestock Exposition at County Fair, themed to an early 20th-century rural county fair. This area was set in the Midwest at the turn of the 20th century. In line with this theme, both parks included a roller coaster called Turn of the Century in the County Fair themed area. The Turn of the Century coasters were custom-built by Arrow Dynamics.[4][5][3]Ron Toomer, the designer of Turn of the Century, mentioned that it cost the park $1.2 million dollars ($6.43million in 2023) for just the design and fabrication of the coaster. He estimated that construction cost the park around another million dollars ($5.35million in 2023). The Turn of the Century coasters were the largest and most thrilling of the three original roller coasters at the Great America parks. Both coasters were identical and were among the first roller coasters to feature a double corkscrew.[3][6] They also featured two airtime hills after the first drop. These hills were known for ejecting loose articles from the trains, such as hats, sunglasses, and cameras.[3]
Both coasters were originally painted white. Around 1979, the double corkscrews of the coasters in both parks were painted red.[4][5]
After the 1979 season, both Turn of the Century coasters were heavily modified. The airtime hills after the first drop were removed and replaced with two consecutive vertical loops and a lighted tunnel.[1] Fake rock formations were built around the second loop and around the first half of the lift hill, with a third formation just before the corkscrews.[4][5][7] Both rides were painted black and were renamed Demon. With the addition of the loops, the Demon coasters became the second in the world to feature four inversions, after Carolina Cyclone at Carowinds which opened two months earlier.
In addition to the re-design, the theme was changed as well. The storyline of the ride's transformation heard in the Demon soundtrack is that the park accidentally missed three payments on the roller coaster, and that a demon has repossessed the ride.[8]Fog machines were placed in the tunnels, blood red colored water fell out of the rock formation by the corkscrews, and a unique logo was unveiled. This logo featured red eyes staring out of a boarded up pipe.[5] A large version of this logo was placed on the Demon's sign with a pool of red dyed water in front of it. The original trains were also modified, with a three-dimensional version of the logo was attached to the front car of each train and flames painted on the sides of the cars. Red lights were placed into the ride's second tunnel, creating a swirl effect.[7]
These changes allowed the parks to market Demon as a new attraction for the 1980 season without having to construct a new roller coaster.[7]
Due to opposition from religious groups, much of Demon's theming elements both parks were eventually removed, including the pipe on the ride's sign, the 3D logos and flames on the trains, the smoke and lighting effects, and the ride's soundtrack.[9][10]
Six Flags Great America
In 2005, for Six Flags Great America's Fright Fest event, almost all of Demon's original theming returned. Decals similar to the original logos were added to the noses of the trains, fog returned in the tunnels, the Demon song played in the queue again, and red lights and tiki torches were placed all around the ride. A re-creation of the original sign was present at Fright Fest. Built from an oil barrel with red lights and fog, it was placed in the flower bed in front of the ride's sign. This display returned for subsequent Fright Fests.[11]
On the park's 2006 opening day, the Demon song continued playing in the queue, the decals were still on the front of the trains,[12] and the flames were still painted on the station. The rest of the theming was removed, as it was for Fright Fest only.
By 2008, the Demon logos on the front of the trains were updated. The stylized decals reading "Demon" were replaced with logos that more closely resembled the original Marriott-era logos, featuring red eyes peering out of a pipe.[5]
In 2009, Demon's black train was given airbrushed flames on the sides of the front car with no red stripe.[13] Around 2010, the waterfall after the stone demon head was disabled.[14] For a 2010 advertising deal with Six Flags, the red train was wrapped in Stride Gum advertisements for the entire season.[15]
For the 2016 season, the Demon sign's letters were repainted black with airbrushed flames.[16][bettersourceneeded] In late 2016, the attraction was given a virtual reality (VR) upgrade. The experience would be called Rage of the Gargoyles.[5] Riders had the option to wear Samsung Gear VR headsets, powered by Oculus to create a 360-degree, 3D experience while riding. The illusion was themed to a fighter jet, where riders flew through a futuristic city as co-pilots battling demonic creatures.[17]
In 2019, flashing yellow eyes were added to the ride's first tunnel.[18]
For the 2021 season, several changes were made. The multicolored bowl-shaped lights around the first tunnel were replaced with red cage lights, and the two red demon eye lights in the first tunnel were fixed, as they previously did not turn on. Furthermore, flames were restored on the operator's booth, replacing the gray paint that had covered them for years.[19]
In late 2023, the rockwork around the loops was removed. The other theming and rockwork stayed.[20]
In July 2024, Six Flags started teasing Great America's 2025 addition. The teasers used the word "demon" multiple times, banners were put up directly next to Demon, and signpost reading "This is a mysterious sign" was placed in Demon's queue. Prior to the announcement, it was speculated that Demon could be getting removed to make way for a new attraction.[21] When Wrath of Rakshasa was announced, it was revealed that Demon was not being removed.[22] Instead, another demonic-themed roller coaster was being constructed directly across from Demon, and they are exploring retheming the area between the two.[23][24]
California's Great America
Upon the ride's conversion into Demon, it was painted fully black.[25] Since then, the rails have been repainted orange.[4]
In 2017, for the park's Halloween event, California's Great America temporarily modified Demon into what they called "Demon Reignited".[10][26] During this, a large amount of the ride's original theming returned, as well as additional effects. Decorations were added to the ride's station, flames were painted around the first tunnel, and red gobo projections were put in the second tunnel. Strobe lights were installed in the first tunnel, after the stone demon statue, and during the corkscrew elements. Additionally, various thematic elements were added to the stone demon head statue. This included the water being dyed blood red, a jet of flame being added next to the stone structure, and projection mapping being used to display blood, flames, and eyes onto the demon's face.[10][26] A new pre-show and on-ride soundtrack accompanied the ride, both voiced by James Iglehart.[27]
The majority of these effects were for Halloween only. The pyrotechnics, projections, and strobe lights were removed after Halloween. The waterfall still operated, but without its coloring.[1] The flames painted around the first tunnel stayed past Halloween, but have since been painted over.[28]
The ride's first tunnel used to feature red, green, and blue LED strip lights.[29] However, these began to stop working in 2012,[30] and were removed by 2015.[31] Later, strip lights of the same colors were added back to the first tunnel in a vertical configuration.[28]
For the 2021 season, red lights were added back into the second tunnel, fog was added around the ride, and the waterfall was reactivated. Unlike for Fright Fest 2017, these effects are permanent.[32]
Ride experience
Queue
During the queue, a 25 minute long soundtrack is played, including dialogue, sound effects, and the ride's theme song. The backstory of the ride is that a demon slithered into Great America and attached himself to one of the ride's cars, then disappeared into the ride's structure. He has supposedly grown large from repossessing riders and is unable to escape.[8]
The California version has a listed height restriction of 48 inches (120cm),[1] while the Illinois version has a listed height restriction of 42 inches (110cm).[2]
Layout
A top-down view of the ride's layout
After boarding the ride, riders start by traveling through a small tunnel with lights which turns slightly to the left. An eerie sound effect is played, then the train then ascends the lift hill. A pre-drop is followed by a nearly 180° turn just before the first drop, which leads directly into two vertical loops. According to the park, riders can experience between 2 and 6 g's during these loops.[2] Next, riders fly through a tunnel containing red lights at 45 miles per hour (72km/h), before climbing a small hill, where their speed significantly decreases. At the top of the hill is the midcourse brake run and another pre-drop followed by a turn, this time with a slightly greater angle than 180°. This leads into another drop, this one through the mouth of a stone structure. At the bottom of this drop, the track sharply banks to the right, and the train begins a double corkscrew. These corkscrews have a diameter of 35 feet (11m). Afterwards, the track makes a large, approximately 270° turn to the right, traveling up and over itself, before finally making a smaller right turn back into the final brake run and the station.[2][4][5]
Reception
Upon their debut, the Turn of the Century coasters were very highly praised. Sunset Magazine awarded the Santa Clara coaster five out of five stars, an honor shared by only two other coasters at the time.[33] The Santa Clara version accommodated over a million riders in its first six months.[34] For many people, Demon was the first inverting roller coaster they ever rode,[35] in part due to having the lowest height restriction on an inverting coaster in the park.[36]
The loop in which the trains were stuck (13 years after the incident)
In August of Turn of the Century's opening year, a wheel guide assembly fell off of a train on the version in Santa Clara. This occurred directly after the ride's two corkscrews. The train was automatically stopped by a built-in safety system. This same issue occurred twice in the span of nine days, and the coaster was temporarily shut down for inspections shortly after. Out of the two incidents, none were seriously injured. Passengers evacuated the train using ladders. Two "shaken up" passengers were taken to a hospital.[34][37]
In 1993, two trains collided at low speeds in the station of the Gurnee ride due to a switch malfunction, causing injuries to eight people. All of them were treated at to local hospitals and released the same day. After the incident, the ride remained closed for a short period for repairs, following an investigation from the park staff and the fire department.[38][39]
An incident on the Gurnee version of Demon occurred around 11 am on Saturday, April 18, 1998.[40] Twenty-three riders were left stranded upside down after the black train came to an unexpected halt in the middle of one of the vertical loops.[41] Firefighters used a cherry picker to bring the passengers to safety.[42] Riders were stuck for over two hours.[43] Four passengers were taken to local hospitals out of precaution but released that afternoon.[44] Investigators determined that the incident was caused by mechanical failure. A guide wheel that runs along the inside of the track had separated from the axle of the last car. A mechanical safety system built into the wheel assembly engaged, preventing the train from derailing. The roller coaster reopened shortly after the conclusion of the investigation.[45]
Related Research Articles
Great American Scream Machine was a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, New Jersey. The 173-foot-tall (53 m) ride opened in 1989 as the tallest and fastest looping roller coaster in the world, reaching a maximum speed of 68 mph (109 km/h). It was designed by Ron Toomer and manufactured by Arrow Dynamics, which built two other coasters with similar layouts – Shockwave at Six Flags Great America and Viper at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Great American Scream Machine featured seven inversions including a batwing and double corkscrew. Records set by the ride were succeeded by Viper the following year in 1990. It operated until July 2010 and was replaced by a stand-up roller coaster, Green Lantern, in 2011.
Green Lantern, formerly known as Chang, is a stand-up roller coaster located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, New Jersey. Green Lantern stands 155 feet (47 m) tall and features a top speed of 63 miles per hour (101 km/h). The 4,155-foot-long (1,266 m) ride features five inversions and a duration of approximately 21⁄2 minutes. This steel coaster was designed and built by Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard.
The Riddler's Revenge is a steel stand-up roller coaster located at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, the ride opened as the park's eleventh roller coaster on April 4, 1998, setting multiple world records among stand-up coasters. Originally located in the Movie District section of the park, which later became Metropolis in 2017, The Riddler's Revenge was also the park's single biggest investment at a cost of $14 million. It features a height of 156 feet (48 m), a maximum speed of 65 mph (105 km/h), six inversions, and a track length of 4,370 feet (1,330 m).
Nemesis Reborn, previously Nemesis, is an inverted roller coaster located at the Alton Towers theme park in Staffordshire, England. It was manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M) and designed by Werner Stengel, from a concept by park developer John Wardley. It opened in the Forbidden Valley area of the park on 19 March 1994.
Kumba is a steel roller coaster located at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, the ride opened in 1993. It stands 143 feet (44 m) tall and has a top speed of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h). Kumba features a total of seven inversions across the 3-minute ride. It is Busch Gardens Tampa Bay's oldest roller coaster that is still operating, following the closure of Scorpion in 2024.
Firebird is a floorless roller coaster located at Six Flags America in Prince George's County, Maryland. The roller coaster had originally debuted in 1990 as a stand-up roller coaster named Iron Wolf at Six Flags Great America. It was later relocated to Six Flags America in 2012 and renamed Apocalypse, under which it operated until 2018.
Medusa, formerly known as Bizarro, is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, New Jersey. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, the ride debuted as the world's first floorless roller coaster on April 2, 1999. It was repainted and rethemed to Bizarro in 2009. In 2022, it was repainted and renamed back to Medusa.
Scream is a steel roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, the Floorless Coaster model was the park's sixteenth roller coaster and is located in the Screampunk District area of the park. The 150-foot-tall (46 m) ride consists of a series of roller coaster elements including seven inversions ranging from a zero-g roll to interlocking corkscrews. The ride is a mirror image of Medusa at Six Flags Great Adventure.
Viper is a steel roller coaster located in the Baja Ridge area of Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California. Viper is the last operating roller coaster with seven inversions to be built by American manufacturer Arrow Dynamics. The other two, Shockwave at Six Flags Great America and the Great American Scream Machine at Six Flags Great Adventure, were demolished in 2002 and 2010, respectively. The roller coaster replaced a HUSS ride type named Condor.
Nighthawk is a steel flying roller coaster located at Carowinds. Constructed by Vekoma, it is located in the Thunder Road section of the park. The roller coaster originally opened as Stealth at California's Great America on April 1, 2000. In 2003, Paramount Parks decided to relocate the roller coaster to Carowinds. It reopened as Borg Assimilator – the first coaster in the world to be themed to Star Trek – on March 20, 2004. After Cedar Fair purchased Carowinds in 2006, Paramount themes were soon removed from the park, and the ride was renamed Nighthawk. It is one of only two Flying Dutchman models still in existence from Vekoma, the other being Batwing at sister park Six Flags America.
Flight Deck is an inverted roller coaster located at California's Great America in Santa Clara, California. Built by Bolliger & Mabillard and designed by Werner Stengel, the roller coaster made its debut on March 20, 1993, as Top Gun. The roller coaster was built as Paramount, who had purchased the Great America theme park in 1992 along with several other parks, sought to expand its entertainment opportunities and promote its films. After Paramount sold off its Great America park to Cedar Fair, the roller coaster was rebranded as Flight Deck.
Batman: The Dark Knight is a steel floorless roller coaster designed by Bolliger & Mabillard located in the Gotham City section of Six Flags New England. The roller coaster has 2,600 feet (790 m) of track, reaches a maximum height of 117.8 feet (35.9 m) and features five inversions. The coaster was released to the public on April 20, 2002. In 2008, the ride's name was changed to Batman: The Ride to avoid confusion with Six Flags New England's installation of The Dark Knight Coaster that was planned to be built at the park, but after the project was cancelled, the ride's name reverted to Batman: The Dark Knight.
The Joker's Jinx is a steel roller coaster at Six Flags America in Prince George's County, Maryland. The ride utilizes linear induction motor technology to launch the train from 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) in just over three seconds.
Shockwave was a roller coaster manufactured by Arrow Dynamics at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois. Standing 170 feet (52 m) tall and reaching speeds of 65 miles per hour (105 km/h), it opened in 1988 as the world's tallest and fastest looping roller coaster with a record-breaking seven inversions: three vertical loops, a boomerang, and two regular corkscrews. Shockwave was closed in 2002 and has been dismantled.
Patriot is a floorless roller coaster located in Hometown Square at the California's Great America amusement park in Santa Clara, California, United States. The roller coaster originally opened as Vortex on March 9, 1991. It was a stand-up roller coaster designed by Werner Stengel and manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard.
Superman The Ride is a steel roller coaster at Six Flags New England in Agawam, Massachusetts. Built by Liechtensteiner manufacturer Intamin, the hypercoaster opened to the public as Superman – Ride of Steel in 2000. It features a 208-foot (63 m) lift hill, a 221-foot (67 m) drop, and a maximum speed of 77 mph (124 km/h). In 2009, the park changed the name to Bizarro, named after a DC Comics character portrayed as the antithesis of Superman. In accordance with the theme change, the coaster's track and supports were repainted with a purple and dark blue color scheme, and other special effects were added. In 2016, the Six Flags reverted to the original theme, but instead of restoring the name, it was changed to Superman The Ride. A virtual reality feature was added the same year, which created an optional 3D experience for passengers, but was removed prior to the 2017 season.
X-Flight is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois. Designed and built by Bolliger & Mabillard, the ride opened as the fourth Wing Coaster in the world and the second in the United States on May 16, 2012. It replaced both the Splashwater Falls and Great American Raceway attractions. The 3,000-foot-long (910 m) roller coaster features barrel rolls, high-speed drops, and a signature fly-through element, where the train narrowly misses a relocated air traffic control tower as it passes through an opening known as a keyhole element.
RailBlazer is a steel roller coaster at California's Great America in Santa Clara, California. Manufactured by Rocky Mountain Construction, the single-rail roller coaster opened in June 2018. RailBlazer is the ninth roller coaster at California's Great America, and features a 90-degree drop, three inversions, and an off-roading adventure theme.
Stunt Pilot is a steel roller coaster at Silverwood Theme Park in Athol, Idaho. The single-rail Raptor model was manufactured by Rocky Mountain Construction, who is headquartered 20 minutes south of the park. Its stunt pilot theme pays homage to the daily air shows that were once hosted at the park from 1988 to 1996. Stunt Pilot opened to the public on May 29, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
Must transfer from wheelchair
