Six Flags Great America Rides Ranked

On my way back east from Minnesota, I went through the Chicago area and visited a big park for a change – Six Flags Great America. I’ll do as usual and rank all the roller coasters then everything else, to give you an idea of what they have to offer. So here are all of Six Flags Great America rides, ranked.

And to clear up any confusion – there is another “Great America” park in California, and it even looks similar, They were built at the same time and have the same pool and double-decker carousel at the entrance, but that one is under Cedar Fair ownership, while this one was bought by Six Flags. There’s also a Six Flags “just plain” America in Maryland and a Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey, so don’t get those confused, either. Of all of them, Six Flags Great America is the biggest, at least by ride count.

Six Flags Great America

On the one hand, after some smaller parks, I was grateful to go to a huge Six Flags that can get all their rides up and running by rope drop and a lot of big roller coasters to enjoy. But on the other hand, Six Flags parks are gross! Valleyfair may have not had the biggest rides, but at least the park was clean and pretty.

I always thought my local Six Flags Over Georgia was kinda gross, but it seems like that’s just how Six Flags parks are run. I thought Great America would be different since it’s one of their bigger parks, but I found it grimy and run down. Like your neighborhood carnival, but on a massive scale. High on thrills, low on basic street maintenance. And I was frustrated with how many rides were closed during my visit, even on a weekend in high summer.

Roller Coasters

First, let’s take a look at Six Flags Great America’s roller coaster lineup. They’ve got 15 coasters in the park, and most of them are pretty good! If you want videos of all the roller coasters at Six Flags Great America, check out my post on roller coasters in Illinois.

#15 – Little Dipper

Last on the list is the Little Dipper. This is a 1950 junior wooden roller coaster, though it was relocated to the park in just 2010.

This one had a shockingly long line when I visited. It’s sneaky, too – you can’t see how long the line is until you get back in there. It loads super slowly and the ride is not worth the wait by any means! I’ve ridden a similar Woodstock Express that’s miles more enjoyable than this one. There are interesting signs about the ride to read while you are in line, but many of them are getting too faded to read.

#14 – Sprocket Rockets

Nearby, Sprocket Rockets is another kiddie coaster, but this one looks a little more exciting. I didn’t get to ride it, I think it must have been closed or I didn’t walk back into Camp Cartoon enough to see it.

#13 – Whizzer

One ride I know for a fact was closed is the 1976 Whizzer. And not just for a little while, but for my entire three-day visit. Not that it’s a particularly thrilling coaster, but it’s a unique old Schwarzkopf with a spiral lift hill and a zoomy track through the trees. I would have liked to have tried it.

Even if it were open, I doubt I would have been able to ride it. I’m thinking the seating arrangement doesn’t allow solo riders like the Jet Star 2 in Lagoon.

#12 – Demon

Demon is another roller coaster that never opened during my visit. From the looks of it, it’s a basic corkscrew with double loops to start and some fun rockwork tunnels thrown in. I can’t imagine I missed a great ride, but I hate to have been denied the opportunity.

#11 – American Eagle

Next up, American Eagle is an old wooden racing coaster at the back of the park. I got a bad impression of this one while still in line. They make you wait way back in the queue, I assume to let in Flash Pass users. But then, once you are released you have a long walk to the ride platform. Trains were being dispatched far from full because folks were waiting way back in the line and not on the ride platform. Riders literally aren’t making it to the ride in time to get on the train.

Once you finally make it, only the red train was running – no blue train to race against. So while the ride wasn’t as jerky as I thought it would be and has some good airtime and a fun extended helix, it was a big letdown and not worth the wait in the sun.

#10 – The Dark Knight

I nearly missed The Dark Knight as a ride and totally didn’t realize it was a roller coaster! It’s made to look like a transit station and it might succeed a little too well. The entire line and ride is indoors, which might make you think it’d be cooler, but it’s even hotter inside.

This must have been a popular ride when it opened, because there is an absurd amount of line. You get through one room and think you’re done, then there’s more! There’s a newscast pre-show that plays on a big screen, though hopefully, you’re not there long enough to see it all.

Once you finally get to the ride, it turns out it’s an indoor mad mouse in the dark with some nifty Batman storytelling. It’s a lot like a funhouse, complete with the “near miss semi” at the end.

#9 – Superman – Ultimate Flight

I don’t love these on-your-stomach flying coasters so much anymore. I think I’m aging out of them. Superman Ultimate Flight has one really good loop, but other than that, it’s a little ho-hum. And if you’re anywhere other than the very front, most of your view is of feet. (You could look at the ground, but I get really dizzy if I do that.)

Superman was nearly a walk on 15 minutes before closing time. But it’s worth it to wait a longer to sit in the front. That’s the only way to really feel like you’re flying.

#8 – Joker

Likewise, I’m not usually a big fan of these 4th dimension wing coasters, but I kinda liked this one. The green side is more flippy, but I enjoyed both sides more than I thought I would.

But more than that, it has a SINGLE RIDERS LINE!! Whoo hoo, miracle of miracles. I was able to ride again very quickly using the single rider entrance. Look for the playing cards – I missed them the first time around.

#7 – Viper

The Viper is Six Flags Great America’s other completely wooden coaster. It can be a rough ride but it didn’t give me a headache like I thought it might. The ride has some nice airtime and lateral G’s. And there’s so much timber it’s like a drive through the woods.

What’s a total mess is the ride platform. It’s a complete mob, with no staff directing traffic. So once you’ve waited in an orderly line thus far, it’s a free-for-all once you get near the train. That being said, it’s nicely themed and the line affords a nice view of the Raging Bull.

#6 – Flash: Vertical Velocity

Flash: Vertical Velocity is one of those impulse coasters, just like the one at Valleyfair. It’s fast and fun, and this one was very well run by a fun ride crew. Even in the middle of the day, it was practically a walk-on.

Try to get in the very front or the very back for the most height on the spikes.

#5 – Batman: The Ride

Batman the Ride is the same inverted roller coaster you can find in almost every Six Flags park. All the same, it’s a fun ride and I found it flying especially well in this park.

A lot of the queue is in the shade, which is nice, though the stairwells are loud and pretty gross. I think every Batman is like that. But the loading platform is in a (faux) bat cave, which is a neat effect!

#4 – Maxx Force

Maxx Force is the park’s newest roller coaster (2019) and features a super-fast launch and a nearly circular, looping track. You get some high inversions, some along-the-ground moments, and one pop of airtime right before it hits the brakes at the bottom of a loop and into the station.

It’s very quick ride, but you’re likely to wait in a long line for it. I did it first thing in the morning and there was still a decent wait. I tried again before closing one night, but it had closed early for a fireworks show, so be aware of that.

#3 – X-Flight

X-Flight is a visually stunning coaster, with wide wings that spiral around the track and through a perfectly placed slot in a tower. It’s a lot of fun to ride, too. Choose the left wing on the farther side for more height at the top of the lift hill and going through the tower. Choose the nearer right side for more moments zooming along the ground and close to the water.

I really enjoyed this ride, but it’s a little rougher than I would have liked. And the restraints get tighter and tighter as the ride goes on, which is unpleasant. But it’s a great design and worth riding both sides.

#2 – Goliath

In the number 2 slot, we have Goliath, one of those wooden coasters fitted with a smooth steel I-beam track. This one looks like it was built in place as opposed to a renovated older coaster, but the effect is the same and it’s fantastic.

My only complaint is that it’s a bit on the short side. But there’s a single rider entrance, so you can hop on it fairly quickly for a couple of ride-throughs. I found I like sitting in the middle of the train rather than the very back or front.

#1 – Raging Bull

Finally, in the top spot is Raging Bull, the tallest, longest, and fastest ride in the park, and a fantastic ride from beginning to end. The rides ops are really on point here, but again, it’s chaos on the ride platform.

This is also the ride with probably the most storytelling added to it. The story goes that a demon bull terrorized a southwestern territory until they fled and built up a walled town with a mission. The mission serves as Raging Bull’s loading platform while the town is the surrounding area. It’s the nicest section of the park with a pretty courtyard and some well-themed rides.

Flat Rides

Next, let’s rank all the rest of the rides. There are plenty of spinning flat rides, water rides, and toweringly tall ones – a lot to enjoy. Let’s go down the list.

#19 – Winner’s Circle Go Karts

To be honest, I didn’t even notice these, if they were even manned and running. This small go-kart track next to the Little Dipper costs an extra fee, but the website doesn’t say what that is.

Speaking of extra-fee rides, Six Flags Great America doesn’t have the ubiquitous Slingshot and Sky Coaster rides that almost every other park does. So there’s that.

#18 – Rue Le Dodge

Rue Le Dodge is the park’s bumper cars, which don’t hold any appeal for me. I do like that it’s at least uniquely named. You can find it next to Superman Ultimate Flight.

#17 – Hometown Fun Machine

Next, Hometown Fun Machine is a simple scrambler ride. Fun enough, but nothing major or different. You can find it right before getting to the Whizzer.

#16 – River Rocker

The River Rocker is a rocking canoe, built like a swinging pirate ship, but far gentler. You won’t find any thrills here unless you’re a smaller kid. Or maybe a bit drunk. I like the way it looks, though.

#15 – Scenic Railway

I’m usually a big fan of theme park trains. It’s a chance to sit down for a while with the wind in your face and see the park. But Six Flags Great America’s Scenic Railway is singularly boring. There’s little to look at and I don’t remember any kind of narration or conductor chat. You get one corrugated metal tunnel, and that’s about it. Some of the views from the train are worth it, like a long shot of the Joker and some different perspectives of other rides. But it brings home that Six Flags Great America just isn’t a pretty park. There are some fiberglass Loony Tunes characters dotted here and there, if you can call that sights.

It does serve as in-park transportation, with two stations – one behind the carousel in what stands for this park’s main square, and another at the back of the park by Goliath.

#14 – Chubasco

Next, Chubasco is a prettily-themed spinning teacups ride in the southwestern section of the park, near Raging Bull. It’s under shelter, which is nice, housed inside the large collonade building in the middle of that land.

The only drawback is that you kind have to go looking for it, since it’s not out in the open.

#13 – Columbia Carousel

The Columbia Carousel is the first ride you’ll encounter when you walk in the park. It’s that huge, double-decker carousel right at the entrance. It’s really more fun to look at than ride, however.

I sat on an upstairs horse, which is cool because it’s novel, but overall the ride is awfully slow. And most of the view is down into the dirty water of the entrance plaza. It’s interesting, but not very nice.

#12 – The Lobster

Getting higher up our list, The Lobster is a decently fun spinning ride. It doesn’t spin as much as a standard spider or monster ride, but it’s in that category. It’s got gentle thrills.

#11 – Triple Play

Similarly, Triple Play is a standard Troika ride, with three arms of swinging cars. They spin and lift off the ground, but I almost found it more fun when it was down on the ground at the end of the ride. It’s a lot of fun! Good and fast with some height to it.

#10 – DC Super-Villains Swing

Usually, I like these swings rides, but I found the DC Super-Villains Swing to be on the slow side. However, it’s nice to see a fun, modern paint job on a swings ride instead of the standard Victorian pastoral style you usually see.

#9 – Roaring Rapids

In the same vein of good rides that ought to be better, Roaring Rapids is Six Flags Great America’s river raft ride. Maybe it was just on my visit, but ride operation was super slow. Boats were not being dispatched very often at all.

Then, the ride itself isn’t very scenic. There’s one “cave” but it’s more like a warehouse, and you don’t even get that wet! Most of the action comes from hitting the sides of the water channel than from dips in the rapids. The wettest my boat got was a water jet from the side that came out of nowhere. After all that, there’s a long, slow lift hill back to the beginning. It should be a much better ride.

Also note that Roaring Rapids has limited hours – it always opens later and closes earlier than the rest of the park.

#8 – Sky Trek Tower

Sky Trek Tower is the observation tower you can see from almost everywhere in the park. It’s a slow ride but offers great views of the park, especially down into the water park.

I wouldn’t call it a quiet ride, however. A really sappy ’80s Six Flags jingle plays the whole time and if there are any boisterous kids or babies, it can get really loud in the enclosed space.

Note that it usually closes early. On my trip, it closed as early as 2:00 in the afternoon.

#7 – Revolution/Sky Striker

During my visit, the park’s pendulum ride was called Revolution. It was an in-ward facing setup and more about the spinning than the height of each swing. In that regard, it was more like a swinging pirate ship. I found it a lot of fun, even though the line was full in the sun.

They seem to have replaced Revolution with a new ride opening this summer called Sky Striker. It will be more like a typical pendulum with outward-facing seats and a much higher swing. I’m not sure if it will go in the same spot – in front of the entrance to American Eagle – but at least it’s in the same County Fair area of the park.

Once Sky Striker opens, I imagine it would rise to around the #3 spot for me.

#6 – Condor

The Condor must have been down during my visit because if it were open, I 1000% would have ridden it. Or I wasn’t around at the right time because I never saw it running.

It’s kind of like a troika ride, or an enterprise, but with four arms, caged-in ride vehicles, and a max 112-foot ride height. I’ve never seen anything like it anywhere else. I’m so sad it wasn’t running!

#5 – Aquaman Splashdown/Logger’s Run

Next, Aquaman Splashdown is one of two log flumes at Six Flags Great America. This one loads on a turntable like a rapids ride, then you tootle along an in-ground channel before a conveyor belt lift hill transfers you to an upper portion. After floating along the high part, you speed down a 60-foot hill to a HUGE splash down – you WILL get wet! Something about the design of the boats assures you of a huge upsplash and a face full of water at the bottom.

The older Logger’s Run is almost the exact same ride, except it seems the along-the-ground channel is longer, the high-in-the-sky channel is lower, and the final splashdown is shorter, gentler, and has a double hump on the way down and not as huge a splash. Like many rides, Logger’s Run was not open during my visit. I’m surprised they keep them both running anyway.

#4 – Richochet

There might be more thrilling rides lower down this list, but I really enjoy rides like the Richochet. It’s a fairly simple spinning ride, with ride cars on arms that swing in and out. On the outswing, it’s like a bigger dumbo ride. But on the inswing, it gets faster and tighter. I also just really like this area of the park.

I should probably put Condor up above this one, but since I didn’t get a chance to ride Condor, I can’t tell for sure.

#3 – Fiddler’s Fling

I was really surprised by this ride. Fiddler’s Fling is FAST. So fast! I guess it’s like a scrambler action, but on tilted plate. And I think I rate it so highly because I was so surprised by it. It’s loads of fun!

I didn’t manage to take a picture of this ride, but here’s a video of it in action.

#2 – Justice League: Battle for Metropolis

Justice League: Battle for Metropolis is really in a different league than pretty much everything below on this list. First of all, it has a single rider line, which allowed me to pretty much walk right on. Most of the line and the ride itself is indoors anyway, which is a welcome relief.

And once you’re inside, it’s a proper dark ride! There are animatronics, practical props, and lots of video screens for you to shoot at and earn points. It’s a great ride, especially if you don’t have to wait in line.

#1 – Giant Drop

Finally, at the top of the list, the Giant Drop is the best non-coaster ride in the park. What impresses me most about this ride almost isn’t the ride itself, but the queue line! I’ve never seen such a well-themed line for a drop tower before. You enter a mine shaft, then walk though a slot canyon around to the ride. But it also has a single rider entrance! This ended up being another almost walk-on for me, and I appreciate it. They really should have a single rider line for Raging Bull.

As for the drop tower itself, it’s a solidly good ride and loads better than the ones I’ve been on lately. At 220 feet tall, it offers a fantastic view of the park and the surrounding area before dropping you back down, faster than the speed of gravity.

Kid’s Rides

Besides the big rides, there are a few kiddie rides, found in two main areas – Camp Cartoon and Kidzopolis. Both areas are toward the back of the park, between the Little Dipper and X-Flight.

The kid’s rides are mostly self-explanatory: Big Easy Balloons, Bouncer, Crazy Bus, Krazy Kars, Krazy Kups, Lady Bugs, Red Baron, Tot’s Livery, Up Up & Away, Yahoo River, and Zoom Jets.

Food

The food at Six Flags Great America is generally pretty good. I had a walking taco in the southwestern area that was pretty great, plus a huge stick of orange slices covered in a hard honey candy. It was too expensive for what it was, but a nice refreshing change for something sweet.

Another time, I picked up a Caesar salad and some garlic knots that were pretty good, though of course overpriced. In the attached water park I got some fish and chips that were just ok. One afternoon, I got a massive Oreo funnel cake sundae, which was fun, but far too much to eat by myself.

On one evening, I tried out their Flavors of the World, a sort of international food festival they hold on weekends in June. Several booths are set up with small bites in the southwestern section near Raging Bull. I tried a few things (more than I picture here) and overall it was big money for little food and pretty disorganized and slow-moving. (Except for one quinoa bowl, which was almost too much to eat.)

Live Entertainment

Six Flags Great America has some live entertainment. I won’t say it’s great, but post-Covid I feel like I take what I can get. (I know this isn’t Dollywood.)

Kinetic

Last summer, there was one live show, called Kinetic, a sort of traffic-themed acro and dance fest. On a stage of maybe 16 or so folks, only two were decent singers and one was a decent dancer. Between singing and dancing, there were some circus-style acts, like an acrobat on silks, some guys on a trampoline, bike tricks, stuff like that.

Neon Nights

In the summer, the park has “Neon Nights,” which turned out to be an outdoor show with the same crew of performers as Kinetic, preceded by a bit of a dance party with a DJ. (I only saw little kids dancing, tho.) With some lights and smoke going, the performers sing and dance on the steps of the train station in Hometown Square.

At the end of the set, the dancers run off the stage in the middle of a song, then emerge from a barn door in a cloud of smoke – still singing the same song – to start a Looney Tunes-themed nighttime parade. The parade circles the square, heads toward the front of the park and behind the Carousel, and down Orleans place (toward Superman) to end near the Johnny Rockets in the Mardi Gras area. It sticks to the front of the park, so it’s easy to avoid it if you want to.

Fireworks

This same Saturday night, they shot off some fireworks, which were halfway decent. But there was no music with them, just some fireworks going on to one side. Maybe if I had moved from Hometown Square to the front of the park, I would have heard music? The location of the fireworks is behind Maxx Force (it shuts down early on fireworks nights) so it’s off to one side of the main entrance area, not centered or particularly scenic.

Amenities

As I’ve said, Six Flags Great America is a grimy park and the bathrooms are no exception. Every one I visited smelled disgusting, plus you have to walk THROUGH a smoking area to get to some of them.

There is decent Wifi throughout the park, and you can download a Six Flags app and select the park you are visiting. I noticed that wait times in the app didn’t start showing up until about noon, and once they did, they were usually wrong.

There is always a place to put your loose articles on the ride platform (and usually holes for your refillable drink cup, if that’s a thing you do.) I never had a problem leaving things, though I noticed on Raging Bull, they only used one of the available three bins on the ride platform instead of alternating them, which created a lot of confusion getting your stuff in and out.

I visited guest services on this trip trying to figure some things out about my Six Flags Plus membership, and boy was it disgusting in there. But the folks who work there are very nice and we had a good laugh while they struggled to answer my questions. (I asked about a skip-the-line pass that is supposed to be included with membership, but they could not figure out how I could use it.)

Parking costs extra, of course, I think around $40 these days, though that might only be for “speedy parking,” a perk they’re trying to push right now. It was $35 last summer. And there are two entrances to the parking lot, off Washington and off Grand. The Washington way is closed on nights when there are fireworks.

Hours

Six Flags Great America opens for the season on April 20 this year and starts daily operation by the end of May. By late August it’s back to weekends until early September. I think there are Halloween events after that, but they aren’t currently listed on their website.

The park generally opens at 10:30 am and closes anywhere between 6-10 pm. Always check hours before you visit! On my trip, we were let through security starting a little after 10 am, through the turnstiles around 10:15, and held at the entrance to whatever ride until the 10:30 open. At least there’s no dawdling at this park.

Tickets

Daily tickets can cost as much as $90 at the gate, or as low as $50 online (though keep in mind, you’ll pay an additional $35-40 for parking.) There’s no price break for children or seniors, though there are deals for military and first responders, and there seems to be some kind of birthday party package that includes a free birthday ticket, and a meal, drink, and snack for everyone in your party, but you have to have at least 5 people to qualify for it.

Admission only allows entry to the theme park. The semi-attached water park (see below) is a completely separate fee. Annual passes start around $100 and include parking and both Hurricane Harbor waterparks, plus other discounts and skip-the-line options.

Six Flags Plus

I chose to try out Six Flags Plus, a monthly Six Flags membership. For an initial cost of about $35, you get unlimited admission to all Six Flags parks, including parking and some food & merch discounts. The hitch is that you have to keep paying $10 (really $12 w/ fees) per month for at least a year, making it cost about the same as an annual pass after a year. But you can keep it going for as long as you like, too, or cancel after a year.

What I dislike the most about Six Flags Plus is that you buy your pass from your “home” park (online or, I guess, in person) and the Plus membership costs are different at every park. From Six Flags Over Georgia, for instance, it’s $6/month for the same benefits. Six Flags Magic Mountain in California and here at Six Flags Great America, it’s $10. And since you buy your pass from a certain park, you have to activate it there first before you can visit any other park. So since I was visiting SF Great America first, I have to fork over more per month, even though I’ll probably never go back there.

Some membership benefits only seem to work at the “home” park, like the annual skip-the-line pass benefit (which I could never get to work) and the new Speedy Parking, which is tied to your license plate.

Hurricane Harbor Chicago

Hurricane Harbor Chicago is adjacent to Six Flags Great America, but they have a separate entrance. You can see inside the park where they used to be attached, but now it’s gated off. It makes for a weird layout when you walk in, since you’re effectively walking into the side of the park, not any planned out “front.”

Overall, I found Hurricane Harbor to be super disappointing. So much of it was closed! Many of the body slides were closed. There was only one ride operator for four tube slides, and he only let one person go down one slide at a time, which took forever. The kid’s play structure was closed except for the bottom level.

Even those rides that were operating were a letdown. The wave pool has very small waves. The lazy river is wide and slow and honestly boring. And while the Tsunami Surge (the “world’s tallest water coaster”) allows single riders, there are only about 5 rafts, so everyone stands in a line at the catch pool for the next free raft, creating an unintentional audience for exiting riders. Then you have to lug your own raft up all those “world’s tallest” stairs yourself! It’s a great ride once you get on it, but is a bit ruined knowing there’s an audience of mean pre-teen boys at the bottom. So again, great ride, but piss-poor execution and maintenance.

My one delightful experience at Hurricane Harbor Chicago is that standing in the interminable line for the tube slides, I chatted with a family and ended up going on the Tornado with them, which was great fun. I usually have to forgo any raft rides when I’m by myself, so that was a fun treat.

Admission

A one-day ticket to Hurricane Harbor Chicago can cost as much as $50 at the gate, or as low as $30 online. It just depends on the day. Again, parking is an additional $35-40. And admission is completely separate from Six Flags Great America unless you have an annual pass or the Plus membership.

Hurricane Harbor Rockford

Six Flags bought a small stand-alone water park in Rockford, Illinois, about an hour and a half from the Gurnee park. It’s quainter, and cuter, and even on my Saturday morning visit, it was pretty empty. It was a little cooler that day after an overnight rain which left a lot of the pools dirty. Many pool floor surfaces were extra slick, too.

There are some fun tube slides here. I liked one on the front corner called the Tidal Wave, and two open and two enclosed tube slides that I liked a lot. There are three other open body slides which I didn’t do, some racing plunge slides, a mat racer, and a drop slide with a nearly vertical loop that I wasn’t interested in.

The wave pool again was gentle, but the lazy river was faster, if still kinda boring. I love it when there are waterfalls and splash buckets, but there was nothing like that here. In the back of the park is a cute little kiddie area with a splash tower complex on its own little island. There are lots of places, even shaded, to have a picnic. Including in the parking lot, which has these huge shade umbrellas that I can only assume are for car-side meals!

In all, I was done with everything I wanted to do in a little over an hour, including twice around the lazy river and two rides down that one slide I liked best. It’s just not a big park! And when there are no lines… I went back to Six Flags Great America and walked around for the evening, to try out Flavors of the World, to catch Neon Nights, and see the fireworks.

Admission

Again, unless you have a Six Flags Great America season pass or Six Flags Plus membership, admission to Hurrican Harbor Rockford is completely separate. Daily tickets can be as much as $50 at the gate or $30 online. Parking is $20 extra.