Editor’s note: The video in the player above is from a previous report.
Fright Fest, Six Flags Great America’s annual festival of all things scary, is heading into its first weekend, but questions are swirling around one of the suburban amusement park’s most popular attractions.
Traditionally, multiple coasters are open during the nighttime festival, allowing guests to experience thrills under the cover of darkness. But one iconic roller coaster, Raging Bull, has been closed since the middle of the month, along with eight other coasters across Six Flags parks, following the death of a 42-year-old Georgia man, who was thrown from a similar coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia.
Like Goliath, Raging Bull is a steel “hyper coaster” designed by Switzerland-based Bolliger & Mabillard, and the two rides have similar track and train design, length, height and top speeds. Robert Niles, the editor of the online publication Theme Park Insider, called the voluntary park closures a necessary precaution.
For now, fans won’t be able to experience Raging Bull after dark.
A spokesperson for Six Flags Great America said Friday the amusement park does not have a timeline for reopening the coaster.
While it’s not yet clear which coasters will be open during Fright Fest, guests can expect spooky themed areas, electrifying performances and frightening creatures throughout the park.
Featuring characters from “Blair Witch: No Signal,” “The Conjuring Universe” and “Saw: Legacy of Terror,” Fright Fest promises pulse-pounding scares, innovative thrills and scintillating shows, according to the Six Flags website.
Fright Fest runs on select nights through Nov. 1.
