Since their first roller coaster debuted in 1990, Bolliger & Mabillard has produced over 130 coasters – and only a small handful have since come out of service.
When Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois opened Iron Wolf in April 1990, I find it hard to believe that anybody thought that the stand-up coaster would be the first of countless projects from a manufacturer that would go on to redefine the history of roller coasters.
From rather humble beginnings as more of a nice manufacturer focused on stand-up coasters to a leading innovator, it took hardly any time at all for B&M to etch themselves among the coaster world’s elite in the following years.
Known for their recognizable box-spined track and wide range of coaster models that can be found at many of the world’s largest and most renowned amusement parks, B&M has developed a reputation for making thrilling, crowd-pleasing rides that are often seen as worthy investments for parks.
After Iron Wolf debuted in 1990, B&M spent the rest of the decade expanding their repertoire, notably making history just two years later at the very same park with the premiere of Batman: The Ride, the world’s first-ever inverted coaster.
The end of the decade saw another wave of creativity from the company, which opened its first dive coaster in 1998 in Oblivion at Alton Towers before debuting the hyper coaster and floorless coaster models in 1999 with Apollo’s Chariot at Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Medusa at Six Flags Great Adventure, respectively.
B&M has had their fingerprints on a total of 136 roller coasters since their 1990 debut, and only four have completely closed and/or been removed from service.
With many of B&M’s coasters serving as headline attractions at their respective parks, these rides typically draw large crowds and therefore merit the investment and maintenance necessary to keep the coasters operating. Still, there have been a few instances where the rides have been removed, either due to poor ridership, high maintenance costs or simply wanting to make room for a new attraction.
Here’s a look at the small handful of shuttered B&M roller coasters:
1. Kumba, Busch Gardens Tampa (1993-2026)
143 ft tall, 135 ft drop, 60 mph, 3,978 ft length, 7 inversions
A rare sit-down looper from B&M, this coaster was one of the first high-profile additions to Busch Gardens Tampa, putting the park on the map with this behemoth of a ride that boasted the world’s tallest vertical loop and interlocking corkscrews among its seven inversions.
Formerly nestled in the park’s Congo section, Kumba‘s surrounding scenery helped capture the loose African theming of the ride while providing an experience that was still quite novel to the coaster world at the time.
While Arrow Dynamics had made multiple seven-inversion coasters with their mega-loopers, B&M appeared to greatly refine the experience with Kumba, providing a much smoother ride with more seamless transitions while not selling guests short when it came to intensity.
This coaster closed for good in August 2026, and will be replaced by a new attraction entitled Kumba’s Revenge, although the ride model, along with the scope of the new attraction, remains unknown.
2. Dragon Challenge, Universal Islands of Adventure (1999-2017)
Chinese Fireball: 125 ft tall, 115 ft drop, 60 mph, 3,200 ft length, 5 inversions
Hungarian Horntail: 125 ft tall, 95 ft drop, 55 mph, 3,200 ft length, 5 inversions
I previously singled these coasters out as defunct rides I wish I got the chance to experience, missing out on these due to a storm during my visit to Islands of Adventure in March 2011.
A pair of B&M inverts, these two coasters would often be dispatched simultaneously – creating a slew of near-miss elements throughout the ride in an experience that couldn’t be found anywhere else.
While the Chinese Fireball side included a slightly larger drop and slightly faster top speed, both of these coasters included five inversions each and covered 3,200 feet of track, both jammed into an incredibly tight plot of land.
These coasters notably stood out as a high-thrill offering at a park that is more known for family-friendly rides and immersive theming, although the park has certainly upgraded in this regard since the 2017 removal of Dragon Challenge.
These rides were ultimately removed to make way for Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, an Intamin multiple-launch family coaster with enthralling Harry Potter theming that cost the park $300 million to build.
3. Green Lantern, Six Flags Great Adventure (2011-2024
Previously operated as Chang at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom (1997-2009)
154 ft tall, 144 ft drop, 63 mph, 4,155 ft length, 5 inversions
A large stand-up coaster built during the height of the stand-up craze in the late 1990’s, this coaster initially debuted as Chang at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom, where it operated for 13 seasons from 1997 to 2009.
A significant investment for the relatively small park, Chang served as the headlining attraction for the fledgling Kentucky Kingdom for most of its lifespan, with the ride ultimately closing alongside the park in September 2009.
While Kentucky Kingdom would change ownership and eventually reopen in 2014, Chang would be relocated to Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, N.J., where it was repainted and renamed as Green Lantern.
The theming took a bit of a step up after the relocation, featuring a two-toned track and a fog-emitting awning at the bottom of the first drop.
Often seen by enthusiasts and the general public alike as one of the rougher rides in the park, this coaster was ultimately removed after the 2024 season, with its plot of land partially going towards the also-relocated Barrels O’ Fun (formerly known as Ragin’ Cajun) as well as the upcoming Bakunawa.
4. Firebird, Six Flags America (2019-2025)
Previously operated as Iron Wolf at Six Flags Great America (1990-2011) and Apocalypse at Six Flags America (2012-2018)
100 ft tall, 90 ft drop, 55 mph, 2,900 ft length, 2 inversions
Technically the first-ever B&M coaster, this ride debuted at Six Flags Great America as the stand-up Iron Wolf in 1990, operating at the park for 22 seasons before being relocated to Six Flags America in Maryland.
The ride remained a stand-up coaster and was renamed Apocalypse in 2012, operating under that name through the 2018 season before yet another major refurbishment – as the ride received floorless trains and a renaming to Firebird ahead of the 2019 season.
While the floorless conversion certainly helped in making the ride a bit less aggressive, Firebird ended up as a much milder version of its predecessor, something I’m imagining myself after riding another small stand-up-to-floorless conversion in Patriot at California’s Great America.
The coaster ultimately operated as Firebird from the 2019 season until the park’s closure in November 2025, and it has remained standing but not operating since. Considering its age and location at a defunct park, it’s safe to assume that this ride has seen its final days of operation.
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