Batman: The Ride is an inverted roller coaster based on the DC Comics character Batman and found at seven Six Flags theme parks in the United States. Built by consulting engineers Bolliger & Mabillard, it rises to a height of between and reaches top speeds of . The original roller coaster at Six Flags Great America was partially devised by the park's general manager Jim Wintrode. Batman: The Ride was the world's first inverted roller coaster when it opened in 1992, and has since been awarded Coaster Landmark status by the American Coaster Enthusiasts. Clones of the ride exist at amusement parks around the world. History The concept of an inverted roller coaster with inversions was developed by Jim Wintrode, the general manager of Six Flags Great America, in the early 1990s. To develop the idea for the park, Wintrode worked with Walter Bolliger and Claude Mabillard – from Swiss roller coaster manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard – and engineer Robert Mampe. The ride soft opened to the public on May 2, 1992, with an official opening one week later on May 9. The ride cost $7 million to build. At the time, it was the single biggest investment made by Six Flags Great America on one attraction. Following the ride's success, then-parent company Time Warner devised an expansion plan to install clones of the original at the rest of the US parks in the Six Flags chain throughout the 1990s. In 1992, Six Flags Great Adventure announced the addition of Batman: The Ride in place of Lightnin' Loops. It opened to the general public on May 1, 1993. Six Flags Magic Mountain announced the addition of their installation on August 4, 1993. The attraction opened on March 26, 1994 as part of a new Gotham City Backlot section. On September 7, 1994, Six Flags St. Louis announced that they would be receiving their installation of Batman: The Ride. The attraction opened on April 22, 1995 and was the first location to be a flipped clone and feature a different queue line. Six Flags Over Georgia announced the ride in 1996 as part of a new Gotham City section, which became the largest investment in 30 years for the park. It opened for the first time on May 3, 1997. Six Flags Over Texas announced a copy of Batman: The Ride on November 4, 1998. The ride would sit next to