| Great Bear | |
|---|---|
_05.jpg')) Section of track before Great Bear's corkscrew element | |
| Hersheypark | |
| Location | Hersheypark |
| Coordinates | 40°17′13″N 76°39′11″W / 40.28694°N 76.65306°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | May 23, 1998 |
| Cost | US$13,000,000 |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel – Inverted |
| Manufacturer | Bolliger & Mabillard |
| Designer | Werner Stengel |
| Model | Inverted Coaster |
| Lift/launch system | Chain Lift |
| Height | 90 ft (27 m) |
| Drop | 124 ft (38 m) |
| Length | 2,800 ft (850 m) |
| Speed | 58 mph (93 km/h) |
| Inversions | 4 |
| Duration | 2:55 |
| Capacity | 1300 riders per hour |
| Height restriction | 54 in (137 cm) |
| Trains | 2 trains with 8 cars. Riders are arranged 4 across in a single row for a total of 32 riders per train. |
| Great Bear at RCDB Pictures of Great Bear at RCDB | |
Great Bear is an inverted roller coaster located at Hersheypark in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Designed by Werner Stengel, the roller coaster was built by Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M) and opened in 1998 in the Kissing Tower Hill section of the park. Great Bear was the first inverted looping coaster in Pennsylvania, with four inversions, and cost $13 million to build.
History
Great Bear was announced in August 1997 as Hersheypark's sixth roller coaster, to be built by Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M). The coaster was named after the constellation Ursa Major.[1][2] The coaster opened on May 23, 1998, at a cost of $13 million. At the time it was the most expensive roller coaster ever constructed in the park, as well as the first inverted looping coaster in Pennsylvania.[3][4]
Due to surrounding terrain and proximity to other attractions, the coaster was one of B&M's most difficult installations. The supports weren't permitted to be built in nearby Spring Creek, and the limitation resulted in an unusual support structure design for a B&M coaster.
Ride experience
Riders exit the station and climb a 90-foot (27 m) hill. There is a left-hand helix immediately after the lift, swinging riders around into the 124-foot (38 m) drop into The Hollow.[4] After the drop, the train enters a 100-foot (30 m) loop, followed immediately by an Immelmann loop, and then going into a zero-g roll. Riders continue through The Hollow over midway areas, making a sharp turn over Spring Creek. After a short straightaway, the train goes into a corkscrew, and then up a hill with two wide turns, skirting around SooperDooperLooper's vertical loop and the Coal Cracker flume ride. The train then enters a short brake run; after the brake-run, riders return to the station.[5]
The top speed of Great Bear is 58 miles per hour (93 km/h). The ride is about 175 seconds long and can handle 1,300 riders an hour.[4] Each of the two trains can accommodate 32 passengers, arranged in eight rows with four to a single row.[1]
Gallery
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Great Bear's full layout from the air
Great Bear's pre-drop helix (360-degree turn)
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Great Bear's first drop
Great Bear's first drop, loop, and Immelmann (second inversion)
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Great Bear's loop (first inversion).
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Great Bear's Immelmann
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Great Bear's zero-g roll (third inversion)
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References
- ^ a b Holahan, Jane (August 22, 1997). "Making (bear) tracks at Hershey". Lancaster New Era. Lancaster, PA. p. 1. Retrieved June 27, 2020 – via newspapers.com
. - ^ Miller, Dan (August 24, 1997). "'Great Bear' riders will loop, spin, roll". The Sentinel. Carlisle, PA. p. 41. Retrieved June 27, 2020 – via newspapers.com .
- ^ Kraft, Randy (May 17, 1998). "Tie shoes tight for Hersheypark's new inverted-loop coaster". The Morning Call. Allentown, PA. p. 100. Retrieved June 27, 2020 – via newspapers.com .
- ^ a b c Eubank, Gayle (May 7, 1998). "Great Bear roller coaster roars into Hersheypark". The York Dispatch. York, PA. pp. 47, 48 – via newspapers.com .
- ^ "Great Bear (On-Ride) Hersheypark". Sharp Productions. June 24, 2012. Retrieved July 5, 2019 – via YouTube.
