Goliath is a wooden roller coaster at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois. Manufactured by Rocky Mountain Construction and designed by Alan Schilke, the ride set three world records for wooden roller coasters when it opened to the public on June 19, 2014: the longest drop at, the steepest drop at 85°, and the fastest speed at. The 100-second ride also features two inversions.The ride was constructed over a nine-month period from September 2013 on the site of the former Iron Wolf roller coaster. Following its opening, the ride received favorable reviews from the media and roller coaster enthusiasts.HistoryOn August 5, 2011, Six Flags Great America announced on their official Facebook page that the Iron Wolf would be closed on September 5, 2011. The ride was subsequently removed and relocated to Six Flags America where it operates as Apocalypse: The Last Stand. At the time, the park did not have any definitive plans for the site.On August 1, 2013, Six Flags Great America began a teaser campaign entitled "Follow the Journey". In mid-August 2013, it was revealed Six Flags Great America would be building a 165ft roller coaster, with plans being lodged with the local zoning committee to exceed the 125ft height limit imposed on the park.On August 29, 2013, it was officially announced that Six Flags Great America would be adding Goliath, a wooden roller coaster by Rocky Mountain Construction, for the 2014 season. As part of the announcement, a concept computer-animated "point-of-view" (POV) and statistics of the ride were released. Situated on the site of the former Iron Wolf roller coaster, Goliath would utilise the majority of the station and queue line of the former ride, with the station being lengthened to account for twelve rows of seats instead of seven.
