Great Bear (roller coaster)

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.

Great Bear
Section of track before Great Bear's corkscrew element
Hersheypark
LocationHersheypark
Coordinates40°17′13″N 76°39′11″W
StatusOperating
Opening dateMay 23, 1998 (1998-05-23)
CostUS$13,000,000
General statistics
TypeSteel – Inverted
ManufacturerBolliger & Mabillard
DesignerWerner Stengel
ModelInverted Coaster
Lift/launch systemChain Lift
Height90 ft (27 m)
Drop124 ft (38 m)
Length2,800 ft (850 m)
Speed58 mph (93 km/h)
Inversions4
Duration2:55
Capacity1300 riders per hour
Height restriction54 in (137 cm)
Trains2 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

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]

  • Great Bear's full layout from the air
  • Great Bear's pre-drop helix (360-degree turn)
  • Great Bear's first drop
  • Great Bear's first drop, loop, and Immelmann (second inversion)
  • Great Bear's loop (first inversion).
  • Great Bear's Immelmann
  • Great Bear's zero-g roll (third inversion)
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References
  1. Holahan, Jane (August 22, 1997). "Making (bear) tracks at Hershey". Lancaster New Era. Lancaster, PA. p. 1. Retrieved June 27, 2020 – via newspapers.com .
  2. 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 .
  3. 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 .
  4. Eubank, Gayle (May 7, 1998). "Great Bear roller coaster roars into Hersheypark". The York Dispatch. York, PA. pp. 47, 48 – via newspapers.com .
  5. "Great Bear (On-Ride) Hersheypark". Sharp Productions. June 24, 2012. Retrieved July 5, 2019 – via YouTube.
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