Lightning Bolt (roller coaster)

Lightning Bolt was a steel family roller coaster that operated at MGM Grand Adventures Theme Park in Paradise, Nevada until the park's closure in 2000.[1] Manufactured by Intamin, the ride opened at the park in 1993 as an indoor roller coaster before being renovated in 1997 and expanded outdoors.

Lightning Bolt
MGM Grand Adventures Theme Park
LocationMGM Grand Adventures Theme Park
Coordinates36°06′27″N 115°10′00″W / 36.107391°N 115.166690°W / 36.107391; -115.166690
StatusRemoved
Opening date1993
Closing dateSeptember 4, 2000
General statistics
Type – Steel
ManufacturerIntamin
DesignerIng.-Büro Stengel GmbH
ModelFamily roller coaster
Lift/launch system2 lift hills
Height69.0 ft (21.0 m)
Drop60 ft (18 m)
Length2,400 ft (730 m)
Speed35 mph (56 km/h)
Inversions0
Trains2 trains with 10 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in a single row for a total of 20 riders per train.
Lightning Bolt at RCDB

History

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In 1993, Lightning Bolt first opened during the grand opening of MGM Grand Adventures Theme Park. The ride was classified as an indoor roller coaster, as it never traveled outside. In 1997, the ride was renovated and expanded outdoors, adding a second lift hill and expanding the overall length of the roller coaster from 1,100 feet to 2,400 feet.[2]

Closure

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In September of 2002, it was announced that MGM Grand Adventures Theme Park, along with all of its rides, would be closed to make space for condos and a swimming pool.[3] Lightning Bolt was taken down piece by piece as it would be attempted to be relocated to Granite Park in Fresno, California before that theme park closed as well. The roller coaster sat there for years before finally being scrapped sometime after 2010.[4]

References

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  1. ^ "Remember MGM's 1990s theme park? - Las Vegas Weekly". lasvegasweekly.com. 9 November 2017. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
  2. ^ "Lightning Bolt - MGM Grand Adventures - Roller Coasters". www.ultimaterollercoaster.com. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
  3. ^ "MGM Grand Theme Park - Throwback Thursday". Coaster Kings. 2014-07-24. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
  4. ^ "unknown - Granite Park (Fresno, California, United States)". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2019-09-23.