Rougarou
2015
​

Rougarou is Cedar Point’s floorless roller coaster. The ride originally opened in 1996 as Mantis, a stand-up roller coaster that operated until it closed in 2014. For the 2015 season, the ride was converted into the floorless coaster Rougarou.

In 2006, Skyhawk opened as the world’s tallest swing ride. Riders twisted and turned through canyons on Maverick in 2007. Kids ruled the planet in 2008 when Planet Snoopy opened. In 2010, Shoot the Rapids opened on the Frontier Trail as Cedar Point’s tallest water ride. WindSeeker took riders 301 feet into the air in 2011.
​
In January 2012, longtime Cedar Fair CEO Dick Kinzel retired. The new CEO, Matt Ouimet, would lead Cedar Fair in a different direction. Dinosaurs Alive! on Adventure Island opened in 2012. In 2013, riders flew over the park’s new front gate on GateKeeper. In 2014, Gemini Midway was remodeled.

With all of these new additions, 2015 would bring something unique to Cedar Point.

In 1996, Cedar Point opened its new stand-up roller coaster, Mantis.

When Mantis opened, it was the tallest, fastest, and longest stand-up roller coaster in the world. It also featured the most inversions of any stand-up coaster ever built. Mantis even held the record for the tallest inversion on any roller coaster in the world.

As impressive as those statistics were, and as cool as the ride looked, Mantis wouldn’t stay popular for long. Many people complained that the ride was painful and that it made it hard for guests to walk for a while after riding it.

A few years after the ride opened, rumors emerged that the ride would be changed. For over a decade, many believed a transformation was unlikely because riders’ heartlines would be in a different position.
​
These rumors continued for many years.

During the summer of 2014, an interesting change was noticed on Mantis. A small section of track was painted green. When this was spotted, rumors began swirling in the coaster community.
​
Speculation ranged from the paint being a test spot to it marking a new welding repair of some kind.

---

On September 2, 2014, Cedar Point released a video announcing that the park would be “squashing” the 18-year-old Mantis.

Mantis closed permanently on Sunday, October 19, 2014.

On Thursday, September 18, 2014, Cedar Point announced that Mantis would be converted into the floorless roller coaster Rougarou. Mantis would become the first stand-up roller coaster in the world to be transformed into a floorless coaster.

The ride was marketed as a completely new experience, offering something the park hadn’t had before. Over the years, many floorless roller coasters had been built, with the first opening in 1999 at Six Flags Great Adventure.

The ride began its conversion to Rougarou in early September 2014, starting with a fresh coat of paint. Fall was an ideal time for painting due to the warm weather, and by the end of October, the entire ride had been repainted.

Cedar Point closed Mantis on October 19, 2014, to allow time for the ride to be transformed.

During the winter, the ride received a new dropping floor, and the station was modified to accommodate it. The ride also got a new safety system, control system, and braking system—all necessary to make room for the new trains.

Construction crews worked diligently to ensure the ride would be ready in time for the park’s opening.

With its transformation complete, Rougarou opened to the public on Saturday, May 9, 2015.

Rougarou drew a large crowd when it opened, quickly becoming popular once again.

Rougarou was designed by Ing.-Büro Stengel GmbH and built by Bolliger & Mabillard. Over the years, the company also constructed Raptor (1994), Mantis (1996–2014), GateKeeper (2013), Rougarou (2015), and Valravn (2016). These coaster types have often been among the most popular rides at any amusement park.

The conversion greatly improved the ride. It became more comfortable as a floorless coaster and was much more re-rideable.

Rougarou Ride Facts
Opened: May 9, 2015
Location: Millennium Midway
Type: Floorless Coaster
Manufacturer: Bolliger & Mabillard
Designer: Ing.-Büro Stengel GmbH
Height: 145 feet
Drop: 137 feet
Length: 3,900 feet
Speed: 40 mph
Hills: 2
Trains: 3
Inversions: 4
Rougarou was advertised in 2015 as Cedar Point’s first floorless coaster.

Rougarou features the newer floorless-style trains from B&M, providing a much smoother and more enjoyable riding experience.

Rougarou is located on Millennium Midway and can be accessed from Celebration Plaza.

Theming

Rougarou has a very loose theme, but the ride includes some thematic elements and a backstory.

A Rougarou is a legendary French werewolf.

Rougarou’s backstory is that a Rougarou has been hiding in the Cedar Point woods near the lagoons, waiting for the right moment to strike.

During the ride, riders catch glimpses of the Rougarou. They can both see and hear it as they experience the coaster.

Ride Experience

The Rougarou ride experience begins as guests enter the queue, which runs down an alleyway located between Rougarou and the Cedar Point & Lake Erie Railroad.

The average wait time for Rougarou is 10–15 minutes, though the longest waits can reach up to one hour.

Riders are loaded into the train, with each secured by an over-the-shoulder restraint and a seatbelt.

The floor drops from beneath the riders, and the journey begins.

Rougarou features a 145-foot lift hill, taking riders high over the lagoon and above Iron Dragon’s first hill.

Rougarou offers a great view on the way up the lift hill. It takes 45 seconds for the train to reach the top.

After reaching the top of the lift hill, Rougarou enters a large, right-hand banked turn.

Rougarou then plunges 137 feet at a 52-degree angle.

Rougarou reaches speeds of up to 60 mph.

As the train descends the drop, riders experience a thrilling sense of weightlessness and airtime.

Riders are then launched into a massive 119-foot-tall vertical loop. When Mantis opened in 1996, this element was the tallest inversion on any roller coaster.

Rougarou then enters an impressive 103-foot dive loop. This element twists the ride around and leads it into the next section.

Rougarou is a massive coaster, featuring towering heights and thrilling inversions.

Rougarou then propels riders into a high-speed, heavily banked turn, positioned above both the station and the brake run.

Rougarou is a high-energy roller coaster that delivers excitement from start to finish.

Rougarou’s next element is its third inversion: an inclined dive loop. Rougarou is the only floorless roller coaster in the world to feature an inclined loop.

Rougarou then curves upward toward the block brakes. As the train passes through, riders experience a satisfying pop of airtime.

After dropping from the block brakes, Rougarou captures a ride photo and launches riders into its fourth and final inversion: a corkscrew.

The remainder of the ride continues at a brisk, exciting pace.

Rougarou then takes riders through two figure-eight helixes, each delivering strong, thrilling forces.

After the helixes, the ride enters the final brake run, which guides the train back into the station.

Riders arrive at the station and exit the ride, with the path leading directly to the ride’s photo booth.

Rougarou offers riders a unique experience as the first roller coaster to be converted from a stand-up coaster to a floorless coaster. Following Rougarou, two other coasters underwent similar transformations: Vortex at California’s Great America became Patriot in 2017, and Apocalypse at Six Flags America became Firebird in 2019.

Rougarou was a strong addition to Cedar Point. Following its opening, the park would go on to add:
 Valravn (2016), Cedar Point Shores Waterpark (2017), Steel Vengeance (2018), Forbidden Frontier on Adventure Island (2019-2022), Cedar Point’s 150th Anniversary Celebration (2021), Snake River Expedition (2021-2023), The Boardwalk (2023), Top Thrill 2 (2024), and Siren’s Curse (2025)

All of these new additions have helped make Cedar Point an even better place.

Converting Mantis into Rougarou was an excellent decision, demonstrating Cedar Point’s commitment to innovation and its reputation as "The Roller Coaster Capital of the World."

Riders must be at least 54 inches tall to ride Rougarou.

Photos by: Jake Hamons, COASTER-net, and Cedar Point. 

Last Updated: 05/01/2026