Wildcat (Hersheypark)

Roller coaster in the United States
Watch the on-ride POV
Wildcat
Hersheypark
Location Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA
Coordinates 40°17′33″N 76°39′20″W / 40.292447°N 76.655538°W / 40.292447; -76.655538
Park section Midway America
Status Defunct
Operated May 26, 1996 to July 31, 2022
Cost $5,000,000 USD
Rider height 48 inch minimum
Replaced by Wildcat's Revenge
Statistics
Manufacturer Great Coasters International
Designer / calculations Clair Hain, Mike Boodley
Type Wooden
Propulsion Chain lift hill
Height 106 feet
Drop 85.2 feet
Top speed 50 mph
Length 3183 feet
Inversions 0
G-Force 3.5
Rolling stock
Manufacturer Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters (1996-2006)
Great Coasters International (2007-2022)
Riders per train 24
HELP

Wildcat was a wooden roller coaster located at Hersheypark in Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA. The ride was the park's fourth roller coaster. Opened in 1996, it was the first roller coaster built by manufacturer Great Coasters International (GCI). It closed on July 31, 2022.

History

The addition of Wildcat was announced in June 1995.[1] Construction of the attraction began in August of that year. The ride was originally set to open on May 4, 1996, but this was delayed due to a blizzard.[2] Wildcat opened on May 26, 1996.[3] The ride was located at the back left corner of the park while another wooden roller coaster, Lightning Racer is located at the back right corner of the park. Wildcat was built with a curved drop to reduce nausea and featured an on ride camera.

Hersheypark announced on social media on July 8, 2022 that the ride would close on July 31.[4][5]

In November 2022, it was announced that the ride would be converted into Wildcat's Revenge.[6]

Design

Elements

Wildcat was built on a hill, making it look much larger than it really was.

Trains

2 trains with 12 cars per train. In each car, riders are arranged 2 across in a single row, for a total of 24 riders per train. Due to the extreme roughness of the ride while operating with its original Philadelphia Toboggan Company trains, they were replaced with GCI's Millennium Flyer rolling stock in 2007.

Trivia

During the Halloween event, "Hersheypark in the Dark", Wildcat was dubbed "Scaredycat".

Images

References

  1. Kolus, Howard (July 1, 1995). "'Cat is back'". The Daily News. p. 5. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
  2. Wiseman, Lisa (May 24, 1996). "New ride recalls yesteryear". York Daily Record. p. 44. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
  3. "Hersheypark unleashes a new thriller in Wildcat".
  4. "Wildcat roller coaster at Hersheypark will close July 31".
  5. "Last to ride alert! 🚨 Wildcat will close Sunday, July 31 so be sure to visit this month for one final ride. Any suggestions on what we could do with 3,100 feet of wooden track? Stay tuned for details later this year". Twitter. Hersheypark. 2022-07-08. Retrieved 2022-07-08.
  6. "Hersheypark announces 'Wildcat's Revenge' as Wildcat replacement".

External links

  • Wildcat on the Roller Coaster DataBase.


Articles on Hersheypark