Dragon, Steel roller coaster at Adventureland Park in Altoona, United States.
Dragon was a steel roller coaster at Adventureland Park in Altoona, Iowa, featuring a track of around 2,100 feet (640 meters) with three consecutive inversions. The layout ran through a compact course of sharp turns and rapid direction changes from start to finish.
Dragon opened in 1990 and ran for 31 years before closing in 2021. It was replaced by Dragon Slayer, a 4D free spin coaster that offered a very different type of ride.
For many visitors from Iowa, Dragon was their first experience on a looping roller coaster, making it a personal milestone for generations of families. Riding it became something people talked about long after leaving the park.
The ride operated seasonally from spring through fall, so a visit during the warmer months was needed to experience it. Those sensitive to inversions should know the layout included three in a row, making it more intense than a typical looping coaster.
When Dragon opened in 1990, it was the first looping roller coaster in central Iowa, which set Adventureland apart from other regional parks at the time. What made it stand out was not just one inversion but three in a row, which was uncommon even for a steel coaster of that era.
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