Alpengeist is an inverted roller coaster at Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Virginia. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, Alpengeist has an Alpine mountain region theme and opened in 1997 as the tallest inverted coaster in the world. The name "Alpengeist" is German for "Alpine Ghost" and the ride is themed to a runaway ski lift. It holds the records for the tallest complete-circuit inverted coaster in the world, tallest inverted roller coaster in the United States, and the longest inverted-complete-circuit coaster drop in the world.[1][2]
History
On August 30, 1996, Busch Gardens Williamsburg announced the addition of Alpengeist for the 1997 season. It would break the height and speed records among inverted roller coasters and feature the tallest vertical loop on an inverted coaster. The ride would be the park's second new roller coaster in two years after Izzy (later renamed Wild Maus). To reduce noise, the coaster would use polyurethane wheels instead of nylon, and the drop would be angled away from houses in