The History of Maverick

Maverick uses a launched lift hill rather than a traditional chain-driven lift. Linear motors carry the train up the tower, which then crests into a first drop steeper than straight down. It opened in 2007 and it plays by different rules than the giants around it.

Beyond vertical

Instead of the tallest or fastest record, Maverick chased intensity. A linear motor launch pushes the train up a 105-foot tower, which delivers the ride's signature moment, a first drop angled at ninety-five degrees, past vertical, so for an instant the track curls back under you. What follows is a low, twisted tangle of overbanked curves and airtime hills hugging the ground, themed to the old West. Halfway through, the train dives into a four hundred foot tunnel, and after exiting it a second launch fires the train from a standstill to seventy miles per hour in about three seconds, resetting the whole ride.

The element that never opened

Maverick's best-known feature is one no rider has ever experienced. The original design included a heartline roll after the second launch, but during testing engineers found it put too much force on riders, so Cedar Point removed it before opening day and replaced it with a gentler S-curve. The ride still won Best New Ride of 2007. Its six trains are each given a name, Bret, Brent, Ben, Beau, Bart, and Sam, leaning into the frontier story.

One thing to know

Maverick's most famous element is one that was cut during testing. The planned heartline roll was quietly removed for exerting too much force and swapped for an S-curve before the ride ever carried a guest.

Maverick is one chapter in the history of Cedar Point.

Maverick at a glance