The Big Apple Roller Coaster

The Las Vegas Strip features no shortage of arresting visuals, striking sights, and electrifying spots to explore. However, few can lay claim to being as memorable as the New York-New York Hotel and Casino. This famous MGM property’s exterior is lined by replicas of various New York City landmarks like the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, and the Brooklyn Bridge. Weaving and winding all throughout this unforgettable exterior is the one-and-only Big Apple Roller Coaster, an unforgettable ride that has thrilled audiences for over 25 years now.

Money Saving Tip! The Big Apple Roller Coaster is included on the Go Las Vegas Pass and Las Vegas Explorer Pass. If you are sightseeing in Las Vegas, then you can save a lot of money with a pass.

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Big Apple Roller CoasterHistory

The New York-New York Hotel and Casino took approximately 18 months and roughly $500 million to build. It opened its doors to the public in 1997, immediately transfixing visitors with its remarkable tribute to the New York City skyline. Here, rising like apparitions out of the desert, were replicas of numerous Big Apple landmarks such as Grand Central Terminal, the Chrysler Building, and the Seagram Building—each scaled to about one-third size of the real thing.

Opening at the same time as this incredible facility was the Big Apple Roller Coaster, which alone cost almost $20 million to construct. The Big Apple Roller Coaster was built by the acclaimed Japanese amusement park designers, TOGO. It is said to be one of only a few roller coasters operating today that contains a heartline (or barrel) roll, a devilish maneuver that isn’t for the faint of heart.

Big Apple Roller Coaster: The Main Attraction

A ride on the Big Apple Roller Coaster only lasts a few minutes, but in that brief time period there’s a tremendous amount to process. First off, the roller coaster train’s cars are designed to resemble a classic yellow New York City taxi cab. It’s a delightful touch that sets the tone for the twists and turns to come.

From there, you’re off at speeds of nearly 70 miles per hour, and before everything is said and done, you’ll have dropped a couple hundred feet and twisted nearly 180-degrees in the air. All while racing through a surreal landscape of replica New York City landmarks.

If that’s not enough, the Big Apple Roller Coaster has a sister attraction well worth your time, too: the Big Apple Arcade. There you’ll find classic games like air hockey and Skee-Ball positioned right next to NBA video consoles and toy claw grabbers. Rest assured, there’ll be a game here for everybody to play until their heart’s content. In fact, the Big Apple Arcade is perfect for the whole family.

Why You Should Go to the Big Apple Roller Coaster

This breathtaking attraction is sure to get the heart racing and blood flowing, making it a nice change of pace from all those other classic “indoor” Las Vegas activities you’ll no doubt be enjoying during your visit. And, what’s more, it’s an attraction that can provide you with tremendous scheduling flexibility. When you buy your ticket to the Big Apple Roller Coaster, you purchase it as a pass that’s good for a two-hour time window. This means no matter where your Las Vegas adventures take you, whether you’re running really late or scrambling to fit in one more attraction before heading out for the night, you’ll be in business.

Why the Big Apple Roller Coaster is a Must-See

Most of us have had some sort of dream where we’re flying through the air, wind rushing past our hair, soaring past one gleaming skyscraper after another. But unless those long-promised jet packs get invented in a hurry—and begin to be sold straightaway at a reasonable price—it’s not going to happen for the majority of us. So why would you pass up the next best thing: the chance to ride a roller coaster through the night sky past the bright lights of Las Vegas’ own replica New York City skyline?