GRAFTON, Ill — Aerie's Resort, a winery and lodge offering entertainment attractions on a bluff overlooking Grafton, has added Illinois' first alpine coaster.
Aerie's worked with Wiegand Sports USA during the winter to build the coaster, which opened to riders Sept. 30 and will have its grand opening Tuesday at 600 Timber Ridge Road in Grafton. Wiegand has more than 270 installations worldwide.
The gravity-fed, two-person coaster sled takes riders down Aerie's limestone bluff on more than 3,000 feet of a stainless-steel rail system. The ride runs past seasonal foliage, twisting around limestone outcroppings along the natural river bluff landscape at speeds of up to 28 miles per hour, officials said. The ride includes seven hairpin turns and eight waves, according to a press release.
At the end of the run, a cable system pulls the sled and rider up 875 feet to return to the coaster's starting point.
Aerie's Alpine Coaster will be open year round. Tickets costs $18 per person or three rides for $36. Subject to height restrictions, children can ride the coaster with an adult for an additional $10 per ticket.
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