Six Flags America
Encyclopedia
Six Flags America is a family theme park and water park located in Mitchellville
, Prince George's County, Maryland
. It is situated 15 miles (24.1 km) east of Washington D.C. and 30 miles (48.3 km) southwest of Baltimore. The park covers 523 acres (2.1 km²), 131 of which is currently used for park operations. Founded as a wildlife center in 1973 by Ross Perot
, ABC television
operated the park as a drive-through safari called The Largo Wildlife Preserve beginning in 1974 until its ultimate decline that led to its closure in 1978. The property was bought by Jim Fowler
's Wild Kingdom
where thereafter, the site was converted from a wildlife preserve into a theme park gradually over the years. In 1992, the park was renamed to Adventure World after being acquired by Premier Parks, and ultimately was branded as the 10th Six Flags
park when Premier Parks acquired Six Flags Inc. and adopted its name. The "America" in the park's name was chosen regarding the close proximity to the United States' capital.
later bought out Perot and his partners and opened the park as a drive-through safari called The Largo Wildlife Preserve in July 1974, projecting 850,000 visitors a year.
The initial projections that were expected never materialized. In 1975, the park added narrated tours through four-car 150-person trains. However, the park failed to generate a profit. In 1976, ABC bowed out, citing massive losses. The park stayed open with a decreased staff in 1977 and was closed altogether for the 1978 season.
Then at the end of 1978, the park was sold to Jim Fowler
, the host of Wild Kingdom
. In the 1979 season, the park reopened with the train tour through a safari and a small park with a children's playground, animal shows, and a petting zoo. The park continued to not be profitable but stayed open summers through the 1979 season when Fowler's company bowed out as well. In the summer of 1980, the park once again was closed for the 1980 season.
In the Summer of 1980, the park was sold to a group of local businessmen and reopened in 1981. The animal drive-through safari remained. The park added three carnival flat rides, two kiddie rides, and a merry-go-round. Also that year, the park became known as Wild World. In addition to the few rides, four tube waterslides were added, along with two body slides and a children's water play area. This brought modest improvements in revenue.
In 1982, four more flat carnival rides, including a Ferris wheel
and giant swings, were added. The waterslide area was expanded at the time to a full waterpark with the addition of a couple more water slides and a large wave pool
. The park's attendance improved but the park still was losing money. For the 1983 season, the animal drive-through safari did not reopen. The animals were sold. In 1984, most of the adult rides were removed from the park and put in storage, leaving only three. Some of the children's rides also remained. The park opted to move in the direction of being only a water park. A new stadium was built that year along with a couple more water slides. The park did very well on hot days but on cooler days attendance was very low due to the fact the park had mostly swimming and watersliding.
In 1985, the rides were therefore brought back out of storage. That year, Wild World's management wanted to build a major wooden rollercoaster for the park in the 1986 season, but the costs were too high. At the time, Knoebels
park in Pennsylvania had acquired a used rollercoaster called the Phoenix
from a defunct park in Texas. Wild World's management then recruited Bill Dinn, who had worked in the industry since the 1950s and played a role in Knoebel's acquisition of the Phoenix, to find a similar coaster for Wild World.
Boston's Paragon Park
closed at the end of 1984. The Giant Coaster—which had operated there since 1917—was put up for sale. During the spring of 1985, Wild World bought the old wooden coaster, renamed the The Wild One
, and rebuilt it in part of the former animal park for opening. That coaster opened for the spring of 1986 to very positive reviews. They also added a kiddie coaster at the time.
For the 1987 season, Wild World added another water play area and a lazy river. In 1988, the park renovated the buildings and midways, but managed to add a couple more flat rides. In 1989, a log flume was added, along with a family raft waterslide in the waterpark area. In 1990, the park began to have maintenance issues with many of their flat rides. In 1991, only nine flat rides remained and the park was put up for sale. The park did not open for the 1991 season.
In 1992, Wild World was purchased by Premier Parks and renamed Adventure World. That year several flat rides and a few kiddie rides were added. In 1993, Adventure World added its second adult rollercoaster. Premier Parks had acquired Lightning Loops from Six Flags
. This was a dual-track steel single looping shuttle coaster located at Six Flags Great Adventure
. One of the tracks was sent to Premier Parks' Frontier City
located in Oklahoma City
(where it still operates today), while the other track became known as the Python and would be located at Adventure World. Also, a water ride called Shipwreck Falls, in which a 15-person boat would run up a steel track and down a 45 feet (13.7 m) drop into a splashwater pool, was added. More flat rides were added in 1994.
In 1995, Vekoma
's first Mind Eraser, an inverted looping suspended coaster, was added. This was branded a SLC
. In 1996, a free-fall drop-down ride called the Tower of Doom and made by Intamin was added. In 1997, the park added another dry water ride which was a log flume/junior rollercoaster hybrid. This was originally known as Typhoon Sea Coaster, but is currently called Skull Mountain. In 1997, the water park was renovated, eliminating some older slides and adding newer slides and extensively remodeling the children's water play area.
In 1998, Premier Parks acquired the larger Six Flags chain from Time Warner
and the company took the name Six Flags Incorporated. That year, in an unrelated move, a wooden roller coaster
was added, ROAR!, designed by Great Coasters International
. At the end of 1998, Six Flags announced that Adventure World, along with Kentucky Kingdom
in Louisville, Kentucky
, Elitch Gardens
in Denver, Colorado
, Geauga Lake in Aurora, Ohio, and Marine World
near San Francisco, would all be branded in 1999 while Darien Lake near Buffalo, New York
and Riverside Park
in Springfield, Massachusetts
would be flagged in 2000.
Adventure World would be renamed Six Flags America (because the park is just a mere 20 minutes from Washington, D.C.
). With that change came many others, including extensive remodeling and re-theming—Looney Tunes
characters became prominently featured in the kiddie area—and an entirely new section, Gotham City, was added (including a Skycoaster
bungee ride). Python was sent into storage, but three new coasters opened that year: Two Face: The Flip Side
, The Joker's Jinx
(the park's only launched roller coaster
), and Great Chase
, replacing Cannonball in the kiddie area.
The 2000 season saw the addition of an Intamin steel non looping out and back hypercoasterSuperman: Ride of Steel. This was identical to the layout of the Superman coaster at then sister park Six Flags Darien lake. In 2001, the Vekoma-designed flying coaster called Batwing
opened. A few flat rides were added in 2002 while a water raft ride called Blizzard River was added in 2003.
In 2005, the water park, Paradise Island, was upgraded and retitled Six Flags Hurricane Harbor
. The transition from Paradise Island to Hurricane Harbor saw the addition of a new Tornado water slide as well as renovations to existing attractions and buildings. Tony Hawk's Halfpipe water slide was added in 2008. In 2010, Six Flags America renovated the Hurricane Bay wave pool deck, adding a new stamped concrete deck and shading.
John Winkler currently serves as President of Six Flags America. The current president and chairman of the park's parent company, Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, is Jim Reid-Anderson.
On June 5, 2010, Six Flags America opened the Thomas Town family area. With eight rides and attractions, all themed to Thomas the Tank Engine
, the 3.5 acres (14,164 m²) area was billed as North America's largest Thomas Town and marked Six Flags America's largest expansion in more than a decade.
In late 2010, Six Flags began the process of removing licensed theming from attractions. They terminated several licenses including their license with Thomas the Tank Engine and Tony Hawk
. Thomas Town will be renamed and re-themed to Whistlestop Park
and Tony Hawk's Halfpipe slide will be renamed to The Halfpipe all in time for the 2011 season.
For the 2011 season, the park added a new show Survivor Live
that will consists of audience members participating in challenges inspired by the television show, tribal dance numbers, and modern music. The show will run in the Grand Theater. Also for the 2011 season, the Hurricane Harbor waterpark will reopen Hurricane Mountain, which has been SBNO (Standing But Not Operating) since 2008, but will feature a new name and theme, Zoomazon Falls that will be themed with the Amazon Rainforest
: its four body slides will be enhanced by waterfalls, tropical decor, a jungle soundtrack, and more.
On June 9, 2011, Six Flags America announced that Skull Mountain will take its final voyage on July 10, 2011, and will be removed to make way for a 2012 attraction. The park will celebrate the Bon Voyage
for the ride June 13 – July 10, and also by placing one of the boats on the theme park midway for pictures. On the last weekend for the ride, the park will host an event called Fare-Thee-Well, a last rider auction, with the proceeds going to the National Roller Coaster Museum and Archives
, and also one of the boats will be donated to the museum.
On September 1, 2011, Six Flags America announced that they would add "Apocalypse," a Bolliger & Mabillard
stand-up
roller coaster that will feature two inversions, a 10-story drop, and speeds of up to 55 mph. The ride is expected to debut spring 2012 with construction beginning this fall.
and Hurricane Harbor (water park).
.
Former Kid's Area was Thomas Town
that only operated during the 2010 season.
Mitchellville, Maryland
Mitchellville is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 9,611 at the 2000 census. It is home to the Six Flags America theme park, Country Club at Woodmore, and Freeway Airport. The Capital Centre was located in...
, Prince George's County, Maryland
Prince George's County, Maryland
Prince George's County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland, immediately north, east, and south of Washington, DC. As of 2010, it has a population of 863,420 and is the wealthiest African-American majority county in the nation....
. It is situated 15 miles (24.1 km) east of Washington D.C. and 30 miles (48.3 km) southwest of Baltimore. The park covers 523 acres (2.1 km²), 131 of which is currently used for park operations. Founded as a wildlife center in 1973 by Ross Perot
Ross Perot
Henry Ross Perot is a U.S. businessman best known for running for President of the United States in 1992 and 1996. Perot founded Electronic Data Systems in 1962, sold the company to General Motors in 1984, and founded Perot Systems in 1988...
, ABC television
ABC Television
ABC Television is a service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation launched in 1956. As a public broadcasting broadcaster, the ABC provides four non-commercial channels within Australia, and a partially advertising-funded satellite channel overseas....
operated the park as a drive-through safari called The Largo Wildlife Preserve beginning in 1974 until its ultimate decline that led to its closure in 1978. The property was bought by Jim Fowler
Jim Fowler
Jim Fowler is a professional zoologist and was host of the Emmy Award-winning television show Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom....
's Wild Kingdom
Wild Kingdom
Wild Kingdom, sometimes known as Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, is an American television show that features wildlife and nature. It was originally produced from 1963 until 1988, and was revived in 2002...
where thereafter, the site was converted from a wildlife preserve into a theme park gradually over the years. In 1992, the park was renamed to Adventure World after being acquired by Premier Parks, and ultimately was branded as the 10th Six Flags
Six Flags
Six Flags Entertainment Corp. is the world's largest amusement park corporation based on quantity of properties and the fifth most popular in terms of attendance. The company maintains 14 properties located throughout North America, including theme parks, thrill parks, water parks and family...
park when Premier Parks acquired Six Flags Inc. and adopted its name. The "America" in the park's name was chosen regarding the close proximity to the United States' capital.
History
The park's history dates to 1973, when Texas billionaire H. Ross Perot and a pair of Irish animal trainers first proposed a wildlife preserve on more than 400 acres (1.6 km²) of corn and tobacco fields. ABC televisionAmerican Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
later bought out Perot and his partners and opened the park as a drive-through safari called The Largo Wildlife Preserve in July 1974, projecting 850,000 visitors a year.
The initial projections that were expected never materialized. In 1975, the park added narrated tours through four-car 150-person trains. However, the park failed to generate a profit. In 1976, ABC bowed out, citing massive losses. The park stayed open with a decreased staff in 1977 and was closed altogether for the 1978 season.
Then at the end of 1978, the park was sold to Jim Fowler
Jim Fowler
Jim Fowler is a professional zoologist and was host of the Emmy Award-winning television show Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom....
, the host of Wild Kingdom
Wild Kingdom
Wild Kingdom, sometimes known as Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, is an American television show that features wildlife and nature. It was originally produced from 1963 until 1988, and was revived in 2002...
. In the 1979 season, the park reopened with the train tour through a safari and a small park with a children's playground, animal shows, and a petting zoo. The park continued to not be profitable but stayed open summers through the 1979 season when Fowler's company bowed out as well. In the summer of 1980, the park once again was closed for the 1980 season.
In the Summer of 1980, the park was sold to a group of local businessmen and reopened in 1981. The animal drive-through safari remained. The park added three carnival flat rides, two kiddie rides, and a merry-go-round. Also that year, the park became known as Wild World. In addition to the few rides, four tube waterslides were added, along with two body slides and a children's water play area. This brought modest improvements in revenue.
In 1982, four more flat carnival rides, including a Ferris wheel
Ferris wheel
A Ferris wheel is a nonbuilding structure consisting of a rotating upright wheel with passenger cars attached to the rim in such a way that as the wheel turns, the cars are kept upright, usually by gravity.Some of the largest and most modern Ferris wheels have cars mounted on...
and giant swings, were added. The waterslide area was expanded at the time to a full waterpark with the addition of a couple more water slides and a large wave pool
Wave pool
A wave pool is a swimming pool in which there are artificially generated, reasonably large waves, similar to the ocean's. Wave pools are often a major feature of water parks...
. The park's attendance improved but the park still was losing money. For the 1983 season, the animal drive-through safari did not reopen. The animals were sold. In 1984, most of the adult rides were removed from the park and put in storage, leaving only three. Some of the children's rides also remained. The park opted to move in the direction of being only a water park. A new stadium was built that year along with a couple more water slides. The park did very well on hot days but on cooler days attendance was very low due to the fact the park had mostly swimming and watersliding.
In 1985, the rides were therefore brought back out of storage. That year, Wild World's management wanted to build a major wooden rollercoaster for the park in the 1986 season, but the costs were too high. At the time, Knoebels
Knoebels
Knoebels Amusement Resort is a family-owned and -operated amusement park, picnic grove and campground in Elysburg, Pennsylvania. Opened in 1926, the park has more than 57 rides, free admission, two wooden roller coasters, a 1913 carousel and a haunted house dark ride that was featured on the...
park in Pennsylvania had acquired a used rollercoaster called the Phoenix
Phoenix (roller coaster)
The Phoenix is a wooden roller coaster located at the Knoebels Amusement Resort in Elysburg, Pennsylvania. Prior to its purchase by Knoebels and its subsequent relocation in the mid-1980s, it was operated under the name "The Rocket" at Playland Park in San Antonio, TX.-History:Designed and built...
from a defunct park in Texas. Wild World's management then recruited Bill Dinn, who had worked in the industry since the 1950s and played a role in Knoebel's acquisition of the Phoenix, to find a similar coaster for Wild World.
Boston's Paragon Park
Paragon Park
Paragon Park was an amusement park located on Nantasket Beach in Hull, Massachusetts. It closed in 1984.-Rides:Among the amusement rides in operation during Paragon Park's history was a traditional-style Philadelphia Toboggan Company carousel with hand-crafted horses, a bumper cars ride known as...
closed at the end of 1984. The Giant Coaster—which had operated there since 1917—was put up for sale. During the spring of 1985, Wild World bought the old wooden coaster, renamed the The Wild One
The Wild One (roller coaster)
The Wild One is a wooden roller coaster at Six Flags America in Prince George's County, Maryland. It is a classic style woodie with a series of bunny hills for a large amount of air time and a 450° spiral helix....
, and rebuilt it in part of the former animal park for opening. That coaster opened for the spring of 1986 to very positive reviews. They also added a kiddie coaster at the time.
For the 1987 season, Wild World added another water play area and a lazy river. In 1988, the park renovated the buildings and midways, but managed to add a couple more flat rides. In 1989, a log flume was added, along with a family raft waterslide in the waterpark area. In 1990, the park began to have maintenance issues with many of their flat rides. In 1991, only nine flat rides remained and the park was put up for sale. The park did not open for the 1991 season.
In 1992, Wild World was purchased by Premier Parks and renamed Adventure World. That year several flat rides and a few kiddie rides were added. In 1993, Adventure World added its second adult rollercoaster. Premier Parks had acquired Lightning Loops from Six Flags
Six Flags
Six Flags Entertainment Corp. is the world's largest amusement park corporation based on quantity of properties and the fifth most popular in terms of attendance. The company maintains 14 properties located throughout North America, including theme parks, thrill parks, water parks and family...
. This was a dual-track steel single looping shuttle coaster located at Six Flags Great Adventure
Six Flags Great Adventure
Six Flags Great Adventure is a theme park in Jackson Township, New Jersey, owned by Six Flags Entertainment Corp., the world's largest amusement park corporation...
. One of the tracks was sent to Premier Parks' Frontier City
Frontier City
Frontier City is a western-themed amusement park in Oklahoma City's Adventure District. It is currently owned by CNL Lifestyle Properties and operated by former Six Flags executives Kieran Burke and Gary Story. The park is the subject of the song "Frontier City" by the Nashville band Kings of...
located in Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
(where it still operates today), while the other track became known as the Python and would be located at Adventure World. Also, a water ride called Shipwreck Falls, in which a 15-person boat would run up a steel track and down a 45 feet (13.7 m) drop into a splashwater pool, was added. More flat rides were added in 1994.
In 1995, Vekoma
Vekoma
Vekoma Rides Manufacturing B.V. is a roller coaster and thrill ride designer with its facilities based in the Netherlands. The company was founded in 1926 by Hendrik op het Veld under the name "Veld Koning Machinefabriek" and had first manufactured agricultural machinery and mining equipment...
's first Mind Eraser, an inverted looping suspended coaster, was added. This was branded a SLC
Vekoma SLC
The Suspended Looping Coaster is a model of steel inverted roller coaster built by Vekoma. There are at least 39 different installations across the world. The minimum rider height requirement is or more.-History:...
. In 1996, a free-fall drop-down ride called the Tower of Doom and made by Intamin was added. In 1997, the park added another dry water ride which was a log flume/junior rollercoaster hybrid. This was originally known as Typhoon Sea Coaster, but is currently called Skull Mountain. In 1997, the water park was renovated, eliminating some older slides and adding newer slides and extensively remodeling the children's water play area.
In 1998, Premier Parks acquired the larger Six Flags chain from Time Warner
Time Warner
Time Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
and the company took the name Six Flags Incorporated. That year, in an unrelated move, a wooden roller coaster
Wooden roller coaster
A wooden roller coaster is most often classified as a roller coaster with laminated steel running rails overlaid upon a wooden track. Occasionally, the structure may be made out of a steel lattice or truss, but the ride remains classified as a wooden roller coaster due to the track design...
was added, ROAR!, designed by Great Coasters International
Great Coasters International
Great Coasters International, Inc. is a Sunbury, Pennsylvania-based roller coaster manufacturer which has created several award-winning rides since its formation in 1994. Starting in 2006 with Thunderbird in Finland, the company expanded beyond the United States and began building coasters in...
. At the end of 1998, Six Flags announced that Adventure World, along with Kentucky Kingdom
Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom
Kentucky Kingdom is an amusement park located in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. The park is located on of land which includes a collection of 27 amusement rides and a water park named Splashwater Kingdom...
in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, Elitch Gardens
Elitch Gardens
Elitch Gardens was a family-owned seasonal amusement park, theater, and botanic garden in the West Highland neighborhood of Denver, Colorado, United States at 38th and Tennyson streets. For more than a century Elitch's was one of the most popular entertainment destinations in Colorado...
in Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, Geauga Lake in Aurora, Ohio, and Marine World
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, formerly Six Flags Marine World, Marine World, The New Marine World Theme Park, and Marine World Africa USA, is an animal theme park located in Vallejo, California. The park includes a variety of roller coasters and other amusement rides, along with a collection of...
near San Francisco, would all be branded in 1999 while Darien Lake near Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
and Riverside Park
Six Flags New England
Six Flags New England , formerly Riverside Amusement Park, is a Six Flags theme park, named for the New England region, in which it is located. Located off of Massachusetts State Route 159, Six Flags New England is located less than from the major City of Springfield, Massachusetts, in the nearby...
in Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
would be flagged in 2000.
Adventure World would be renamed Six Flags America (because the park is just a mere 20 minutes from Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
). With that change came many others, including extensive remodeling and re-theming—Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes is a Warner Bros. animated cartoon series. It preceded the Merrie Melodies series and was Warner Bros.'s first animated theatrical series. Since its first official release, 1930's Sinkin' in the Bathtub, the series has become a worldwide media franchise, spawning several television...
characters became prominently featured in the kiddie area—and an entirely new section, Gotham City, was added (including a Skycoaster
Skycoaster
Skycoaster, most commonly also named Ripcord or Xtreme SkyFlyer , is an amusement park ride, produced and managed by Skycoaster, Inc....
bungee ride). Python was sent into storage, but three new coasters opened that year: Two Face: The Flip Side
Two Face: The Flip Side
Two Face: The Flip Side was a steel roller coaster at Six Flags America in Prince George's County, Mitchellville, Maryland. It was a standard Vekoma Boomerang Invertigo modeled roller coaster, themed after D.C. Comics' Batman rival, Harvey Dent A.K.A. Two Face. The ride was located in the Southwest...
, The Joker's Jinx
The Joker's Jinx
The Joker's Jinx is a steel roller coaster at Six Flags America in Prince George's County, Maryland. The ride utilises linear induction motor technology to launch the train from 0 to in just over three seconds...
(the park's only launched roller coaster
Launched roller coaster
The launched roller coaster is a modern form of roller coaster which has increased in use in the last decade. In place of a traditional chain lift, the launched coaster initiates a ride with high amounts of acceleration via one or series of Linear Induction Motors , Linear Synchronous Motors ,...
), and Great Chase
Great Chase (roller coaster)
Great Chase is a steel roller coaster at Six Flags America in Prince George's County, Maryland. This is a junior coaster that replaced the previous junior coaster, the Cannonball that ran from 1993 to 1998....
, replacing Cannonball in the kiddie area.
The 2000 season saw the addition of an Intamin steel non looping out and back hypercoasterSuperman: Ride of Steel. This was identical to the layout of the Superman coaster at then sister park Six Flags Darien lake. In 2001, the Vekoma-designed flying coaster called Batwing
Batwing (roller coaster)
Batwing is a Vekoma flying steel roller coaster at Six Flags America in Prince George's County, Maryland. The ride has three trains with six cars per train. A total of twenty four guests can ride in each train arranged four across in each car....
opened. A few flat rides were added in 2002 while a water raft ride called Blizzard River was added in 2003.
In 2005, the water park, Paradise Island, was upgraded and retitled Six Flags Hurricane Harbor
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor is the name of a chain of water parks that are part of the Six Flags amusement park chain. Although the parks are not identical, common features include a variety of body slides, speed slides, tube slides, wave pools, lazy rivers, and shopping areas.In Prince George's...
. The transition from Paradise Island to Hurricane Harbor saw the addition of a new Tornado water slide as well as renovations to existing attractions and buildings. Tony Hawk's Halfpipe water slide was added in 2008. In 2010, Six Flags America renovated the Hurricane Bay wave pool deck, adding a new stamped concrete deck and shading.
John Winkler currently serves as President of Six Flags America. The current president and chairman of the park's parent company, Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, is Jim Reid-Anderson.
On June 5, 2010, Six Flags America opened the Thomas Town family area. With eight rides and attractions, all themed to Thomas the Tank Engine
Thomas the Tank Engine
Thomas the Tank Engine is a fictional steam locomotive in The Railway Series books by the Reverend Wilbert Awdry and his son, Christopher. He became the most popular character in the series, and the accompanying television spin-off series, Thomas and Friends.Thomas is a tank engine, painted blue...
, the 3.5 acres (14,164 m²) area was billed as North America's largest Thomas Town and marked Six Flags America's largest expansion in more than a decade.
In late 2010, Six Flags began the process of removing licensed theming from attractions. They terminated several licenses including their license with Thomas the Tank Engine and Tony Hawk
Tony Hawk
Anthony Frank "Tony" Hawk , nicknamed "The Birdman" is an American retired professional skateboarder and actor. Hawk gained significant fame for completing the first 900 as well as his licensed video game titles distributed by Activision...
. Thomas Town will be renamed and re-themed to Whistlestop Park
Whistlestop Park
Whistlestop Park is a themed kid's area with various rides at several Six Flags amusement parks.-History:Before being named Whistlestop Park, these themed areas were named Thomas Town from 2007 to 2010....
and Tony Hawk's Halfpipe slide will be renamed to The Halfpipe all in time for the 2011 season.
For the 2011 season, the park added a new show Survivor Live
Survivor Live on stage
Survivor Live! is a live stage show based on the reality television show Survivor.The show consists of audience members participating in challenges inspired by the television show, tribal dance numbers and modern music. The live show's format follows the structure of the television show where a...
that will consists of audience members participating in challenges inspired by the television show, tribal dance numbers, and modern music. The show will run in the Grand Theater. Also for the 2011 season, the Hurricane Harbor waterpark will reopen Hurricane Mountain, which has been SBNO (Standing But Not Operating) since 2008, but will feature a new name and theme, Zoomazon Falls that will be themed with the Amazon Rainforest
Amazon Rainforest
The Amazon Rainforest , also known in English as Amazonia or the Amazon Jungle, is a moist broadleaf forest that covers most of the Amazon Basin of South America...
: its four body slides will be enhanced by waterfalls, tropical decor, a jungle soundtrack, and more.
On June 9, 2011, Six Flags America announced that Skull Mountain will take its final voyage on July 10, 2011, and will be removed to make way for a 2012 attraction. The park will celebrate the Bon Voyage
Bon Voyage
Bon voyage is a French phrase borrowed into English meaning, literally, "good journey", and usually translated as meaning "have a good trip".Bon voyage may also refer to:-Film and television:...
for the ride June 13 – July 10, and also by placing one of the boats on the theme park midway for pictures. On the last weekend for the ride, the park will host an event called Fare-Thee-Well, a last rider auction, with the proceeds going to the National Roller Coaster Museum and Archives
National Roller Coaster Museum and Archives
The National Roller Coaster Museum and Archives is a United States 501 nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection and preservation of historic roller coasters and amusement park artifacts and memorabilia...
, and also one of the boats will be donated to the museum.
On September 1, 2011, Six Flags America announced that they would add "Apocalypse," a Bolliger & Mabillard
Bolliger & Mabillard
Bolliger & Mabillard Consulting Engineers is a roller coaster design consultancy based in Monthey, Switzerland. The company was founded in 1988 by Walter Bolliger and Claude Mabillard, with Bolliger acting as president and Mabillard as vice-president...
stand-up
Stand-up roller coaster
A stand-up roller coaster is a roller coaster designed to have the passengers stand through the course of the ride. These roller coasters are very intense, and generally carry taller height restrictions than other rides.-History:...
roller coaster that will feature two inversions, a 10-story drop, and speeds of up to 55 mph. The ride is expected to debut spring 2012 with construction beginning this fall.
The Flash Pass
The Flash Pass, named after the Justice League character, is a virtual queuing system that allows customers to wait in a virtual line, thereby allowing them to engage in other activities while they wait. With the introduction of the Flash Pass in April 2010, visitors can “hold their place in line” electronically allowing them to go elsewhere in the park while waiting for an attraction. They will be alerted by the Flash Pass device when it is almost their turn to ride. Three types of Flash Pass are available: Regular, Gold and Platinum, a Regular pass simply “holds your place in line” with an average waiting time of 50 minutes, the Gold holds your place as well as giving you a reduced wait time of about 20 minutes per ride and the Platinum reduces the waiting time to 5 minutes and allows you to "Get in line once, Ride Twice -, while you are only allowed to ride once by any other means, Platinum gives you the opportunity to remain seated and ride the roller coasters again. The Flash Pass is purchased separately from the normal park admission. There are a limited number of Flash Passes available for purchase on a given day.Themed sections
The themed sections of the park are: Olde Boston, Looney Tunes Movie Town, Southwest Territory, Nantucket, Gotham City, Skull Island, Coyote Creek, Whistlestop ParkWhistlestop Park
Whistlestop Park is a themed kid's area with various rides at several Six Flags amusement parks.-History:Before being named Whistlestop Park, these themed areas were named Thomas Town from 2007 to 2010....
and Hurricane Harbor (water park).
Current Roller coasters
| Ride Name | Opened | Manufacturer/Ride Type | Status | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Wild One The Wild One (roller coaster) The Wild One is a wooden roller coaster at Six Flags America in Prince George's County, Maryland. It is a classic style woodie with a series of bunny hills for a large amount of air time and a 450° spiral helix.... |
1986 | Dinn Corporation/Wooden Wooden roller coaster A wooden roller coaster is most often classified as a roller coaster with laminated steel running rails overlaid upon a wooden track. Occasionally, the structure may be made out of a steel lattice or truss, but the ride remains classified as a wooden roller coaster due to the track design... sit down |
Operating | Southwest Territory | |
| The Mind Eraser The Mind Eraser The Mind Eraser is a steel inverted roller coaster at 4 different Six Flags & PARC theme parks. Built by Vekoma, they are of the most common and standard Suspended Looping Coaster model that is found in many theme parks; at least fifteen other parks around the world have exactly the same ride... |
1995 | Vekoma Vekoma Vekoma Rides Manufacturing B.V. is a roller coaster and thrill ride designer with its facilities based in the Netherlands. The company was founded in 1926 by Hendrik op het Veld under the name "Veld Koning Machinefabriek" and had first manufactured agricultural machinery and mining equipment... /Steel Steel roller coaster A steel roller coaster is a roller coaster that is defined by having a track made of steel. Steel coasters have earned immense popularity in the past 50 years throughout the world... inverted Inverted roller coaster An inverted roller coaster is a roller coaster in which the train runs under the track with the seats directly attached to the wheel carriage. This latter attribute is what sets it apart from the older suspended coaster, which runs under the track, but "swings" via a pivoting bar attached to the... suspended looping coaster |
Operating | Coyote Creek | |
| Roar | 1998 | Great Coasters International/Wooden sit down | Operating | Skull Island | |
| The Joker's Jinx The Joker's Jinx The Joker's Jinx is a steel roller coaster at Six Flags America in Prince George's County, Maryland. The ride utilises linear induction motor technology to launch the train from 0 to in just over three seconds... |
1999 | Premier Rides Premier Rides Premier Rides is an amusement ride manufacturer based in the United States. The company was the first to use Linear Induction Motors on their roller coasters. Jim Seay has been the sole owner and company president since 1996.... /LIM launch steel sit down twister |
Operating | Gotham City | |
| Great Chase Great Chase (roller coaster) Great Chase is a steel roller coaster at Six Flags America in Prince George's County, Maryland. This is a junior coaster that replaced the previous junior coaster, the Cannonball that ran from 1993 to 1998.... |
1999 | Zamperla/Kiddie steel sit down | Operating | Looney Tunes Movie Town | Trees were removed to make way for construction of the ride. |
| Superman: Ride of Steel Superman - Ride of Steel Superman – Ride of Steel is a steel hyper roller coaster that exists at Six Flags America. A roller coaster with a mirror image layout of Superman – Ride of Steel exists at the Darien Lake Theme Park Resort called the Ride of Steel Additionally, a similar coaster with a somewhat different layout... |
2000 | Intamin/Steel sit down megacoaster | Operating | Gotham City | Construction began in 1997, just two years before it opened. |
| Batwing Batwing (roller coaster) Batwing is a Vekoma flying steel roller coaster at Six Flags America in Prince George's County, Maryland. The ride has three trains with six cars per train. A total of twenty four guests can ride in each train arranged four across in each car.... |
2001 | Vekoma Vekoma Vekoma Rides Manufacturing B.V. is a roller coaster and thrill ride designer with its facilities based in the Netherlands. The company was founded in 1926 by Hendrik op het Veld under the name "Veld Koning Machinefabriek" and had first manufactured agricultural machinery and mining equipment... /Steel flying Flying roller coaster A flying roller coaster is a variation of roller coaster meant to simulate the sensations of flight by harnessing riders in a prone position during the duration of the ride. The roller coaster cars are suspended below the track, with riders secured such that their backs are parallel to the track... |
Operating | Gotham City | |
| Apocalypse | 2012 | Bolliger & Mabillard Bolliger & Mabillard Bolliger & Mabillard Consulting Engineers is a roller coaster design consultancy based in Monthey, Switzerland. The company was founded in 1988 by Walter Bolliger and Claude Mabillard, with Bolliger acting as president and Mabillard as vice-president... /Steel stand-up Stand-up roller coaster A stand-up roller coaster is a roller coaster designed to have the passengers stand through the course of the ride. These roller coasters are very intense, and generally carry taller height restrictions than other rides.-History:... |
Under Construction | Skull Island | New for 2012 |
Current adult rides
| Name | Opened | Manufacturer/Ride Type | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capital Railways | mid 1980s | Train ride | Olde Boston | The ride was formerly for catered picnic customers only, it was opened to everyone in 2009. |
| Carousel Carousel A carousel , or merry-go-round, is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders... |
1988 | Olde Boston | The former stripe colors on the Carousel canopy were Yellow Yellow Yellow is the color evoked by light that stimulates both the L and M cone cells of the retina about equally, with no significant stimulation of the S cone cells. Light with a wavelength of 570–590 nm is yellow, as is light with a suitable mixture of red and green... & Blue Blue Blue is a colour, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 440–490 nm. It is considered one of the additive primary colours. On the HSV Colour Wheel, the complement of blue is yellow; that is, a colour corresponding to an equal... 1988-1998. Now 1999–present Red Red Red is any of a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 630–740 nm. Longer wavelengths than this are called infrared , and cannot be seen by the naked eye... & White White White is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness.White light can be... canopy was switched when Six Flags America open. |
|
| High Seas | 1989 | Swinging ship | Skull Island | |
| Pirate's Flight | 1989 | Intamin Flying Dutchman | Skull Island | |
| Coyote Creek Crazy Cars | 1990 | Bumper cars | Coyote Creek | Named Los Coches Chocos |
| Cyclone Cyclone In meteorology, a cyclone is an area of closed, circular fluid motion rotating in the same direction as the Earth. This is usually characterized by inward spiraling winds that rotate anticlockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere of the Earth. Most large-scale... |
1993 | Eli Bridge Scrambler | Nantucket | Used to be in Southwest Territory from 1993 - 2009. It is now where the former The Octopus Octopus (ride) The Octopus is a type of amusement ride in the shape of an octopus. Five to eight arms attached to a central axis spin and move up and down in random, while cars at the end of the arms spin on rotary bolts. Each Octopus ride has the arms attached the middle of the ride. The middle of the ride will... ride used to be. |
| Great Race | 1993 | Antique cars | Olde Boston | |
| Falling Star Falling star Falling star or shooting star is the common name for the visible path of a meteoroid as it enters the atmosphere to become a meteor. If a falling star survives impact with the Earth's surface, then it is called a meteorite.It may also refer to:... |
1993 | Chance-Morgan Falling Star | Southwest Territory | |
| Shipwreck Falls Shipwreck Falls Shipwreck Falls is a typical "Shoot-the-Chutes" style water attraction at many Herschend, and Six Flags Theme Parks, and Water Parks in the USA. The attraction is themed to sharks and shipwrecks, and all feature an exit bridge over the ride so guests can get wet while exiting... |
1993 | O.D. Hopkins Shoot the Chute water ride | Nantucket | |
| Renegade Rapids | 1995 | O.D. Hopkins Rapids water ride | Coyote Creek | |
| Tea Cups | 1995 | Zamperla tea cups | Olde Boston | They used no cover for the Tea Cups at Adventure World Since 1995-1998. A cover was added for the Tea Cups when park became Six Flags America, 1999–present. |
| Flying Carousel | 1995 | Zamperla Flying Carousel | Olde Boston | |
| Sonora Speedway | 1996 | go-karts | Southwest Territory | Extra-charge attraction |
| Riddle Me This | 1996 | stand-up roundup ride | Gotham City | Named World Wind, location moved to Gotham City section in 1999 |
| Tower of Doom | 1996 | Intamin 140 ft (42.7 m). tall Giant Drop | Southwest Territory | |
| Rodeo | 1999 | Huss Breakdance | Coyote Creek | |
| Sky Coaster | 2001 | sky coaster | Gotham City | Extra-charge attraction |
| The Penguin's Blizzard River | 2003 | Whitewater West Spinning Rapids water ride | Gotham City |
Current kiddie rides
Six Flags America's Kid Sections are Looney Tunes Movie Town and Whistlestop ParkWhistlestop Park
Whistlestop Park is a themed kid's area with various rides at several Six Flags amusement parks.-History:Before being named Whistlestop Park, these themed areas were named Thomas Town from 2007 to 2010....
.
Former Kid's Area was Thomas Town
Thomas the Tank Engine
Thomas the Tank Engine is a fictional steam locomotive in The Railway Series books by the Reverend Wilbert Awdry and his son, Christopher. He became the most popular character in the series, and the accompanying television spin-off series, Thomas and Friends.Thomas is a tank engine, painted blue...
that only operated during the 2010 season.
| Name | Opened | Manufacturer/Ride Type | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up, Up & Away | 1993 | Family size ferris wheel | Whistlestop Park | Used to be located in Olde Boston as Around the World in 80 Days from 1993 - 2009. Moved in Thomas Town in 2010 as Sodor Carnival Ferris Wheel; and now rethemed in 2011. |
| Elmer’s Around the World in 80 Seconds | 1993 | kiddie balloon flight | Looney Tunes Movie Town | Named Balloon Flight until 1999 |
| Foghorn Leghorn’s Tinsel Town Train | 1993 | kiddie train ride | Looney Tunes Movie Town | Named Circus Train until 1999 |
| Looney Tunes Prop Warehouse | 1999 | kiddie soft play area | Looney Tunes Movie Town | |
| PePe Le Pew’s Tea Party | 1999 | kiddie tea cups | Looney Tunes Movie Town | |
| Sylvester’s Pounce and Bounce | 1999 | kiddie drop ride | Looney Tunes Movie Town | |
| Taz’s Film Works | 1999 | kiddie swings ride | Looney Tunes Movie Town | |
| Yosemite Sam’s Hollywood Flight School | 1999 | kiddie airplane ride | Looney Tunes Movie Town | |
| Happy Junction | 2010 | kiddie convoy ride | Whistlestop Park | It was known as Diesel Derby in 2010 in Thomas Town; and now rethemed in 2011. |
| Sky Jumper | 2010 | Family Drop Ride | Whistlestop Park | It was known as Cranky the Crane Tower in 2010 in Thomas Town; and now rethemed in 2011. |
| Splash Zone | 2010 | Pop Jet Fountain | Whistlestop Park | It was known as Thomas Town Pop Jet Fountain in 2010 in Thomas Town; and now rethemed in 2011. |
| Whistlestop Bus Line | 2010 | kiddie Zamperla crazy bus | Whistlestop Park | It was known as Bertie the Bus in 2010 in Thomas Town; and now rethemed in 2011. |
| Whistlestop Park Playground | 2010 | Playground | Whistlestop Park | It was known as Thomas Town Play Structure in 2010 in Thomas Town; and now rethemed in 2011. |
| Whistlestop Train | 2010 | Family Train ride | Whistlestop Park | It was known as Thomas the Tank Engine Thomas the Tank Engine Thomas the Tank Engine is a fictional steam locomotive in The Railway Series books by the Reverend Wilbert Awdry and his son, Christopher. He became the most popular character in the series, and the accompanying television spin-off series, Thomas and Friends.Thomas is a tank engine, painted blue... in 2010 in Thomas Town; and now rethemed in 2011. |
| Whistlestop Whirlybirds | 2010 | I.E. Park Mini Flight | Whistlestop Park | It was known as Harold the Helicopter in 2010 in Thomas Town; and now rethemed in 2011. |
Hurricane Harbor
Six Flags America is a combination family theme park and water park. Hurricane Harbor water park is adjacent to the main park and has no additional charge for entry.| Name | Opened | Manufacturer/Ride Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calypso Cannonballs | two small tube drop slides | Named Caribbean Cannonball Flume until 2004 | |
| Riptide | Small body slides | Named Luau Loop until 2004 | |
| Vortex | Small body slides | Named Luau Loop until 2004 | |
| Castaway Creek | 1982 | Lazy river | |
| Hurricane Bay | 1982 | Wave pool | Named Monsoon Lagoon until 2004; One of the largest wave pools in the world |
| Zoomazon Falls | 1982 | 4 twisting body slides | Named Rainbow Falls until 2004. Hurricane Mountain 2005-2008. Formerly tube slides. Closed 2008–2010. Rethemed to an Amazon rainforest and reopened June 2011. |
| Paradise Plunge | 1994 | Proslide Technology Inc. “Pipeline” | Named Tahiti Twister until 2004 |
| Reef Runner | 1994 | Proslide Technology Inc. “Pipeline” | Named Tahiti Twister until 2004 |
| Crocodile Cal's Caribbean Beach House | 1997 | Family activity area | Named Crocodile Cal's Outback Beach House until 2005- the "Cal's" portion of the name came from Baltimore Oriole's superstar Cal Ripken |
| Hammerhead | 1997 | Proslide Technology Inc. “Giant Twister” | Named Black Hole until 2004 |
| Mako | 1997 | Proslide Technology Inc. “Drop Slide” | Named Bonzai Pipeline until 2004 |
| Bahama Blast | 2005 | Proslide Technology Inc. “Mammoth” | |
| Buccaneer Beach | 2005 | Kiddie/family activity area | |
| Tornado | 2005 | Proslide Technology Inc. Tornado “60” | |
| The Halfpipe | 2008 | Water Fun Products "Sidewinder" | Waterslide half-pipe for one or two riders. It was known as Tony Hawk Tony Hawk Anthony Frank "Tony" Hawk , nicknamed "The Birdman" is an American retired professional skateboarder and actor. Hawk gained significant fame for completing the first 900 as well as his licensed video game titles distributed by Activision... 's Halfpipe from 2008–2010; and now rethemed in 2011. |
Former Roller Coasters
| Name | Opened | Removed In | Manufacturer/Ride Type | Former Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Python | 1993 | 1998 | Arrow Dynamics Launched Loop | Southwest Territory | Ride was moved from Six Flags Great Adventure (one half of Lightning Loops). |
| The Great Alonzo's Cannonball Coaster | 1993 | 1998 | Molina & Son's kiddie coaster | A Day At The Circus | |
| Two Face: The Flip Side Two Face: The Flip Side Two Face: The Flip Side was a steel roller coaster at Six Flags America in Prince George's County, Mitchellville, Maryland. It was a standard Vekoma Boomerang Invertigo modeled roller coaster, themed after D.C. Comics' Batman rival, Harvey Dent A.K.A. Two Face. The ride was located in the Southwest... |
1999 | 2009 | Vekoma Invertigo roller coaster | Southwest Territory | See Incidents at Six Flags parks Incidents at Six Flags parks This is a summary of notable incidents that have taken place at amusement parks, water parks, or theme parks currently owned or managed by Six Flags. This list is not intended to be a comprehensive list of every such event, but only those that have a significant impact on the parks or park... for more information. |
Former Rides and Attractions
Including Former Hurricane Harbor Water slides| Name | Opened | Removed In | Manufacturer/Ride Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Curving Dervish | Bayern Curve | Exact history not known. | ||
| Aerial Elephants | 1993 | 1998 | kiddie ride | |
| Clown Around | 1993 | 1998 | Kiddie ride | |
| Clown Town | 1993 | 1998 | Kiddie attraction | |
| Flying Trapeze | 1993 | 1998 | Kiddie attraction | |
| Kiddie Bumper Boats | 1993 | 1998 | Kiddie ride | |
| Lippazanion Stallions | 1993 | 1998 | Kiddie attraction | |
| Roller Racers | 1993 | 1998 | Kiddie ride | |
| The Juggler | 1993 | 1998 | Kiddie ride | |
| SkyEscaper | 1991 | 2004 | Enterprise | The ride was closed in 2002. |
| Iron Eagle | 1995 | 2005 | Zamperla Rotoshake | |
| Kids' Cove | 1982 | 2005 | Kids area | Located in Hurricane Harbor |
| Krypton Comet | 2000 | 2005 | Chance-Morgan Chaos | |
| Lily Pad Walk | 1982 | 2005 | Located in Hurricane Harbor | |
| The Tilt | 1989 | 2006 | Tilt-a-Whirl | |
| The Animation Department | 1999 | 2007 | Kiddie Carousel | |
| Circus of the Stars | 1982 | 2007 | Kiddie bumper cars | |
| Avalanche | 1999 | 2010 | Chance-Morgan Alpine Bobs | Located in Gotham City. Named Penguins Bobsleds (1999–2003), Alpine Bobs (2003–2006) moved to former Krypton Comet location and renamed in 2006. |
| The Octopus Octopus (ride) The Octopus is a type of amusement ride in the shape of an octopus. Five to eight arms attached to a central axis spin and move up and down in random, while cars at the end of the arms spin on rotary bolts. Each Octopus ride has the arms attached the middle of the ride. The middle of the ride will... |
2000 | 2010 | Sartori Polyp, monster style ride | Located in Nantucket. On August 3, 2007, a 6-year-old girl was injured on this ride. See Incidents at Six Flags parks Incidents at Six Flags parks This is a summary of notable incidents that have taken place at amusement parks, water parks, or theme parks currently owned or managed by Six Flags. This list is not intended to be a comprehensive list of every such event, but only those that have a significant impact on the parks or park... for more information. |
| Skull Mountain | 1997 | 2011 | Intamin Reversing Boat Ride 8 water ride | Named Typhoon Sea Coaster, ride was modified and name changed in 2007. The ride took its last voyage on July 10, 2011. |