Six Flags Great Adventure
Encyclopedia
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. Situated between the New York City and Philadelphia regions, the park complex also contains the Six Flags Wild Safari
animal park and Hurricane Harbor
water park
.
Originally opened in 1974 under restaurateur Warner LeRoy's
vision of a seven park complex named Great Adventure (by which the park is still known as by locals today), it has been continuously operated since then. Six Flags took over ownership of the park in 1977. The park today contains eleven themed areas, four of which are designed for small children. It is the largest (land-wise) of all the Six Flags properties, including the land of the Safari Park. It also has the distinction of being the first park acquired by Six Flags after opening its first three original parks Six Flags Over Texas
, Six Flags Over Georgia
, and Six Flags St. Louis
.
developed concept plans for the Great Adventure entertainment complex, proposing seven parks be built within the complex: An amusement park, a safari park, a show park, a floral park, a sports complex, a shopping district and a campground with beach and stables. His proposal also included plans for hotels, which were connected to the parks and could be reached by boats, buses, a sky ride and/or a monorail. LeRoy wanted his parks to flow naturally through the forest and lakes, capitalizing on the back-to-nature movement of the era. He chose a property then owned by the Switlik
family, in an area centrally located between the New York City and Philadelphia regions. The property on CR 537
had easy access to the newly constructed Interstate 195
, which connects central New Jersey to the New Jersey Turnpike
(Interstate 95
) and eventually to the Garden State Parkway
.
LeRoy collaborated with Hardwicke Industries, who previously built safari parks in Canada and Europe. Together, they set out to open the seven parks in stages over a 5-year period. After a 4,500 invitation
only guest opening on June 30, 1974, the Great Adventure entertainment complex opened to the general public on July 1, 1974 at a price price tag of $10 million. At the time of the opening, only the Enchanted Forest and Safari parks were operational, and despite plans for a seven park complex, only those two parks were ever realized, with elements from five of the other planned parks being used to create the Enchanted Forest.
The Enchanted Forest was designed and built to look as if it appeared through the eyes of a child. Almost everything was designed to be bigger-than-life. A Big Balloon was a tethered hot-air balloon that loomed over the park's entrance and was the biggest of its kind in the world. The Log Flume was the longest log ride constructed in the world at that time and it was accompanied by a giant "Conestoga Wagon," an over-sized log cabin restaurant called "Best of the West" and a huge Western Fortress, in the park's Rootin' Tootin' Rip Roaring section. The Giant Wheel (now Big Wheel), then the tallest Ferris wheel
in the world and the Freedom Fountain, then the largest spraying fountain in the world were located on the opposite end of the park. One of the few smaller-than-real life attractions was an outdoor walk-through attraction called the Garden of Marvels. It used working scale trains and boats amongst models of American landmarks and 1/25-scale recreations of European castles.
This miniature village was an idea taken from LeRoy's proposed Over the Rainbow floral park. A tree filled with snakes, a carousel, antique cars, koi pond, children's playground (called Kiddie Kingdom,) petting zoo (named Happy Feeling) and a restaurant named Gingerbread Fancy (now Granny's Country Kitchen) were also borrowed from the floral park concept to create a section of The Enchanted Forest. This section created the park's main midway named Dream Street.
Dream Street was named after a proposed "shopping extravaganza" park, which LeRoy had designed for the property. It lent its large open squares, huge fountain (Main Street Fountain,) street performers (clowns and stilt walkers) and shops to the Enchanted Forest. Fairy Tales was the name of a shop that opened with the park in one of the park's over-sized bazaar tents. It sold stuffed animals and toys, including Superman!Other influences from LeRoy's proposal would surface in the years to come.
Neptune's Kingdom was a concept for a lakeside, aquatic show park. From its design came Aqua Spectacle, the home for dolphin performances and high dive shows. Today, the stadium features dolphins but is now known as Fort Independence. Neptune's Kingdom was designed to run the length from Runaway Train to Northern Star Arena, but most of its influences appear in the park's Lakefront area.
Rootin' Tootin' Rip Roaring opened with Runaway Mine Train
on the grand opening on Independence Day
. A small compact coaster named Big Fury opened later in the season. The Sky Ride connected two ends of the park with stations in Rootin' Tootin' Rip Roaring and Dream Street. The double sky ride ran originally at the 1964-'65 New York World's Fair. The Great Train Ride was a small train ride that brought guests through a loop of the woods, rather than to a destination of another gate. A small handful of spin rides were located in the Strawberry Fair section and were as close to any thematic journey as the guests were going to take. The Fantasy Fling is older than the park and is the only survivor of these spin rides in 2008.
The Fun Fair area debuted in 1975 with several new spinning rides, a smaller ferris wheel and a Schwarzkopf Jumbo Jet roller coaster. The coaster never opened and was removed at the end of the season. A second flume called the Moon Flume was built by Arrow Dynamics to ease crowds on the Log Flume. It was built on the opposite end of the park and the station turntable is used for the stage of the Wiggles show today. The Fortune Festival was a new game section that was located where the Boardwalk section exists today.
A large portion of LeRoy's vision for the amusement park that never came to be was the inclusion of dark rides. Although 'Man, Time and Space,' 'The Keystone Cops' and '(Alice) Down the Wishing Well' (among others) never came to be, the Haunted Castle Across the Moat, which was added a few years later, took its cue from the rooms and monsters of the 'Transylvania Haunted Castle.'
In 1976, the park's entrance was moved to a new central location, the same entrance still in use today. It was designed with an outer mall called Liberty Court and its Federal style architecture was influenced by the celebration of the United States bicentennial
. An inner mall called Avenue of States was adorned by fifty state flags in the central corridor. Six flags remain on Main Street today. The Enchanted Forest name on the park was changed to the complex's main name of Great Adventure. The Strawberry Fair and Fun Fair names were discontinued and the attractions in these areas became part of the newly-named Enchanted Forest section. More spin rides, "yummy yummy" food, shows, games and the Safari became a part of "the greatest day of your life." The park became a major attraction with dozens of rides, shows, and several steel roller coasters (all of which are small by today's standards and one of which still operates today). The Big Balloon, Happy Feeling, The Gondola, Pretty Monster and Super Cat were the first attractions to be removed from the park before a new owner would make big changes.
(which was removed in 1992). Late that year, however, the park was purchased by Six Flags
. This regional theme park company was owned then by Penn Central, which had large stakes in the Philadelphia and New York City regions. Six Flags added rides found in bigger theme parks such as the wooden coaster called Rolling Thunder
in 1979, The Buccaneer (a swinging ship from Intamin), Roaring Rapids (now Congo Rapids, an Intamin River Rapids ride), Parachuter's Perch (now Parachute Training Center: Edwards AFB Jump Tower, an Intamin Parachute ride) and Freefall (later Stuntman's Freefall, an Intamin First Generation Freefall), all before the park's tenth anniversary.
1980 saw very few changes while in 1981, the park added a water ride called Roaring Rapids (now called Congo River Rapids). In 1983, the park added a Freefall Ride and in 1984, the park added a roller coaster called the Sarajevo Bobsleds but closed and removed Lil' Thunder
, a kiddie coaster, keeping the coaster count to four.
On May 11, 1984, eight teenagers were killed in a fire in the Haunted Castle., sparking controversy over the safety of such attractions. After the incident, new fire safety laws were passed for amusement park fun houses and dark rides, with the Haunted Castle Fire dying as a martyr for amusement park safety.
1986 saw the addition of a second looping coaster and the park's fifth roller coaster, Ultra Twister
, with spiral inline twists. The ride was built next to Rolling Thunder, partially taking away the area's western theme. Another water ride called Splashwater Falls (which became Movietown Water Effect
in 1992 and has since been removed) was added in which riders rode in a large boat which was pulled up hill and then down a steep waterfall, soaking riders. The new addition was made since attendance at the park had lowered since the Haunted Castle fire, and the park realized new additions were needed to keep the park alive.
Attendance dropped even further when an accident occurred on the Lightning Loops roller coaster. A teenage girl was thrown from the train because she was seated on the wrong side of the shoulder restraint. After the accident, new safety features were added not only to Great Adventure's roller coasters, but also to roller coasters around the world. Once again, Great Adventure set both a bad and later good example for the amusement park world. However, the accident was not good for the park's attendance. Attendance was so low, in fact, that in 1987 rumors began to spread that the park may close in a few years. At the end of that season, the park was slated to get a new multiple looping coaster but by the end of the year, it was decided that Six Flags Great America
would be get the coaster since Great Adventure was not seen as a good investment. At the end of the 1988, the park was about to lose its license to sell food, and attendance was so low park management realized a big new addition was necessary.
In the spring of 1988, it was announced that the park would indeed get a new coaster. Sarajevo Bobsleds was removed to make room for the new coaster, The Great American Scream Machine
, which opened in April 1989. This coaster had multiple loops and for a month was the tallest roller coaster in the world and brought the park back to five roller coasters. The ride completely turned around the park's future, attracting brand new crowds. Thousands of people came to ride the new ride, and it can be fairly stated that The Great American Scream Machine saved the park from an untimely demise (Ironically, The Great American Scream Machine was removed in 2010 to make room for the new Green Lantern coaster).
In 1990, as part of a ride rotation program, a stand up looping roller coaster called Shockwave was added to the park. Shockwave had previously operated at Six Flags Magic Mountain
. However, Ultra Twister was removed at the end of 1989 and sent to Six Flags Astroworld
for the 1991 season keeping the park's coaster count at five. In 1991, the park added a huge complex of "dry" waterslides. While guests got wet on them, they could ride these with regular clothes or swimsuits. These slides were themed after the rivers of the world. Roaring Rapids, as well as the second flume ride in the park, were incorporated into this complex. Roaring Rapids became Congo Rapids, and The Hydro Flume became Zambezi Falls.
In 1992, the eastern area or Fun Fair area of the park was re-themed Action Town, and then Movietown in 1993. A Batman stunt show was added and the announcement that a new inverted looping roller coaster called Batman The Ride would be added. Lightning Loops opened for the first half of the season but was disassembled at the end of July to begin construction of Batman. That coaster was sold to Premier Parks, which at the time was a different company than Six Flags (but would eventually buy Six Flags). Premiere Parks put one of the Lightning Loops tracks in Frontier City
located in Oklahoma City
and it still operates today. Premiere Parks put the other Lightning Loops track in their park in Largo, Maryland
(near Washington, DC), then called Adventure World
. That track was renamed the Python, which would be removed in 1999. At the end of 1992 the roller coaster Shockwave was removed as part of the "Ride Rotation Program" of Six Flags. Shockwave would be sent to Six Flags Astroworld and would reopen there in 1994 as Batman The Escape
. So by the end of 1992 the park was down to just three coasters.
Batman, designed by Bolliger & Mabillard
, opened in the spring of 1993 bringing the coaster count back up to four. In 1994, a motion simulator theatre ride was added. Initially, it was an airplane flying themed attraction but has since been changed to a Halloween theme in the fall over the years. A dinosaur theme and a three dimensional dinosaur theme was also used for this attraction. For several years, it operated as SpongeBob
the ride and then as Fly Me To The Moon. For the 2010 season, the attraction did not run and that building remained vacant for future use.
1995 saw the addition of Viper
, a steel spiral looping roller coaster similar to Ultra Twister and in Ultra Twister's old spot, bringing the coaster count to five again. 1996 saw the addition of an indoor themed junior roller coaster called Skull Mountain
. In 1997, a multiple looping dual track shuttle coaster called Batman & Robin: The Chiller
was built but only opened for a day and encountered more technical difficulties. This coaster ended up not opening again until the spring of 1998. This coaster ran rather rough and was referred to as a "headbanger" as was Viper, and to a lesser extent The Scream Machine. The Mine Train and Rolling Thunder were also rough rides by then. Also, many flat rides were removed over the years and the park was showing signs of wear and tear, as well as obsolete attractions.
as well as a kiddie roller coaster called Road Runner Railway
were also added, but the star attraction was a floorless steel multiple looping roller coaster called Medusa
.
No changes were made at the park in 2000, but across the property on a separate parking lot, a Waterpark named Hurricane Harbor was built and opened at the end of May. This was also separately gated and charges a separate admission from Great Adventure. The park consists of a dozen waterslides, a kiddie water play area, and a wavepool.
In 2001, the park added another state of the art roller coaster called Nitro
. In 2002, Batman & Robin: The Chiller was renovated and new trains without over the shoulder harnesses were added making it a much smoother ride. In 2003, Superman: Ultimate Flight
was added. Exact models of this are found at Six Flags Over Georgia
and Six Flags Great America
. In 2004, new harnesses were added to the Runaway Mine Train and the up-charge attraction erUPtion was added to the Boardwalk.
In 2005, the park added the world's tallest and fastest roller coaster called Kingda Ka
and also dismantled Viper. With the addition of Kingda Ka, the season pass holders entrance to the park was closed because Kingda Ka's footprint went right over it. A new children's play area called Balin's Jungleland was also added. In 2006, a wooden twister coaster called El Toro
was added in the spot formerly occupied by Viper, along with a new themed area, and another kiddie ride area to replace Bugs Bunny Land which was retired at the end of 2004.
. The rolls were replaced with banked hills to enhance ride performance. However, the ride closed forever on June 28 due to technical problems with the ride. Disassembling occurred that September. In addition, the path leading to Chiller was blocked off and several rides including Freefall, Splashwater Falls/Movietown Water Effect, and a couple other flat rides were removed.
In 2008, in the area occupied by Chiller and Movietown Water Affect, a new junior indoor Wild Mouse rollercoaster was added called The Dark Knight. Motion Simulator Ride ended the SpongeBob theming in favor of Fly Me To The Moon.
Medusa was refurbished over the off-season and returned in 2009 as "Bizarro", a new incarnation of the same ride. The whole coaster, station, and surrounding theme elements were all changed and repainted to go with the new theme of the ride. Bizarro comic strips were put up along the queue line, and special effects and audio were added to the actual ride. The refurbishment brought crowds back to a ride that was beginning to lose its original charm and popularity.
, Six Flags confirmed the rumored removal of the Great American Scream Machine on July 18, 2010. The ride closed on late on that date and was demolished immediately after to make room for "a major new attraction in 2011." On September 16, 2010 the park announced that the Green Lantern, a standup rollercoaster formerly known as Chang from the closed Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom
, would debut in the Boardwalk section for the 2011 season. Green Lantern's lift hill and first drop runs parallel to the lift hill of Superman Ultimate Flight, which involved the demolition of a rarely-used section of the preferred parking area.
In late 2010, Six Flags began the process of removing licensed theming from attractions. They terminated several licenses including their license with The Wiggles
. Wiggles' World was renamed and rethemed to Safari Kids in time for the 2011 season. Also in 2011, erUPtion was removed. Construction for the new S&S Slingshot replacing erUPtion started mid-June 2011 and was recently finished a few weeks after.
For 2012, Great Adventure will introduce SkyScreamer
a 240 feet (73.2 m) Funtime StarFlyer, that will soar riders in a 98-foot (30 m) circle at speeds over 43 miles per hour (69 km/h), that will open in the spring of 2012, along with bumper cars, flying elephants, and a scrambler. And for the ride Falls at Hurricane Harbor will get a transformation to trapdoor release.
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Golden Kingdom is also home to three llambas, which are near the entrance to the area on Aldabra Island, formely home to aldabra tortoises. Golden Kingdom is expected to receive an expansion, since one of the major paths in the area is closed off.
Jackson Township, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 42,816 people, 14,176 households, and 11,269 families residing in the township. The population density was 427.9 people per square mile . There were 14,640 housing units at an average density of 146.3 per square mile...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, owned by Six Flags Entertainment Corp.
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...
, the world's largest amusement park
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
corporation. Situated between the New York City and Philadelphia regions, the park complex also contains the Six Flags Wild Safari
Six Flags Wild Safari
Six Flags Wild Safari is a drive-through safari located in Jackson Township, New Jersey right next to Six Flags Great Adventure and Six Flags Hurricane Harbor. The park currently covers and the main road through the park is long...
animal park and 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...
water park
Water park
A waterpark is an amusement park that features waterplay areas, such as water slides, splash pads, spraygrounds , lazy rivers, or other recreational bathing, swimming, and barefooting environments...
.
Originally opened in 1974 under restaurateur Warner LeRoy's
Warner LeRoy
Warner LeRoy , was a New York businessman. LeRoy was the son of film producer-director Mervyn LeRoy and Mervyn's second wife, Doris Warner, and was the grandson of Harry Warner, one of the founders of Warner Bros...
vision of a seven park complex named Great Adventure (by which the park is still known as by locals today), it has been continuously operated since then. Six Flags took over ownership of the park in 1977. The park today contains eleven themed areas, four of which are designed for small children. It is the largest (land-wise) of all the Six Flags properties, including the land of the Safari Park. It also has the distinction of being the first park acquired by Six Flags after opening its first three original parks Six Flags Over Texas
Six Flags Over Texas
Six Flags Over Texas is a major amusement park located in Arlington, Texas , east of Fort Worth and about west of Dallas. It is the oldest park of the Six Flags chain. The park opened on August 5, 1961 following just a year of construction and an initial investment of US$10 million by real estate...
, Six Flags Over Georgia
Six Flags Over Georgia
Six Flags Over Georgia is a theme park located west of Atlanta, in unincorporated Cobb County. Opened in 1967, it is the second park in the Six Flags chain, after the original opening in 1961 in Texas....
, and Six Flags St. Louis
Six Flags St. Louis
Six Flags St. Louis , is an amusement park owned by Six Flags, Inc. It is located in Eureka, Missouri, USA . Opened in 1971 as the third theme park of the Six Flags chain, this was the last park that was built under the Six Flags name...
.
History
Warner LeRoy Era (1974 - 1977)
In 1972, restaurateur Warner LeRoyWarner LeRoy
Warner LeRoy , was a New York businessman. LeRoy was the son of film producer-director Mervyn LeRoy and Mervyn's second wife, Doris Warner, and was the grandson of Harry Warner, one of the founders of Warner Bros...
developed concept plans for the Great Adventure entertainment complex, proposing seven parks be built within the complex: An amusement park, a safari park, a show park, a floral park, a sports complex, a shopping district and a campground with beach and stables. His proposal also included plans for hotels, which were connected to the parks and could be reached by boats, buses, a sky ride and/or a monorail. LeRoy wanted his parks to flow naturally through the forest and lakes, capitalizing on the back-to-nature movement of the era. He chose a property then owned by the Switlik
Stanley Switlik
Stanley Switlik was a parachute pioneer. Born in 1890 in Galicia, now part of Poland, he immigrated to the United States at 17 years of age. Originally, his company made heavy sewn items such as golf bags and mailbags.-Parachute tower:...
family, in an area centrally located between the New York City and Philadelphia regions. The property on CR 537
County Route 537 (New Jersey)
County Route 537, abbreviated CR 537, is a county highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The highway extends from Delaware Avenue in Camden to Myrtle Avenue in Long Branch.-Camden County:...
had easy access to the newly constructed Interstate 195
Interstate 195 (New Jersey)
Interstate 195 is an auxiliary route of the Interstate Highway System located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Its western end is at I-295 and Route 29 just south of Trenton, New Jersey in Hamilton Township, Mercer County while its eastern end is at the Garden State Parkway, Route 34 and Route...
, which connects central New Jersey to the New Jersey Turnpike
New Jersey Turnpike
The New Jersey Turnpike is a toll road in New Jersey, maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. According to the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, the Turnpike is the nation's sixth-busiest toll road and is among one of the most heavily traveled highways in the United...
(Interstate 95
Interstate 95 in New Jersey
Interstate 95 is a major Interstate Highway that traverses the full extent of the East Coast of the United States, from Florida to Maine...
) and eventually to the Garden State Parkway
Garden State Parkway
The Garden State Parkway is a 172.4-mile limited-access toll parkway that stretches the length of New Jersey from the New York line at Montvale, New Jersey, to Cape May at New Jersey's southernmost tip. Its name refers to New Jersey's nickname, the "Garden State." Most New Jersey residents refer...
.
LeRoy collaborated with Hardwicke Industries, who previously built safari parks in Canada and Europe. Together, they set out to open the seven parks in stages over a 5-year period. After a 4,500 invitation
Invitation
Invitation is the first full-length studio album from the Finnish power metal band Altaria.-Track listing:# "Unicorn" – 3:32# "History of Times to Come" – 4:16# "Ravenwing" – 4:30# "Innocent" – 4:11# "Wrath of a Warchild" – 4:13...
only guest opening on June 30, 1974, the Great Adventure entertainment complex opened to the general public on July 1, 1974 at a price price tag of $10 million. At the time of the opening, only the Enchanted Forest and Safari parks were operational, and despite plans for a seven park complex, only those two parks were ever realized, with elements from five of the other planned parks being used to create the Enchanted Forest.
The Enchanted Forest was designed and built to look as if it appeared through the eyes of a child. Almost everything was designed to be bigger-than-life. A Big Balloon was a tethered hot-air balloon that loomed over the park's entrance and was the biggest of its kind in the world. The Log Flume was the longest log ride constructed in the world at that time and it was accompanied by a giant "Conestoga Wagon," an over-sized log cabin restaurant called "Best of the West" and a huge Western Fortress, in the park's Rootin' Tootin' Rip Roaring section. The Giant Wheel (now Big Wheel), then the tallest 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...
in the world and the Freedom Fountain, then the largest spraying fountain in the world were located on the opposite end of the park. One of the few smaller-than-real life attractions was an outdoor walk-through attraction called the Garden of Marvels. It used working scale trains and boats amongst models of American landmarks and 1/25-scale recreations of European castles.
This miniature village was an idea taken from LeRoy's proposed Over the Rainbow floral park. A tree filled with snakes, a carousel, antique cars, koi pond, children's playground (called Kiddie Kingdom,) petting zoo (named Happy Feeling) and a restaurant named Gingerbread Fancy (now Granny's Country Kitchen) were also borrowed from the floral park concept to create a section of The Enchanted Forest. This section created the park's main midway named Dream Street.
Dream Street was named after a proposed "shopping extravaganza" park, which LeRoy had designed for the property. It lent its large open squares, huge fountain (Main Street Fountain,) street performers (clowns and stilt walkers) and shops to the Enchanted Forest. Fairy Tales was the name of a shop that opened with the park in one of the park's over-sized bazaar tents. It sold stuffed animals and toys, including Superman!Other influences from LeRoy's proposal would surface in the years to come.
Neptune's Kingdom was a concept for a lakeside, aquatic show park. From its design came Aqua Spectacle, the home for dolphin performances and high dive shows. Today, the stadium features dolphins but is now known as Fort Independence. Neptune's Kingdom was designed to run the length from Runaway Train to Northern Star Arena, but most of its influences appear in the park's Lakefront area.
Rootin' Tootin' Rip Roaring opened with Runaway Mine Train
Runaway Mine Train (Six Flags Great Adventure)
Runaway Mine Train is a steel roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ and at Six Flags over Texas in Arlington, Texas. It was the park's first steel coaster, and was built by Arrow Dynamics...
on the grand opening on Independence Day
Independence Day (United States)
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
. A small compact coaster named Big Fury opened later in the season. The Sky Ride connected two ends of the park with stations in Rootin' Tootin' Rip Roaring and Dream Street. The double sky ride ran originally at the 1964-'65 New York World's Fair. The Great Train Ride was a small train ride that brought guests through a loop of the woods, rather than to a destination of another gate. A small handful of spin rides were located in the Strawberry Fair section and were as close to any thematic journey as the guests were going to take. The Fantasy Fling is older than the park and is the only survivor of these spin rides in 2008.
The Fun Fair area debuted in 1975 with several new spinning rides, a smaller ferris wheel and a Schwarzkopf Jumbo Jet roller coaster. The coaster never opened and was removed at the end of the season. A second flume called the Moon Flume was built by Arrow Dynamics to ease crowds on the Log Flume. It was built on the opposite end of the park and the station turntable is used for the stage of the Wiggles show today. The Fortune Festival was a new game section that was located where the Boardwalk section exists today.
A large portion of LeRoy's vision for the amusement park that never came to be was the inclusion of dark rides. Although 'Man, Time and Space,' 'The Keystone Cops' and '(Alice) Down the Wishing Well' (among others) never came to be, the Haunted Castle Across the Moat, which was added a few years later, took its cue from the rooms and monsters of the 'Transylvania Haunted Castle.'
In 1976, the park's entrance was moved to a new central location, the same entrance still in use today. It was designed with an outer mall called Liberty Court and its Federal style architecture was influenced by the celebration of the United States bicentennial
United States Bicentennial
The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to the historical events leading up to the creation of the United States as an independent republic...
. An inner mall called Avenue of States was adorned by fifty state flags in the central corridor. Six flags remain on Main Street today. The Enchanted Forest name on the park was changed to the complex's main name of Great Adventure. The Strawberry Fair and Fun Fair names were discontinued and the attractions in these areas became part of the newly-named Enchanted Forest section. More spin rides, "yummy yummy" food, shows, games and the Safari became a part of "the greatest day of your life." The park became a major attraction with dozens of rides, shows, and several steel roller coasters (all of which are small by today's standards and one of which still operates today). The Big Balloon, Happy Feeling, The Gondola, Pretty Monster and Super Cat were the first attractions to be removed from the park before a new owner would make big changes.
Six Flags Era (1977 - 1992)
In 1977, construction began on a steel looping shuttle coaster called Lightnin' LoopsLightnin' Loops
The Lightnin' Loops were two interlocking track Arrow Dynamics Shuttle Loop roller coasters at Six Flags Great Adventure.-History:Lightnin' Loops was built in 1977 and opened in 1978 at Six Flags Great Adventure. Six Flags had acquired the park in 1977 and Lightnin' Loops was planned by the prior...
(which was removed in 1992). Late that year, however, the park was purchased by 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 regional theme park company was owned then by Penn Central, which had large stakes in the Philadelphia and New York City regions. Six Flags added rides found in bigger theme parks such as the wooden coaster called Rolling Thunder
Rolling Thunder (roller coaster)
Rolling Thunder is a racing wooden roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ. Rolling Thunder is the park's first wooden coaster, and debuted in 1979 during the park's fifth anniversary season. The line for the ride begins at an adjoining entrance and has separate queues for each...
in 1979, The Buccaneer (a swinging ship from Intamin), Roaring Rapids (now Congo Rapids, an Intamin River Rapids ride), Parachuter's Perch (now Parachute Training Center: Edwards AFB Jump Tower, an Intamin Parachute ride) and Freefall (later Stuntman's Freefall, an Intamin First Generation Freefall), all before the park's tenth anniversary.
1980 saw very few changes while in 1981, the park added a water ride called Roaring Rapids (now called Congo River Rapids). In 1983, the park added a Freefall Ride and in 1984, the park added a roller coaster called the Sarajevo Bobsleds but closed and removed Lil' Thunder
Lil' Thunder
Lil' Thunder was a steel non looping children's rollercoaster that operated from 1975 to 1983 at Six Flags Great Adventure. It was designed by Herschell....
, a kiddie coaster, keeping the coaster count to four.
On May 11, 1984, eight teenagers were killed in a fire in the Haunted Castle., sparking controversy over the safety of such attractions. After the incident, new fire safety laws were passed for amusement park fun houses and dark rides, with the Haunted Castle Fire dying as a martyr for amusement park safety.
1986 saw the addition of a second looping coaster and the park's fifth roller coaster, Ultra Twister
Ultra Twister
Ultra Twister was a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Great Adventure from 1986 to 1990 and then at Six Flags AstroWorld from 1991 until that park was closed and demolished by the Six Flags Corporation in 2005...
, with spiral inline twists. The ride was built next to Rolling Thunder, partially taking away the area's western theme. Another water ride called Splashwater Falls (which became Movietown Water Effect
Shoot-the-Chutes
Shoot-the-Chutes is an amusement ride consisting of a flat-bottomed boat that slides down a ramp or inside a flume into a lagoon. Unlike a log flume, a Shoot-the-Chutes generally has larger boats and one single drop....
in 1992 and has since been removed) was added in which riders rode in a large boat which was pulled up hill and then down a steep waterfall, soaking riders. The new addition was made since attendance at the park had lowered since the Haunted Castle fire, and the park realized new additions were needed to keep the park alive.
Attendance dropped even further when an accident occurred on the Lightning Loops roller coaster. A teenage girl was thrown from the train because she was seated on the wrong side of the shoulder restraint. After the accident, new safety features were added not only to Great Adventure's roller coasters, but also to roller coasters around the world. Once again, Great Adventure set both a bad and later good example for the amusement park world. However, the accident was not good for the park's attendance. Attendance was so low, in fact, that in 1987 rumors began to spread that the park may close in a few years. At the end of that season, the park was slated to get a new multiple looping coaster but by the end of the year, it was decided that Six Flags Great America
Six Flags Great America
Six Flags Great America is a Six Flags theme park in the Chicago metropolitan area, located in Gurnee, Illinois. It first opened in 1976 as Marriott's Great America. Six Flags purchased the park from the Marriott Corporation in 1984, making it the seventh park in the chain...
would be get the coaster since Great Adventure was not seen as a good investment. At the end of the 1988, the park was about to lose its license to sell food, and attendance was so low park management realized a big new addition was necessary.
In the spring of 1988, it was announced that the park would indeed get a new coaster. Sarajevo Bobsleds was removed to make room for the new coaster, The Great American Scream Machine
The Great American Scream Machine (Six Flags Great Adventure)
The Great American Scream Machine was a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Great Adventure. The 173-foot tall ride was built in 1989 as the fastest looping roller coaster in the world, reaching speeds up to 68 mph...
, which opened in April 1989. This coaster had multiple loops and for a month was the tallest roller coaster in the world and brought the park back to five roller coasters. The ride completely turned around the park's future, attracting brand new crowds. Thousands of people came to ride the new ride, and it can be fairly stated that The Great American Scream Machine saved the park from an untimely demise (Ironically, The Great American Scream Machine was removed in 2010 to make room for the new Green Lantern coaster).
In 1990, as part of a ride rotation program, a stand up looping roller coaster called Shockwave was added to the park. Shockwave had previously operated at Six Flags Magic Mountain
Six Flags Magic Mountain
Six Flags Magic Mountain is a theme park located in Valencia, California north of Los Angeles. It opened on Memorial Day weekend on May 30, 1971 as Magic Mountain, by the Newhall Land and Farming Company. In 1979, Six Flags purchased the park and added the name Six Flags to the park's title. In...
. However, Ultra Twister was removed at the end of 1989 and sent to Six Flags Astroworld
Six Flags Astroworld
AstroWorld was a seasonally operated theme park located on approximately of land between Kirby Drive and Fannin Avenue, directly south of Loop 610 in Houston, Texas, USA...
for the 1991 season keeping the park's coaster count at five. In 1991, the park added a huge complex of "dry" waterslides. While guests got wet on them, they could ride these with regular clothes or swimsuits. These slides were themed after the rivers of the world. Roaring Rapids, as well as the second flume ride in the park, were incorporated into this complex. Roaring Rapids became Congo Rapids, and The Hydro Flume became Zambezi Falls.
Time Warner Era (1992 - 1998)
That year, Six Flags was purchased by Time Warner, who saw the opportunity to advertise and promote their movies through the Six Flags parks.In 1992, the eastern area or Fun Fair area of the park was re-themed Action Town, and then Movietown in 1993. A Batman stunt show was added and the announcement that a new inverted looping roller coaster called Batman The Ride would be added. Lightning Loops opened for the first half of the season but was disassembled at the end of July to begin construction of Batman. That coaster was sold to Premier Parks, which at the time was a different company than Six Flags (but would eventually buy Six Flags). Premiere Parks put one of the Lightning Loops tracks in 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...
and it still operates today. Premiere Parks put the other Lightning Loops track in their park in Largo, Maryland
Largo, Maryland
Largo is an unincorporated area and census designated place in Prince George's County, Maryland, in the United States. The population was 8,408 at the 2000 census....
(near Washington, DC), then called Adventure World
Six Flags America
Six Flags America is a family theme park and water park located in Mitchellville, Prince George's County, Maryland. It is situated east of Washington D.C. and southwest of Baltimore. The park covers , 131 of which is currently used for park operations...
. That track was renamed the Python, which would be removed in 1999. At the end of 1992 the roller coaster Shockwave was removed as part of the "Ride Rotation Program" of Six Flags. Shockwave would be sent to Six Flags Astroworld and would reopen there in 1994 as Batman The Escape
Batman The Escape
Batman The Escape is a steel stand-up roller coaster in storage at Darien Lake Theme Park Resort. Previously it was located at Six Flags Magic Mountain from 1986 until January 1989 ; Six Flags Great Adventure from 1990 until the Labor Day Weekend of 1992 ; and Six Flags AstroWorld from 1994 until...
. So by the end of 1992 the park was down to just three coasters.
Batman, designed by 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...
, opened in the spring of 1993 bringing the coaster count back up to four. In 1994, a motion simulator theatre ride was added. Initially, it was an airplane flying themed attraction but has since been changed to a Halloween theme in the fall over the years. A dinosaur theme and a three dimensional dinosaur theme was also used for this attraction. For several years, it operated as SpongeBob
SpongeBob SquarePants (character)
SpongeBob SquarePants is a main fictional character in the animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. He is voiced by Tom Kenny and first appeared on television in the series' pilot episode "Help Wanted" on May 1, 1999. SpongeBob was created and designed by cartoonist Stephen Hillenburg...
the ride and then as Fly Me To The Moon. For the 2010 season, the attraction did not run and that building remained vacant for future use.
1995 saw the addition of Viper
Viper (Six Flags Great Adventure)
Viper was a TOGO mega heartline roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure. Viper was closed at the end of 2004 and was demolished in June 2005 for several reasons and was replaced with El Toro....
, a steel spiral looping roller coaster similar to Ultra Twister and in Ultra Twister's old spot, bringing the coaster count to five again. 1996 saw the addition of an indoor themed junior roller coaster called Skull Mountain
Skull Mountain
Skull Mountain is a steel enclosed roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ.-Ride experience:After ascending the 1st lift hill, the train travels around the front facade of the enclosure to ascend the second lift hill...
. In 1997, a multiple looping dual track shuttle coaster called Batman & Robin: The Chiller
Batman & Robin: The Chiller
Batman & Robin: The Chiller was a sit down dual track looping shuttle roller coaster designed by Premier Rides that operated at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey from 1997 to 2007. Due to the constant downtime and flaws in the ride's operation, Six Flags removed the ride from the...
was built but only opened for a day and encountered more technical difficulties. This coaster ended up not opening again until the spring of 1998. This coaster ran rather rough and was referred to as a "headbanger" as was Viper, and to a lesser extent The Scream Machine. The Mine Train and Rolling Thunder were also rough rides by then. Also, many flat rides were removed over the years and the park was showing signs of wear and tear, as well as obsolete attractions.
Premier Era (1998 - 2005)
This would be resolved in 1999. That year, the park added a dozen flat rides and declared a "war on lines". The Adventure River complex was retired but the flume ride and the Congo Rapids remained. A kiddie water play area also remained as part of a new kiddie ride area called Looney Tunes Seaport. A junior roller coaster called Blackbeard's Lost Treasure TrainBlackbeard's Lost Treasure Train
Blackbeard's Lost Treasure Train is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, New Jersey. It is a smaller, family-oriented coaster...
as well as a kiddie roller coaster called Road Runner Railway
Road Runner Railway
Road Runner Railway is a steel roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ. It is a small, kiddie coaster. It is located in the Looney Tunes Seaport section of the park....
were also added, but the star attraction was a floorless steel multiple looping roller coaster called Medusa
Medusa (Great Adventure)
For the roller coaster of the same name at Six Flags New England, see Bizarro . For the former name in Six Flags Discovery Kingdom see Medusa ....
.
No changes were made at the park in 2000, but across the property on a separate parking lot, a Waterpark named Hurricane Harbor was built and opened at the end of May. This was also separately gated and charges a separate admission from Great Adventure. The park consists of a dozen waterslides, a kiddie water play area, and a wavepool.
In 2001, the park added another state of the art roller coaster called Nitro
Nitro (roller coaster)
Nitro is a steel roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey. It was opened in the spring of 2001 and at the time was the fastest roller coaster in New Jersey and the tallest on the East Coast of the United States.-The ride:...
. In 2002, Batman & Robin: The Chiller was renovated and new trains without over the shoulder harnesses were added making it a much smoother ride. In 2003, Superman: Ultimate Flight
Superman: Ultimate Flight
Superman: Ultimate Flight is a steel flying roller coaster manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard. Themed to the popular comic book character, Superman: Ultimate Flight has been installed at three Six Flags theme parks around the United States. Superman: Ultimate Flight simulates flying like the...
was added. Exact models of this are found at Six Flags Over Georgia
Six Flags Over Georgia
Six Flags Over Georgia is a theme park located west of Atlanta, in unincorporated Cobb County. Opened in 1967, it is the second park in the Six Flags chain, after the original opening in 1961 in Texas....
and Six Flags Great America
Six Flags Great America
Six Flags Great America is a Six Flags theme park in the Chicago metropolitan area, located in Gurnee, Illinois. It first opened in 1976 as Marriott's Great America. Six Flags purchased the park from the Marriott Corporation in 1984, making it the seventh park in the chain...
. In 2004, new harnesses were added to the Runaway Mine Train and the up-charge attraction erUPtion was added to the Boardwalk.
In 2005, the park added the world's tallest and fastest roller coaster called Kingda Ka
Kingda Ka
Kingda Ka is a roller coaster located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey, USA. It is the world's tallest roller coaster, and was the world's fastest until Formula Rossa opened in November 2010. The train is launched by a hydraulic launch mechanism to in 3.5 seconds. At the end of...
and also dismantled Viper. With the addition of Kingda Ka, the season pass holders entrance to the park was closed because Kingda Ka's footprint went right over it. A new children's play area called Balin's Jungleland was also added. In 2006, a wooden twister coaster called El Toro
El Toro (roller coaster)
El Toro, meaning The Bull in Spanish, is a wooden roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure. It opened to the public on June 11, 2006. It was designed by Intamin of Switzerland. It had the steepest drop of any wooden roller coaster in the world, at 76 degrees, until this record was broken by T...
was added in the spot formerly occupied by Viper, along with a new themed area, and another kiddie ride area to replace Bugs Bunny Land which was retired at the end of 2004.
Shapiro Era (2005 - 2010)
In 2007, the park added Wiggles World and removed Batman & Robin: The ChillerBatman & Robin: The Chiller
Batman & Robin: The Chiller was a sit down dual track looping shuttle roller coaster designed by Premier Rides that operated at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey from 1997 to 2007. Due to the constant downtime and flaws in the ride's operation, Six Flags removed the ride from the...
. The rolls were replaced with banked hills to enhance ride performance. However, the ride closed forever on June 28 due to technical problems with the ride. Disassembling occurred that September. In addition, the path leading to Chiller was blocked off and several rides including Freefall, Splashwater Falls/Movietown Water Effect, and a couple other flat rides were removed.
In 2008, in the area occupied by Chiller and Movietown Water Affect, a new junior indoor Wild Mouse rollercoaster was added called The Dark Knight. Motion Simulator Ride ended the SpongeBob theming in favor of Fly Me To The Moon.
Medusa was refurbished over the off-season and returned in 2009 as "Bizarro", a new incarnation of the same ride. The whole coaster, station, and surrounding theme elements were all changed and repainted to go with the new theme of the ride. Bizarro comic strips were put up along the queue line, and special effects and audio were added to the actual ride. The refurbishment brought crowds back to a ride that was beginning to lose its original charm and popularity.
Weber/Anderson Era (2010-Present)
For the 2010 season, the Motion Simulator ride Fly Me To The Moon did not reopen and was not replaced with anything and remained vacant. In April 2010, rumors also began that the Great American Scream Machine would be removed at the end of the season. By mid June, rumors were that the coaster would be removed on July 1. That date came and went but on July 5, 2010, via FacebookFacebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
, Six Flags confirmed the rumored removal of the Great American Scream Machine on July 18, 2010. The ride closed on late on that date and was demolished immediately after to make room for "a major new attraction in 2011." On September 16, 2010 the park announced that the Green Lantern, a standup rollercoaster formerly known as Chang from the closed Six Flags 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...
, would debut in the Boardwalk section for the 2011 season. Green Lantern's lift hill and first drop runs parallel to the lift hill of Superman Ultimate Flight, which involved the demolition of a rarely-used section of the preferred parking area.
In late 2010, Six Flags began the process of removing licensed theming from attractions. They terminated several licenses including their license with The Wiggles
The Wiggles
The Wiggles are a children's group formed in Sydney, Australia in 1991. Their original members were Anthony Field, Phillip Wilcher, Murray Cook, Greg Page, and Jeff Fatt. Wilcher left the group after their first album...
. Wiggles' World was renamed and rethemed to Safari Kids in time for the 2011 season. Also in 2011, erUPtion was removed. Construction for the new S&S Slingshot replacing erUPtion started mid-June 2011 and was recently finished a few weeks after.
For 2012, Great Adventure will introduce SkyScreamer
SkyScreamer
SkyScreamer is a Funtime StarFlyer located at several Six Flags theme parks including Six Flags Discovery Kingdom and Six Flags St. Louis. In 2012, Six Flags Fiesta Texas and Six Flags Great Adventure will also open SkyScreamers...
a 240 feet (73.2 m) Funtime StarFlyer, that will soar riders in a 98-foot (30 m) circle at speeds over 43 miles per hour (69 km/h), that will open in the spring of 2012, along with bumper cars, flying elephants, and a scrambler. And for the ride Falls at Hurricane Harbor will get a transformation to trapdoor release.
Main Street
Main Street serves as the entry gate for Six Flags Great Adventure. It was originally entitled Liberty Court, and was built when the entrance to the park was moved from near what is now the Boardwalk area to a more central location. Main Street is themed as an Early-American town, somewhere around the 18th century. Later additions to Main Street have formed it into more of a turn-of-the-century town. In the front is Freedom Fountain, a popular meeting place.Attractions:
| Attraction | Description |
|---|---|
| Flash Pass Headquarters | Location to buy Flash Pass Q-Bots |
| Liberty Square Gazebo | Home to seasonal shows |
Fantasy Forest
Fantasy Forest serves as the midway for the park, and was originally part of the entrance. Fantasy Forest is designed to make its visitors feel like children, and the section's bright colors and fanciful design give it a magical feel.The Great Character Cafe, which is designed to look like a giant ice cream sundae, is in this area along with the colorful Carousel and Enchanted Teacups. Originally, this section was split into two sections; Dream Street, the east side featuring the Carousel, and Strawberry Fair, the west side featuring the Big Wheel and Fantasy Fling. During Time Warner's acquisition of the park, these two sections of the park were combined into one.Attractions:
| Ride | Year Opened | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Wheel | 1974 | 154 feet (46.9 m)-tall Ferris Wheel, opened as the world's tallest and largest. Recently went under rehab for the park's 35th anniversary. | |
| Houdini's Great Escape Houdini's Great Escape Houdini's Great Escape, also known as Boo-dini, is an indoor Vekoma Madhouse attraction at Six Flags Great Adventure. The ride is located in the park's Fantasy Forest section. The attraction opened in 1999, and was SBNO from 2008 - 2009 but was opened again due to popular demand... |
1999 | Vekoma Madhouse Vekoma Madhouse A Vekoma Madhouse is a flat ride manufactured by Vekoma. The ride is designed to be an optical and physical illusion, consisting of several rows of seats attached to a swaying gondola within a rotating drum... attraction; held in "mansion" and complete with Harry Houdini theming |
|
| Tornado | 1974 | Has been relocated and repainted several times, opened as "Super Round Up". Formally known as Fantasy Fling. | |
| Dream Street Cables | 1974 | One end of the Skyway which takes riders to Frontier Adventures. | |
| Turbo Bungy | up-charge trampoline attraction | ||
| Carousel | 1974 | the park's grand carousel, at the end of what was Dream Street | |
| Enchanted Tea Cups | 1996 | tea-cups style ride with fanciful theming | |
| SkyScreamer SkyScreamer SkyScreamer is a Funtime StarFlyer located at several Six Flags theme parks including Six Flags Discovery Kingdom and Six Flags St. Louis. In 2012, Six Flags Fiesta Texas and Six Flags Great Adventure will also open SkyScreamers... |
2012 | 240 feet (73.2 m) Swing ride | |
| Bumper Cars | 2012 | ||
| Flying Elephants | 2012 | ||
| Scrambler | 2012 | = |
Adventure Seaport
Adventure Seaport was introduced for the 2011 season. It is made up of old parts of Looney Tunes Seaport and Movietown.Attractions:
| Attraction | Year Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Congo Rapids | 1982 | The second river rapids ride to ever have been built. |
| Nitro Nitro (roller coaster) Nitro is a steel roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey. It was opened in the spring of 2001 and at the time was the fastest roller coaster in New Jersey and the tallest on the East Coast of the United States.-The ride:... |
2001 | 230 feet (70.1 m)-tall hyper-coaster, rated the 3rd best steel coaster in the world. |
Safari Kids
Safari Kids was added in 2011. It was formerly known as Wiggles World from 2007 - 2010. Most of the rides are rides re-themed from Looney Tunes Seaport, while the section itself replaced an ageing part of Looney Tunes Seaport and the outdated Riptide flume ride. The area was renamed and rethemed Safari Kids for 2011.Attractions:
| Attraction | Year Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Air Safari | 2007 | The only ride added with Wiggles World in 2007. Originally named Big Red Planes and rethemed in 2011. |
| Bugaboo | 2005 | A kiddie ride formally removed from Balin's Jungleland themed |
| Jumpin' Joey | 1999 | A children's drop tower that originally opened as Sylvester's Pounce and Bounce and was later named Bouncin' With Wags. Rethemed in 2007 for Wiggles World and 2011 for Safari Kids. |
| Raja's Rickshaws | 2005 | A kiddie scrambler transferred from Balin's Jungleland themed to peacocks |
| Safari Tours | 1999 | A car ride that originally opened as Taz's Seaport Trucking Company and was later named Big Red Cars. Rethemed in 2007 for Wiggles World and 2011 for Safari Kids. |
| Sky Zooma | 1999 | A children's balloon ride that originally opened as Elmer Fudd's Seaport Weather Balloons and was later named Dorothy's Racing to the Rainbow. Rethemed in 2007 for Wiggles World and 2011 for Safari Kids. |
Looney Tunes Seaport
This children's section of the park, based on Looney Tunes characters, opened in 1999 with the War on Lines.Attractions:
| Attraction | Year Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Bugs Bunny Barnstormer | 1999 | A plane themed ride spinning on two separate axis. |
| Bugs Bunny Fun Factory | 1999 | A children's interactive play area. |
| Daffy's Deep Diver | 1999 | A submarine themed ride. |
| Pepe Le Pew's Hearts Aweigh | 1999 | A miniature spinning teacups ride. |
| Road Runner Railway Road Runner Railway Road Runner Railway is a steel roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ. It is a small, kiddie coaster. It is located in the Looney Tunes Seaport section of the park.... |
1999 | A children's roller coaster built by Zamperla. |
| Taz's Tornado | 1999 | A swings ride. |
Movie Town
This section makes up of what used to be the "Fun Fair" and "Action Town" sections of the park. It is themed as a Hollywood back lot, complete with Hollywood style buildings, and movie-themed ride, shops, stalls, and other attractions. Most of the attractions include D.C. Comics (Batman and Robin, Justice League) Over the years, many of the movie props have been removed, and all the flat rides in this section of the park have been moved or dismantled, leaving the section with only two roller coasters. The addition of The Dark Knight Coaster meant the removal of The Movietown Water Effect, a themed Splashdown ride. Batman and Robin: The Chiller and Stuntman's Freefall (an Intamin free-fall ride) had already been removed; so now the section is relatively empty. Nitro was included in Movietown until the 2011 season, when it became part of Adventure Seaport.| Ride | Year Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Batman: The Ride Batman: The Ride Batman: The Ride is a steel inverted roller coaster found in many Six Flags theme parks, as well as other parks around the world, including Six Flags Great America, Six Flags Great Adventure, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Six Flags Fiesta Texas , Six Flags Over Georgia, Six Flags St. Louis, Six Flags... |
1993 | Inverted coaster, featuring 5 inversions |
| The Dark Knight Coaster | 2008 | Indoor themed wild-mouse coaster. The coaster opened in 2008 to coincide with the release of the hit movie, The Dark Knight. |
Lakefront
Lakefront, as its name suggests, is found right on the lake in the back of the property. The rides and structures in Lakefront all have a nautical theme. The section also includes a Panda Express eatery.| Ride | Year Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Blackbeard's Lost Treasure Train Blackbeard's Lost Treasure Train Blackbeard's Lost Treasure Train is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, New Jersey. It is a smaller, family-oriented coaster... |
1999 | Kiddie-coaster, themed as a train. |
| Buccaneer | 1980 | Swinging-ship ride, themed as a pirate ship. |
| Jolly Roger | 1999 | Spinning ride, with a large skull sign |
| Skull Mountain Skull Mountain Skull Mountain is a steel enclosed roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ.-Ride experience:After ascending the 1st lift hill, the train travels around the front facade of the enclosure to ascend the second lift hill... |
1996 | Indoor in-the-dark coaster. |
Frontier Adventures
Previously known as "Best of the West" and "Rootin' Tootin' Rip Roarin'", the park's western-themed section is very picturesque. It is home to many of the park's most famous structures including the Fort, The Conestoga Wagon, and the Best of the West restaurant, as well as some of the park's very popular rides. In 2009, Bizarro opened (formerly Medusa, opened in 1999) in this section, and though it is questionable how that relates to the Old West, Bizarro was given a backstory; relating to his takeover of the Medusa Mine. Frontier Adventures features Best of the West restaurant, one of the most popular eateries in the park.| Ride | Year Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Bizarro | 1999 | Floorless coaster, featuring 7 inversions |
| Runaway Mine Train Runaway Mine Train (Six Flags Great Adventure) Runaway Mine Train is a steel roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ and at Six Flags over Texas in Arlington, Texas. It was the park's first steel coaster, and was built by Arrow Dynamics... |
1974 | A Mine Train, The park's first roller coaster, themed as a mine train. Riders load in "The Fort", and go on an adventure through a forest, and over a lake. |
| Sky Ride | 1974 | Moved from the 1963 World's Fair, was originally intended to travel almost twice the distance it does now, it also loads in "The Fort", and takes riders to Fantasy Forest. In 2011, in addition to the red and blue cable cars, Sky Ride re-painted the new cable cars, which were added yellow, green and brown. |
| Saw Mill Log Flume | 1974 | The park's log flume, with boats themed as logs that takes riders down and around an island. |
Bugs Bunny National Park
Bugs Bunny National Park opened in 2006 along with El Toro. It has a series of camp-themed rides, all in a rustic area on the lake. Attractions include Bugs Bunny Camp Carousel, Bugs Bunny National Water Park Tower, Bugs Bunny Ranger Pilots, Daffy Duck's Hot Air Balloons, Porky Pig Camp Wagons and Wile E. Coyote Canyon Blaster.| Ride | Year Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Bugs Bunny Camp Carousel | A carousel, themed with posters for different Bugs Bunny Cartoons, including "Knighty Knight Bugs". | |
| Bugs Bunny National Water Park Tower | 2006 | A leaky water tower which can get young guests wet |
| Bugs Bunny Ranger Pilots | One of many airplane rides in the park. | |
| Daffy Duck's Hot Air Balloons | A circular balloon ride | |
| Porky Pig Camp Wagons | Circular wagon ride | |
| Wile E. Coyote Canyon Blaster | Whip-style ride themed to race cars |
Plaza del Carnaval
This area was originally part of Frontier Adventures, and was also called "Hernando's Hideaway" for the opening of Rolling Thunder. This section of the park has heavy Spanish influences, including music, lights, and various structures including the station for El Toro. The whole area is very festive and is filled with vibrant colors and stucco buildings and Spanish tile roofs.| Ride | Year Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| El Toro El Toro (roller coaster) El Toro, meaning The Bull in Spanish, is a wooden roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure. It opened to the public on June 11, 2006. It was designed by Intamin of Switzerland. It had the steepest drop of any wooden roller coaster in the world, at 76 degrees, until this record was broken by T... |
2006 | Wooden roller coaster with a 76 degree, 188' drop. Also the 2nd best wooden coaster in the world. |
| Rolling Thunder Rolling Thunder (roller coaster) Rolling Thunder is a racing wooden roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ. Rolling Thunder is the park's first wooden coaster, and debuted in 1979 during the park's fifth anniversary season. The line for the ride begins at an adjoining entrance and has separate queues for each... |
1979 | Dual-tracked wooden roller coaster, one of the few racing roller coasters not to have identical tracks. |
| Tango | 2006 | Rocking, Swinging boat ride for families |
The Golden Kingdom
The Golden Kingdom opened in 2005 with Kingda Ka on what was Bugs Bunny Land, the park's old kiddie-section. This section of the park is heavily-themed, with many bamboo plants, stone temples, and more.| Ride | Year Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Kingda Ka | 2005 | Strata-coaster, the tallest in the world as of 2011. Themed as a bengal tiger Bengal Tiger The Bengal tiger is a tiger subspecies native to the Indian subcontinent that in 2010 has been classified as endangered by IUCN... , the queue line takes riders through bamboo plants, and past the launch track. |
| Splashwater Oasis | 2005 | Jungle-themed children's water play structure |
| Safari Discoveries | 2011 | Guests will be able to get up close and personal with a variety of different animals from kinkachoos to sea lions. |
Golden Kingdom is also home to three llambas, which are near the entrance to the area on Aldabra Island, formely home to aldabra tortoises. Golden Kingdom is expected to receive an expansion, since one of the major paths in the area is closed off.
Boardwalk
Previously Fortune Festival, the Boardwalk section of Great Adventure has many games commonly found on boardwalks, boardwalk restaurants, and many of the park's larger flat rides. This area of the park was also previously themed as Edwards Air Force Base, and many of the theme elements from then still exist now, including "Latrines", and the Parachute Tower's name. The section also has a slight boardwalk-influence to its rides.| Ride | Year Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Dare Devil Dive | 1996 | Skycoaster, UpCharge |
| Great American Road Race | 1999 | Go-karts, up-charge |
| Green Lantern | 2011 | Stand-up coaster, featuring 5 inversions |
| Parachute Training Center: Edwards AFB Jump Tower | 1983 | Parachute tower, great for views of the park. |
| Rockwall | UpCharge attraction, rockwall | |
| Slingshot | 2011 | Tall, slingshot ride, upcharge |
| Superman: Ultimate Flight Superman: Ultimate Flight Superman: Ultimate Flight is a steel flying roller coaster manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard. Themed to the popular comic book character, Superman: Ultimate Flight has been installed at three Six Flags theme parks around the United States. Superman: Ultimate Flight simulates flying like the... |
2003 | Flying coaster, featuring 2 inversions |
| The Twister | 1999 | Top Spin |