Six Flags New England
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Location | Agawam, Massachusetts |
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| Website | Six Flags New England official website |
| Owner | Six Flags |
| Opened | 1840 |
| Operating season | April through October |
| Area | approximately 20 acres |
| Rides | 46 (excluding water park) total
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Six Flags New England, or SFNE, is a theme park in the Six Flags chain of parks, named for the New England region in which it is located. Six Flags New England is located in Agawam, Massachusetts, near Springfield. Like most other Six Flags parks, Six Flags New England is divided into two sections: the amusement park, which includes major attractions such as Superman - Ride of Steel, Mind Eraser and Batman – The Dark Knight, and the water park, named Hurricane Harbor.
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[edit] History
Throughout most of the 20th century, the park was known as Riverside. It started out as a picnic grove called Gallops Grove in 1840. It eventually was renamed to Riverside Grove, then Riverside Park. In the early 1940s, the park acquired its first ride, a wooden roller coaster called the Thunderbolt which still operates today. In 1996, the Carrol family - who had owned Riverside Park for many years - sold the park to Premier Parks. For four years, the park became known as "Riverside, The Great Escape". Riverside became rebranded as "Six Flags New England" when Premier Parks bought Six Flags, Inc. in 2000. The main street running through the park was renamed "Carrol Drive" in honor of the family which had owned it for so long.
For many years, Riverside was home to a NASCAR race track called Riverside Park Speedway. After the 1999 season, during the Six Flags rebranding, the speedway was removed, and the area was made into the DC Comics themed area, which is home to the Superman: The Ride of Steel and the brand new Hall of Justice.
Six Flags New England offers a "Flash Pass" system, that allows riders to use a "Flash Pass"to wait in one line for them while they wait in another line. Unlike similar systems at parks such as those in Walt Disney World Resort, the FastLane system requires an additional fee beyond that charged to enter the park.
When Six Flags, Inc. rebranded the park in 2000, they added many attractions and generally refurbished the park. The new rides consisted of several clones and the unique, award-winning Superman: Ride of Steel. They added Batman - The Dark Knight in 2002, doubled the size of the water park in and renamed it from Island Kingdom to Hurricane Harbor in 2003 and introduced two new rides for the year 2005 season: the roller coaster Mr. Six's Pandemonium and a water coaster named Typhoon. For the 2006 season, the SWAT flat ride from the now defunct Six Flags Astroworld now re-named Catapult and Diablo Falls, also from Astroworld now re-named Splash Water Falls have been added.
[edit] Park
Six Flags New England contains one of the tallest, fastest coasters in the northeast, Superman: Ride of Steel. It is 208 feet tall and drops 221 feet into a tunnel, reaching a top speed of 77 mph. It is considered the best steel roller coaster in the world according to the trade magazine Amusement Today, which awarded it the prestigious Golden Ticket award in 2006.
[edit] Main Street Plaza
A typical New England town, this area serves as the entrance to the park.
Roller Coaster
- Thunderbolt (Wooden roller coaster built by Joseph E. Drambour) - opened 1941.
Rides
- Carousel (1909 M.C. Illionis Carousel) - opened in 1940.
- Scream (S & S Power triple power tower complex) - opened in 1998 (1 tower under the name Hellevator), other 2 towers added in 2000.
- Adult Wave Swinger (Zamperla Swings ride) - opened in 1979.
[edit] Crackaxle Canyon
A small mining town during in the old west.
Rides
- Houdini - The Great Escape (Vekoma Mad House) - opened in 1999.
- Tomahawk (Huss Frisbee) - opened in 1999.
- Rodeo (Huss Breakdance) - opened in 1999.
- Stampede Bumper Cars (Zamperla Bumper Cars) - opened in 1999.
[edit] North End
Roller Coasters
- Flashback (Originally Vampire at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom. Vekoma Boomerang) - opened 2000
- Pandemonium(Originaly Mr. Six's Pandemonuim. A Gerstler Spinning Coaster) - opened 2005
- Cyclone (Originally Riverside Cyclone. A wooden roller coaster built by William Cobb) - opened 1983
Rides
- Catapult (Originally SWAT at Six Flags Astroworld. S & S Power Sky Swatter) - opened in 2006.
- Blizzard River (OD Hopkins white water rapids ride) - opened in 1999.
- Time Warp (Vekoma Air Jumper) - opened in 1997.
- Scrambler (Eli Bridge Scrambler) - opened in 1973.
- New England Sky Way (Von Roll Sky-Ride) - opened in 1974.
- Balloon Race (Zamperla Balloon Race) - opened in 1989.
- Ship Wreck Falls (Intamin Spillwater shoot-the-chute ride) - opened in 1997.
Extra charge attractions
- Taz's Dare Devil Dive (Skycoaster)
- Turbo Bungy (Eurobungy, bungee/trampoline)
[edit] Looney Toons Movie Town
- Looney Tunes Animation Department (Zamperla kiddie swings ride) - opened in 1998
- Foghorn Leghorn's Tinsel Town Train (kiddie train ride) - opened in ?
- Marvin the Martian's Earthbound Journey (Zamperla kiddie spaceship ride) - opened in 2000
- Wile E. Coyote's Speed Trap (Zamperla kiddie whip ride) - opened in 1998
- Taz's Prop Delivery Company (battery powered truck ride) - opened in ?
- Daffy's Hollywood Tours (Zamperla Crazy Bus) - opened in 1998
- Tweety's Clubhouse (Zamperla Jumpin' Star - kiddie drop ride) - opened in 1999
- The Great Chase (Originally Rolling Thunder. Miler Coasters Inc kiddie roller coaster.) - opened 1996
[edit] Wiggle's World
(formerly Tiny Timber Town)
- S.S. Feathersword Pirate Ship (kiddie playground area) - opened in 1999; was named Paul Bunyan's Buzzsaw Company
- Dorothy's Rosy Tea Cups (SBF kiddie tea cups) - opened in 2001; was named Tiny's Tea Party
- Cold Spaghetti Western Wheel (kiddie Ferris Wheel) - opened in 2001; was named Chuck Wagon Wheel
- Wags Doggie-Copters (SBF kiddie ride) - opened in 2001; was named Timber Town Sky Patrol
- The Big Red Plane Ride (SBF kiddie Ride) - opened in 2001; was named Flying Aces
- The Big Red Car Ride (likely will be the Route 66 antique car ride listed below in the South End)
- Henry's Under Water Swing Band (SBF kiddie ride) - opened in 2001; was named Flight of the Bumble Bees
- Big Apple (SBF kiddie ride) - opened in ?; may be removed for 2007?
[edit] Thomas Town
[edit] D.C. Superhero Adventures
Join the Justice League as they battle crime in the city streets.
Roller Coasters
- Superman: Ride of Steel (Intamin mega coaster) - opened 2000
- Catwoman's Whip (Zierer family roller coaster) - opened 2000; was named Poison Ivy's Tangled/Twisted Train
Ride
- Nightwing (Huss Fly Away) - opened in 2000; located in DC Super Hero Adventures
join Batman, robin, green lantern, the flash, wonder woman, super man, aqua man, hawk man, scooby-doo, shaggy, bugs bunny, lola bunny, and brendan fraser
[edit] Rockville U.S.A
Take a step back to the 50's.
Ride
- Twister (Huss Top Spin) - opened in 1997.
[edit] South End
Roller Coasters
- The Mind Eraser (Vekoma Suspened Looping Coaster) - opened 1997
- Batman - The Dark Knight (B&M floorless coaster) - opened 2002
Rides
- Route 66 (Arrow Dynamics antique cars) - opened in 1962.
- Buzzsaw (Huss Magic Carpet) - opened in 2000.
- The Tea Cups (Zamperla Tea Cups) - opened in 1999.
- Double Trouble (Chance Double Inverter) - opened in 1999.
- Splash Water Falls (Whitewater West Spinning Rapids water ride) - opened in 2006. ride moved from Six Flags Astroworld
- Kontiki (Chance Flying Bobs) - opened in 1999.
- Bumper Buggies (kiddie bumper cars) - opened in ?.
[edit] Hurricane Harbor (free water park)
Slides
- Swiss Family Toboggan (Proslide Technology Inc. “Mammoth” - family raft ride) – opened in 1998
- Adventure River (lazy river) - opened in 1998
- Big Kahuna (Proslide Technology Inc. “Pipeline” – 4 enclosed tube slides) - opened in 1998
- Commotion Ocean (wave pool) - opened in 1999
- Cannonball Falls (Proslide Technology Inc. “Speed Zone” – 3 speed slides) - opened in 1998
- Shark Attack (Proslide Technology Inc. “Atomic Coasters” – 4 half enclosed, half open tube slides) - opened in 1999
- Hurricane Bay (wave pool with family activity area) - opened in 2003
- Hook's Lagoon (SCS Interactive “Discovery Treehouse” with Proslide Technology Inc. “Twisters’ Zone” slides – family activity area) - opened in 1998
- Tornado (Proslide Technology Inc. Tornado “Rattler” – funnel shaped tube slide that uses four person “cloverleaf” or two person “whirly wheel” tubes) - opened in 2003
- Hurricane Falls (6 slide Proslide Technology Inc. Twisters complex) - opened in 2003
- Geronimo Falls and Zooma Falls (2 Proslide Technology Inc. Mammoths) - opened in 2003
- Typhoon (Proslide Technology Inc. "Rocket" slide) - opened in 2005
[edit] Past Rides
| Ride | Year Opened | Removed In | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Giant Dip | 1912 or earlier | ? | Wooden roller coaster. |
| Greyhound | 1915 | 1933 | John A. Miller built wooden roller coaster. |
| Lightning | 1920 | 1933 | John A. Miller built wooden roller coaster. |
| Whirlwind Racer | 1928 | 1933 | Harry G Traver built wooden roller coaster. |
| Spider | 1968 | 2006 | Oregon Rides Spider |
| Wildcat | 1974 | 1983 | Schwarzkopf Wildcat roller coaster. |
| Black Widow | 1977 | 1999 | Arrow Dynamics Launched Loop roller coaster. |
| Little Rickies Little Twister | 1978 or earlier | 1999 | Herschell Little Dipper kiddie roller coaster. |
| Colossus | 1978 | 2006 | 150 ft. Ferris Wheel |
| Poland Spring Plunge | 1979 | 2005 | Log Flume ride. |
| Chaos | 1997 | 2005 | Chance Chaos |
| Jokers Wild Card | 2000 | 2006 | Indoor Chance Wipeout with custom theaming. |
[edit] Shows and entertainment
Six Flags New England is home to a number of shows and attractions. During the parks branding as a Six Flags in 2000, the Looney Tunes characters were added to the roster along with Batman and his various allies and foes. Through the years more and more Looney Tunes such as Wile E. Coyote, Speedy Gonzales and Marvin the Martian came to Six Flags New England to join the already entertainment-packed park.
In 2006, the park and all of the Six Flags around underwent a massive boom in its entertainment package when new owner Mark Shapiro took control and challenged to up the ante on not just the rides but the experience. With this Six Flags New England has added The Justice League, wherein The Flash, The Green Lantern and Wonder Woman will be joining Batman and Robin in the new Hall of Justice.
Scooby Doo joins the team along side his toon counterparts as well with new characters joining all through out the summer season which include Pepé Le Pew, Gossamer and Lola Bunny to name a few.
In addition to these attractions, during the month of October, the park gets transformed for its annual Halloween festival, Frightfest. This transformation includes the addition of Halloween decorations to its Crackaxle Canyon, Main Street, and Rockville areas, making them Haunt Zones with roaming characters to give the areas the themes of a ghost town, a graveyard and an Area 51 complex, respectively. In addition several shows and attractions are added, including Monster Mash, Dead Legends Live, Dead Man's Party, and two "haunted houses" (though both are outdoor walk-throughs): Nightmare Island and The Trail of Terror.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Phantom Sheep Productions, a major player in SFNE's Shows
- SFNE Central, an unofficial resource website including photos and videos
| Roller coasters at Six Flags New England |
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Batman - the Dark Knight - Cyclone - Flashback - The Great Chase - Mind Eraser – Mr. Six's Pandemonium - Poison Ivy's Tangled Train - Superman: Ride of Steel - Thunderbolt |
