| Six Flags Over Georgia | |
|---|---|
| Six Flags over Georgia entrance | |
| Location | Austell, Georgia, U.S. |
| Website | www.sixflags.com /overgeorgia |
| Owner | Six Flags Over Georgia, Ltd.[1] |
| Operated By | Six Flags |
| Opened | June 16, 1967 |
| Operating season | March through October |
| Area | 290 acres (120 ha)[2] |
| Rides | 40+ total
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Six Flags Over Georgia is a 290-acre (120 ha) 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.
Six Flags Over Georgia and its two sister parks, Six Flags Over Texas and Six Flags St. Louis, are the only three parks in the Six Flags Theme Parks chain to have been founded by Angus G. Wynne, and thus they are the only parks to have used the "Six Flags" name since their original grand openings. As with the other Six Flags parks, Six Flags Over Georgia hosts characters from the Warner Bros. animation library, notably the Looney Tunes characters and Justice League from DC Comics and now "the face of Six Flags", Mr. Six.
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After the success of his original Six Flags park in Arlington, Texas, park founder Angus Wynne began searching for a location for a second park. He settled upon a parcel of land located along the Chattahoochee River just west of the city of Atlanta, and design work started in 1964. When the park opened in 1967, Six Flags became the first 'multi-gate' theme park operator in the United States.[3] Before this time, many parks shared common popular names, like Coney Island or Luna Park, but these parks (save the Luna Parks built and managed by Frederick Ingersoll) shared nothing more than the name. In the case of Six Flags, both parks reported to the same parent company.
Like its sister park in Texas and others, the initial design and theming of Six Flags Over Georgia was inspired by six different flags that have flown over the state (or, perhaps more accurately, the lands that are now part of it) during its history. The six flags in question are those of Spain, France, United Kingdom, the United States of America, the Confederate States of America and the state of Georgia. It can be argued that France's involvement in Georgia's history was very limited, at best; it can be further argued that Georgia was never a sovereign nation, as Texas once was. However, with some poetic license, the intent of the name can be considered valid. Over the years most of the original historical themes have been dropped in favor of cartoon and superhero themes.
The park is not owned by the Six Flags Theme Parks corporation. In an arrangement similar to that for Six Flags Over Texas, it is owned by a group of approximately 120 limited partners—some the heirs of Angus G. Wynn—and is managed by the corporation. In years past, this has caused significant friction, including legal action. Starting in 1991, the park was managed by Time Warner Entertainment. The partners sued Time Warner in 1997, claiming that they had neglected to invest in the park and overcharged the partners for the improvements it did receive. A Gwinnett County civil court jury agreed and awarded the partners damages in excess of US$600 million. In 1998, Time Warner sold its interests in the Six Flags parks to Premier Parks of Oklahoma City, which later changed its name to Six Flags Theme Parks, Inc.
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. Thomas Town will be renamed and rethemed to Whistlestop Park in time for the 2011 season.[4][5]
Six Flags Over Georgia, like most amusement parks, prides itself on its roller coaster collection. Goliath and Mind Bender routinely rank among the top steel roller coasters listed by Amusement Today magazine in its Golden Ticket Awards. The collection expands in 2011 with the announcement of Dare Devil Dive, a Euro-Fighter roller coaster from German designer Gerstlauer.[6]
Aside from the roller coasters, Six Flags Over Georgia maintains a large number of other rides and attractions. Two attractions of note are Acrophobia, installed in 2001 as the world's first "floorless" freefall tower ride, and the Riverview Carousel, one of only three remaining five-abreast carousels known to exist and a member of the National Register of Historic Places.
| Ride Name | Year Opened | Removed In | Manufacturer/Ride Type | Current Location | Other Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dahlonega Mine Train | 1967 | Arrow Dynamics steel "mine train" roller coaster. |Update to track by O.D. Hopkins | Peachtree Square | The original design was a wood supporting structure with steel tubular rails; now, much of the wood is ornamental. | |
| Mini Mine Train | 1967 | 1988 | Arrow Dynamics mini mine train kiddie roller coaster | Originally named the Yahoola Hooler. | |
| Great American Scream Machine | 1973 | John C. Allen designed wooden roller coaster, built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. | Cotton States | Opened as the world's tallest and fastest roller coaster at a height of 105 feet (32 m) and speeds of 57 miles per hour (92 km/h). | |
| Mind Bender | 1978 | Anton Schwarzkopf terrain-following looping steel coaster | Gotham City | The park has claimed that it was the world's first triple-loop coaster. However, the second "loop" is actually an inclined helix and does not turn riders upside-down. | |
| Z-Force | 1988 | 1990 | Intamin Space Diver roller coaster | Moved from Six Flags Great America, moved to Six Flags Magic Mountain and renamed Flashback. Was scrapped in 2008. | |
| Georgia Cyclone | 1990 | Summers and Dinn Corp. wooden roller coaster | British | Design is a mirror image of the Coney Island Cyclone, with some minor differences. | |
| Ninja | 1992 | Vekoma looping roller coaster | Cotton States | Ride moved from Wildwood, New Jersey's defunct Dinosaur Beach boardwalk. Inherited the Arrow trains from the Great American Scream Machine formerly located at Six Flags Great Adventure. | |
| Viper | 1995 | 2001 | Anton Schwarzkopf shuttle loop roller coaster | Moved from Six Flags Great America, moved to Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom, operated as Greezed Lightnin' until the park was closed in 2010. | |
| Batman: The Ride | 1997 | B&M inverted steel coaster | Gotham City | Is one of several identical rides operated by Six Flags Theme Parks using the same name. | |
| Georgia Scorcher | 1999 | B&M stand-up roller coaster | Georgia | Last new B&M stand-up built to-date and is one of only two in the Southeast. | |
| Déjà Vu | 2001 | 2007 | Vekoma Giant Inverted Boomerang | It was one of only five GIB's in the world. Purchased by Mirabilandia in Brazil in 2009 | |
| Superman: Ultimate Flight | 2002 | B&M flying roller coaster. | Cotton States | It was the Southeast's first flying roller coaster, and the first B&M flying coaster in North America. | |
| Wile E. Coyote Canyon Blaster | 2004 | Chance-Morgan custom-designed family roller coaster | Bugs Bunny World (Spanish) | Built into the park's iconic Spanish fort. | |
| Goliath | 2006 | B&M hypercoaster | USA | One of the first hypercoasters in the Southeastern United States. | |
| Dare Devil Dive | 2011 | Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter | USA | 95-foot-tall vertical lift and three inversions. |
| Ride Name | Year Opened | Manufacturer/Ride Type | Current Location | Other Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Six Flags Railroad - Marthasville and Rabun Gap | 1967 | Train ride around the park | Peachtree Square and French | The Engines have been converted to Diesel hydraulic power. |
| Sky Buckets | 1967 | Von Roll sky way ride | Lickskillet and Peachtree Square | |
| Hanson Cars | 1967 | Arrow Antique Cars | Cotton States | Moved to current location in 1990; originally located where Georgia Cyclone is in British section. |
| Log Jamboree | 1968 | Arrow Dynamics Log Flume | Georgia | Originally operated with two separate flumes, current ride is the second flume. |
| The Riverview Carousel | 1972 | 1908 PTC Carousel | Cotton States | Moved from Riverview Park; listed on National Register of Historic Places |
| Dodge City Bumper Cars | 1973 | Soli bumper cars | Cotton States | |
| Wheelie | 1977 | Schwarzkopf Enterprise | Lickskillet | Riders spin around in gondolas at high speeds the slowly rotate to an 89 degree angle then go back down. |
| Thunder River | 1982 | Intamin Rapids water ride | Lickskillet | |
| Splashwater Falls | 1986 | Hopkins Shoot-the-Chutes water ride | Lickskillet | Boats glide on a 50 ft (15 m) tall flume and then drop down to a soaking |
| Acrophobia | 2001 | Intamin stand-up gyro drop tower | Peachtree Square | |
| Gotham City Crime Wave | 2004 | Zierer Wave Swinger | Gotham City | Purchased from Thrill Valley Amusement Park in Japan (along with 4 rides that went to Six Flags New Orleans). |
| Rockin' Tug | 2004 | Zamperla Rockin' Tug | Cotton States | |
| Up, Up & Away | 2004 | Zamperla Balloon Race | Cotton States | |
| Skull Island | 2005 | SCS Interactive Discovery Treehouse/WaterColors with slides from Proslide Technology Inc. | Cotton States | Only open during summer season. |
| Monster Mansion | 2009 | water dark ride | French | Ride was originally Tales Of The Okefenokee (1967–1980) and Monster Plantation (1981–2008). |
| Ride Name | Year Opened | Manufacturer/Ride Type | Current Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whistlestop Train | 2008 | kiddie Train ride | Whistlestop Park[7] |
| Tweety's Clubhouse | 2001 | Zamperla Jumpin’ Star – kiddie drop tower | Bugs Bunny World (Spanish) |
| Santa Maria | Intamin AG Flying Dutchman, swing ride | Bugs Bunny World (Spanish) | |
| Swing Seville | Zamperla Swing Ride – kiddie swings | Bugs Bunny World (Spanish) | |
| Fiesta Wheel | Zamperla Mini Ferris Wheel - kiddie ride | Bugs Bunny World (Spanish) | |
| Convoy Grande | kiddie convoy truck ride | Bugs Bunny World (Spanish) | |
| Little Aviator | kiddie biplane ride | Bugs Bunny World (Spanish) | |
| Toro, Toro | spinning kiddie ride | Bugs Bunny World (Spanish) | |
| Bugs Bunny's Playfort | kids play area with Bugs Bunny's Carrot Patch | Bugs Bunny World (Spanish) |
| Ride Name | Year Opened | Manufacturer/Ride Type | Current Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sky Coaster | 1996 | Skycoaster | Cotton States |
| Goldtown Racer | 1999 | J & J Amusements go-karts | Lickskillet |
Over the years, a number of incidents have occurred at the park, including some fatalities. Batman The Ride has been the scene of two fatal incidents nearly identical in nature, where individuals were underneath the attraction while it was operational and were struck and killed by the train itself or by the riders' exposed legs.
Portions of Six Flags Over Georgia lie within the flood plain of the Chattahoochee River, which has caused occasional problems whenever the river overflows its banks. Most recently, in September 2009, the park suffered severe flooding, as did much of the surrounding area. The bulk of the flooding occurred during the week, at a point in the season when the park was closed on weekdays. The park managed to clean up the damage and open as normal the following weekend.[10]
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