| Six Flags Over Texas | |
|---|---|
| Main park entrance to Six Flags Over Texas during their 50th Anniversary. | |
| Location | Arlington, Texas, USA |
| Website | Six Flags Over Texas |
| Owner | Texas Flags, Ltd.[1] |
| Operated By | Six Flags |
| Opened | August 5, 1961 |
| Operating season | March through January |
| Area | 212 acres (0.331 sq mi) (0.86 km²) |
| Rides | 50 total
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Six Flags Over Texas is a major amusement park located in Arlington, Texas (USA), east of Fort Worth and about 15 miles (24 km) 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 developer Angus G. Wynne, Jr.
Since its opening, Six Flags Over Texas has consistently performed well in terms of attendance and revenue, despite its history of ever-changing owners and expansions. The park currently has several amusement rides and attractions, bringing in thousands of visitors daily.
The park is not owned by the Six Flags Theme Parks corporation. In an arrangement similar to that for Six Flags Over Georgia, it is owned by a group of approximately 120 limited partners—some the heirs of Angus G. Wynne—and is managed by the corporation. Starting in 1991, the park was managed by Time Warner Entertainment. 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.
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Following a visit to the then just recently opened Disneyland in Anaheim, California, wealthy real estate developer Angus G. Wynne, Jr. decided that his home state of Texas should have a local park for entertainment. Planning for such a place began in 1959, under the leadership of Wynne and the Great Southwest Corporation, along with the backing of various New York investors. Construction on the park began in August, 1960.
The park's name "Six Flags Over Texas" refers to the flags of the six different nations that have governed Texas: Spain, France, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the United States of America, and the Confederate States of America. The story goes that Wynne originally intended to name the park "Texas under Six Flags", until his wife objected stating that "Texas isn’t under anything." The original park was (and still is) split into separate regions, such as the Spain and Mexico section which featured Spanish-themed rides, attractions and buildings.
Six Flags Over Texas opened its gates to the public on Tuesday, August 1, 1961 as part of a "soft-test opening". The park held its grand opening ceremonies on Saturday, August 5, 1961. Park attendance reached 8,374. Admission was $2.75 $2.75 ($20.00 today) for adults and $2.25 ($17 today) for children (cf. admission prices of $59.99 and $36.99 for the 2011 season); parking was 50 cents ($4.00 today) (cf. $15.00 in 2011); hamburgers were 35 cents ($3.00 today), and soft drinks were 10 cents ($1.00 today).[2] On opening day, guests could visit the six original themed sections: Mexico, Spain, France, The Confederacy, Texas, and Modern. They could also enjoy over 20 attractions including classic rides, shows, and exhibits. The park's first season was a success with over 500,000 visitors which ended on November 25, 1961.
The 1960s were a growing decade for Six Flags Over Texas. The park added numerous attractions including two new sections: Boomtown, named after the boomtowns that sprang up rather quickly during Texas' oil boom era, and the "Tower Section", named after the Oil Derrick observation tower built in 1969. The park also witnessed the birth of two classic theme park attractions: the log flume in 1963 and the Runaway Mine Train roller coaster in 1966. Attendance reached close to 2 million visitors a year by the end of the decade. In 1969, Six Flags Over Texas was sold by Angus G. Wynne to a new limited partnership managed by generally well-respected Dallas investor Jack Knox.
The park saw continuing growth and expansion through the 1970s. It was the setting for the opening filmed sequence in the 1971 Sid and Marty Krofft television show Lidsville, in which lead character Mark (Butch Patrick) sees a magician perform in one of the theaters, then sneaks backstage after the magic show, causes the hat to enlarge, then falls through it and lands in Lidsville, "the land of living hats." The park underwent new management in 1971 with the Penn Central Railroad. The park added two new roller coasters, more rides, and a new section called "Goodtimes Square". The park also removed many of its less popular aging attractions in this decade as well. In 1975, a new mascot, Cyrus Cosmo - the inventor - was created and led many ad campaigns. By 1978, Six Flags Over Texas had had over 30 million visitors.
The 1980s were another period of change for Six Flags Over Texas. The park added three roller coasters as well as a children's section themed after Pac-Man in 1983 and later changed to Looney Tunes in 1985. Six Flags Over Texas also introduced three popular festivals in this decade. Spring Breakout, introduced in 1984, brought live bands and excitement to the park for students on Spring Break. Six Flags also introduced Fright Fest and Holiday in the Park to increase attendance and extend the season.
The 1990s was a rather rough decade in comparison from decades past. The decade started off with a bang when Six Flags Over Texas introduced the Texas Giant roller coaster. After a record year, Six Flags Over Texas went into a lull with management changes and name changes as the Looney Tunes characters began to take over starting in 1991. The Spee-lunker's Cave, a flume-based darkride often said to have inspired Disney to create It's A Small World, was restructured to feature Looney Tunes characters in place of the Spee's who had inhabited the ride since the early days of the park—the park was managed by Time Warner Entertainment. In 1998, Six Flags Over Texas started it off with its addition of Mr. Freeze. 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 the late 90s, the park experienced a period of growth by adding new coasters and rides. Six Flags Over Texas also introduced FastLane, later FlashPass, which was similar to FastPass at Disney theme parks. Many of these new additions (including the new Gotham City section) were far from the original Six Flags Over Texas theme. By the end of the decade, Six Flags Over Texas had added ten roller coasters to its list of attractions.
During the first decade of the 21st century Looney Tunes USA was restructured. In 2001, the park introduced its tallest, fastest, longest roller coaster, Titan. Built by Giovanola of Switzerland, it reached a staggering 245 feet (75 m) and had a top speed of 85 mph (137 km/h). It not only was the tallest, fastest, longest roller coaster in the park, but also held all three records for the state of Texas. In 2002, the park kicked off the Best of Texas Festival which brought Texas history back to the park. The park has also made steps toward bringing back the past when they reopened Casa Magnetica. In 2006, the park celebrated its 45th Anniversary by adding ten new attractions geared toward families. Since then, Six Flags Over Texas had placed more emphasis on families by offering a daily parade and more characters (including Scooby-Doo and the Justice League.) Six Flags Over Texas also introduced Festival Latino. For 2007 and 2008, Six Flags Over Texas was home to "Cirque Dreams Coobrila", a high energy cirque acrobatic type show housed in the Music Mill Amphitheater. On May 17, 2008, Six Flags over Texas introduced its first roller coaster in seven years called Tony Hawk's Big Spin.[3] In 2009, debuted the "Glow in the Park Parade", a nighttime parade filled with thousands of lights.
In early 2010, the Texas Giant roller coaster was closed to be renovated into a super-hybrid coaster and was reopened on April 22, 2011 as the NEW Texas Giant for the park's 50th anniversary.[4] In late 2010, Six Flags began the process of removing licensed theming from attractions. They terminated several licenses including their license with Nickelodeon. The SpongeBob SquarePants 3D movie, which featured moving seats, bubbles, and water squirts at various points in the movie was closed.[5]
*It is often disputed whether Shockwave is the world's first vertical consecutive double loop roller coaster. According to David Hahner, the historian for the American Coaster Enthusiasts (which is the ultimate authority on roller coasters) Geauga Lake’s Double Loop[8] roller coaster was first, despite Six Flags claiming it publicly on their website Sixflags.com. According to David Hahner, "Geauga Lake’s Double Loop, designed by Ron Toomer and built by Arrow Dynamics, opened in 1977. It was the first coaster to feature back-to-back vertical loops."
Cliffhanger is not recognized anywhere else as the first of its kind. Six Flags Great America opened the prototype of this ride named "The Edge" and ironically it found its final home at Geauga Lake along with the disputed Double Loop coaster mentioned above.
Six Flags Over Texas hosts several seasonal events throughout the year including:
| Ride Name | Year Opened | Removed In | Manufacturer/Ride Type | Current Location | Other Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Cucaracha | 1961 | 1964 | Allan Herschell Company Mad Mouse (Wild Mouse) | Originally named Sidewinder and was located in the USA section in 1961. Name changed and moved to Mexico section in 1962. | |
| Runaway Mine Train | 1966 | Arrow Mine Train | Boomtown | 1st Arrow Dynamics mine train roller coaster built. | |
| Mini Mine Train | 1969 | Arrow Mini Mine Train | Boomtown | Located next to the bigger Mine Train. Track modified slightly in 1997 when Mr. Freeze was built next to/over parts of the track. | |
| Big Bend | 1971 | 1979 | Schwarzkopf Speed Racer/Jumbo Jet | Ride was moved to Six Flags St. Louis, but was never re-assembled and was later scrapped. | |
| Shock Wave | 1978 | Schwarzkopf looping roller coaster | Tower | 1st roller coaster with back-to-back vertical loops. | |
| Judge Roy Scream | 1980 | Don Rosser & Bill Cobb wooden roller coaster | Goodtimes Square | Built outside main park area, along the park's entrance lake. | |
| La Vibora | 1986 | Intamin Swiss Bob (bobsled) roller coaster | Mexico | Ride was moved from Six Flags Magic Mountain. Originally named The Avalanche Bobsled. | |
| Flashback! | 1989 | Vekoma Boomerang roller coaster | Goodtimes Square | ||
| Texas Giant | 1990 | Dinn corporation built, Curtis D. Summers designed wooden roller coaster | Texas | Won Golden Ticket for Best New Coaster of 2011. Was closed for the 2010 season for renovation. Reopened on April 22, 2011 as the world's first Super Hybrid Coaster. | |
| Runaway Mountain | 1996 | Premier Rides indoor roller coaster | Old South | Is an indoor coaster that has the ride almost completely in the dark. | |
| Mr. Freeze | 1998 | Premier Rides LIM launched roller coaster | Gotham City | Originally intended to open for the 1997 season, but problems with the LIM Launch system forced a delayed opening. | |
| Batman: The Ride | 1999 | Bollinger & Mabillard Inverted roller coaster | Gotham City | Is the only inverted roller coaster in the park. | |
| Titan | 2001 | Giovanola Mega Coaster (hypercoaster) | Texas | Is the tallest, fastest, and longest roller coaster in Texas. | |
| Wile E. Coyote's Grand Canyon Blaster | 2001 | Chance-Morgan Big Dipper (junior roller coaster) | Looney Tunes USA | ||
| Pandemonium [9] | 2008 | Gerstlauer Spinning Coaster | Boomtown | Originally named "Tony Hawk's Big Spin" |
| Ride Name | Year Opened | Manufacturer/Ride Type | Current Location | Other Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Six Flags Railroad | 1961 | Train ride around the park | Texas and Boomtown | Stations are the Texas Depot and Boomtown Depot |
| Chaparral Antique Cars | 1962 | Arrow antique cars | Texas | |
| El Asseradero | 1963 and 1968 | Arrow Log Flume | Spain | 2 separate Log Flume rides. 1st Log Flume ride built (1963), second flume added in 1968. |
| Silver Star Carousel | 1963 | Dentzel carousel | Star Mall | Last carousel built by William Dentzel. Originally located in Boomtown section, ride was removed for restoration in 1985 and reopened at current location in 1988. |
| El Sombrero | 1965 | Chance Rides trabant | Mexico | Moved to new location in 2006. |
| Oil Derrick | 1969 | Intamin observation tower | Tower | |
| Texas Chute Out | 1976 | Intamin parachute tower | Goodtimes Square | Also see Great Gasp |
| Conquistador | 1981 | Intamin Bounty - swinging ship | Spain | |
| Roaring Rapids | 1983 | Intamin Rapids water ride | Tower | Replaced Skull Island and LaSalle's Riverboat Adventure. |
| The Gunslinger | 1983 | Chance Rides Yo-Yo - swings ride | Boomtown | Ride was named Texas Tornado until 2007. |
| Aquaman Splashdown | 1987 | Hopkins Rides Shoot-the-Chutes water ride | USA | Ride was named Splash Water Falls until 2007. |
| Yosemite Sam and The Gold River Adventure | 1992 | Arrow Water dark ride | Texas | Originally opened in 1964 as Spee-Lunker's Cave Ride, name/theme changed in 1992. Also see River Caves. |
| Adventure Theatre - Kids Coasters | 1995 | motion simulator theater | USA | Ride opened in 1995 showing The Right Stuff film, films have changed several times since then, Robots of Mars opened for the 2010 season. Robots of Mars was replaced by Elvira, Mistress of the Dar for Halloween, and during Holiday in the Park, it was changed to Kids Coasters. |
| Superman Tower Of Power | 2003 | 3 S & S Power Combo Towers | Tower | |
| La Fiesta de Las Tazas | 2006 | Zamperla teacups | Mexico | Built where El Sombrero was located until 2006. |
| Rodeo | 2006 | Huss Rodeo/Breakdance | Texas | Ride moved from Six Flags Great Adventure. |
| Sidewinder | 2006 | Eli Bridge Scrambler | Texas | Ride moved from Six Flags Astroworld. |
| Boot Scootin' | 2006 | Zamperla boot themed Turtle Parade | Texas | |
| Caddo Lake Barge | 2006 | Zamperla Rockin’ Tug | Tower | |
| ACME Rock-N-Rocket | 2006 | Intamin Looping Starship | USA | |
| Cloud Bouncer | 2006 | Zamperla Samba balloon tower | Goodtimes Square | |
| Batwing | 2006 | Zamperla Telecombat | Gotham City | |
| Crazy Legs | 2006 | Huss Troika | Goodtimes Square | Said to be a "Frankenstein" creation of 3 different Troikas from various parks, possibly including the defunct Six Flags Astroworld in Houston TX |
All rides located in Looney Tunes USA
| Ride Name | Year Opened | Manufacturer/Ride Type |
|---|---|---|
| Elmer Fudd's 'America the Beautiful' Railway | Zamperla Rio Grande/kiddie train ride | |
| Bugs Bunny's Spirit of St. Louie | 1976 | Zamperla mini airplane ride |
| Michigan J. Frog's Tinsel Town Revue | 1985 | Zamperla mini swinger ride |
| Speedy Gonzales' Truckin' Across America | 1992 | Zamperla kiddie convoy/truck ride |
| Sylvester & Tweety's State Fair-is Wheel | 2001 | Zamperla mini ferris wheel |
| Route 66 Bumper Cars | 2001 | SBF/VISA group mini bumper cars |
| Daffy Duck's Capitol Tours | 2001 | SBF/VISA group kiddie crazy bus ride |
| Taz's New York Adventure | 2001 | SBF/VISA group kiddie drop ride |
| Yosemite Sam's Texas Tea Cups | 2001 | SBF/VISA group mini teacups |
| Attraction Name | Year Opened | Manufacturer/Ride Type | Current Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dive Bomber Alley | 1996 | Skycoaster | Tower |
| Six Flags Speedway Go Karts | 1999 | J & J Amusements go karts | Tower |
Six Flags Over Texas continues to add new attractions and additions on a competitive basis, in order to increase guest attendance and remain profitable. Some speculation has led to the belief that the park will have increasing difficulty with future projects due to the park's location where it is "boxed-in" by local roads and businesses surrounding the park, and lack of free land. Park management continues to deny this, claiming that space is available not only within the park (by removal of older rides or in various other free areas) but also in other locations, such as the park's large parking lot (which was expanded into to build the roller coaster Titan). Some also believe the park will see an increase in attendance with the construction of the new Cowboys stadium located a few blocks away.
Past park president Steve Calloway repeatedly expressed his desire at various events to implement past favorites of the park to bring back some nostalgia. His goal was partially completed with the reopening of the long-defunct Casa Magnetica[11] funhouse in 2004, but later closing in 2007. With the renewed company-wide focus on families, Six Flags over Texas has also seen a rise in family entertainment and attractions such as new parades, shows, and concerts.
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