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.

History

Initial planning and construction

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.

Origin of the name

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.

Grand opening

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 ($59.99 as of 2011) for adults and $2.25 ($36.99 as of 2011) for children; parking was 50 cents (${{Formatprice| ($15.00 as of 201); hamburgers were 35 cents , and soft drinks were 10 cents. 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^{[citation needed]} 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

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 1970s

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

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

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.

The 2000s

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.^[2] In 2009, debuted the "Glow in the Park Parade", a nighttime parade filled with thousands of lights.

The 2010s

In early 2010, the Texas Giant roller coaster was closed to be renovated into a super-hydbrid coaster and was reopened on April 22, 2011 as the NEW Texas Giant for the park's 50th anniversary.^[3] 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.^[4]

Firsts, bests, and other records

Firsts and ones of a kind*

• First Six Flags Theme Park. This is the original Six Flags Theme Park opened in the year(1961)
• First Log Flume – El Aserradero (1963)
• First Mine Train Roller Coaster – The Runaway Mine Train (1966)
• First Freefall Ride - Texas Cliffhanger (later renamed Wildcatter) (1982)^[5] Removed in 2007.^[6]

*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^[7] 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.

Records

• Tallest Roller Coaster in Texas - Titan (245 ft)
• Fastest Roller Coaster in Texas - Titan (85 mph)
• Tallest Freefall Combo Tower in the World - Superman: Tower of Power (325 ft)
• Largest Land Based Oil Derrick - Oil Derrick (300 ft)

Awards

• World's Best Wooden Roller Coaster of 1999 - Texas Giant

Accidents

• A 28-year-old Arkansas woman drowned on the Roaring Rapids water ride.

• In March 2006, Texas Tornado (currently Gunslinger) malfunctioned and its operator brought it to an emergency stop, causing several swing chairs to collide at speeds approximating 15 mph (24 km/h). Several riders suffered minor injuries.

Events

Six Flags Over Texas hosts several seasonal events throughout the year including:

• Spring Break Out – Taking place in the month of March, the Spring Break Out event welcomes the warm Texas weather with plenty of outdoor attractions, events, games, and concert performances. The event usually takes place over a couple of weeks, allowing various local schools’ differing spring break holidays to coincide with one of the event's weeks. It has been a park tradition since 1984.

• Festival Latino - In April, Hispanic and Latino heritage is celebrated throughout the park. The park alive with arts, crafts, performances by bands and dancers, as well as authentic cuisine including fajitas, sweet corn, churros, and tacos. The annual event started in 2006.

• Fright Fest – Originally only one night in October called 'Fright Night', Fright Fest is the annual Halloween festival at Six Flags Over Texas, Fright Fest, takes place throughout the month of October and features several specialized additions to the park. Haunted houses, decorated pathways, patrolling ghouls, and spooky music all contribute to the park’s transformation into a giant 'scream' park.

• Holiday in the Park – A tradition started in 1985, Holiday in the Park is now one of the park’s most popular seasonal events as the park’s season winds down towards the end of November and throughout December. Hundreds of thousands of Christmas lights are strung around the park buildings and rides. An authentic snow hill is available for visitors to sled down. Festive holiday shows, arts & crafts, and delicious seasonal food also bring the holidays to Six Flags Over Texas

Sections

• Texas (1961)
• Spain (1961)
• Mexico (1961)
• France (1961)
• USA (1961 - originally known as the Modern section)
• Old South (1961 - originally known as the Confederacy)
• Star Mall (1961 - often not referred to as a section of the park but rather the Front Gate or part of the USA section)
• Boomtown (1963)
• Tower (1969 - named after the Oil Derrick observation tower)
• Goodtimes Square (1973)
• Looney Tunes USA (1983 - originally known as Pac-Man Land & Looney Tunes Land)
• Gotham City (1999)

Rides and attractions

Roller coasters

Current adult/family rides

Current kiddie rides

All rides located in Looney Tunes USA

Current extra charge attractions

Theaters & stages

• David Blackburn Southern Palace Theater - The largest indoor theater at Six Flags Over Texas. This venue houses all types of musical and dance shows.
• Majestic Theater - Originally the Krofft Puppet Circus & Goodtimes Theater, this venue houses all types of musical, dance, and specialty shows.
• Lone Star Theater- This venue usually house specialty shows.
• Crazy Horse Saloon -The Crazy Horse Saloon has provided live entertainment for over 40 years, featuring cowboys and saloon girls. This is the oldest theater in the park.
• AT&T Music Mill Amphitheater - The park's large outdoor amphitheater. This venue houses concerts and other live entertainment.
• Back Porch Stage - This venue houses live bands during certain times of the year.
• Texas Arena - This is the park's stunt show theater. In 2008, the Thursday Night Starburst Concert Series will perform here.

Shopping and dining

Shopping

• Caricatures
• Casa De Six Flags
• El Mercado De La Plaza
• Antique Photo Emporium
• Les De Caricatures
• Airbrush Artistry
• The Ole' Woodcutter Shop
• Indian Village Trading Post
• Texas Gift Shop
• Studio: 6f
• Cartoon Candy Kitchen
• Looney Tunes Mall
• The Flash Pass Ride Reservation Center

Dining

• Dry Hole Charlie's
• Dusty Dan's Waterin' Hole
• Specialty Hot Dawgs
• Goodtimes Refreshments
• Johnny Rockets Shakes & Fries (formerly Cactus Cantina in 2008)
• Flags Funnel Cakes
• Old Fashioned Ice Cream Bars
• Smoothies Sensacion Tropical
• JB's Smokehouse
• Ben & Jerry's
• Annabelle's Southern Treats
• Aunt Addie's Shaved Ice
• Uncle Bub's Smokehouse
• Bubba's Texas Sized Hot Dogs
• Newman's Corn Dog Cafe
• E.G. Sugarwater's Old Time Parlour
• Lone Star Twisters
• Rose's Cantina
• Salt Water Taffy
• Red River Dogs & Fries
• Newman's Cafe
• Six Flags All American Cafe (formerly USA Food Court in 2007)
• Granny's Funnel Cakes
• Pink Things
• Panda Express (formerly East Texas BBQ in 2006)
• Cold Stone Creamery (formerly Chuckwagon Grill in 2006) (formerly American Freezes in 2007)
• Johnny Rockets (formerly Chubbie's in 2006)

Past attractions

• Sky Hook - a crane turned into an observation tower
• Rotoriculous - flying bobs ride
• The Chevy Show - an immersive widescreen Cinema 180 theater^[9]
• Virtual Quest Interactive Theater - Virtual reality attraction
• Ferrocarril Fiesta Train I & II - train ride through animated scenes
• Las Cocheses Cabras Goat Cart Ride - goat ride
• Los Conquistadores Mule Pack Train - mule ride
• Caddo War Canoes - canoes
• Flying Jenny/Little Dixie Carousel - mule-powered carousel
• LaSalle's Riverboat Expedition - a riverboat ride past animated scenes similar to Disney's Jungle Cruise
• Overland Butterfield Stagecoach - stagecoach ride
• Skull Island - an entire section filled with slides, caves, and a pirate ship
• Spee-Lunker's Cave - a dark ride where guests float through a cave past animated scenes.
• Spindletop - class rotor attraction
• Great Six Flags Air Racer - a large swinging plane ride similar to the swings
• Spinnaker - enterprise attraction
• Tower Slides - a Fun Slide
• Turbo Bungy - bungee trampoline
• Helicopter Rides - helicopter tours above the park
• Astro-Lift - Chairlift across the park
• Humble's Happy Motoring Freeway Track I & II - car ride on a track
• Jet Set - individual controlled mini jets
• Missile Chaser - classic scrambler That was moved to six flags magic mountain
• Petting Zoo - petting zoo
• Wildcatter (Intamin 1st-Generation Intamin Freefall) - originally called Texas Cliffhanger; opened in 1982; located in USA "Boomtown" section. Removed in October, 2007.
• SpongeBob SquarePants: The Ride (motion simulator theater) - opened in 2004; located in USA section. Removed after 2007 season.
• Casa Magnetica (tilt house) - opened in 1962, closed in 1997, reopend in 2004; located in Spain section. Removed after 2007 season.
• Bumper Cars (Soli bumper cars) - opened in 1973; located in Goodtimes Square section. Closed in August 2007 for Fright Fest and remained closed after the 2007 season.
• Crazy Legs (Eyerly Aircraft Monster) - opened in 1973; closed after the 1980 season.
• Porky Pig Magic Wheel - was a typical Eli Bridge Company model Ferris wheel located in Looney Tunes USA where the current "Fair-is Wheel" is located.

Future outlook

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^[10] 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.

See also

• Amusement Parks
• Arlington, Texas
• Oil Derrick (Six Flags over Texas)
• Roller coasters
• Six Flags (theme park chain)
• List of amusement parks in the Americas

References

• Jordan, Scott L. MousePlanet - This Old Park. Retrieved September 21, 2004.
• McCown, Davis. ParkTimes. Retrieved September 21, 2004.
• Rogers, Joel A. CoasterGallery.com. Retrieved September 21, 2004.
• Six Flags - Media Info. Retrieved September 21, 2004.

External links

• Six Flags Over Texas official website
• Guide to Six Flags Over Texas - Unofficial Guide to the Park
• Lone Star Thrills
• Parktimes.com - Website focusing on the historical aspect of SFoT
• Roller Coasters at Six Flags Over Texas