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| Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom |
|
| Location |
Louisville, Kentucky |
| Website |
Kentucky Kingdom |
| Owner |
Six Flags |
| Opened |
1987 |
| Operating season |
May through October |
| Area |
58 acres |
| Rides |
27 (excluding water park) total
- 7 roller coasters
- 2 water rides
|
|
|
|
Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom, located in Louisville, Kentucky, is the ninth amusement park to use the Six Flags name. It has many attractions such as Chang, one of the world's longest steel stand-up roller coasters. The park also includes a free water park called Splashwater Kingdom. The park is built on 58 acres of land, 38 of which are leased from the Kentucky State Fair Board.[1]
[edit] Park history
Kentucky Kingdom opened on May 23, 1987 leasing 10 acres at the Kentucky Exposition Center property.[2] An extension of the State Fair, it closed before the end of the season. One of the original rides was a rollercoaster called Starchaser. The owners filed bankruptcy and auctioned off the rides.
The park remained closed through 1989, when Ed Hart and a group of investors purchased Kentucky Kingdom, and it reopened for the 1990 season.[2] Starchaser was sold, but still onsite at the amusement park, and Hart purchased the indoor rollercoaster.[1] Additionally new rides are added like Tin Lizzies, The Enterprise, Whirling Dervish, and The Vampire which some are still in operation today. In 1992, the Kentucky Kingdom made a large expansion and opened the Hurricane Bay water park.[1]
At the end of 1997, Kentucky Kingdom was sold to Premier Parks for $64 million, and opened as Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom later on June 21, 1998.[2] In 1999, corporate Six Flags decided to retheme the expansion side of the park as "Gotham City," renaming and repainting several rides.[1] Sometime in the same year, however, the idea was shelved and the rides retained their original names. In 2002 the ride Twisted Sisters is forced to be renamed to Twisted Twins upon a threat of a lawsuit from the band Twisted Sister.[1] Before the opening of the 2007 season, Hurricane Bay was rebranded as Six Flags Splashwater Kingdom.
Kentucky Kingdom is one of the main tourism attractions for Louisville as in 1997 it totaled more visitors than Churchhill Downs.[2]
[edit] Incidents
-
There have been two major incidents to occur at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom, both of them involving serious injury to riders on the Starchaser and the Superman: Tower of Power rides. Both rides have since been removed.
[edit] Rides and attractions
[edit] Roller coasters
| Ride |
Year Opened |
Removed In |
Description |
| Starchaser[3] |
1987 |
1995 |
An enclosed Schwarzkopf Jet Star roller coaster. It was removed in 1995 due to a pending lawsuit from guests who were injured on the ride in 1995 (see Incidents at Six Flags parks). The ride was originally moved in from Beech Bend Park[citation needed]; after removal from Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom it moved to Six Flags Darien Lake and then to The Great Escape & Splashwater Kingdom, where it is called Nightmare at Crack Axle Canyon. |
| Thunder Run |
1990 |
|
A Dinn Corporation built wooden roller coaster, designed by Curtis D. Summers and John Fetterman. |
| The Vampire[4] |
1990 |
1999 |
A Vekoma Boomerang roller coaster. It was removed in 1999 because of multiple breakdowns, ride was moved to Six Flags New England where it is known as Flashback. |
| Roller Skater |
1994 |
|
A Vekoma kiddie roller coaster, with roller skate shaped cars. |
| T2 |
1995 |
|
Vekoma SLC roller coaster. Prototype version of the ride, 1st one in United States (2nd in the world). |
| Chang |
1997 |
|
A Bolliger & Mabillard stand-up roller coaster. Opened as the tallest, fastest and longest stand-up coaster, is still 2nd in these categories. |
| Twisted Twins |
1998 |
SBNO |
Custom Coasters International dueling wooden roller coaster. Two sides are named Lola & Stella, ride was originally named Twisted Sisters |
| Road Runner Express |
2000 |
|
A Maurer Söhne wild mouse roller coaster. |
| Greezed Lightnin' |
2003 |
|
Schwarzkopf Shuttle Loop roller coaster. Ride was moved from Six Flags Over Georgia. |
|
[edit] Current adult rides
| Ride |
Year Opened |
Removed In |
Description |
| Whirling Dervish |
1990 |
|
Huss Breakdance (ride), Ride spins on a platform with a group of pods the spin in addition to the platform. |
| Bluebeard's Bounty |
1990 |
|
Swining pirate ship |
| Tin Lizzies |
1990 |
|
Antique cars that run along a track, the ride was remodeled due to the construction of the rollercoaster Greezed Lightning. |
| Bumper Cars |
1990 |
|
Known as the Road Rage Cage in October for October fest. |
| Enterprise |
1990 |
|
Ride starts out flat, has an enclosed carrier with little restraints, ride begins spinning and lifts up onto its side like a ferris wheel and then back down. |
| Thrill Park Theater |
1996 |
|
Motion picture simulator, Hydraulic pods/seats move in accordance with a movie. |
| Himalaya |
|
|
|
| The Giant Wheel |
1991 |
|
150 ft tall Vekoma Ferris Wheel |
| The Penguin's Blizzard River |
1999 |
|
A white water raft ride. Parts of the ride were moved from the closed Opryland theme park |
| Flying Dutchman |
|
|
Ride was previously located at Kings Island |
| International Carousel |
1997[citation needed] |
|
|
| Mile High Falls |
1994 |
SBNO |
(O.D. Hopkins Shoot-The-Chute water ride) |
| The Zeppelin |
|
|
Zeppelin themed spinning ride |
| Rainbow |
1995 |
[edit] Current children rides
| Ride |
Year Opened |
Removed In |
Description |
| Rio Grande |
1998, 2001 |
1998 |
Zamperla Rio Grande, kiddie train ride. Opened for one season, then closed, new location opened in 2001. |
| Frightfully Funny Free-Falling Fire Engine No. 9 |
|
|
Zamperla Crazy Bus BOOB |
| Daffy's Star Parade |
|
|
Kids Ferris Wheel |
| Bugs Bunny's Big Band Carousel |
|
|
Kids Carousel |
| A'wound the World in 80 Seconds |
|
|
Zamperla Samba Balloons |
| Bigfoot |
|
|
Kids battery powered jeeps |
| Speedway |
1998 |
|
Kids spinning car ride |
| Taz's Filmworks |
|
|
kids swings ride |
| Yosemite Sam's Hollywood Flight School |
|
|
Kids bi-plane ride |
| Sylvester and Tweety's Pounce and Bounce |
2000 |
|
Zamperla Jumpin' Star – kids drop tower |
| Looney Tunes Acme Fun Factory |
1997 |
|
SCS Interactive kids foam ball play area |
[edit] Current extra charge attractions
| Ride |
Year Opened |
Removed In |
Description |
| Skycoaster |
2001 |
|
|
| The Wall |
1999 |
|
Climbable rock wall |
| Thrill Karts |
1997 |
|
Go-Karts |
| Turbo Bungy |
|
2008 |
[edit] Water rides
| Ride |
Year Opened |
Removed In |
Description |
| Mega Wedgie |
2008 |
|
Proslide Technology Inc. Cannon Bowl |
| Deluge |
2007 |
|
Proslide Technology Inc. HydroMagnetic Rocket slide |
| Big Surf Wave Pool |
1992 |
|
Wave pool |
| Hook's Lagoon |
1998 |
|
SCS Interactive Discovery Treehouse |
| Mt. Slide Hai |
1992 |
|
4 slides named - Voodoo Express, Forbidden Passage, Conquistador Canyon and Vanishing Falls |
| Castaway Creek |
1998 |
|
Lazy river |
| Buccaneer Beach |
Remodeled 2007 |
|
Kids play area |
| Tornado |
2005 |
|
Proslide Technology Inc. Tornado Rattler - funnel shaped tube slide that uses four person "cloverleaf" or two person "whirly wheel" tubes) |
[edit] Past rides
| Ride |
Year Opened |
Removed In |
Description |
| Ranger |
1990 |
1994 |
Huss Ranger - replaced by Rainbow |
| The Squid |
1990 |
1997 |
4 wet/dry water slides, Located were Road Runner express is. |
| Starcastle Voyage |
1997 |
2001 |
kids Carousel - moved to Six Flags Worlds of Adventure (Geauga Lake) |
| Mini Tea Cups |
1998 |
2001 |
Tea cup ride - moved to Six Flags Worlds of Adventure (Geauga Lake) |
| Jester's June Bugs |
1990 |
2001 |
Moved to Six Flags Worlds of Adventure (Geauga Lake) |
| Thriller Bees |
1998 |
2001 |
Huss swing around ride - moved to Six Flags Worlds of Adventure (Geauga Lake) |
| Slingshot |
2002 |
2004 |
Extra charge Funtime Sling Shot - portable - moved to Six Flags Elitch Gardens |
| The Quake |
|
2004 |
Vekoma Waikiki Wave - ride was replaced by Tornado water slide |
| Chaos |
1998 |
2005 |
Chance Chaos - replaced by a smoking area in 2006, replaced by Deluge in 2007 |
| Top Eliminator Dragsters |
1996 |
2005 |
Extra charge 3/4 scale dragsters - SBNO for 2006 thru 2008 |
| Round Up |
1987 |
|
Hrubetz Round Up |
| The Great Race |
1998 |
2006 |
Spinning kids ride - Replaced by Deluge in 2007 |
| Superman: Tower of Power |
1995 |
2008 |
Intamin 177 ft. giant drop - Closed due to serious accident; was located just inside the entrance to the park; originally named Hellevator (1995-2006). Removed completely in mid March of 2008 |
[edit] Gallery
Hurricane Bay & Thunder Run
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[edit] See also
[edit] External links
[edit] References
