Six Flags New England
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| Six Flags New England | |
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| Location | Agawam, Massachusetts in Springfield, Massachusetts metro area. |
| Website | Official Website |
| Owner | Six Flags |
| Opened | 1840 (as Gallops Grove; 2000 as SFNE) |
| Operating season | April through October |
| Area | More than 235 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 greater Springfield, Massachusetts, in the nearby town of Agawam, Massachusetts. 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 Ride, and their water park, named Hurricane Harbor. Technically speaking, it is the oldest of the Six Flags parks, though it did not originally open as such.
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[edit] History
Throughout most of the 20th century, the park was known as Riverside Park. It started out as a picnic grove called Gallops Grove in 1840. It eventually was renamed to Riverside Grove, then Riverside Park. Riverside was a trolley park owned by the Springfield Street Railway.[1] In the early 1900s a few mechanical rides and a carousel were added. In 1942, the park acquired its first roller coaster, a wooden roller coaster called the Thunderbolt which still operates today. The park had been owned by the Carroll family for several generations. The park had a movie theater and a bowling alley as well as a concert arena.
The Riverside Park Speedway was built in 1948, replacing an open air bandstand at Riverside Park. Edward Carroll, Sr. (third-generation park owner) took a liking to a sport that was gaining popularity in the Northeast after World War II, and added auto racing to his slate of attractions at Riverside.
The original configuration of the track was a flat, 1/5 mile oval with a dirt surface. Midgets and motorcycles were the featured events, and the track opened in grand style on June 2, 1948. By the 1950s, modified stock cars had taken hold as the prevalent form of racing in the area, replacing the midgets as the featured division at Riverside Park Speedway.
The park continued to add new rides and remove some of the older ones. The theater and bowling alley were gone by the late 1950s, making Riverside Park a seasonal attraction. The 1960s were popular years for stock car racing at Riverside Park. The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing began sanctioning events at Riverside Park Speedway in 1976. The winner of the first NASCAR-sanctioned event at Riverside was Bob Polverari.
In 1977, Riverside Park added its first looping roller coaster, Black Widow. The park continued to be successful throughout the 1970s. A log flume ride was added in the 1970s. By the 1980s, the park stopped selling individual ride tickets and began charging a "pay one price" admission. In 1983, Riverside Park added its third rollercoaster, which was also the park's second wooden coaster. The owners originally wanted a coaster exactly like the Coney Island Cyclone, but space was limited, so the coaster would need to take up less space but would have very sharp twists and turns. It became known as the Riverside Cyclone. In 1992, as water parks became popular, a children's water play area called "Island Kingdom" was added. In 1993, several water slides and a wave pool were added, forming a small water park built within the Riverside Park facility and included with admission. The racetrack continued to also be popular in the 1990s. By then, the fifth generation of the Carroll family owned the park, and the next generation was not interested in owning the park anymore, so the park was put up for sale in 1995. Several groups expressed interest, and Oklahoma City-based Premier Parks bought it later that year. They also acquired Fun Time Parks, which had recently bought nearby Lake Compounce and owned The Great Escape in Lake George. Premier then sold Lake Compounce to Kennywood and opted to keep Riverside. At this point, parking charges for vehicles were implemented.
The park then became known as "Riverside: The Great Escape." The water park expanded slightly, a "Shoot the Chutes" water ride was added at the North End. In 1997, Riverside added a steel inverted looping Vekoma roller coaster called The Mind Eraser. Also that year, Premier Parks acquired the larger Six Flags chain of parks from Time Warner. The park continued to be known as "Riverside: The Great Escape" until the end of the 1999 season. The racetrack was razed at that point for a major expansion in the very near future.
The turn of the century marked a huge change in the park. Riverside, like many Premier Parks was "flagged" or rebranded as a Six Flags Park. Some of the other parks kept their names with Six Flags branding. Others, like Great Escape in Lake George, never did get rebranded, and are still merely Six Flags properties. Riverside Park, though, was totally re-branded as "Six Flags New England". The main street running through the park was renamed "Carroll Drive" in honor of the family which had owned it for so long. After the Riverside Park Speedway was removed in 1999, a brand new themed area was built, known as the DC Comics area. The area had several new rides including Superman - Ride of Steel, a steel mega coaster that is over 200 feet tall and features steep drops and curves as well as a tunnel. It was designed by Intamin AG. Two slightly different versions (those two are mirror images of each other) of Superman - The Ride Of Steel reside at sister park Six Flags America and Darien Lake. The Hall of Justice was also built near the Superman coaster at Six Flags New England. The Black Widow roller coaster had been dismantled the year before and Flashback, a Vekoma Boomerang looping roller coaster, previously located at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom, replaced it.
In 2001, the parking lot was moved across the road, and a bridge was built to allow access to the entrance of the park. Batman: The Dark Knight was added in 2002, the water park was doubled in size and renamed Hurricane Harbor in 2003, and two new rides were introduced for the 2005 season: the roller coaster 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) were added. In 2007 two new kids areas were added, Wiggles World and Thomas the Tank Engine Town.
In 2008, Six Flags New England was to open The Dark Knight an indoor MACK Wild Mouse coaster based on the upcoming film of the same name. The park's other Batman-based attraction had its named changed from Batman: The Dark Knight to Batman: The Ride to avoid confusion. However, due to permit issues, the ride was canceled and dismantled. Instead, the park announced the new "Glow in the Park" parade.
[edit] Flash Pass
Six Flags New England offers a "Flash Pass" system that allows riders to use a "Flash Pass"to "reserve" a place in line for a ride, thereby allowing one to "wait in line" for two rides at once. Unlike similar systems at parks such as the Walt Disney World Resort, the "Flash Pass" system requires an additional fee beyond that charged to enter the park.
[edit] Park & Rides
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 2003, 2006, and 2007.
[edit] Main Street Plaza
A typical New England town, this area serves as the entrance to the park.
Roller Coaster
- Thunderbolt: Wooden roller coaster designed by Joseph E. Drambour - opened 1941.
Rides
- Carousel: 1909 M.C. Illinois 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. The original Hellevator tower is only capable of running the Turbo Drop mode, while the other two towers that were added in 2000 can alternate between Space Shot mode and Combo Mode. It is rare to see all three towers operating at the same time.
[edit] DC 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: (Originally Poison Ivy's Tangled/Twisted Train) Zierer family roller coaster - opened 2000
Ride
- Nightwing: Huss Fly Away - opened in 2000.
[edit] Crackaxle Canyon
An old western town now abandoned and starnded.
Rides
- Houdini - The Great Escape: Vekoma Mad House - opened in 1999.
- Tomahawk: Huss Frisbee - opened in 1999.
- Stampede Bumper Cars: Zamperla Bumper Cars - opened in 1997.
[edit] North End
Roller Coasters
- Flashback: Vekoma Boomerang - opened 2000
- Pandemonium: (Originally Mr. Six's Pandemonium) Gerstler Spinning Coaster - opened 2005
- Cyclone: (Originally Riverside Cyclone) Wooden roller coaster built by William Cobb - opened 1983
Rides
- 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.
- Catapult: S&S Sky Swatter - opened in 2006 moved from Six Flags Astroworld
- Shipwreck Falls: Intamin Spillwater shoot-the-chute ride - opened in 1997.
Extra charge attraction
- Taz's Dare Devil Dive: Skycoaster
[edit] Rockville U.S.A
Take a step back to the '50s.
Rides
- Twister: Huss Top Spin - opened in 1997.
[edit] South End
Roller Coasters
- The Mind Eraser: Vekoma Suspended Looping Coaster - opened 1997
- Batman - The Ride (Originally Batman: The Dark Knight): B&M floorless coaster - opened 2002
Rides
- Crime Wave: Zamperla Swings ride - opened in 1979; location moved in 2007, was named Adult Wave Swinger.
- Buzzsaw: Zierer Flying Carpet - opened in 2000.Original named the Screamer. (Zierer Flying Carpet opened 1983, called the Slingshot)
- Kontiki: Chance Alpine Bobs - opened in 1985, it was to be removed after 2007 but the park decided to keep it for a few more years.
- The Tea Cups: Zamperla Tea Cups - opened in 1999.
- Splash Water Falls: Whitewater West Spinning Rapids water ride - opened in 2006; ride moved from Six Flags Astroworld
[edit] Looney Tunes Movie Town
Fly on the set with your favorite Looney Tunes character.
Roller Coaster
- The Great Chase: (Originally Rolling Thunder) Miler Coasters Inc. kiddy roller
Rides
- Animation Department: Zamperla kiddy swings ride - opened in 1998
- Foghorn Leghorn's Tinsel Town Train: Kiddy train ride - opened in ?
- Marvin the Martian's Earthbound Journey: Zamperla kiddy spaceship ride - opened in 2000
- Wile E. Coyote's Speed Trap: Zamperla kiddy 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 - kiddy drop rid - opened in 1999
coaster - opened 1996
[edit] Wiggle's World
(Formerly Tiny Timber Town)
- Captain Feathersword's Rockin' Pirate Ship: Zamperla Rockin' Tug - new in 2007
- Big Red Plane Ride: Tamperla Telecombat - new in 2007
- Big Red Car Ride: Zamperla Convoy - new in 2007
- Dorothy's Rosy Tea Cups: (Originally Tiny's Tea Party) SBF kiddy tea cups - opened in 2001.
- Cold Spaghetti Western Wheel: (Originally Chuck Wagon Wheel) Kiddy Ferris Wheel - opened in 2001
- Wags' Doggie Copters: SBF kiddy ride - opened in 2001; was named Timber Town Sky Patrol
- Henry's Underwater Swing Band: (Originally Flight of the Bumble Bees) SBF kiddy ride - opened in 2001
- S.S. Feathersword Pirate Ship and Henry's Splish Splash: Kiddy playground area and water play area - new in 2007
- Route 66: Arrow Dynamics antique cars - opened in 1962.
[edit] Thomas Town
- Bertie The Bus
- Harold The Helicopter
- Thomas The Train
[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, area includes Octopus Toddler Slide & Kiddie Pirate Ship - 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
- Monsoon Lagoon: Family wave pool - 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 | Octopus style ride |
| Wildcat | 1974 | 1984 | Schwarzkopf Wildcat roller coaster. |
| Black Widow | 1977 | 1999 | Arrow Dynamics Launched Loop roller coaster. |
| Rotor | 1973 | 1999 | Spinning room where the floor drops out leaving ride goers stuck to the wall. (Next to black widow). |
| Little Rickie's Little Twister | 1978 or earlier | 1999 | Herschell Little Dipper kiddy roller coaster. |
| Colossus | 1986 or 1987 | 2006 | 150 ft. Ferris Wheel |
| Tri-Star | ? | ? | Huss Tri-Star |
| Poland Spring Plunge | 1979 | 2005 | Log Flume ride. (Originally Red River Rapids) |
| Chaos | 1997 | 2005 | Chance Chaos |
| Joker's Wild Card | 2000 | 2006 | Indoor Chance Wipeout with custom themeing. |
| Rodeo | 1998? | 2007 | Huss Breakdance |
| Bumper Buggies | ? | 2007 | Kiddy bumper cars |
| Double Trouble | 1999 | 2007 | Chance Double Inverter |
| The Dark Knight | 2008 | 2008 | Mack Wild Mouse (Closed Without Operating) |
[edit] Shows and Parades
- Get Ready to Wiggle - Located in Wiggles World
- The Looney Tunes Talent Show - Located in Looney Toons Movie Town
- Legion of Doom - Located in DC Super Hero Adventures
- The Amazing Acrobats of China - Located in Rockville Gymnasium
- Six Flags Party - Located on Main Street Gazebo
- Frisco Kate's Silver Spur Review - Located on Saloon Stage in Crackaxle Canyon
- Splash Bucklin' Scalleywags - Located on Pirate Stage in the South End
- Celebrate the Stars Parade - Runs from South End to Crackaxle Canyon
- Thursday Night Concert Series - Lineup[1]
[edit] Characters
During the park's 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. 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. In 2007 enemies of the Justice League known as the Legion of Doom came to Six Flags.
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.
[edit] Fright Fest
During the months of September and October, the park gets transformed for its annual Halloween festival, Fright Fest. 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
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[edit] References
Six Flags New England
Six Flags New England Fan Site
Six Flags New England Fan Site
