Six Flags New England
 | |
| Location | Agawam, Massachusetts, United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 42°02′16″N 72°36′57″W / 42.0377°N 72.6157°WCoordinates: 42°02′16″N 72°36′57″W / 42.0377°N 72.6157°W |
| Owner | Six Flags |
| Opened | 1870 |
| Previous names |
Gallup's Grove – 1870 to 1886 Riverside Grove – 1887 to 1911 Riverside Amusement Park– 1912 to 1999 (closed 1933-39) |
| Operating season | Spring through fall |
| Area | 235 acres (95 ha)[1] |
| Rides | |
| Total | Over 60 |
| Roller coasters | 11 |
| Water rides | 2 |
| Website | Official Website |
Six Flags New England (SFNE) is an amusement park located in Agawam, Massachusetts, a western suburb of Springfield, Massachusetts. Dating back to the late 1800s, it is the oldest amusement park in the Six Flags chain. Superman the Ride (formerly Bizarro) is among the park's most notable rides having appeared in every Golden Ticket Awards publication by Amusement Today, ranking first or second in the Top Steel Roller Coasters category since 2001.
History
Throughout most of the 20th century, the park was known as Riverside Park. It started out as a picnic grove called Gallup's Grove in 1870, and was eventually renamed to Riverside Grove, then Riverside Park. Prior to 1900, most of the park's patrons arrived via steamship. The Springfield Street Railway extended its line to the park in 1900 and, although Riverside was at the end of the Springfield Street Railway, it was not owned by the railway and is, therefore, not considered a trolley park, contrary to published reports.[2]
In the early 1900s, a few mechanical rides and a carousel were added. The park was purchased in 1911 by Henry J. Perkins who transformed the park from a picnic grove to an amusement park. He built the park's first roller coaster, The Giant Dip, in 1912, which proved to be so popular that another coaster, The Greyhound, was added in 1915.[3] Under Perkins' ownership, the park continued to prosper and additional amusements were added, including a 300-foot-diameter pool that became known as Lake Takadip.[4] The original Giant Dip coaster was replaced in 1920 by a new, more thrilling coaster that was twice the size of the Giant and was eventually named Lightning.[5] A third coaster, Whirlwind Racer, was added in 1928.
Closure and re-open
.jpg)
The Wall Street Crash of 1929 took its toll on the park, and by 1931 it had gone into foreclosure. For the 1932 season, the park operated only Wednesday through Sunday, and in 1933 it closed. Several attempts to reopen the park failed and it remained closed through 1939, although the grounds were occasionally used for company picnics.[6] A drive-in movie theater operated in the parking lot from 1937 to 1939.
Edward Carroll Sr. purchased the abandoned park in 1939 and after making improvements, reopened Riverside Park on May 29, 1940.[7] Carroll is credited with rescuing Riverside and turning it into the largest theme park in New England.[8] He purchased the plans and cars of the 1939 New York World's Fair Cyclone Roller Coaster and opened a new coaster in 1941.[9] That coaster, now known as Thunderbolt, is currently operating at the park, and is the oldest coaster within the Six Flags Chain of theme parks.[10] The park continued to add new rides and removed some older ones. The theater and bowling alley were removed in the late 1950s, making Riverside Park a seasonal attraction.
Carroll took a liking to auto racing, a sport that was gaining popularity in the Northeast after World War II, and added it to his slate of attractions at Riverside, building the Riverside Park Speedway in 1948, replacing an open air bandstand. The 1960s was a popular period for stock car racing at Riverside Park. NASCAR began to hold events at Riverside Park Speedway in 1976. The winner of the first NASCAR-organized event at Riverside was Bob Polverari.
In 1977, Riverside Park added its first looping roller coaster, The Loop Coaster, later known as Black Widow. The park continued to be successful throughout the 1970s, and a log flume ride was added in that period. 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 roller coaster, 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 and would have sharper twists and turns. It became known as the Riverside Cyclone.
In 1987, Riverside attempted to build a white-water rafting ride called the Lost River Water Ride. Plagued with problems, the attraction never opened and was subsequently abandoned. A majority of the ride was demolished in 1989 to make way for Wild River Falls, a waterslide complex consisting of three sets of slides: Riptide, Blue Lightning, and Pipeline. A popular attraction, Wild River Falls remained in operation until the opening of the Island Kingdom Waterpark in 1997.
In 1994, Riverside partnered with Lady Luck Gaming in a proposal to build a hotel and dockside casino complex at the park, one of several competing casino proposals in the state.[11] The plan died after Agawam voters rejected a non-binding referendum in support of casino gambling in November.[12]
Purchase by Premier Parks
During the 1996 season, the track on the Musik Express was damaged and the attraction remained closed for a portion of the year. A Chance Chaos was ordered and was scheduled to open for the 1997 season. During the winter of 1996, the Carroll family was approached by Premier Parks of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, which subsequently purchased the park. Premier Parks renamed the park as Riverside: The Great Escape.[13]
For the 1997 season, the new owners invested upward of $20 million on general improvements and several new attractions. Attractions included the Island Kingdom Waterpark, which featured children's water play area, several tube slides, a couple of body slides, and a wave pool. Other attractions included a Mind Eraser (a Vekoma Suspended Looping Coaster), Shipwreck Falls (a Shoot the Chute ride), Time Warp (a Vekoma Air Jumper), and Chaos, which was quickly replaced by Twister, (a HUSS Park Attractions TopSpin).
The children's area, Kiddlie Land North, was re-themed and renovated as Startoon Studios. In the process, some older rides such as the Bayern Kurve were removed, leaving only the Bumper Buggies (kiddie bumper cars) in what was Kiddie Land South and the Flying Elephants, Kiddie Himilaya and Rickie's Little Twister coaster in Startoon Studios, which then added several rides from Zamperla; Speedtrap, Rio Grande train, Bigfoot Trucks, Crazy Bus, and Kiddie Swings.
In addition to new attractions, many parts of the park were renovated and themed: Main Street U.S.A. was given a makeover, and the Southern Center midway was themed to a 1950s city called Rockville. In the north section of the park, a Balloon Race attraction was installed, replacing the Wave Swinger, which was relocated to the center of the park in the former location of the park offices. Other improvements were a children's play structure called Paul Bunyan's Buzzsaw Company, which included kiddie rides, a new entrance plaza, and the Carousel being relocated to the front gate, also receiving a new building covering the ride.
In 1998, the park added several more attractions, improving the water park with new features that included Lazy River, another children's play structure named Hook's Lagoon, a speed slide tower called Cannonball, a family raft slide named Swiss Family Tobaggan, and a multi-slide tower called Big Kahuna. The water park expansion was added to the south end of the park next to the park's log flume, replacing two rides, Tri Star and Swiss Bobs. In addition, the park relocated the Spider next to Mind Eraser, and relocated the Mind Scrambler (which was enclosed) to the north end under the park's Sky Ride, where it sits now. With The Spider being moved next to Mind Eraser, the park's Sea Dragon was moved next to the Antique Cars.
In 1998, the park also added The Hellevator, an S&S Worldwide Turbo Drop tower measuring 21 stories tall, which was originally painted red. The park also brought back Chaos and located it next to Mind Eraser, and installed a (HUSS Breakdance) named Barrels of Fun next to the kiddie bumper cars and the entrance to the waterpark. A new food court was added to the north end, located partially in Startoon Studios.
Six Flags
On April 1, 1998, Premier Parks acquired the larger Six Flags chain of parks from Time Warner. The park continued to be known as "Riverside" until the end of the 1999 season.
In 1999 the park made a 50% expansion to the water park adding a new slide tower named Shark Attack and a second wave pool called Hurricane Bay. The park added a Hopkins River Raft named Blizzard River to the North End replacing a set of dry slides and the old Bumper Cars. Blizzard River was themed to incorporate the Penguin character from the Batman Franchise but the name of the ride was never changed when the park was allowed to use characters from DC Comics on their rides. A new western area was added on a hill behind Shipwreck Falls named Crack Axle Canyon. Crack Axle Canyon included 4 rides, three of which new to the park. Barrels of Fun was moved and renamed Rodeo, which resided on the top of the hill next to the Tomahawk (Huss Frisbee) and Houdini's Great Escape (Vekoma Madhouse.) The fourth ride to the area was a new floor-powered Bumper Cars from (Zamperla.) The park added new additional rides to the South End of the park. The first was a (Chance Double Inverter) named Double Trouble located next to the newly placed Chaos and a (Zamperla) Tea Cups, which replaced the park's Slingshot (Flying Carpets) in front of the Colossus Ferris Wheel. Kontiki a (Chance Alipine Bobs) replaced Barrels of Fun.
At the end of the 1999 season, the racetrack was demolished in preparation for a major expansion in the very near future.
The turn of the millennium marked a huge change in the park. Riverside, like many, but not all Premier Parks, was "flagged" or re-branded as "Six Flags New England". Other parks, such as The Great Escape in Lake George, New York, kept their names. The main street running through the park was renamed "Carroll Drive" in honor of the family that had owned it for much of its rise to a major New England park. With the re-branding of Six Flags the park added a new front gate plaza.
After the Riverside Park Speedway was removed in 1999, a brand-new section of the park was built with a DC Comics theme. The area featured several new rides including one of the park's premier attractons, Superman – Ride of Steel, which is a hypercoaster designed by Intamin that was later renamed Superman the Ride. A Batman Stunt Show arena was added to the area, a second coaster named Poison Ivy's Tangled Train from (Zierer), Nightwing (Huss Flyaway), and Joker's Wildcard (Indoor Chance Wipeout.)
In addition to the DC Comics area, the park added a third Coaster named Flashback (Vekoma Boomerang), which previously was located at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom and replaced the Black Widow and Rotor in the North Area. Flashback was built on the site of the kiddie coaster, Rolling Thunder. Rolling Thunder, now named Great Chase, replaced the aging Rickie's Little Twister coaster in the renamed/rethemed Startoon Studios, which had been giving the name and theme of Looney Tunes Movie Town. The Flying Elephants were replaced by a similar ride themed to Marvin the Martian and a live stage show replaced the Kiddie Himilaya. Other additions included an expansion to the Hellevator adding two additional towers that were capable of three-mode operation, which included the Turbo Drop, Space Shot, and Double-Shot modes. The original Hellevator tower can only operate in Turbo Drop mode. The park's Slingshot was brought back with a new paint job, theme, and name of Buzzsaw.
In 2001, the parking lot was moved across the road, and a bridge was built to allow access to the entrance of the park. There were a few changes with the Paul Bunyan's play structure becoming a small kiddie area called Tiny Timber Town with the addition of three new children's rides; a children's Ferris wheel and helicopter built within the play area and a third (Zamperla LoliSwing) replacing the Sea Dragon. Buzzsaw's theme helped to blend in the theme of Tiny Timber Town, which had a logger theme.
Batman – The Dark Knight (B&M Floorless coaster) 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 spinning coaster Pandemonium (originally themed to Mr. Six) and a water coaster named Typhoon.
For the 2006 season, the SWAT flat ride from the now-defunct Six Flags Astroworld (now renamed Catapult) and Diablo Falls, also from Astroworld (now renamed Splash Water Falls) were added to the park's ride lineup.
In 2007, two new children's areas were added, The Wiggles (Wiggles World) and Thomas the Tank Engine (Thomas Town). Wiggles World took over the Tiny Timber Town area retheming some of the existing rides and removing the play structure. Wiggles World also added new rides, wet and dry play elements, and a live stage show. Thomas Town was added next to the main entrance and included a train ride on Thomas and two new kiddie rides. The Hall of Justice was also built into the vacant building of the Joker's Wildcard near Superman: The Ride.
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 name changed from Batman – The Dark Knight to Batman: The Ride to avoid confusion. However, due to permit issues, the ride was cancelled and dismantled. The ride would have cost the park $7.5 million in exchange for bringing $280,000 in taxes for the state of Massachusetts. Thus the cancellation angered the city of Agawam, which stated the issues with the ride were not present.[14] Instead, the park announced the new "Glow in the Park Parade". On November 8, 2008 the Town of Agawam approved Six Flags the right to build roller coasters up to the height of 200 feet (61 m). This paved the way for many new roller coasters in the future.[15]
On September 15, 2008, Six Flags announced a makeover to the Superman roller coaster, adding an in-ride soundtrack and special effects. The transformation was similar to a makeover of Medusa at Six Flags Great Adventure, as well as the conversion of X to X² in 2008 at Six Flags Magic Mountain. The ride became known as Bizarro, a fictional supervillain who was a mirror image of Superman portrayed in the DC Comics universe. The makeover has included a re-paint of the track, which is now purple. It has the same high-tech qualities of the old ride, but now upgraded with pyrotechnics and special effects. In 2016, the roller coaster will be repainted red with blue supports and will be renamed Superman: The Ride.
In February 2010, it was announced that there would be a children's water park section added. It was named Mr. Six's Splash Island, which included 16,000 square feet (1,500 m2) of drenching thrills and relaxation for the entire family and featured a 30,000-gallon shaded wave pool designed specifically for smaller children, as well as a 150-foot (46 m) interactive lazy river with dumping coconuts, rain curtains, and squirting water. It also included ten private cabanas. However, at the end of 2010, Six Flags dropped Mr. Six from rides in parks again and Mr. Six's Splash Island, just became Splash Island.
On September 1, 2010 the park announced that they would be receiving a new roller coaster to be added to the DC Comics section of the park: a standard wild mouse coaster that previously resided at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom. They announced "Gotham City Gauntlet: Escape from Arkham Asylum" on February 7, 2011.
In late 2010, Six Flags began the process of removing licensed theming from attractions. They terminated several licenses including their licenses with The Wiggles and Thomas the Tank Engine. Thomas Town was reopened in 2013 as Whistlestop Park. Wiggles World was rethemed to KIDZOPOLIS.[16][17]
In August 2011, several media sources reported that the park was building Déjà Vu from Six Flags Magic Mountain, a Vekoma Giant Inverted Boomerang for the park's 2012 season.[18][19][20] Then on September 1, 2011, Six Flags New England officially announced Goliath for the 2012 season, a Vekoma Giant Inverted Boomerang roller coaster, to be located where the former Shipwreck Falls was.[21][22]
In July 2012, Six Flags New England began seeking to build the world's largest swing set. The park proposed to build a 385-foot (117 m) tall Funtime Star Flyer ride, similar to the SkyScreamer found at other Six Flags parks. The new swing ride was approved by the city of Agawam on July 30, 2012. The city also announced that the park could increase the height of the tower up to 410-foot (120 m), to keep it the world's tallest.[23][24] On August 30, 2012, Six Flags announced that Six Flags New England would be adding Bonzai Pipelines a SplashTacular DownUnder water slide at their water park Hurricane Harbor.[25] Bonzai Pipelines will feature six different slides on one complex tower with each of theme going different directions.[26]
In February 2013, Six Flags New England announced that they would be removing the SWAT ride, Catapult, from the park's ride lineup and bringing back the former Thomas Town that operated from 2007 to 2010 for the 2013 season as Whistlestop Park.
On August 29, 2013, Six Flags officially announced the addition of New England SkyScreamer for the 2014 season. New England SkyScreamer was dubbed as the world's tallest Swing ride at over 400 feet (120 m) manufactured by Funtime. The swing ride was installed in the North End section of the park, replacing Taz's Dare Devil Dive, with the queue going where Catapult was located.[27]
On June 24, 2014, Six Flags New England announced the closure of one of their wooden roller coasters, Cyclone. Cyclone closed on July 20, 2014.[28] On August 28, 2014, Six Flags New England announced Wicked Cyclone, a Rocky Mountain Construction Hybrid Rollercoaster, which is using the same structure as the Cyclone. It features two Zero-G rolls, a 200-degree stall, a 78-degree drop, and 14 negative g hills. It opened on May 24, 2015.
On September 3, 2015, Six Flags New England announced the addition of Fireball, a Larson Super Loop, for the 2016 season along with the transformation of Bizarro to Superman the Ride.[29]
Attractions
Six Flags New England is home to many rides and attractions, including Superman the Ride. It is 208 feet (63 m) tall and drops 221 feet (67 m) into a tunnel, reaching a top speed of 77 mph (124 km/h). It is considered one of the best steel roller coasters in the world according to the trade magazine Amusement Today, which awarded it the prestigious Golden Ticket award in 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009.
Roller coasters
| Ride Name | Picture | Opened | Manufacturer | Model/Type | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderbolt |  |
1941 | Joseph E. Drambour | Main Street | Oldest roller coaster at the park. | |
| The Great Chase |  |
1996 | E&F Miler Industries | Family Coaster/ 16 ft Outside Spiral CCW | Looney Tunes Movie Town | Originally named Rolling Thunder |
| Mind Eraser |  |
1997 | Vekoma | Suspended Looping Coaster | South End | |
| Superman the Ride | _01.jpg) |
2000 | Intamin | Megacoaster | DC Superhero Adventure | Formally known as Superman – Ride of Steel (from 2000-2009) and Bizarro (from 2009 - 2015) |
| Catwoman's Whip |  |
2000 | Zierer | Tivoli - Large | DC Superhero Adventure | Originally named Poison Ivy's Tangled Train |
| Flashback | .jpg) |
2000 | Vekoma | Boomerang | North End | Originally at Star Lake Amusement Park as Boomerang, then Kentucky Kingdom as Vampire |
| Batman: The Dark Knight |
 |
2002 | Bolliger & Mabillard | Floorless Coaster | South End | |
| Pandemonium |  |
2005 | Gerstlauer | Spinning Coaster Model 420/4 | North End | Originally named Mr. Six's Pandemonium. In 2007, Mr. Six was dropped from the title. |
| Gotham City Gauntlet: Escape from Arkham Asylum |
2011 | Maurer Söhne | Wilde Maus Classic | DC Superhero Adventure | Originally Road Runner Express at Kentucky Kingdom | |
| Goliath | 2012 | Vekoma | Giant Inverted Boomerang | Crack Axle Canyon | Originally Déjà Vu at Six Flags Magic Mountain | |
| Wicked Cyclone | 2015 | Rocky Mountain Construction | I-Box | North End | Originally a wooden coaster designed by William Cobb. It has been extensively reconstructed and re-tracked with steel by RMC in 2015. |
Flat rides
| Ride Name | Opened | Manufacturer/Type | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1909 Illinois Carousel | 1940 | M.C. Illions Carousel | Main Street | Along with horses; a lion, tiger, and zebra can be seen on the carousel. |
| Balloon Race | 1989 | Zamperla Balloon Race | North End | No minimum height requirement, with adult. |
| Blizzard River | 1999 | Hopkins Rides River rafting ride | North End | Eight riders careen down a concrete channel in a raft while trying to avoid rapids, whirlpools, and drenching water falls. |
| Buzzsaw | 1983 | Zierer Flying Carpet | South End | Original named the Screamer and later the Slingshot. |
| Crime Wave | 1979 | Zamperla Swings | South End | Location moved in 2007, was named Adult Wave Swinger. |
| Fireball | 2016 | Larson Giant Loop | Rockville | A larger, park version of a Larson Ring of Fire, measuring 22 meters (72 ft) in diameter. |
| Houdini – The Great Escape | 1999 | Vekoma Madhouse | Crack Axle Canyon | No minimum height requirement, with adult. |
| Joker's Wildcard | 2000 | Chance Rides Wipeout | DC Superhero Adventures | Removed in 2004. It was located in the Justice League building and put into storage until 2009. It is now currently in operation at the former location of Nightwing. |
| Kontiki | 1985 | Chance Rides Alpine Bobs | Rockville | Polynesian paradise themed. |
| New England SkyScreamer | 2014 | Funtime Star Flyer | North End | Tallest swing ride in the world. |
| Wild Wheelz | 1962 | Arrow Development antique cars | Kidzopolis | Originally named Route 66 from 1962 to 2014 |
| Scrambler | 1973 | Eli Bridge Scrambler | North End | A classic scrambler ride. |
| Scream | 1998 | S&S Worldwide 3-tower Combo Complex | Main Street | Originally called The Hellavator. |
| Slingshot | 2009 | Slingshot | South End | Formerly The Blitz; Extra Charge. Located in the DC Superhero Adventures section but was moved to the South End in 2011. |
| Splash Water Falls | 2006 | WhiteWater West Spinning Rapids | South End | Relocated from Six Flags AstroWorld. |
| Stampede Bumper Cars | 1997 | Zamperla Bumper Cars | Crack Axle Canyon | Bumper Cars are themed to antique cars. |
| Tea Cups | 1999 | Zamperla Tea Cups | South End | A tea cup ride. |
| Tomahawk | 1999 | HUSS Frisbee | Crack Axle Canyon | Reaches heights of 78 feet. |
Kiddie rides
| Ride Name | Opened | Manufacturer/Type | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Animation Department | 1998 | Zamperla kiddie swings ride | Looney Tunes Movie Town | |
| Daffy's Hollywood Tours | 1998 | Zamperla Crazy Bus | Looney Tunes Movie Town | |
| Krazy Kars | 2007 | Zamperla Convoy | Kidzopolis | Originally Big Red Cars |
| Krazy Kups | 2001 | SBF kiddie tea cups | Kidzopolis | Originally Tiny's Tea Party and later Dorothy's Rosy Tea Cups |
| New England Express | 2007 | Miniature train ride | Whistlestop Park | Originally Thomas the Tank Engine from 2007 to 2010. (SBNO 2011–2012) |
| Ship's Ahoy! | 2007 | Zamperla Rockin' Tug | Kidzopolis | Originally Captain Feathersword's Rockin' Pirate Ship |
| Splish Splash Zone | 2007 | Playground and water play area | Kidzopolis | Originally Henry's Splish Splash |
| Taz's Prop Delivery | 1998 | Zamperla Big Foot | Looney Tunes Movie Town | |
| Tweety's Clubhouse | 1999 | Zamperla Jumpin' Star | Looney Tunes Movie Town | kiddie drop ride |
| Wacky Wheel | 2001 | Kiddie Ferris wheel | Kidzopolis | Originally Chuck Wagon Wheel and later Cold Spaghetti Western Wheel |
| Whirlybirdz | 2001 | SBF kiddie ride | Kidzopolis | Originally Timber Town Sky Patrol and later Wags' Doggie Copters |
| Wile E. Coyote's Speed Trap | 1998 | Zamperla kiddie whip ride | Looney Tunes Movie Town | |
| Zinger Swings | 2001 | SBF kiddie ride | Kidzopolis | Originally Flight of the Bumble Bees and later Henry's Underwater Swing Band |
| ZoomJets | 2007 | Zamperla Telecombat | Kidzopolis | Originally Big Red Planes |
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor
| Six Flags Hurricane Harbor | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Owner | Six Flags |
Hurricane Harbor is a water park located within Six Flags New England. The waterpark opened in 1997 as Island Kingdom and was rebranded Hurricane Harbor in 2003. It features a number of family-oriented rides as well as thrill rides. The most recent addition is Bonzai Pipelines added in 2013.
| Ride Name | Opened | Manufacturer/Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swiss Family Toboggan | 1998 | Proslide Technology Inc. “Mammoth” family raft ride | |
| Adventure River | 1998 | Lazy river | |
| Big Kahuna | 1998 | Proslide Technology Inc. “Pipeline” | 4 enclosed tube slides |
| Cannonball Falls | 1998 | Proslide Technology Inc. “Speed Zone” | 3 speed slides |
| Hook's Lagoon | 1998 | SCS Interactive “Discovery Treehouse” with Proslide Technology Inc. “Twisters’ Zone” slides | |
| Octopus Toddler Slide | 1998 | climbing structure for children | |
| Kiddie Pirate Ship | 1998 | fake pirate ship designed for kids to climb on | |
| Commotion Ocean | 1999 | wave pool | |
| Shark Attack | 1999 | Proslide Technology Inc. “Atomic Coasters” | 4 half enclosed, half open tube slides |
| Tornado | 2003 | Proslide Technology Inc. Tornado “Rattler” | funnel-shaped tube slide that uses four-person “cloverleaf” or two-person “whirly wheel” tubes |
| Hurricane Bay | 2003 | wave pool with family activity area | |
| Monsoon Lagoon | 2003 | family wave pool along with slides and interactive water play area | |
| Hurricane Falls | 2003 | 6 slide Proslide Technology Inc. Twisters complex | |
| Geronimo Falls and Zooma Falls | 2003 | 2 Proslide Technology Inc. Mammoths | |
| Typhoon Water Coaster | 2005 | Proslide Technology Inc. "Rocket" slide | |
| Splash Island | 2010 | kids area including a wave pool and lazy river | |
| Rip Tide Cove | 2013 | water play area | |
| Bonzai Pipelines | 2013 | SplashTacular DownUnder |
Former attractions
| Ride | Year Opened | Year Closed | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Giant Dip | 1912 | 1919 | 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. |
| Wild Mouse | 1957 | Unknown | B. A. Schiff & Associates Wild Mouse roller coaster. |
| Wildcat | 1968 | 1983 | Schwarzkopf Wildcat roller coaster. Anton Schwarzkopf's first roller coaster. |
| Rotor | 1973 | 1999 | Spinning room where the floor drops out leaving ride goers stuck to the wall. (Next to Black Widow). |
| Black Widow | 1977 | 1999 | Arrow Dynamics Launched Loop roller coaster. Replaced with Flashback. |
| Little Rickie's Little Twister | 1978 or earlier | 1999 | Herschell Little Dipper kiddie roller coaster. |
| Poland Spring Plunge | 1979 | 2005 | Log Flume ride. Originally named Red River Rapids. Replaced by Splash Water Falls. |
| Big Wheel | 1985 | 2005 | 150 ft. Ferris wheel |
| Chaos | 1997 | 2005 | Chance Chaos |
| Spider | 1968 | 2006 | Octopus style ride |
| Bumper Buggies | 1990 or earlier | 2007 | Kiddie bumper cars. Located in Rockville. |
| Rodeo | 1998 | 2007 | HUSS Breakdance. Located next to Tomahawk. |
| Double Trouble | 1999 | 2007 | Chance Double Inverter. Located between Batman – The Dark Knight and Mind Eraser. |
| Dark Knight | 2008 | 2008 | Mack Rides Indoor Wild Mouse. Planned for 2008, partially installed, and then cancelled. It was relocated to Six Flags México and opened in 2009. |
| Time Warp | 1997 | 2008 | Vekoma Air Jumper. Located within Pandemonium. |
| Nightwing | 2000 | 2008 | HUSS Fly Away. Replaced by Joker's Wildcard |
| Bertie The Bus | 2007 | 2010 | Kiddie ride located in the former section of Thomas Town. |
| Harold The Helicopter | 2007 | 2010 | Kiddie ride located where Fireball stands today. |
| Foghorn Leghorn Tinsel Town Train | Unknown | 2011 | Kiddie ride located in Looney Tunes Movie Town. |
| Shipwreck Falls | 1997 | 2011 | Replaced with Goliath |
| Marvin the Martian Earthbound Journey | 2000 | 2011 | Kiddie ride located in Looney Tunes Movie Town. |
| Catapult | 2006 | 2012 | S&S Sky Swat. Located where the queue of New England SkyScreamer is now. Formerly known as SWAT at Six Flags Astroworld |
| Taz's Daredevil Dive | 1992 | 2013 | Skycoaster. Replaced with New England SkyScreamer |
| Twister | 1997 | 2013 | HUSS Manufactured Top Spin. Located next to Kontiki. |
| New England Sky Way | 1974 | 2014 | Von Roll Sky-Ride. Transported riders from near the entrance of Crack Axle Canyon to the area in front of the entrance of Pandemonium, and vice versa. |
| Cyclone | 1983 | 2014 | William Cobb wooden coaster. (Rebuilt as Wicked Cyclone.) |
| Flying Aces | 2001 | 2015 | Whistlestop Park biplane ride. Originally located in Tiny Timber Town, put in storage when Wiggles World was added. |
Park entertainment
During the park's branding as a Six Flags in 2000, the Looney Tunes characters were added to the park. The line-up of Looney Tunes characters includes: Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety Bird, Sylvester, Foghorn Leghorn, Porky Pig, Petunia Pig, Pepé Le Pew, Roadrunner, Wile E. Coyote, Marvin the Martian, Taz, Granny, Lola Bunny, Elmer Fudd, Speedy Gonzales, Yosemite Sam, and Gossamer.
In 2006, the park underwent a massive expansion in the entertainment department when Mark Shapiro took control of Six Flags. With this, Six Flags New England has added Justice League characters, along with the Hall of Justice. In 2007, enemies of the Justice League known as the Legion of Doom came to Six Flags. This addition brought the following characters to the park: Batman, Robin, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, Hawk Girl, Green Lantern, The Flash, The Joker, The Riddler, Sinestro, Cheetah, Lex Luthor, and Captain Cold. The Hall of Justice is located in the building where the Jokers Wild Card flat ride used to be, transforming it into a secret lair. Times are posted outside indicating when guests will be able to meet the characters and pose for pictures.
The park also has some of the characters from Mystery Inc including the great dane detective himself Scooby-Doo, his best friend Shaggy Rogers, and his nephew Scrappy-Doo.
In the 2008 season, the Glow in the Park Parade was introduced. It is the unique brainchild of world-renowned creative director Gary Goddard and features five custom-designed floats, 65 performers and over 35 support staff members and technicians. Each float is adorned with vibrant-multicolor lights that illuminate the park and surround the streets with custom-composed cirque-inspired music. The parade features drummers, puppeteers, singers, dancers, and kinetic stilt walkers to create an unparalleled nighttime spectacular. The parade did not return in the 2009 season, but it did return in 2010. The parade never got to complete its full season run in 2010. It was cancelled in July after new management took over the Six Flags Corporate office.
Fright Fest
During the month of 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, South End, and Rockville areas, making them Haunt Zones with roaming characters to give the areas the themes of a ghost town, a demon area, a graveyard and an Area 51 complex, respectively. In addition, several shows and attractions are added, including Mayhem Mission and The Trick-o-Treat Trail for kids, Dead Legends Live on Main St., Haunting Illusions, Wheel of Fright, and three up-charged "haunts". Dead Legends Live has all past singers together and parody their songs about being dead. "Illusions of Terror" is a magic show in the Rockville Theater featuring illusionist David Garrity. The Wheel of Fright is a wheel and whatever you spin it to land on you have to eat or do. Such things to eat are cockroaches or worms. Prizes include season passes or exit passes. The five premium haunts are called Wicked Woods, Total Darkness, The Aftermath: Zombies Revenge, Slasher Circus 3D, and Midnight Mansion. Wicked Woods is in the picnic groves wooded area comprising a trail with people popping out at you and chasing you. Total Darkness is in the picnic grove and it is a walk through in a pitch black area, filled with frights. Slasher Circus 3D is in the picnic grove and is right beside Total Darkness, however this attraction is full of different lights and colors with a clown theme throughout. Midnight Mansion takes place on the ride Houdini. They transform the whole ride building into a haunted mansion. The Aftermath: Zombies Revenge is similar to Wicked Woods, but themed to the zombie apocalypse. In early 2009, Six Flags New England received an award within the chain for the best Fright Fest of 2008.
See also
References
- ↑ "Six Flags New England Opens Doors to New Era of Excitement". Six Flags New England. May 5, 2000. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
- ↑ Cecchi, David. "Images of America Riverside Park". Arcadia Publishing, 2011, pg.7
- ↑ Cecchi, pg. 22–24.
- ↑ Cecchi, pg. 51–54.
- ↑ Cecchi, pg. 25.
- ↑ Cecchi, pg. 8–9.
- ↑ Cecchi, p. 9
- ↑ Cecchi, p. 70
- ↑ Cecchi, David. "Images of America Riverside Park". Arcadia Publishing, 2011, p. 81
- ↑ Commemorative plaque at park from American Coaster Enthusiasts
- ↑ Turner, Ford (August 24, 1994). "Weld approves WMass casino". The Union-News (Springfield, MA: via NewsBank). Retrieved June 24, 2012. (subscription required)
- ↑ Turner, Ford (November 10, 1994). "Casinos vote final, Weld says". The Union-News (Springfield, MA: via NewsBank). Retrieved June 24, 2012. (subscription required)
- ↑ http://www.coastergallery.com/sf/sfne.html
- ↑ "Six Flags' Dark Knight Coaster Goes Dark". Themeparks.about.com. 2008-04-18. Retrieved March 17, 2013.
- ↑ File photo by Michael S. Gordon / The Republican. "Agawam OKs new highs for Six Flags roller coasters". masslive.com. Retrieved March 17, 2013.
- ↑ MacDonald, Brady (November 25, 2010). "Six Flags amusement parks prepare for thematic makeovers". LA Times. Retrieved November 27, 2010.
- ↑ "Kids' Rides: Six Flags New England". Sixflags.com. Retrieved March 17, 2013.
- ↑ Constantine, Sandra (August 16, 2011). "Six Flags New England working to add new roller coaster ride to its Agawam amusement park". News Article. MassLive.com.
- ↑ Hagist, Jenna (August 18, 2011). "Six Flags Adds New Coaster". News Article. Wggb.com.
- ↑ MacDonald, Brady (August 19, 2011). "Six Flags Magic Mountain to remove Deja Vu coaster". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
- ↑ Six Flags New England (September 1, 2011). "Six Flags New England Announces Goliath – A Coaster Of Epic Proportions For The 2012 Season". Press Release. Six Flags. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
- ↑ Six Flags New England (September 3, 2011). "Last Chance to ride...". Facebook. Retrieved September 4, 2011.
- ↑ Constantine, Sandra (July 23, 2012). "Six Flags New England seeks to build world's tallest swing set ride in Agawam". News Article. MassLive.com.
- ↑ Constantine, Sandra (July 30, 2012). "Six Flags New England gets Agawam OK to build highest swing set ride in world". News Article. MassLive.com.
- ↑ "THE POWER OF SIX HITS THE EAST COAST". SplashTacular. Retrieved October 8, 2012.
- ↑ "Going Big in 2013 — Bonzai Pipelines Coming to Hurricane Harbor". SixFlags.com. Retrieved August 30, 2013.
- ↑ "New for 2014". August 29, 2013. Retrieved August 29, 2013.
- ↑ "Cyclone at Six Flags ends 31-year ride". http://www.cbs3springfield.com/. External link in
|website=(help) - ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwUrOz7-kVw
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Six Flags New England. |
| ||||||||||||||||||