People flock to Six Flags just to experience the thrills. Six Flags Amusement Park was founded in 1961 by Angus B. Wayne. The original name came from the six countries that had ruled over modern-day Texas since the 1500s. Although the first park was not dependent on the fantastic roller coaster rides, now these parks offer some of the most fantastic roller coaster rides in the world. Currently, there are 27 parks in North America with 23 of them being inside the US. Here is a list of the 15 best Six Flag Parks in the US. Hang on!
UPDATE: 2022/12/01 17:10 EST BY TYLER GOLEC
Ranked: 14 Best Six Flag Parks Located in America
Six Flags Theme Parks are constantly growing with new locations being added, and new rides being added to former locations. Just like Six Flags has added theme parks since this article was first published, we at TheTravel.com must do the same. So, this article has been updated, so our readers can have the best travel reading experience possible.
15 Six Flags New England, Agawam, Massachusetts
Six Flags New England park, located in Agawam, Massachusetts, boasts the world's tallest ride, The Sky Screamer, a giant swing. However, the park has routine activities, and The Sky Screamer is the only unique attraction that got it a spot on this list. Still, Six Flags New England park visitors can enjoy a ride on dozens of coasters, including the Brave Wicked Cyclone. Moreover, people can also spend some fun time at the park's fishing village surrounding the pool.
14 Six Flags Darien Lake, Buffalo
Darien Lake boasts a massive amusement park. It was rebranded as Six Flags Darien Lake in 2019. In this amusement park, people can enjoy fun rides, including Tantrum, which reaches a speed of 52 mph. Moreover, visitors to the park can try the Predator ride, which is New York's biggest wooden roller coaster. In Six Flags Darien Lake, there are also some camping and hotel accommodations. Additionally, visitors can spend the day undertaking unique activities at the water park and the amphitheater.
13 Six Flags Great Adventure: Jackson, New Jersey
Six Flags Great Adventure opened in 1974 under the ownership of Warner LeRoy, a restaurateur from New York. Six Flags bought the park in 1977, and since then, there have been many ownership combinations up to the present day.
In August 2012, Six Flags combined its 125-acre Great Adventure Park with its 350-acre Safari Park to make it the second-largest theme park in the world. Only Disney's Animal Kingdom is larger. In August 2018, the ride "Wonder Woman, Lasso of Truth" was added as a fantastic pendulum ride. Today, travelers can also enjoy the Hurricane Harbor which is also part of this park.
12 Hurricane Harbor Arlington: Arlington, Texas
Six Flags began using the brand name "Hurricane Harbor" for its water parks in 1995. The Park in Arlington is known best for its resort-style atmosphere and its family-friendly rides. The layout of the park has a definite separation between the thrill rides and the more accessible options.
One of the park's outstanding features is the wading pool, which rates high above other similar wading pools. Under the "sensational ride" category is the 72-foot "Der Stuka" water slide named after the legendary WWII attack plane.
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11 Six Flags St. Louis: Eureka, Missouri
Formerly known as Six Flags Mid-America, Six Flags St. Louis is the only park owned and operated by the Six Flags organization since its opening in 1971, with some closing down. The park, like most, is theme-based, and one of its most attractive sections is the "1904 World's Fair" replica. It also has a famous "Bugs Bunny" experience for the children in the family. Six Flags St. Louis is known as the Coaster Capital of Missouri with three wooden and six steel coasters with a total of 22,700 feet of track. "Spinsanity" is the ride most sought after for its motorcycle-like speed rush.
10 Six Flags Discovery Kingdom: Vallejo, California
This Six Flag Park offers an exciting animal review with some excellent roller coaster rides on a plausible day trip from San Francisco. Opening in 1968 as a Marine Park, the area underwent many changes leading up to its present state.
Currently, Discovery Kingdom is the only park with a theme, oceanarium, and the zany "Zonga," a twisted mega-coaster with tilt loop thrills. The newest addition is "Batman-the Ride," which arrived in the spring of 2019. This ride has four major weightless flips and many free falls.
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9 Six Flags Magic Mountain: Santa Clarita, California
Six Flags Magic Mountain has 19 operating roller coasters, the most of any park in the world. The historical evolution of these rides started in May 1971 and continues today. This park covers 262 acres and is open year-round. In 2017, it had 3.3 million visitors and was ranked number 16th in attendance. One of the unique features of this park is the many theme rides based on favorite comic book characters. One of the most recognizable coasters is "Twisted Colossus" because of its wood and steel hybrid construction.
8 Six Flags Great America: Chicago, Illinois
Six Flags Great America ranks number five mainly because of the challenging vertical rides known as the X-Flight and the Demon. The Demon is also a corkscrew design and will carry the rider at a speed of up to 75 mph.
The Demon has virtual reality headsets added in 2016 that create a one-of-a-kind "Rage of the Gargoyles." This ride is billed as the only ride with a complete gaming experience for the riders. The newest ride available is coming in 2019 and has the name "Maxx Force."
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7 Six Flags White Water: Atlanta, Georgia
A 700,000-gallon wave pool places this park close to the top in the rankings. However, there are many other unique water rides, including the "Tornado," a 60-foot drop that sends riders down a funnel, and the "Run-a-Way River" which uses a series of winding tunnels to keep things interesting. In addition to these wild rides, there is plenty of action for younger visitors in the specially designed "Buccaneer Bay" which features a 500-gallon water bucket. This park is the largest in the South and is a welcome paradise in the hot summer months.
6 Six Flags Fiesta Texas: San Antonio, Texas
This park's current main attraction is the roller coaster "Scream." This ride has three different ways to allow the rider to ascend the 205 feet, 20 stories, and then after a brief 10-second pause, experience one drop after another.
Most other parks only offer two ways to ascend. The park used to be a limestone quarry, and as a result, it is surrounded by rock walls. This gives the visitor a sense of being on another planet. Beginning this year, the park will run a year-round schedule.
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5 Six Flags Over Georgia: Atlanta Georgia
The quality and variety of rides and attractions place this park number two on the list. The two most famous roller coaster rides are "Goliath" and "Mind Bender." These both have received a "Golden Ticket Award" from Amusement Magazine. A third notable attraction is "Acrophobia," which is a free-fall tower ride, meaning there won't be a floor. You rise into the air for 200 feet on this ride, rotate 360 degrees while you view the Atlanta skyline, and then drop at about 50 mph. Then there is more, and this will leave your heart racing.
4 Hurricane Harbor: Los Angeles, California
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor in Los Angeles is a perfect cooling complement to Six Flags Magic Mountain (#6), just across the street. This park tops them all with the "Bonzai Pipelines" that drop 50 feet onto a 200-foot slide and then into a pool.
"Black Snake Summit" has four different intense rides, and "Taboo Tower" is just what it says it is- taboo. There is only one way up with "Taboo Tower," but you must maneuver the ancient puzzles to find one of the three ways down.
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2 Six Flags America: Baltimore/Washington, D.C., Maryland
Travelers near the US capital may want to take a moment to explore Six Flags America located between Washington D.C. and Baltimore. This park is famous for its incredible diversity of rides. It is home to high-flying coasters like Bourbon Street Fireball, Bourbon Street Fireball, Firebird, and the HARLEY QUINN. Or, travelers can just take a moment to relax and enjoy some of the more laid-back entertainment like Foghorn Leghorn's Tinseltown Train or Great Race Antique Cars. Either way, travelers will have a great time at Six Flags America.
1 Frontier City and Hurricane Harbor OKC: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
These two parks, Frontier City and Hurricane Harbor OKC, are both operated by Six Flags meaning that there will likely be deals and the chance to visit both destinations while spending some time in Oklahoma City. Both of these theme parks have different vibes with Hurricane Harbor maintaining what's expected from Six Flags while Frontier city brings a western cowboy theme to the theme park experience. Travelers should make time for both parks when passing through Oklahoma.