Six Flags New England
Previously known as Gallup's Grove (1870–1886)
Riverside Grove (1887–1911)
Riverside Park (1912–1995)
Riverside: The Great Escape (1996-1999)
LocationAgawam, Massachusetts, United States
Coordinates42°02′16″N 72°36′57″W / 42.0377°N 72.6157°W / 42.0377; -72.6157
StatusOperating
Opened1870
OwnerSix Flags
SloganThe Thrill Capital of New England
Operating seasonApril through October
Area235 acres (95 ha)[1]
Attractions
Total62
Roller coasters11
Water rides1
Websitewww.sixflags.com/newengland

Six Flags New England, formerly known as Gallup's Grove (1870–1886), Riverside Grove (1887–1911), Riverside Park (1912–1995) and Riverside: The Great Escape (1996–2000), is an amusement park located in Agawam, Massachusetts. Opening in the late 19th century, it is the oldest amusement park in the Six Flags chain, acquired by Premier Parks in 1996 and rebranded Six Flags New England in 2000. Superman The Ride is among the park's most notable rides, having appeared as a highly ranked roller coaster in the annual Golden Ticket Awards from Amusement Today since the ride opened in 2000.

History

Throughout much of the 20th century, the park was known as Riverside Park. It began as a picnic grove in 1870 named Gallup's Grove. It was briefly changed to Riverside Grove, and then eventually Riverside Park in 1912. Prior to 1900, most of the park's patrons arrived via steamship.[2] 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.[3]

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.[4] 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.[5] 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.[6] A third coaster, Whirlwind Racer, was added in 1928.

Closure and re-opening

Postcard c. 1940s

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.[7] 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.[8] Carroll is credited with rescuing Riverside and turning it into the largest theme park in New England.[9] He purchased the plans and cars of the 1939 New York World's Fair Cyclone Roller Coaster and opened a new coaster in 1941.[10] That coaster, now known as Thunderbolt, is operating at the park and is the oldest coaster — in its original location — within the entire Six Flags chain of theme parks.[11] 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.[12] The 1960s was a popular period for stock car racing at Riverside Park. NASCAR began to hold events at Riverside Park Speedway in 1976.[13] in 1968 the park added its first steel coaster called the Wildcat and 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. In 1980 the park invested in an Arrow Development log flume known as Red River Rapids. It became the park's first water ride. It was later renamed Poland Spring Plunge. By the 1980s, the park stopped selling individual ride tickets and began charging a "pay one price" admission.

Picture of Cyclone 2010

Six years after the opening of Black Widow, the Wildcat was removed and moved to the late Rocky Point Park in Rhode Island. 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.[14] 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.[15] The plan died after Agawam voters rejected a non-binding referendum in support of casino gambling in November.[16]

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.[17]

Under Premier Parks, various changes were made to the park. For the 1997 season, the new owners invested more than $20 million on general improvements and several new attractions. Attractions included the Island Kingdom Waterpark, which featured a children's water play area, various slides and a wave pool. Other attractions included Mind Eraser (later renamed to The Riddler Revenge) and Shipwreck Falls. In the process of renovation, some older rides such as the Bayern Kurve were removed. Main Street U.S.A. was substantially redesigned, and the Southern Center midway was themed to a 1950s city and renamed Rockville. Other improvements included a new entrance plaza and the carousel being renovated and relocated to the front gate.

In 1998, the park added several attractions including a 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. The park also added The Hellevator, an S&S Worldwide Turbo Drop tower measuring 21 stories tall, which was originally painted red.

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 Riverside Park Speedway was removed and the waterpark was doubled in size. Additions included a new slide tower named Shark Attack and a second wave pool called Hurricane Bay. The park added a Hopkins river raft ride 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 called Crack Axle Canyon was added and included four rides, three of which were new to the park. In 2000, Riverside was rebranded "Six Flags New England", reflecting similar changes made at other Six Flags properties. The main street running through the park was renamed "Carroll Drive" in honor of the family that had owned the place for much of its history. The park added a new front gate plaza. On the former site of the racetrack, a new DC Comics-themed section of the park was installed. The area featured several new rides, including Superman – Ride of Steel, a hypercoaster designed by Intamin. And the park added a third coaster called flashback which replaced the Black Widow and Rotor in the north end. Flashback was actually built on the site of the kiddie coaster rolling thunder. Rolling thunder now named great chase replaced the aging Rickie little twister coaster. In 2000. The Poland Spring Plunge log flume ride was removed in 2005 and replaced with Splashwater Falls in 2006.

In 2008, Six Flags New England was to open The Dark Knight Coaster, 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 briefly changed from Batman – The Dark Knight to Batman: The Ride to avoid confusion. However, due to apparent permit issues, the ride was canceled and dismantled, being sent to Six Flags Mexico, which built it in their park. The ride would have cost the park $7.5 million in exchange for bringing $280,000 in taxes for the state of Massachusetts. The cancellation angered the city of Agawam, which stated that issues with the ride were not evident.[18] The park then announced the new "Glow in the Park Parade". On November 8, 2008, the Town of Agawam allowed Six Flags the right to build roller coasters up to 200 feet (61 m) in height. This paved the way for many future roller coasters in the park.[19]

The 2010 season brought about the addition of a new children's area: Mr. Six's Splash Island located in Hurricane Harbor. This increased the number of children's areas in the park to four. In 2011, Gotham City Gauntlet: Escape From Arkham Asylum opened up in the DC Superhero Adventure section of the park. This ride replaced the football field and was placed on the same plot of land that the canceled Dark Knight Coaster was supposed to be built on. The same year, the "Mr. Six's" portion of Mr. Six's Splash Island was dropped, effectively renaming the area to Splash Island. In late August 2011, it was announced that Goliath would be coming for the 2012 season. Simultaneously, it was announced that Shipwreck Falls, a water ride located in the North End of the park, would be closing to make way for this attraction. The 2012 season saw the opening of Goliath in the CrackAxle Canyon section of the park as well as a new restaurant in the same area known as JB's Smokehouse.[20] A month before opening day in 2013, Catapult was unexpectedly removed and scrapped. In May of that same year, a new water ride opened in Hurricane Harbor known as Bonzai Pipelines. At the conclusion of the 2013 season, Taz's DareDevil Dive was closed to make room for New England SkyScreamer, and Twister, an inverting ride located in Rockville, was also removed. At the time of its opening in 2014, New England SkyScreamer was the world's largest swing ride at 408 feet in height. The SkyWay attraction closed forever at the conclusion of the 2014 season.[21]

On July 20, 2014, Cyclone closed forever.[22] Construction signs were quickly put up, and during August of the same year, it was announced that Rocky Mountain Construction would transform the ride into a steel hybrid coaster, which would include three inversions and a steeper drop. Wicked Cyclone opened in May 2015.[23] The 2016 season saw the addition of two new attractions: Fireball and Superman: The Ride. Fireball, a Larson Loop attraction, was installed in the former location of Twister.[24] Bizarro was transformed back into Superman, including a new red track color and other effects. In 2017, The Joker, a 4D FreeFly coaster, was installed on the former site of SplashWater Falls, which closed in 2016.[25] MindEraser, the park's SLC received new trains with an updated restraint style. Also during the 2017 season, Superman: The Ride had a limited run of offering Oculus Rift goggles to enhance the ride experience. Buzzsaw closed at the end of 2017. Harley Quinn Spinsanity was installed for the 2018 season, opening in May of that year.[26] To make room for it, the Tea Cups were moved to the former location of Buzzsaw and is now classified as an attraction in Rockville. The South End was transformed into Gotham City, also seeing the transformation of Mind Eraser into The Riddler Revenge (which received a new green and yellow paint job). For the 2019 season, Cyborg: Hyper Drive, a spinning flat ride, was installed inside the former Hall of Justice building in DC Superheroes Adventures area of the park. This ride is the first to include the fictional character Grid, a sentient cybernetic system and the arch-nemesis of Cyborg, in Six Flags' DC character roster.

For the 2020 season, the park announced the addition of Supergirl Sky Flyer, a Zamperla Endeavour located on the site of the former Kryptonite Kollider, which closed at the end of the 2019 season.[27] As a result of the park not opening in the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Supergirl Sky Flyer opened in May 2021 in the newly rethemed DC Universe area of the park, which features newly installed superhero statues and freshly painted buildings. Additionally, Goliath was left standing but not operating for the 2021 season and was removed from the park map. In July 2021, a tree fell onto Fireball during a thunderstorm, extensively damaging the attraction and leaving it closed for the rest of the season.

Attractions

Six Flags New England is home to many rides and attractions, including Superman: The Ride. Superman: The Ride 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 Thrill Rating
Thunderbolt 1941 Joseph E. Drambour Figure 8 wooden roller coaster Main Street Oldest roller coaster in the park. Moderate
The Great Chase 1996 E&F Miler Industries Family Coaster/ 16 ft Outside Spiral CCW Looney Tunes Movie Town Originally named Rolling Thunder. Mild
The Riddler Revenge 1997 Vekoma Suspended Looping Coaster Gotham City A Vekoma Suspended Looping Coaster. Formerly named Mind Eraser from 1997 to 2017.[28] Aggressive
Superman The Ride 2000 Intamin Megacoaster DC Universe Formerly known as Superman – Ride of Steel (from 2000 to 2008) and Bizarro (from 2009 - 2015). This ride used Samsung virtual reality headsets during the 2016 season. Aggressive
Catwoman's Whip 2000 Zierer Tivoli - Large DC Universe Originally named Poison Ivy's Tangled Train (from 2000 to 2006). Mild
Flashback 2000 Vekoma Boomerang North End Originally at Star Lake Amusement Park as Boomerang, then Kentucky Kingdom as Vampire. Aggressive
Batman:
The Dark Knight		 2002 Bolliger & Mabillard Floorless Coaster Gotham City During the 2008 season, Batman: The Dark Knight was temporarily renamed Batman: The Ride to prevent confusion with The Dark Knight Coaster that was ultimately cancelled. Aggressive
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. Moderate
Gotham City Gauntlet:
Escape from Arkham Asylum		 2011 Maurer Söhne Wild Mouse Classic DC Universe Originally Road Runner Express at Kentucky Kingdom. Moderate
Wicked Cyclone 2015 Rocky Mountain Construction I-Box North End Originally Cyclone, a wooden coaster designed by William Cobb and opened in 1983.
It was reconstructed and re-tracked with steel by RMC in 2015.		 Aggressive
The Joker 2017 S&S Worldwide 4th Dimension roller coaster Gotham City Replaced Splashwater Falls. Aggressive

Flat rides

Ride Name Opened Manufacturer/Type Location Notes
1909 Illions Carousel 1940 M.C. Illions Carousel Main Street Among the horses, a lion, a tiger and a zebra can be seen on the carousel as the only menagerie animals on the carousel.
Scrambler 1973 Eli Bridge Scrambler North End A scrambler ride.
Gotham City Crime Wave 1979 Zierer Swings Gotham City Up until the end of the 2006 season, the ride was located near Scream! under the name of "Adult Wave Swinger."
Kontiki 1999 Chance Rides Alpine Bobs Rockville Themed around Polynesia.
Balloon Race 1989 Zamperla Balloon Race North End No minimum height requirement with an adult.
Stampede Bumper Cars 1997 Zamperla Bumper Cars Crack Axle Canyon Bumper Cars are powered from the floor, which means there is no receiver on the back of the car.
Scream 1998 S&S Worldwide 3-tower Combo Complex Main Street Originally a one-tower Turbo Drop called Hellavator. Two combo towers were added in 2000. Original tower is still a Turbo Drop.
Blizzard River 1999 Hopkins Rides River rafting ride North End Eight riders careen down a concrete channel in a raft while passing rapids, whirlpools and waterfalls.
Houdini – The Great Escape 1999 Vekoma Madhouse Crack Axle Canyon No minimum height requirement with an adult.
Tea Cups 1999 Zamperla Tea Cups Rockville A tea cup ride. The ride originally had no canopy. Relocated to the former location of Buzzsaw for the 2018 season to make room for Harley Quinn Spinsanity.
Tomahawk 1999 HUSS Frisbee Crack Axle Canyon Reaches heights of 78 feet.
New England SkyScreamer 2014 Funtime Star Flyer North End It was the tallest swing ride in the world until the Orlando Starflyer opened in spring 2018. The New England SkyScreamer stands at 408 feet in height.
Rock n' Rodeo 2016 SBF Visa Group Traffic Jam Crack Axle Canyon A spinning family ride located on the former Rodeo's pad.
Harley Quinn Spinsanity 2018 Zamperla Giant Discovery Gotham City A very large pendulum ride with outward-facing seats that swings back and forth. The pendulum reaches a top speed of 70 mph and soars 14 stories high. Nightwing and Tea Cups were relocated to make space for the ride.
Cyborg: Hyper Drive 2019 Chance Rides Freestyle DC Universe An indoor spinning ride with outward facing seats. Themed to Cyborg and Grid. The ride was announced as "Cyborg" in August 2018 but was changed to "Cyborg: Hyper Drive" in February 2019. Located inside the former Hall of Justice building.
Supergirl Sky Flyer 2021 Zamperla Endeavour DC Universe A spinning attraction that eventually lifts to a 90 degree angle inverting riders. The ride was meant to open during the 2020 season but was delayed to the 2021 season as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Located on the site of the former Kryptonite Kollider.
Dino Off Road Adventure 2023 Arrow Entertainment Kidzopolis Originally called Wild Wheelz (Route 66 from 1962 to 2014), a children antique car ride that has animatronics of dinosaurs.

Children's rides

Ride Name Opened Manufacturer/Type Location Notes
Animation Department 1998 Zamperla kiddie swings ride Looney Tunes Movie Town Children's swing ride.
Daffy's Hollywood Tours 1998 Zamperla Crazy Bus Looney Tunes Movie Town Children's bus ride.
Taz's Prop Delivery 1998 Zamperla Big Foot Looney Tunes Movie Town Children's truck ride.
Tweety's Clubhouse 1999 Zamperla Jumpin' Star Looney Tunes Movie Town Children's drop ride.
Wacky Wheel 2001 Kiddie Ferris Wheel Kidzopolis Originally named Chuck Wagon Wheel and later Cold Spaghetti Western Wheel.
Whirlybirdz 2001 SBF kiddie ride Kidzopolis Originally named Timber Town Sky Patrol and later Wags' Doggie Copters.
Krazy Kups 2001 Zamperla Mini Tea Cups Kidzopolis Originally named Tiny's Tea Party and later Dorothy's Rosy Tea Cups.
Zinger Swings 2001 SBF kiddie ride Kidzopolis Originally named Flight of the Bumble Bees and later Henry's Underwater Swing Band.
Krazy Kars 2007 Zamperla Sports car ride Kidzopolis Originally named Big Red Cars.
New England Express 2007 Miniature train ride Main Street Originally named Thomas the Tank Engine from 2007 to 2010. (Closed from 2011 to 2012). Remnants of Whistlestop Park are used for theme of the train ride.
Ship's Ahoy! 2007 Zamperla Rockin' Tug Kidzopolis Originally named Captain Feathersword's Rockin' Pirate Ship.
Splish Splash Zone 2007 Playground and water play area Kidzopolis Originally named Henry's Splish Splash.
Wile E. Coyote's Speed Trap 1998 Looney Tunes Movie Town The ride was moved to the former location of the Looney Tunes Movie Town stage for the 2018 season to make way for an expanded bathroom in the area.
ZoomJets 2007 Zamperla Telecombat Kidzopolis Originally Big Red Planes.

Former attractions

Ride Year Opened Year Closed Description
Roller Coasters
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 (65m.) roller coaster.
Black Widow 1977 1999 Arrow Dynamics Launched Loop roller coaster. Replaced with Flashback. Coaster was relocated to the Old Indiana Fun Park in 2000, where it sat unbuilt until it was scrapped by mid 2006.[29]
Little Rickie's Little Twister 1978 or earlier 1999 Little Dipper kiddie roller coaster. Coaster was relocated to the Old Indiana Fun Park in 2000, where it sat unbuilt until it was scrapped by mid 2006.[30]
The Dark Knight Coaster 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.
Cyclone 1983 2014 William Cobb Wooden Coaster. Originally Named Riverside Cyclone. Rebuilt as Wicked Cyclone, which opened in 2015.
Goliath 2012 2019 Giant inverted boomerang. Formerly Déjà Vu at Six Flags Magic Mountain from 2001-2011. After the entire park remained closed for the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ride was not shown on the 2021 park map and left standing but not operating during the 2021 season - and was removed before the 2022 season.
Other Rides
Monorail[31] 1959 1996 Monorail attraction.
Wild Wheelz 1962 2022 Children's antique car ride. Known as Route 66 from 1962 to 2014. Used to be Arrow cars but replaced by Gould cars. Replaced by Dino Off Road Adventure.
Rotor 1973 1999 Rotor attraction Replaced with Flashback.
Noah's Ark 1937 2019 Funhouse.
Poland Spring Plunge 1980 2005 Log flume ride. Originally named Red River Rapids. Replaced by Splashwater Falls.
Colossus 1987 2005 150 ft. ferris wheel. Replaced by Crime Wave.
Chaos 1997 2005 Chance Chaos. Replaced by a large bathroom building.
Spider 1968 2006 Octopus-style ride. As of 2018, the former ride pad still sits vacant.
Bumper Buggies 1990 or earlier 2007 Children's bumper cars. The old ride building has yet to be replaced.
Rodeo 1998 2007 HUSS Breakdance. Replaced by Rockin' Rodeo in 2016.
Double Trouble 1999 2007 Chance Double Inverter. Replaced by a basketball game.
Time Warp 1997 2008 Vekoma Air Jumper. Located near Pandemonium.
Nightwing 2000 2008 HUSS Fly Away. Replaced by Joker's Wildcard.
Bertie The Bus 2007 2010 Children's ride located in Thomas Town.
Harold The Helicopter 2007 2010 Children's ride located in Thomas Town.
Foghorn Leghorn Tinsel Town Train Unknown 2011 Children's ride located in Looney Tunes Movie Town.
Shipwreck Falls 1997 2011 Replaced with Goliath, a Giant Inverted Boomerang.
Marvin the Martian Earthbound Journey 2000 2011 Children's ride located in Looney Tunes Movie Town. Relocated to Six Flags Over Texas.
Catapult 2006 2012 S&S Sky Swat. Located in what is now the queue of New England SkyScreamer. Removed in March 2013. Formerly known as SWAT at Six Flags Astroworld from 2003 to 2005.
Taz's Daredevil Dive 1992 2013 Skycoaster. Replaced with New England SkyScreamer. Originally named the Riverside Skycoaster.
Twister 1997 2013 HUSS Top Spin. Located next to Kontiki, where Fireball stands today.
New England Sky Way 1973 2014 Von Roll Sky-Ride. Transported riders between a station adjacent to Thunderbolt and the current site of the New England Sky Screamer. The supports for the ride remain in the park's North End area it got removed to build Wicked Cyclone. In 1998, the ride had received new trams from the defunct Skyride formerly located at Opryland USA.
Flying Aces 2001, 2014 2006, 2015 Whistlestop Park biplane ride. Originally located in Tiny Timber Town, the ride was put in storage when Wiggles World was added.
Splashwater Falls 2006 2016 Formerly located in the South End. It was replaced by The Joker.
Buzzsaw 1983 2017 Zierer Flying Carpet ride located in the South End section of the park. Originally named The Screamer and later the Slingshot. Removed at the end of 2017 season and replaced by Tea Cups.
Kryptonite Kollider 2000 2019 A Chance Rides Wipeout. Originally located in the Justice League building with the name "The Joker's Wildcard." It closed in 2004 and was put into storage. It returned for the 2009 season at the former location of Nightwing. The ride was rethemed to "Kryptonite" and then changed to "Kryptonite Kollider" for the 2017 season.[32] The attraction was retired at the end of the 2019 season to make way for Supergirl Sky Flyer, which occupies the same plot of land.
Nightwing 2009 2022 A Slingshot ride. Formerly named The Blitz and Slingshot. An upcharge attraction. After being relocated to the park from Six Flags St. Louis, the ride was located in the DC Superhero Adventures section before being moved to the South End in 2011. Relocated in front of The Riddler Revenge for the 2018 season to make room for Harley Quinn Spinsanity and renamed Nightwing until its closure in 2022.
Fireball 2016 2021 A Larson 22M Giant Loop located in Rockville. Damaged beyond repair during a storm in 2021.

Six Flags Hurricane Harbor

Six Flags Hurricane Harbor
OwnerSix Flags
Overview of Hurricane Harbor

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. For the 2020 season, Bonzai Beach is being expanded and renamed to Buccaneer Beach. This area is to include a larger bathhouse facility and a new pool.

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 A large 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 The first water coaster in New England.
Splash Island 2010 Kids area including a wave pool and lazy river. Originally named "Mr. Six's Splash Island" but the prefix was removed after one season.
Rip Tide Cove 2013 Water play area.
Bonzai Pipelines 2013 SplashTacular DownUnder 6 body slides with trap doors.

Park entertainment

Formerly The Hall of Justice

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 expansion, 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, Hawkgirl, 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. However, the Hall of Justice building has recently become the home of Cyborg: Hyper Drive.

The park also has some of the characters from Mystery Inc including 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 was the unique brainchild of world-renowned creative director Gary Goddard and featured five custom-designed floats, 65 performers, and more than 35 support staff members and technicians. Each float was adorned with vibrant-multicolor lights that illuminate the park and surrounded the streets with custom-composed cirque-inspired music. The parade featured 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 canceled in July after new management took over the Six Flags Corporate office.

From 2001 to 2014, Six Flags New England hosted a series of outdoor summer concerts. Additionally, from 2006 to 2013, WKSS hosted their annual Kiss 95.7 Summer Kickoff Concert at the park, and from 2010 to 2013, WKCI-FM hosted KC 101's Ticket to Ride concert.

Fright Fest

During the month of October, the park gets transformed for its annual Halloween festival, Fright Fest. This transformation include the addition of Halloween decorations to several of its midway areas (making them Haunt Zones with roaming characters monsters), several shows and five premium haunted attractions: Nightmares, Terror Tales, The Aftermath: Zombies Revenge, Slasher Circus 3D and Midnight Mansion. In early 2009, Six Flags New England received an award within the chain for the best Fright Fest of 2008.[33]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Six Flags New England Opens Doors to New Era of Excitement". Six Flags New England. May 5, 2000. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  2. ↑ Marks, Paul. "A PLACE FOR FAMILY FUN SINCE PICNICS RULED IN THE 1800S". courant.com. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  3. ↑ Cecchi, David. "Images of America Riverside Park". Arcadia Publishing, 2011, pg.7
  4. ↑ Cecchi, pp. 22–24.
  5. ↑ Cecchi, pp. 51–54.
  6. ↑ Cecchi, p. 25.
  7. ↑ Cecchi, pp. 8–9.
  8. ↑ Cecchi, p. 9
  9. ↑ Cecchi, p. 70
  10. ↑ Cecchi, David. "Images of America Riverside Park". Arcadia Publishing, 2011, p. 81
  11. ↑ Commemorative plaque at the park from American Coaster Enthusiasts
  12. ↑ "IN FOCUS Riverside Park Speedway: Gone But Not Forgotten". shorttracknation.tv. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  13. ↑ Courchesne, Shaun (July 18, 1999). "THE RIDE FINALLY ENDS AT RIVERSIDE PARK". courant.com. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  14. ↑ Quigley, Tom. "This Six Flags coaster comes with a summer storm warning: WICKED CYCLONE". eagletribune.com. The Eagle-Tribune. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  15. ↑ Turner, Ford (August 24, 1994). "Weld approves WMass casino". The Union-News. Springfield, MA: via NewsBank. Retrieved June 24, 2012. (subscription required)
  16. ↑ Turner, Ford (November 10, 1994). "Casinos vote final, Weld says". The Union-News. Springfield, MA: via NewsBank. Retrieved June 24, 2012. (subscription required)
  17. ↑ "Six Flags New England".
  18. ↑ "Six Flags' Dark Knight Coaster Goes Dark". Themeparks.about.com. April 18, 2008. Retrieved March 17, 2013.
  19. ↑ File photo by Michael S. Gordon / The Republican (November 7, 2008). "Agawam OKs new highs for Six Flags roller coasters". masslive.com. Retrieved March 17, 2013.
  20. ↑ "Six Flags New England Introduces GOLIATH: World's Tallest Inverted Boomerang Coaster". investors.sixflags.com. Six Flags. May 23, 2012. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  21. ↑ "Six Flags: Oops We did it again". parkjourney.com. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  22. ↑ "The Cyclone closes at Six Flags New England; Instagram users document famed coaster's final days". masslive.com. July 20, 2014. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  23. ↑ "Hybrid roller coaster "Wicked Cyclone" opens at Six Flags New England". wwlp.com. May 20, 2015. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  24. ↑ "FIREBALL OPENS MAY 20!". sixflags.com. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  25. ↑ Johnson, Kristen (May 31, 2017). "The JOKER Roller Coaster Opens at Six Flags New England". nbcconnecticut.com. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  26. ↑ Darren, Ryan, Ayotte, Trowbridge (May 31, 2018). "'Harley Quinn Spinsanity' to open this weekend at Six Flags New England". westernmassnews.com. Retrieved May 16, 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  27. ↑ "SUPERGIRL Soars to New Heights!". sixflags.com. Six Flags. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  28. ↑ "Six Flags New England Opens with World Class Thrills". Six Flags New England. April 4, 2018. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
  29. ↑ "Roller Coaster DateBase: Black Widow at the Old Indiana Fun Park". rcdb.com.
  30. ↑ "Roller Coaster DateBase: Little Rickie's Little Twister at the Old Indiana Fun Park". rcbd.com.
  31. ↑ Stacom, Don. "A Promising Rebirth for Riverside Park". Hartford Courant. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  32. ↑ https://www.sixflags.com/newengland/attractions/kryptonite
  33. ↑ "Get spooked at Six Flags New England's Fright Fest". Boston.com. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
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