Six Flags St. Louis
Six Flags St. Louis, originally known as Six Flags Over Mid-America, is an amusement park featuring characters from Looney Tunes, DC Comics, Scooby-Doo and more. It is located in Eureka, Missouri. Owned and operated by Six Flags, the park opened on June 5, 1971, as the third of the company's three original theme parks. It is the only one of the original 3 Six Flags parks to be both owned and operated by Six Flags. The park was conceived by Six Flags founder Angus G. Wynne in the 1960s and was designed by Randall Duell. Its layout consists of eight themed areas, each of which contain numerous attractions, dining locations and live entertainment. The adjacent Hurricane Harbor water park is free with park admission.
Since its original opening in 1971, the park has undergone many changes, most notably of which are the replacement or renaming of all six of the park's original areas in the 1990s, as well as the addition of two new ones.
There are many celebrations and events held year round at the park. Some of the most popular are Holiday in the Park during the Christmas season that runs from November to early January and features Christmas decorations, music, New Years fireworks, and more. Fright Fest runs during the Halloween season and features many Halloween decorations and haunted houses. Coca Cola’s July 4 Fest takes place July 3–5 and features firework displays.
History
Opening and operation
Plans for a Six Flags park in the St. Louis area were announced on July 16, 1969, which would be called Six Flags Over Mid-America. The park opened on June 5, 1971, the third and last of the three "true" Six Flags parks as envisioned by Angus G. Wynne. The park was divided into six uniquely themed sections, the namesake "Six Flags" over Mid-America:- Missouri, the main area of the park, themed after the St. Louis World's Fair of 1904,
- U.S.A., located at the southeast of the park and themed after the United States.
- France, located to the east across from U.S.A., and themed after a colonial French trading post.
- Spain, located at the southwest of the park, with Spanish-themed architecture and restaurants,
- England, located in the northwest of the park and themed after a village in Medieval England.
- Old Chicago, located in the northeast of the park and themed after the city of Chicago in the early 1900s.
In 2014, Six Flags sold 180 acres of undeveloped land east of the park to home developer McBride & Sons, reducing the land owned from 503 acres to 323 acres. According to the Six Flags 2015 Annual Report, the park now owns 323 acres of land.
In January 2020, construction began on a renovated entry plaza, removing the original ticket booths that had been at the park since its opening in 1971. In March, Six Flags St. Louis announced that the opening of the 2020 season would be delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Areas and attractions
Six Flags St. Louis is divided into eight themed sections, all of which were added after the park's opening or renamed. The park is laid out in a "Duell loop", a design concept that was often used by park designer Randall Duell.1904 World's Fair
1904 World's Fair is the main area of the park, named after the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, which ran from April 30 to December 1, 1904. The area features the "Mall of the Mid-Americas", a shopping mall complex that features many foods introduced or present at the fair, as well as buildings themed to the time period of the early 1900s. The area was previously named "Missouri" from the park's opening until 1994 season.| Ride | Year opened | Manufacturer | Description |
| Moon Antique Cars | 1971 | Arrow Dynamics | An antique cars attraction with cars that resemble 1911 Cadillacs. The track goes in and around American Thunder. |
| Colossus | 1986 | Carousel Holland B.V. | An 180 foot tall ferris wheel. |
| American Thunder | 2008 | Great Coasters International | A classically themed wooden roller coaster. It was originally named "Evel Knievel" from 2008 to 2010, named after the daredevil of the same name. |
Gateway to the West
Gateway to the West is themed after the old colonial times of the state of Missouri, and features many references to locales and people that have lived in the state. The area opened in 1993, taking over a part of what was formerly the Missouri section of the park.| Ride | Year opened | Manufacturer | Description |
| River King Mine Train | 1971 | Arrow Dynamics | A steel roller coaster named after the mine River King Mine. |
| Thunder River | 1983 | Intamin | A river rapids ride based on the Gasconade River that circles the island that Mr. Freeze was built on. |
Chouteau's Market
Chouteau's Market is themed after a French market along the Mississippi River. It is named after Auguste Chouteau, the founder of the city of St. Louis. The area opened in 1993, replacing France. In 2014, the area was expanded to take over a piece of what had formerly been the back of Studio Backlot.| Ride | Year opened | Manufacturer | Description |
| Tsunami Soaker | 2014 | Mack Rides | A "Twist-N-Splash" water ride. Guests board one of multiple barrel vehicles and spray other guests. |
| Spinsanity | 2017 | Zamperla | A Zamperla Disk'O ride. |
Studio Backlot
Studio Backlot is themed to the backlot of a movie studio in Hollywood. The area originally opened in 1995 as "Time Warner Studios", but was renamed "Warner Bros. Backlot" the following year.In the first couple years, the area featured five interactive movie set experiences based on various Warner Bros. films, including Bonnie and Clyde, Little Shop of Horrors and Maverick, all of which were retired after the 1997 season. The area's name was changed again to its current name in 2002, though it mostly retains its previous theme.
| Ride | Year opened | Manufacturer | Description |
| 1995 | Bolliger & Mabillard | An inverted roller coaster based on after Batman from DC Comics. Guests walk through an extensive queue themed after Gotham City. | |
| Ninja In 1989 the NINJA was opened with the appearance of KSHE Radio personality John Ullet and Martial Arts Expert and actual Ninjitsu Practioner and Master Ron D. White, star of the Movie "Ninja the Ultimate Warrior" Justice Ninja Style. He appeared at the Radio Show with "SMASH" and THE U-MAN doing commercials for Six Flags. He also made several personal appearances. His contact at Six Flags was Laurie Odem. | 1988 | Arrow Dynamics/Vekoma | A steel roller coaster themed after the Ninja of feudal Japan. |
| The Joker Inc. | 1980 | Intamin | A swinging ship ride, themed after the Joker from DC Comics. Originally called The Buccaneer. |
DC Comics Plaza
DC Comics Plaza celebrates the worlds of DC Entertainment, with several attractions based on various DC characters and properties. The area opened in 1997, replacing the former Spain section of the park. One of DC Comics Plaza's most iconic features is DC Circle, a section of the ground that is designed after DC's longtime "DC Bullet" logo. The visual centerpiece of the Plaza is the Hall of Justice, which serves as the facade and entrance for Justice League: Battle for Metropolis. Directly to the opposite side is the large, snowman-themed facade of the "Snowy's Ice Cream Factory Tours", which is the entrance to Mr. Freeze: Reverse Blast.| Ride | Year opened | Manufacturer | Description |
| Log Flume | 1971 | Arrow Development | A log flume ride. |
| Shazam! | 1971 | Eli Bridge Company | A standard scrambler ride themed after the super hero Shazam. |
| 1998 | Premier Rides | A roller coaster themed after Mr. Freeze and the 1997 movie Batman & Robin. | |
| 2015 | Sally Corporation | An interactive dark ride featuring an original story experience based on the Justice League. Hosted by Cyborg, an animatronic of whom is in the ride's station. |
Britannia
Britannia is based on the country of Great Britain as it was in its medieval period, including elements from Arthurian legend. The area was named "England" from 1971 to 1992, then "Great Britain" in 1993, and it was given its current name in 1994.| Ride | Year opened | Manufacturer | Description |
| Grand Ole Carousel | 1972 | Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters | A traditional carousel. It was named simply "Carousel" from 1972 to 1983, "Grand Ole Carousel" from 1984 to 1993 and "Enchanted Carousel" from 1994 to 1997. In 1998, its name was reverted to its current one. |
| Dragon's Wing | 1996 | Skycoaster, Inc. | An extra charge Skycoaster attraction. |
| The Boss | 2000 | Custom Coasters International | A wooden terrain roller coaster, the tallest and fastest coaster built by Custom Coasters International. It was the eighth longest wooden roller coaster in the world when it first opened, with a track length of 5,051 feet. The helix element was removed before the 2018 season, reducing the track's length to 4,631 feet. |
| Xcalibur | 2003 | Nauta Bussink Baily | An Evolution thrill ride, themed after the Round Table of King Arthur. |
| Pandemonium | 2007 | Gerstlauer | A spinning roller coaster, the third of four installations at Six Flags theme parks. It was formerly named "Tony Hawk's Big Spin" from 2007 to 2011. Despite its location right inside the entrance of Britannia, the ride has no thematic connection to the rest of the area. |
| 2019 | Zamperla | Zamperla Endeavour model, themed after Supergirl. | |
| Catwoman Whip | 2021 | Funtime | Funtime Booster model, themed after Catwoman. The ride was supposed to open in 2020, but was delayed to 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. |
Illinois
Illinois is loosely themed to the city of Chicago. The area was formerly known as "Old Chicago" from 1971 to 1993.| Ride | Year opened | Manufacturer | Description |
| Screamin' Eagle | 1976 | Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters | A wooden roller coaster designed by John C. Allen. When it opened in 1976, it was the tallest, longest and fastest wooden roller coaster in the world. An American Coaster Enthusiasts landmark. |
| 2006 | Intamin | A drop tower ride themed after Superman from DC Comics. | |
| Boomerang | 2013 | Vekoma | A boomerang roller coaster. It was relocated from Six Flags Over Texas, where it operated as Flashback. |
| Fireball | 2016 | Larson International | A "Larson loop" ride. |
Bugs Bunny National Park
Bugs Bunny National Park is a kiddie area based on the Looney Tunes franchise. It opened in 2006 as the successor to Looney Tunes Town. It replaced some former land that Britannia used to occupy.| Ride | Year opened | Manufacturer | Description |
| Bugs Bunny Fort Fun | 2006 | SVC Interactive | A play area and treehouse area themed after Looney Tunes. |
| Bugs Bunny Ranger Pilots | 2006 | Chance Rides | A "Red Baron" kiddie biplane ride featuring Bugs Bunny. It was originally located in Goodtime Hollow and later Looney Tunes Town and was then relocated. |
| Daffy Duck Stars on Parade | 2006 | Zamperla | A swing ride featuring Daffy Duck. The ride was moved from its old "Fairgrounds"/Looney Tunes Town location for the construction of Evel Knievel to the former Daffy Duck Duccaneer location in 2008. |
| Elmer Fudd Weather Balloons | 2006 | Zamperla | A "samba balloons" ride themed after Elmer Fudd. |
| Foghorn Leghorn National Park Railway | 2006 | Zamperla | A kiddie railroad ride named after Foghorn Leghorn. It was relocated from Looney Tunes Town, where it was known as "Looney Tooter". |
| Marvin The Martian Camp Invasion | 2006 | Zamperla | A "Crazy Sub" spaceship-themed kiddie ride themed after Marvin the Martian. |
| Taz Twisters | 2006 | Zamperla | A mini tea cups ride named after Taz. |
| Tweety Twee House | 2006 | Zamperla | A "Jumpin' Star" kiddie drop tower ride themed after Sylvester and Tweety. |
| Yosemite Sam Tugboat Tailspin | 2006 | Zamperla | A "Rockin' Tug" spinning ship ride themed after Yosemite Sam. |
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor
Hurricane Harbor is a water park that is connected to the southeast portion of Six Flags St. Louis and is adjacent to Studio Backlot, but is not part of the main park.Unlike other Six Flags Hurricane Harbors across the United States, entrance to the Six Flags St. Louis version is included with park admission or a Season Pass.
| Slide/Attraction Name | Year Opened | Manufacturer/Ride Type | Other Notes |
| Big Kahuna | 1999 | Proslide Technology Inc. Mammoth | Family raft ride |
| 4 tube slides | 1999 | Proslide Technology Inc. Pipeline | Piranha & Man-O-War - partially enclosed, Hammerhead & Stingray - completely enclosed |
| Hook's Lagoon | 1999 | SCS Interactive Discovery Treehouse | Family activity area, with Proslide Technology Inc. Twisters’ Zone slides |
| Hurricane Bay | 1999 | Aquatic Development Group Inc. WaveTek wave pool | Wave pool with a "volcano" at one end and a beach at the other |
| Gulley Washer Creek | 1999 | Aquatic Development Group Inc. lazy river | Lazy river |
| Tornado | 2005 | Proslide Technology Inc. Tornado “60” | Funnel shaped tube slide that uses four person “cloverleaf” tubes |
| Wahoo Racer | 2009 | Proslide Technology Inc. 6-Lane ProRacer | Mat-racing slide complex |
| Bonzai Pipeline | 2012 | Proslide Technology Inc. SuperLOOP | Looping water slide |
| Typhoon Twister | 2018 | Proslide Technology Inc. Hybrid | Hybrid water slide featuring a bowl dropping into a zero-G wave wall. Ride with three of your closest friend in a four-person "cloverleaf" tube. |
Annual events
A number of annual seasonal events are held at the park:July 4th Fest
July 4 Fest was introduced in the 2000s and features multiple nights of fireworks for the Fourth of July.Fright Fest
Fright Fest was introduced in 1988 as "Fright Nights", which ran until Fright Nights V in 1992. In 1993, the event became Fright Fest under the ownership of Time Warner, who wanted each Six Flags park's Halloween event to use the same name for branding purposes. The event runs from mid to late September through Halloween and typically features several haunted attractions and scare zones, as well as live entertainment. Fright Fest celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2018.Holiday in the Park
A holiday event introduced in 2016 which features several themed areas as well as live entertainment. The event extended the park's operating season by two months for the first time in its history.Former attractions
| Name | Opened | Closed | Manufacturer/Ride Type | Other Notes/Reason For Removal |
| Mule-Go-Round | 1971 | 1972 | ||
| Injun Joe's Cave | 1971 | 1978 | Arrow Water dark ride | Theme/name changed to Time Tunnel in 1979. |
| Super Sports Car Ride | 1971 | 1979 | Arrow Sports Cars | Replaced by The Buccaneer and Jet Scream. |
| The Sky-Way | 1971 | 1981 | Von Roll | Illinois and USA stations; Accident on July 26, 1978, killed 3 and seriously injured 1 when a car fell from the ride. |
| Mississippi Adventure | 1971 | 1982 | Arrow Boat Ride | Similar to Jungle Cruise; replaced by Thunder River. |
| Tiltmore Hotel | 1971 | 1982 | Crooked fun house | Building became entrance to Thunder River. Other Names - Angle Tangle, The Funn Family Place. |
| Sky Chuter | 1978 | 1982 | Intamin tall Paratower | Replaced by Aero Flyer; moved to Six Flags Great Adventure. |
| Haunted House | 1979 | 1982 | Haunted House Company walk through haunted house | Was added late in 1979 ; may have had a temporary location in fall of 1979, before moved to current Tidal Wave location in 1980. Attraction was 4 trailers linked together with a haunted house facade in front of them; attraction was moved from Six Flags Great Adventure where it operated as the original Haunted House in the fall of 1978. |
| Action Factory with River King Disco & Rock 'N Reel | 1979/1980 | 1981/1983 | Intamin Motion Simulator & Disco dance area | Action Factory area included a space themed motion simulator in 1979 and the disco dance area; Rock ' N Reel was added in 1980 to replace the space-themed movie that was shown in 1979. Motion simulator was likely identical to the Sensational Sense Machine at Six Flags Over Texas. The motion simulator and the disco area were removed/closed in 1981, but the building remained open until 1983. |
| Happy Hotrods | 1975 | 1984 | Kiddie spinning car ride | Located in Goodtime Hollow; replaced by new Looney Tunes Town area/rides. |
| Fort Funtier | 1975 | 1984 | Kid's playground area | Located in Goodtime Hollow; replaced by new Looney Tunes Town area/rides. |
| Ball Crawl | 1982 | 1984 | kiddie Ball Crawl | may have been part of the Fort Funtier area Located in Gootime Hollow; replaced by new Looney Tunes Town area/rides. |
| Pet-A-Pet | 1971 | 1985 | Petting zoo | Replaced by Colossus. |
| River King Mine Train | 1971 | 1988 | Arrow Mine Train | Was located in Illinois section. One of two separate Arrow Mine Train roller coasters at the park. Other Names - The River King Mine Train ; River King Run-Away Mine Train ; Rail Blazer, which included stand-up modifications and was subsequently shut down upon the death of a 46-year-old woman in July 1984. In 1988, it was removed and sold to Dollywood, where it operated as Thunder Express until 1998, whereupon it was relocated to Magic Springs and Crystal Falls and operates today as Big Bad John. |
| Jet Scream | 1981 | 1988 | Schwarzkopf Looping Star | Was located in USA section, where Batman: The Ride is located today. Replaced the Super Sports Car Ride. Indirectly replaced by Ninja, ride moved to Six Flags Astroworld where it operated as Viper until the park closed in 2005, then the ride was scrapped. |
| Tunnel Del Tiempo | 1979 | 1988 | Water dark ride | Theme/name changed to Legends Of The Dark Castle in 1989. Other Names - Time Tunnel |
| The Condor | 1988 | 1988 | HUSS Condor | Removed as part of the ride rotation program. |
| Elmer Fudd Constwuction Company | 1985 | 1989 | kiddie sandbox | Located in Looney Tunes Town; replaced by Speedy Gonzales Speedway. |
| Yosemite Sam Summit | 1985 | 1989 | kiddie ball crawl with summit | Located in Looney Tunes Town. |
| Legends Of The Dark Castle | 1989 | 1991 | Water dark ride | Theme/name changed to Castaway Kids in 1992. |
| Tremors Dance Pavilion | 1989 | 1992 | Dance Pavilion, open select nights | Became Carrot Club in 1993; replaced by Batman: The Ride. |
| Mo-Mo The Monster | 1973 | 1994 | Eyerly Aircraft Company Monster | Replaced by Riverview Racer in 1996. |
| Foghorn Leghorn Funasium | 1985 | 1996 | kiddie ball crawl with slide | Located in Looney Tunes Town; replaced by Looney Tooter. |
| Speedy Gonzales Speedway | 1990 | 1996 | kiddie battery powered jeeps | Located in Looney Tunes Town; replaced by Looney Tooter. |
| Porky Pig B-B-B Ball Park | 1985 | 1999 | kiddie ball crawl | Located in Looney Tunes Town; replaced by Crazy Maze. |
| Road Runner Rally | 1985 | 1999 | Mason Corporation roller racers/scooters | Located in Looney Tunes Town; moved to new location in 1990; replaced by Crazy Maze Other Names - Tasmanian Devil Taxi Company. |
| Castaway Kids Comic Book Adventure | 1992 | 1999 | water dark ride | Ride was closed in 2000 and 2001; replaced by Scooby-Doo Ghostblasters. Other Names - Castaway Kids Jungle Adventure. |
| Tom's Twister | 1972 | 2005 | Chance Rides Rotor | Replaced by Bugs Bunny National Park. |
| Tweety's Flying Cages | 1984 | 2005 | San Antonio Roller Works kiddie Ferris Wheel | Located in Looney Tunes Town; replaced by movement of Rockin' Roller. Other Names - Ferris Wheel, Flying Cages. |
| Bugs Bunny Burrow | 1985 | 2005 | kiddie tunnel crawl | Located in Looney Tunes Town; replaced by extension of Moon Cars track. |
| Cat Climb | 1985 | 2005 | kiddie net climb with slide | Located in Looney Tunes Town; replaced by extension of Moon Cars track. |
| Eagle's Bluff | 1998 | 2005 | Extra charge rock climbing wall | |
| Marvin's Maze | 2000 | 2005 | Kiddie maze | Located in Looney Tunes Town; replaced by extension of Moon Cars track. Other Names - Crazy Maze. |
| 4-D Theater | 2001 | 2005 | Extra charge Ham on Rye VR. | Other Names - Virtual Theater. |
| Rockin' Roller | 1975 | 2007 | Bradley and Kaye Little Dipper | Was located in 1904 World's Fair - formerly Looney Tunes Town and Goodtime Hollow. Location moved from south side of kiddie area to north side in 2006. Other Names - Rock Candy Express, Acme Gravity Powered Roller Ride. |
| Great Race Speedway | 2002 | 2007 | Hampton kiddie spinning car ride | Ride was closed in 2007; replaced by American Thunder. Other Names - Speedy Gonzales Speedway. |
| Daffy Duck Duccaneer | 2006 | 2007 | Sartori kiddie swinging ship | Ride was moved from Six Flags Fiesta Texas; replaced by movement of Daffy Duck Stars On Parade. |
| Slingshot | 2002 | 2008 | extra charge Funtime Sling Shot. | Ride opened mid-season; Ride moved to Six Flags New England. |
| Kiddie-Go-Round | 1975 | 2010 | Herschell kiddie Carousel | Ride was moved to new location in "Fairgrounds"/Looney Tunes Town area in 2006, ride was closed in 2007, removed late in 2007 for American Thunder construction and then moved to new location near the exit of Log Flume in 2008. Other Names - Last Roundup, Merry Melodies Go-Round. |
| Riverview Racer | 1983 | 2010 | Chance Rides Yo-Yo | Originally located in England section, moved to the Illinois section of the park in 1996; replaced by SkyScreamer. Other Names - Aero Flyer, Dragon's Wing. |
| Water Street Cab Company | 1973 | 2012 | Soli bumper cars | Removed at the end of the 2012 season to make room for Boomerang. Other Names - Dodge City. |
| Powder Keg | 1971 | 1996/2013 | Intamin Drunken Barrels | Ride was closed from 1997-2013, removed at end of the 2013 season to make room for Tsunami Soaker. Other Names - Hannibarrels |
| Scooby-Doo! Ghostblasters: The Mystery of the Scary Swamp | 2002 | 2014 | Sally Corporation interactive family dark ride | Heavily modified former dark ride. Scooby-Doo Ghostblasters: Mystery of the Scary Swamp closed permanently on September 14, 2014. It was replaced by which opened on June 5, 2015. |
| Rush Street Flyer | 1987 | 2015 | Chance Rides Falling Star | Removed at the end of the 2015 season to make room for Fireball. Relocated to La Ronde as Gravitor. One of the few rides that did not allow single riders. |
| Turbo Bungy | 2001 | 2015 | Eurobungy bungee/trampoline | Moved to former Eagle's Bluff location for the 2014 season. Removed after the 2015 season. One of the few upcharge attractions at the park. |
| Speed Slides | 1999 | 2017 | Combo slide tower at Hurricane Harbor | Removed at the end of the 2017 season to make room for Typhoon Twister. |
| Highland Fling | 1977 | 2017 | Schwarzkopf Enterprise | Removed from the Britannia section of the park at the end of the 2017 season due to maintenance/parts issues. Replaced by Supergirl: Sky Flyer. |
| Tidal Wave | 1991 | 2019 | Hopkins Rides | A shoot-the-chutes water ride. Did not operate during 2019 season. Tidal wave was removed at the end of the 2019 season. |
| Speed O'Drome Go-Karts | 1999 | 2019 | J&J Amusements | Removed for Catwoman Whip. |