Six Flags owners?

[eskater132]

The Six Flags chain began in 1961 with the creation of Six Flags Over Texas by Angus G. Wynne at Arlington in Tarrant County, which featured (in the beginning) a Native American village, a gondola ride, a railroad, some Wild West shows, a stagecoach ride, and "Skull Island", a pirate-themed adventure attraction. There was also an excursion aboard "French" boats through a wilderness full of moving puppets. Over time, all of those attractions, except for the railroad, would be replaced by other attractions, such as roller coasters, swing rides, log flumes, and shoot-the-chute rides, as well as an observation tower.

 

The chain grew with the acquisition of other parks, such as the Great Adventure Park and Safari in Jackson, New Jersey, and Great America in Gurnee, Illinois, which had been founded by the Marriott hotel chain. The chain of parks changed hands several times, being sold to the Penn Central railroad, then to Bally Construction Corporation, and later on to the Time Warner company, among other owners. The chain is well-known in recent times for large and fast roller coasters, although the queue areas are often in the open air without much shading and without as many props as are typical for some queue areas in Walt Disney World.

Six Flags Theme Parks Inc. was purchased in whole on April 1, 1998 from Time Warner by Oklahoma City-based Premier Parks...

 

 

Six Flags has gone under many owners!

 

What is your favorite?

 

Unfortunately missed the Time Warner days as I started visiting Six Flags in 2002...I think Shapiro's doing well...

[kraxleRIDAH]

If I had to pick, I'd say Time Warner. I wouldn't be so quick to say Dan Snyder/Mark Shapiro because they've only been operating the chain for a little over a year now. Premier Parks (Later Six Flags Inc.) under Gary Story/Kieran Burke would probably be the absolute worst.

[Airtime&Gravity]

I know I'll be hated for this, but Shapiro is probably the best owner since SFSTL(the last real SF park). It is great to focus back on families, and maybe in five years, SF will start to rethink about thrill rides. SFGAM was awesome in 2006 because of what has happened under the new management, and I expect better things will come.

[pvcoasterguy]

^ But Six Flags Great America was probably the park in the chain that had the least improvements to make. They've been a consistently well-run park for quite some time now.

[eskater132]

SFOT won best park chainwide according to what I saw on their website...

[Holtskee]

Penn Central/Bally in the late 70s and 80s. Those were the golden years of the Six Flags chain...not many coasters, but all of the parks were well run and nicely themed.

[Medusa1861]

Previous management.. the Gary Story? one. Yeah. Well. I'm from new Jersey.. so getting Kingda Ka.. and it's very nicely themed section, then a year later with El Toro and yet another nice section which includes National Park.. Then having new management come in and take away soem of my favorite rides all the while being like "we aren't focusing on teh children.. so we're going to add yet ANOTHER unneeded kids section.. and screwing the only reason i got there part. Last year had to be the WORST year i've ever gone to Great Adventure. And I believe the same management made Geuga Lake into Six Flags Ohio? now THAT was a great park.. and WAS a great park. I feel that the new management is too focused on "families" that they really didn't tae advantage of the fact they had El Toro build. I saw VERY little advertising for one of the best wooden coasters ever.

That management may have screwed over other parks. But i was getting treated VERY well. And well, the other years ... Great Adventure wasn't getting spoiled.. it was getting average new rides... That's my reasoning even though i'm sure 99% of you would disagree.