Next time you’re standing in line at Six Flags, spend the time telling your friends these fun but little known facts about the park!
1. Six Flags Over Texas was the first Six Flags Amusement Park, which opened August 5th, 1961 in Arlington, Texas.
2. There are currently 21 parks in the United States and 5 more international parks!
3. Six Flags will turn 60 in 2021!
4. As of 2010, the Six Flags Entertainment Corporate office is located in Grand Prairie.
5. Six Flags currently has an occupancy set at 37,000! That’s just 3,000 short of the seating capacity of the new Globe Life Field!
6. You may know that the portion of Hwy 360 that runs through Arlington is named the Angus G. Wynne Jr. Highway, but did you know that it is named after the creator of Six Flags Over Texas? Wynne conceptualized and created the park after a visit to Disneyland in Anaheim, and wanted something similar for his home state of Texas. Arlington was chosen for it’s central location between Dallas and Fort Worth. A well-known and retold story implies that the park was originally to be named Texas Under Six Flags, but Wynne’s wife Joann remarked to him that Texas isn’t under anything!
7. The Crazy Horse Saloon, which opened in 1961 and is still open today in the park, was the site of the first amusement park shows – ever.
8. To make Arlington an entertainment destination, Turnpike Stadium was built in 1965 near Six Flags as a baseball stadium for the AA Texas Minor League team, the Dallas-Fort Worth spurs, but in 1972 the Washington Senators relocated to the stadium as the Texas Rangers, and the park was renamed Arlington Stadium.
9. Six Flags Over Texas sits on 205 acres, but is currently landlocked by Hwy 360 and I-30.
10. Six Flags was the first amusement park to offer a pay one price ticket with admission to all rides. Disney park rides were still operating with individual ride prices, until they saw the success at Six Flags Over Texas.
11. Wynne named the park Six Flags Over Texas as a reference to the 6 flags that have flown over Texas; Spain, France, Mexico, the U.S., the Republic of Texas, and the Confederate States of America, and each flag was represented by a different section of the park. The Confederate States of America was represented by the Stars and Bars flag, not the more well known Confederate Battle Flag. The flag was removed from all parks in 2017.
12. In 1993, Time Warner gained ownership control of Six Flags parks and brought with it the licensing of Warner Brothers and DC Comic characters! In 1998, Oklahoma based Premier Parks purchased the Six Flags Corporation from Time Warner, and it’s associated licensing.
13. The Chaparel Antique Cars was added to the park in 1962, and is the second oldest ride in the park. Based on the Chaparel Motor Company out of Burleson, TX., which manufactured cars in 1911.
14. Currently the “El Diablo” holds the record as the “World’s Largest Loop Coaster”.
15. Lastly, not every Six Flags fan goes home at the end of the day. Six Flags employees say that a friendly but mischievous ghost of a little girl in a yellow dress, affectionately known as “Annie”, is said to haunt the Texas section of the park near the Texas Giant.
More Things To Do in Arlington Near Six Flags
Eat
Texas Live outside of the new Globe Life Field, where the Texas Rangers will play, has several restaurants and a big, open-air dining area.
Sleep
Live By Lowes Hotel, which shines high between AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Field, is set in the best location in town.
Play
Keep your cool at Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Waterpark, just across the I-30 Interstate from Six Flags! Spend a day cooling off in their huge wave pool, lazy river and many, many slides!
The International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame takes you on a history field trip of the fun of bowling!
K1 Speed is exciting indoor go-carts!
Six Flags Over Texas
2201 E. Road To Six Flags Dr., Arlington
Click HERE to visit their website.
Keep Having Fun in the Texas Sun!
Michelle
Having Fun in the TEXAS Sun is on PINTEREST! Use it as a quick resource to find activities in different Texas towns! Click HERE!
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