Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Location | Louisville, Kentucky |
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Website | Kentucky Kingdom |
Owner | Six Flags |
Opened | 1987 |
Operating season | April through October |
Area | 58 acres |
Rides | 27 (excluding water park) total
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Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom, located in Louisville, Kentucky, is the ninth amusement park to use the Six Flags name. It has many attractions such as Chang, one of the world's longest steel stand-up roller coasters. The park also includes a free water park called Splashwater Kingdom. The park is built on 58 acres of land, 38 of which are leased from the Kentucky State Fair Board.
The park opened inside the Kentucky Exposition Center on May 23, 1987 simply as Kentucky Kingdom. In 1997, Themeparks LLC sold the park to Premier Parks, which later bought the Six Flags brand from Time Warner. On June 21, 1998, the park opened under the Six Flags banner. The park's only direct competitors are Kings Island, located near Cincinnati, Ohio, approximately 100 miles from the park, and Holiday World located in Santa Claus, Indiana, approximately 75 miles from the park.
The current president of the park is Jay Thomas.
Contents |
[edit] Rides and attractions
[edit] Roller coasters
Ride | Year Opened | Removed In | Description | |
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Starchaser | 1987 | 1995 | An enclosed Schwarzkopf Jet Star roller coaster. It was removed in 1995 due to a pending lawsuit from guests who were injured on the ride in 1995. The ride was moved from Beech Bend, after removal from Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom it moved to Six Flags Darien Lake and then to The Great Escape & Splashwater Kingdom where it is called Nightmare at Crack Axle Canyon. | |
Thunder Run | 1990 | A Dinn Corporation built wooden roller coaster, designed by Curtis D. Summers and John Fetterman. | ||
The Vampire | 1990 | 1999 | A Vekoma Boomerang roller coaster. It was removed in 1999 because of multiple breakdowns, ride was moved to Six Flags New England where it is known as Flashback. | |
Roller Skater | 1994 | A Vekoma kiddie roller coaster, with roller skate shaped cars. | ||
T2 | 1995 | Vekoma SLC roller coaster. Prototype version of the ride, 1st one in United States (2nd in the world). | ||
Chang | 1997 | A Bollinger & Mabillard stand-up roller coaster. Opened as the tallest, fastest and longest stand-up coaster, is still 2nd in these categories. | ||
Twisted Twins | 1998 | Custom Coasters International dueling wooden roller coaster. Two sides are named Lola & Stella, ride was originally named Twisted Sisters | ||
Road Runner Express | 2000 | A Maurer Söhne wild mouse roller coaster. | ||
Greezed Lightnin' | 2003 | Schwarzkopf Shuttle Loop roller coaster. Ride was moved from Six Flags Over Georgia. |
[edit] Current adult rides
- Superman: Tower of Power (Intamin 150 ft. giant drop) - opened in 1995; located just inside the entrance to the park; originally named Hellevator (1995-2006)
- Breakdance - opened in 1990
- Bluebeard's Bounty (Huss pirate boat/swinging ship) - opened in 1990
- Tin Lizzies (Arrow Dynamics antique cars) - Course had to be renovated for the 2003 season for the addition of the Greezed Lightin' coaster - opened in 1990
- Bumper Cars - Turned into "Road Rage Cage for Fright Fest in October - opened in 1990
- Rainbow (Huss Rainbow) - opened in 1995
- Enterprise - opened in 1990
- Thrill Park Theater (motion simulator theater) - opened in 1996; showed Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera movie in 2006
- Himalaya - opened in ?
- The Giant Wheel (Vekoma Ferris Wheel) - opened in 1991
- The Penguin's Blizzard River (white water raft water ride) - opened in 1999; parts of the ride were moved from the closed Opryland theme park
- Flying Dutchman (shoe themed swings ride) - Ride was previously operating at Kings Island before the ride operated here - opened in ?
- International Carousel - opened in 1997?
- Mile High Falls (O.D. Hopkins Shoot-The-Chute water ride) - opened in 1994
- The Zeppelin (Zeppelin themed spinning ride) - opened in ?
[edit] Current kiddie rides
- Rio Grande (Zamperla Rio Grande - kiddie train ride) - opened in 1998 next to The Great Race, then removed at end of season and re-added in 2001 in its current location
- The Great Race (kiddie spinning car ride) - opened in 1998
- Frightfully Funny Free-Falling Fire Engine No. 9 (Zamperla Crazy Bus)
Located in Looney Tunes Movie Town:
- Daffy's Star Parade (kiddie Ferris Wheel)
- Bugs Bunny's Big Band Carousel (kiddie Carousel)
- A'wound the World in 80 Seconds (Zamperla Samba Balloons)
- Bigfoot (kiddie battery powered jeeps)
- Speedway (kiddie spinning car ride) - opened in 1998
- Taz's Filmworks (kiddie swings ride)
- Yosemite Sam's Hollywood Flight School (kiddie bi-plane ride)
- Sylvester and Tweety's Pounce and Bounce (Zamperla Jumpin' Star – kiddie drop tower) - opened in 2000
- Looney Tunes Acme Fun Factory (SCS Interactive kiddie foam ball play area) - opened in 1997
[edit] Current extra charge attractions
- Skycoaster - opened in 2001
- The Wall (rock wall) - opened in 1999
- Thrill Karts (go-karts) - opened in 1997
[edit] Splashwater Kingdom (free water park)
- formerly named Hurricane Bay
- Deluge (Proslide Technology Inc. HydroMagnetic "Rocket" slide) - new for 2007
- Crocodile Isle (children's play area) - new for 2007
- Big Surf Wave Pool (wave pool)
- Hook's Lagoon (SCS Interactive "Discovery Treehouse" with Proslide Technology Inc. "Twisters' Zone" slides - family activity area) - opened in 1998
- Mt. Slide Hai (4 slides named - Voodoo Express, Forbidden Passage, Conquistador Canyon and Vanishing Falls)
- Caribbean Cruise (lazy river)
- Buccaneer Beach (kids area)
- Tornado (Proslide Technology Inc. Tornado "Rattler" - funnel shaped tube slide that uses four person "cloverleaf" or two person "whirly wheel" tubes) - opened in 2005
[edit] Past rides
- Ranger (Huss Ranger) - opened in 1990; removed end of 1994; replaced by Rainbow
- The Squid (4 wet/dry water slides) - opened in 1990, closed end of 1997; removed end of 1999; located where Road Runner Express is
- Starcastle Voyage (kiddie Carousel) - opened in 1997, removed end of 2001; moved to Six Flags Worlds of Adventure (Geauga Lake); located near water park entrance
- Mini Tea Cups (kiddie tea cups) - opened in 1998, removed end of 2001; moved to Six Flags Worlds of Adventure (Geauga Lake); located between Thunder Run and Mile High Falls
- Jester's June Bugs (kiddie ride) - open ?, removed end of 2001; moved to Six Flags Worlds of Adventure (Geauga Lake); located first in kids area, then moved next to Mini Tea Cups
- Thriller Bees (Huss Swing Around) - opened in 1998, removed end of 2002; moved to Six Flags Worlds of Adventure (Geauga Lake); located near Twisted Twins
- Slingshot (extra charge Funtime Sling Shot) - opened during 2002, it was a portoble model; removed end of 2003; moved to Six Flags Elitch Gardens; located near Go-Karts
- The Quake (Vekoma Waikiki Wave) - opened in ?; removed end of 2004; ride was replaced by Tornado water slide
- Chaos (Chance Chaos) - opened in 1998, removed end of 2005, replaced by a smoking area; located near T2 and Chang
- Top Eliminator Dragsters (extra charge 3/4 scale dragsters) - opened in 1996, closed end of 2005 and was SBNO for 2006, rumored to be replaced by the 2007 water park expansion; located behind Thunder Run
[edit] Gallery
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
Roller coasters at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom |
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Chang - Greezed Lightnin’ - Road Runner Express - Roller Skater - T2 - Thunder Run - Twisted Twins |