SF Great America Ride/Coaster History

I was just curious if anyone has run across a full and complete chronological list of the ride/coaster additions and removals at Six Flags Great America over the years?

From the removal of Tidal Wave, Cajun Cliffhanger, Rolling Thunder, Hay Baler, Sky Whirl etc. TO the additions like Raging Bull, Condor, American Eagle etc.

I'm looking to see if anyone has compiled a year by year list of both flat ride and coaster additions and removals.

Thanks in advance!

Some of that information can be found at these 3 sites:

http://www.coasterchild.com/main.html -> go to Rides on the nav bar and then go to old rides. This gives some of the history of rides no longer there.

http://sfgamdude.tripod.com/sixflagsgreatamericaworld/id9.html -> this one should give you most of the currently operating coasters and when they were opened.

http://www.rcdb.com/quicksearch.htm?quicksearch=six+flags+great+america -> for any information on rollercoasters, always check rcdb.com as they probably have the best information on the rides.

I really did not find much online for the flat rides. That you may have to contact the PR at SFGAm and see if you can get that information.

beast, thanks for the links. Those are sites I have run across in my hunting...there are also a few more out there that have bits and pieces of information.

I know I have seen a "list" similar to what I am seeking for Magic Mountain one time...as a visitor to the park I thought it'd be neat to walk through the changes to the park over the years via a master list.

I'm also fairly curious as to what sort of record-keeping parks do when it comes to the installation/removal of rides. I assume someone must track the evolution.

Thanks!

Not exactly what you're looking for, but if you are interested in Great America history, this site has some great pix of the old Marriott parks:

http://greatamericaparks.com/

jomo, thanks for the link...I actually have been checking in on Steven's new site for awhile...that's going to be a REALLY great site once he gets it all setup. It's really cool already. His SkyWhirl construction pics are awesome.

As far as a timeline, I ran across this site:

http://timelines.home.insightbb.com/sfcorp_years.htm

That links directly to the storied past/present of Six Flags - but if you surf around on that site you'll find the timelines for a lot of different parks (including the REALLY long one for Cedar Point!)

It's interesting to sift through that Six Flags history page...I do remember cruising past Great America one time and noticing that (for just a short time) it was called "Bally's Great America" - anyone else remember that?

That's a great link, tons of cool info! Definitely bookmarking it for later when I have some time to go through it all. Thanks! *** Edited 1/14/2004 5:05:14 AM UTC by jomo***

Just spent the last hour checking out the Great America site. Steve has pictures and info about the old Marriotts parks on there that I have been looking around for several years now. Cool stuff !

Steven's had his stuff online for quite awhile now...his latest "greatamericaparks" site looks like it will be the complete collection. His stuff is awesome. I'd suggest doing a SEARCH here for "Steven Wilson" - you'll find lots of links/info/insight from him. Neat guy.

If a timeline ever pops up for SF Great America, it would be really interesting to compare it to a timeline of PGA - the parks definitely varied in their evolution over the years, that's for sure.

I read through most of the site and looked at the pictures that are posted on this site.... Lots of great memories as I grew up with the Gurnee park and have been there every year since it opened. There is however, one ride on the fisrst arial shot of the Gurnee park that I am having trouble trying to identify.

http://www.greatamericaparks.com/sg/index.php?gallery=./history/aerials&image=airg001.jpg

In the aerial photo there is a large ride that looks like it has three tracks or flumes that come out of a building together, twist around and then separate. It is located to the inside of the north-east turn of the train tracks where if my memory serves me correcty, now is the river rapids, picnic area and Iron Wolf rides. Does anyone know what that is?

Without any up close pictures... I can't tell or remember what the heck that thing is.

Ralph

---

It's a Veko! said:
That is a car ride similar to the one on the other side of the park that still exists. I think, think it's name was something along the lines of Barney Oldfield's Speedway or something....

---

Thanks Veko. That's what I was thinking when looking at the picture... but it completly evades my memory.

Does anyone know when it was removed?

Ralph

---

MrSkyWhirl said:

If a timeline ever pops up for SF Great America, it would be really interesting to compare it to a timeline of PGA - the parks definitely varied in their evolution over the years, that's for sure.

---

Yeah, definitely a huge difference, one for the better, the other for the worse IMO. Steven's pix sure do make me miss all the beautiful original Marriott theming PGA used to once have :o(

And you'll be glad to know there's at least one Sky Whirl left in operation MrSkyWhirl. Unfortunately, you'll have to travel to Korea to ride it:

http://www.lifeinkorea.com/Travel2/165

But would be worth the trip, Lotte World looks absolutely amazing, with both an indoor and outdoor park packed with incredible looking rides, including that Atlantis Adventure Intamin Aqua Trax.

---

It's a Veko! said:
That is a car ride similar to the one on the other side of the park that still exists. I think, think it's name was something along the lines of Barney Oldfield's Speedway or something....

---

Barney Oldfield was the original name of Great America Raceway (The PGA version still operates under this name). The car ride in Orlean's place was named Traffique Jam and was never installed at PGA.

I was looking at some Great America websites posted on here and one site said that Rolling Thunder left before Viper arrived. But I recently saw a map of Six Flags in 1995 that showed both of the 2 rides there. I also remember riding the 2 one after another because their lines started right next to each other. Rolling Thunder was removed in 1995 to add SWT.

Also does anyone have a picture of Industrial Revolution because I cant find one. Or do they know the trade name of it so i can look it up. Thanks. *** Edited 1/16/2004 6:03:25 AM UTC by Fanatic***