Six Flags Autoworld
Has anyone heard of or have any information on Six Flags Autoworld, the defunct Park from Flint, Michigan?
I just found out that this park existed, and would like to know why it never took off.
If anyone has a URL of some pictures, I'd really appreciate that, too!
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I refuse to add a signature. Damn, too late.
I just found out that this park existed, and would like to know why it never took off.
If anyone has a URL of some pictures, I'd really appreciate that, too!
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I refuse to add a signature. Damn, too late.
I've never seen pictures of it, nor of the Six Flags Power Plant, which was not really a park, but an attraction at the inner harbor in Baltimore. (It's the building where Barnes and Noble, and ESPN Zone currently reside.)
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- Peabody
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- Peabody
I don't have any pictures of the park, but I did visit the place at least three times in its existence, plus one time while it was still being built.
Auto World was an interesting concept, it was entirely indoors and the dome structure that housed the main part of the park was pretty cool looking. Inside the dome, they had a recreation of old time Flint with a river flowing down the center, trees growing, and shops all around. That part of the park later housed bumper cars, a carousel, and a ferris wheel. There were two dark rides that I can remember in the park. They were both slow rides where you looked at animatronics along the way. One was called "The Great Race" and was about an old time automobile race through Flint. It had a tunnel that was supposed to make you feel like you were going very fast, but it wasn't very effective. There were also animatronic shows in the park and theaters where live shows were housed.
The park was built onto the side of an old renovated IMAX theater. The theater continued running for awhile after Auto World closed.
I think that the park failed because there was nothing really interesting in the park once you saw it once. There were know exciting thill rides and no great family attractions. It is sad that the park didn't work out, because I think that it was a good idea that was just executed poorly. Apparently, tourists weren't interested in driving into Downtown Flint, to see a recreation of the city's glory days.
By the way, Auto World was not owned by Six Flags. It was owned by the city of Flint and managed by Six Flags. When I hear about all of the problems at Vision Land, I can't help but think that this park could be doomed to the same domolition fate as Auto World.
Sorry that this post is so long, once I started writing and reminiscing about my childhood, I just couldn't stop myself.
Auto World was an interesting concept, it was entirely indoors and the dome structure that housed the main part of the park was pretty cool looking. Inside the dome, they had a recreation of old time Flint with a river flowing down the center, trees growing, and shops all around. That part of the park later housed bumper cars, a carousel, and a ferris wheel. There were two dark rides that I can remember in the park. They were both slow rides where you looked at animatronics along the way. One was called "The Great Race" and was about an old time automobile race through Flint. It had a tunnel that was supposed to make you feel like you were going very fast, but it wasn't very effective. There were also animatronic shows in the park and theaters where live shows were housed.
The park was built onto the side of an old renovated IMAX theater. The theater continued running for awhile after Auto World closed.
I think that the park failed because there was nothing really interesting in the park once you saw it once. There were know exciting thill rides and no great family attractions. It is sad that the park didn't work out, because I think that it was a good idea that was just executed poorly. Apparently, tourists weren't interested in driving into Downtown Flint, to see a recreation of the city's glory days.
By the way, Auto World was not owned by Six Flags. It was owned by the city of Flint and managed by Six Flags. When I hear about all of the problems at Vision Land, I can't help but think that this park could be doomed to the same domolition fate as Auto World.
Sorry that this post is so long, once I started writing and reminiscing about my childhood, I just couldn't stop myself.
I was just at the Sloan museum in Flint and they showed a sketch of Autoworld before it was to be built and they showed 2 coasters! One was a Boomarang and the other a wooden out & back! Needless to say, they never built the coasters but that would have been sooooooo cool--especially since I work in downtown Flint and could have rode 2 coasters on my lunch hour everyday! *sigh*
Thanks for the info! Like I said, I never heard of this until I saw a souvenir of the place on eBay the other day. I assumed it was a coaster park, but I guess I didn't really miss much by not seeing this one.
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I refuse to add a signature. Damn, too late.
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I refuse to add a signature. Damn, too late.
Rent the movie Roger & Me. Its a documentary about Flint's problems as a result of GM's plant closings in the 1980's. Autoworld is briefly discussed and shown. The movie also happens to be very funny.
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