Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom, located in Louisville, Kentucky, was the ninth amusement park to use the Six Flags name. The park also included a free water park called Splashwater Kingdom. The park was built on 58 acres (230,000 m2) of land, 38 of which were leased from the Kentucky State Fair Board.. The park operated seasonally in 1987, and again from 1990 to 2009. In February 2010, Six Flags abruptly announced the park would be permanently closed due to a lease dispute with the Kentucky State Fair Board. It is still unclear who owns the park's rides, but Six Flags currently has plans to relocate some to other parks.
Kentucky Kingdom opened on May 23, 1987, leasing 10 acres (40,000 m2) at the Kentucky Exposition Center property. An extension of the State Fair, it closed before the end of the season. One of the original rides was a roller coaster called Starchaser. The owners filed bankruptcy and auctioned off the rides.
The park remained closed through 1989, when Ed Hart and a group of investors purchased Kentucky Kingdom, and it reopened for the 1990 season. Starchaser was sold, but still onsite at the amusement park, and Hart purchased the indoor rollercoaster. Additionally new rides were added like Tin Lizzies, The Enterprise, Whirling Dervish, and The Vampire which some operated until the park closed after the 2009 season.. In 1992, the Kentucky Kingdom made a large expansion and opened the Hurricane Bay water park.
At the end of 1997, Kentucky Kingdom was sold to Premier Parks for $64 million and opened as Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom later on June 21, 1998. In 1999, corporate Six Flags decided to retheme the expansion side of the park as "Gotham City," renaming and repainting several rides. Sometime in the same year, however, the idea was shelved and the rides retained their original names, though many had already been repainted.
In 2002 the ride Twisted Sisters was forced to be renamed to Twisted Twins upon a threat of a lawsuit from the band Twisted Sister. Before the opening of the 2007 season, Hurricane Bay was rebranded as Six Flags Splashwater Kingdom.
Kentucky Kingdom was one of the main tourism attractions for Louisville, as in 1997 it totaled more visitors than Churchill Downs.
On September 21, 2009, Kentucky Kingdom confirmed that the park's main attraction Chang was being removed for the addition of Bonzai Beach, a new waterpark that has a separate theme from Splashwater Kingdom.
On February 4, 2010, Six Flags announced the park will be closing.
There have been two major incidents to occur at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom, both involving serious injury, to riders on the Starchaser and the Superman: Tower of Power rides. Both rides have since been removed. Now the park is closed and its rides will be transferred to other Six Flags parks.
Ride | Year Opened | Description | |
---|---|---|---|
Thunder Run | 1990 | A Dinn Corporation built wooden roller coaster, designed by Curtis D. Summers and John Fetterman. | |
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). | |
Twisted Twins | 1998 | Custom Coasters International dueling wooden roller coaster. Two sides are named Lola & Stella, ride was originally named Twisted Sisters. SBNO. | |
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 and before that Six Flags Great America. |
Ride | Year Opened | Description |
---|---|---|
Breakdance | 1990 | Huss Breakdance (ride), Ride spins on a platform with a group of pods that spin in addition to the platform. |
Bluebeard's Bounty | 1990 | Swinging pirate ship |
Tin Lizzies | 1990 | Antique cars that run along a track, the ride was remodeled due to the construction of the rollercoaster Greezed Lightning. |
Bumper Cars | 1990 | Known as the Road Rage Cage in October for October fest. |
Enterprise | 1990 | Ride starts out flat, has an enclosed carrier with little restraints, ride begins spinning and lifts up onto its side like a Ferris wheel and then back down. |
Thrill Park Theater | 1996 | Motion picture simulator, Hydraulic pods/seats move in accordance with a movie. |
Himalaya | ||
The Giant Wheel | 1992 | 150 ft tall Vekoma Ferris wheel |
The Penguin's Blizzard River | 1999 | A white water raft ride. Parts of the ride were moved from the closed Opryland theme park |
Flying Dutchman | 1991 | Ride was previously located at Kings Island |
International Carousel | 1996 | |
Mile High Falls | 1994 | SBNO |
The Zeppelin | SBNO. Zeppelin themed spinning ride |
Ride | Year Opened | Description |
---|---|---|
Looney Tunes Acme Fun Factory | 1997 | SCS Interactive kids foam ball play area |
Rio Grande | 1998 | Zamperla Rio Grande, kiddie train ride. Opened for one season, then closed, new location opened in 2001. |
Speedway | 1998 | Kids spinning car ride |
Sylvester and Tweety's Pounce and Bounce | 2000 | Zamperla Jumpin' Star – Kids drop tower |
Frightfully Funny Free-Falling Fire Engine No. 9 | Zamperla Crazy Bus | |
Daffy's Star Parade | Kids Ferris wheel | |
Bugs Bunny's Big Band Carousel | Kids Carousel | |
A'wound the World in 80 Seconds | Zamperla Samba Balloons | |
Bigfoot | Kids battery powered jeeps | |
Taz's Filmworks | Kids swings ride | |
Yosemite Sam's Hollywood Flight School | Kids bi-plane ride |
Ride | Year Opened | Description |
---|---|---|
Skycoaster | 2001 | 180ft. drop |
The Wall | 1999 | Climbable rock wall |
Thrill Karts | 1997 | Go-Karts |
Ride | Year Opened | Description |
---|---|---|
Big Surf Wave Pool | 1992 | Wave pool |
Mt. Slide Hai | 1992 | 4 slides named - Voodoo Express, Forbidden Passage, Conquistador Canyon and Vanishing Falls |
Hook's Lagoon | 1998 | SCS Interactive Discovery Treehouse |
Castaway Creek | 1998 | Lazy river |
Tornado | 2005 | Proslide Technology Inc. Tornado Rattler - funnel shaped tube slide that uses four person "cloverleaf" or two person "whirly wheel" tubes) |
Buccaneer Beach | Remodeled 2007 | Kids play area |
Deluge | 2007 | Proslide Technology Inc. HydroMagnetic Rocket slide |
Mega Wedgie | 2008 | Proslide Technology Inc. Cannon Bowl |
Ride | Year Opened | Removed In | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Ranger | 1990 | 1994 | Huss Ranger - replaced by Rainbow |
Round Up | 1987 | 1995 | Hrubetz Round Up |
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 (see Incidents at Six Flags parks). The ride was originally moved in from Beech Bend Park[]; 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. |
The Squid | 1990 | 1997 | 4 wet/dry water slides, Located were Road Runner express is. |
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. |
Jester's June Bugs | 1990 | 2001 | Moved to Six Flags Worlds of Adventure (Geauga Lake) |
Starcastle Voyage | 1997 | 2001 | Kids Carousel - moved to Six Flags Worlds of Adventure (Geauga Lake) |
Mini Tea Cups | 1998 | 2001 | Tea cup ride - moved to Six Flags Worlds of Adventure (Geauga Lake) |
Thriller Bees | 1998 | 2001 | Huss swing ride - moved to Six Flags Worlds of Adventure (Geauga Lake) |
The Quake | 1991 | 2004 | Vekoma Waikiki Wave - ride was replaced by Tornado water slide |
Slingshot | 2002 | 2004 | Extra charge Funtime Sling Shot - portable - moved to Six Flags Elitch Gardens |
Top Eliminator Dragsters | 1996 | 2005 | Extra charge 3/4 scale dragsters |
Chaos | 1998 | 2005 | Chance Chaos - replaced by a smoking area in 2006, replaced by Deluge in 2007 |
The Great Race | 1998 | 2006 | Spinning kids ride - Replaced by Deluge in 2007 |
Superman: Tower of Power | 1995 | 2007 | Intamin 177 ft (54 m). giant drop - Closed due to serious accident that resulted in a 13 year old girl losing her feet; was located just inside the entrance to the park; originally named Hellevator (1995-2006). |
Rainbow | 1995 | 2008 | Removed following a serious malfunction of the Rainbow at Liseberg in Gothenburg, Sweden. Many Huss Rainbow rides were dismantled following the 2008 incident at Liseberg. |
Turbo Bungy | 2000 | 2008 | Extra-Charge attraction |
Chang | 1997 | 2009 | A Bolliger & Mabillard stand-up roller coaster. Opened as the tallest, fastest and longest stand-up coaster, is still 2nd in these categories. It was Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom's main attraction. Removed at the end of the 2009 season for water park expansion. Pieces have showed up in Great America, but has not been confirmed, possibly for storage until next season. |