Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom

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.

Park history

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.

Incidents

Main article: Incidents at Six Flags parks

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.

Rides and attractions

Roller coasters

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.

Rides and attractions at time of closure

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

Children's rides at time of closure

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

Extra charge attractions at time of closure

Ride Year Opened Description
Skycoaster 2001 180ft. drop
The Wall 1999 Climbable rock wall
Thrill Karts 1997 Go-Karts

Splash Water Kingdom

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

Former attractions

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.

References

External links

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Kayla
20 July 2014
Glad this place is open again! Really enjoyed the visit as it has been a few years. Still some things they need to work on (landscaping, updating the bathrooms) but we had an enjoyable experience.
Serhii Lutsko
17 August 2017
The park itself wasn't bad except for the T3 ride which had been broken for 3 times during one day at least. Other stuff was fine even long lines (btw lines on Sunday are shorter than on Saturday)
Taylor Rentschler
1 July 2016
Very fun roller coaster/ water park. Bring a bathing suit even if you don't plan on riding rides. Once you see the water park it might change your mind. #fun
Jackson Landgrabb
19 October 2019
For the best family fun entertainment there’s four roller coaster is the brand new Kentucky flyer and there’s a huge waterpark Louisville’s number one tourist attraction Kentucky Kingdom
Erica Brummett
13 January 2017
Had a blast kids love the angry Birds get a two day deal for the theme park and water park kids loved the ride more . Wristband lockers was the great For me I love that
Ashley R.
6 July 2014
They would be better off advertising this as a water park with a few other rides included. There are two roller coasters, and very few thrill rides. Fun but we had free tickets -- not worth $40!
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600 Seneca Avenue, Louisville, KY 40209, USA Get directions
Mon-Thu-Sun 11:00 AM–7:00 PM
Fri-Sat 11:00 AM–9:00 PM

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