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SIX FLAGS OVER TEXAS

Six Flags Over Texas. One of the world's oldest theme parks, born about 10 years after Disneyland opened, the Six Flags creator had visited Disneyland and returned to Texas with the idea a theme park was just what was needed to give a boost to the midway between Dallas and Fort Worth town of Arlington. When first visited by the Eyes on Texas, in July of 1999, Six Flags appeared to be very rundown and tired; paint peeling, dead landscaping, litter, broken TVs on ride lines, a malfunctioning train. Then in 2001, for Six Flags 40th anniversary, millions were spent on new rides, landscaping, cooling misters, more places to sit and just an overall sprucing up of the aging park. It was expected there would still be signs of Six Flags former craptacularness, and seeking such signs was expected to be part of the fun. But, it was as if the place was truly rehabilitated. This was a very pleasant surprise. Six Flags is no longer an embarrassment. Except for the absurdly inflated prices charged for mediocre food throughout the park. Six Flags could take another lesson from Disneyland in the food area.

Inside Six Flags Over Texas there is a Texas Historical Marker which explains the historical significance of Six Flags Over Texas. You can visit the park and read the historical marker, or read it here....

Click for a map to Six Flags and other Arlington Attractions

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The Six Flag's 'oil derrick' is the highest edifice in the mid-cities area of the D/FW Metroplex. The view from the top gives a rare view denied by other natural means due to the lack of a non-flat topography. Often closed due to wind. We'll see the view from the top, later.

Derricks sort of like this have sprouted up near the Six Flags oil derrick, including this one a few miles to the west.

Click for a map to Six Flags and other Arlington Attractions

Six Flags sits on the site of a former ranch. Plaques like the above, explain this and the supposed effort made to preserve the existing waterways. However, the waterways appear to be swampy marshland tainted with an influx of creosote and litter deposits.

As indicated two thumbnails prior, we are now at the top of the 'oil derrick' after riding the open air derrick elevator up the center shaft.

No. That is not the DART train you see below. That is a little choo choo which circles Six Flags sort of like the more evolved train that circles around Disneyland, only with diesel fumes and much less to see.

Behind the Titan Hyper Coaster and the top-rated Texas Giant Wooden Coaster, that would be the Ballpark in Arlington where the cellar dwelling Texas Rangers play.

Looking down on the Roaring Rapids ride where a river raft flipped over, two summer's ago, killing a tourist and injuring others. The ride is supposedly safe now. But it gets you totally wet and is best avoided unless this sounds appealing on a hot day. Makes more sense to seek out the Billy Bath Misters.

A close up look at a group of screamers falling down the first dip of the Texas Giant.

Looking southeast at another coaster and another tower.

Click for a map to Six Flags and other Arlington Attractions

Looking east down Interstate 30 with the Batman coaster and the Mr. Freeze coaster in the foreground, with the skyline of Dallas in the distance.

Let's go back to ground level and see how visitors to Six Flags deal with the extreme heat....

Seems to be a theme park version of Texas Billy Baths. Throughout Six Flags there are misters to cool the overheated. Click the heat victim above to go to an auto-scroll look at the overheated in Six Flags. 

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These Six Flaggers are dealing with the heat in a different way, sitting on rocking chairs on the porch of a plantation house in 'France', sipping iced concoctions and watching the Disneyesque Thunder Mountain type ride across the street. Or contemplating eating gator meat at McGee's, next to the mountain ride.

A sign at McGee's Gator Jerky place details the cuts of a gator. Apparently Gator tastes very much like chicken.

A good example of Six Flag's enhanced landscaping. Actual big hanging baskets of flowers along a boardwalk above a fish filled pond on the way to Mr. Freeze and Batman.

Six Flags has a lot of rides which seem to be of the carnival sort, not the theme park sort. Rides like bumper cars. And the above.

The sign for the Bumper Car ride had one of the few signs of decrepitude seen on this visit to Six Flags. 

This hot air balloon ride in the new Loony Tunes kids ride area would be perfect for a Balloon Festival.

Click for a map to Six Flags and other Arlington Attractions

Let's ride the train around Six Flags and get off near the Titan hyper coaster to end this visit to Six Flags. In the above photo the train passes by another roller coaster rolling through some trees.

The Titan area of Six Flags is landscaped to look like you are in a West Texas desert. Not a very appealing place to stand in the long Titan lines; little shade, the relentless sun overwhelming the fans and misters trying to cool the crowd. Iced beverage purveyors selling overpriced libations to the parched line victims.

A view of Titan with the glaring sun blaring down on the long line of thrill seekers sweating their way to less than two minutes of high speed, stomach turning, gut wrenching, bone aching, scream inducing fun.

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