Frontier City facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Frontier City

Location	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States
Coordinates	35°35′05″N 97°26′28″W / 35.584845°N 97.440990°W / 35.584845; -97.440990
Status	Operating
Opened	1958 (1958)
Owner	EPR Properties
Operated by	Six Flags
Theme	Western "town" Theme Park
Slogan	Thrills For Everyone
Operating season	April – October
Area	55 acres (220,000 m2) 109 acres (0.44 km2) total
Attractions
Total	28
Roller coasters	5
Water rides	3
Website	Frontier City

Frontier City is a fun amusement park located in Oklahoma City, United States. It has a cool western theme, making you feel like you've stepped back in time! The park is owned by EPR and run by Six Flags.

Frontier City first opened its doors in 1958. This makes it one of the oldest parks operated by Six Flags. Only Six Flags New England and Six Flags Great Escape & Hurricane Harbor are older. Interestingly, Frontier City and La Ronde in Montreal are the only two parks run by Six Flags that don't have "Six Flags" in their name.

How Frontier City Started

Front of a rooming house at the first Frontier City location in 1959.

The Last Chance Saloon and skyride at Frontier City in 1959.

The Early Days (1958–1981)

Frontier City opened in 1958 along what was then Route 66. Today, it's near Interstate 35. The park was designed to look like an old Oklahoma pioneer town. It even had a haunted farm, a mine train, and staged robberies!

When it first opened, you could enter for free. But you had to pay a small fee to watch the exciting gunfight shows. Instead of a ribbon cutting, the park opened with an old-fashioned six-shooter firing at a rope. They still do this today!

In the 1960s and 1970s, the park added more thrilling rides. These included spinning rides, roller coasters, and a log flume ride.

Who Created the Park?

Two businessmen from Oklahoma City, James Burge and Jack Williams, started Frontier City. James Burge had worked in Hollywood and was inspired by Disneyland. He thought Oklahoma City would be a perfect spot for a western-themed park.

After a big celebration for Oklahoma's 50th birthday in 1957, Burge bought many buildings from a "Boom Town" exhibit. He teamed up with Jack Williams, who became the main investor. Together, they made the park look like an 1880s Western town.

The park had a Marshall's office, a saloon, a bank, and even a post office with its own postmark! Early rides included a train, a stagecoach, and a donkey ride. There was also an indoor dark ride.

Frontier City became famous for its live shows. These included gunfights, Indian dancing, and saloon performances. The park made money by renting out spaces to shops and food stalls. James Burge left in 1961, and Jack Williams left in 1975.

New Owners and Changes (1981–2018)

In 1981, a company called Tierco Group bought the park. They first planned to close it down. But when real estate slowed, they decided to keep it open. In 1984, Gary Story became the general manager.

In 1995, Tierco Group changed its name to Premier Parks. A few years later, in 1998, Premier Parks bought the entire Six Flags company! This made Premier Parks the new Six Flags, Inc. For a while, the main offices for Six Flags were even located at Frontier City.

In 2006, Six Flags decided to sell Frontier City and some other parks. This caused some confusion, with people thinking Frontier City might close. But it was just changing owners.

In 2007, Frontier City was sold to a company called PARC 7F-Operations. They then sold it to CNL Income Properties. CNL leased the park back to PARC to operate it.

• In 2008, a new roller coaster called Steel Lasso was added for the park's 50th birthday!
• In 2010, PARC stopped managing the park.
• In 2011, former Six Flags leaders Kieran Burke and Gary Story took over management. They formed a new company called Premier Parks, LLC.
• In 2012, a huge water play area called Wild West Water Works was built. It has seven slides and a giant 1,000-gallon tipping water bucket!
• New thrill rides like Winged Warrior (2014) and The Gunslinger (2016) were added. The Wildcat roller coaster also got updates.
• In 2016, the park was sold again to EPR Properties. Premier Parks continued to manage it.
• In 2017, the Wildcat roller coaster got new cars and a new look. A new water ride called the Gully Washer was added to Wild West Water Works.

Six Flags Returns (2018–Present)

On May 22, 2018, Six Flags announced they would take over running Frontier City again! The park still belongs to EPR Properties, but Six Flags now operates it.

In 2020, the park had to close for a while because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But Frontier City was the first Six Flags park to reopen on June 5, 2020, with new safety rules. The park is now fully open and ready for visitors!

Special Events at Frontier City

Frontier City hosts exciting concerts every summer at the Starlight Amphitheater. They also have two big seasonal events.

Fright Fest

In 2018, Frontier City brought back "Fright Fest." This spooky event used to happen every year until 2007. It's full of Halloween fun and scares!

Holiday in the Park

Also in 2018, Frontier City started "Holiday in the Park." This is a magical Christmas event with beautiful lights and entertainment throughout the park. It adds extra operating days between November and January, making the park a year-round destination!

Rides and Attractions

Frontier City has many different rides for everyone to enjoy!

Roller Coasters

Thrill Rides

Family Rides

Kids' Rides

Water Park Rides

Former Rides

The former 89er Ghost Mine ride, one of Frontier City's original attractions in 1959.

Some rides that used to be at Frontier City are no longer there. Here are a few: