Six Flags Darien Lake facts for kids
| Previously known as Darien Lake Fun Country (1981–1999) Six Flags Darien Lake (1999-2007, 2019-) Darien Lake Theme Park Resort (2007-2018) |
|
 |
|
| Location | Darien, New York, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 42°55′43″N 78°23′06″W / 42.92851°N 78.38488°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opened | May 1981 |
| Owner | EPR Properties |
| Operated by | Six Flags |
| General manager | Chris Thorpe |
| Slogan | Go Big! Go Six Flags! |
| Operating season | May through October |
| Attendance | 1.5 million |
| Area | 1,200 acres (4.9 km2) |
| Attractions | |
| Total | 45 |
| Roller coasters | 8 |
| Water rides | 10 |
| Website | Six Flags Darien Lake |
Six Flags Darien Lake is a fun resort in Darien, New York. It has a big theme park, a cool water park, a campground, and places to stay. It's owned by EPR Properties and run by Six Flags.
Contents
Park History
How Darien Lake Started
Darien Lake was first dug out and filled with water in 1954. It was a popular spot for swimming. In 1964, a person named Paul Snyder bought some land next to the lake. He opened a small campground with 23 spots and a picnic area.
Paul Snyder kept buying more land. Soon, he owned almost 1,000 acres, including seven lakes! He added fun things for guests like a small petting zoo, horseback rides, paddleboats, and miniature golf.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Snyder added more attractions. He built water slides called Rainbow Mountain. This created an amusement park he named Darien Lake Fun Country. He also made a deal with a German company, HUSS Park Attractions. This made Darien Lake a showcase for their new rides in North America. Rides like the Pirate, Ranger, and Corn Popper came to the park this way.
In 1982, Arrow Huss built the park's first big roller coaster, called Viper.
Funtime Parks Takes Over
In 1983, Paul Snyder sold half of the park to Funtime Inc.. This company also owned other parks like Geauga Lake. They dropped "Fun Country" from the name and made big improvements.
One of the first new rides was the Vekoma-built Giant Wheel Ferris wheel. It was the biggest in the United States at the time and came from the 1982 World's Fair. This huge wheel is still at the park today!
Funtime also added entertainment. They built the Tops Jubilee Theater (now the Grande Theatre) and the Lakeside Amphitheater. Big music stars like The Who and Black Sabbath performed there. In the mid-1980s, there was even a water skiing show called Splashmania on Fun Lake.
More fun things were added in the late 1980s and early 1990s. A kids' area called Adventure Land for Kids opened in 1988. In 1989, Grizzly Run was added. In 1990, six new water slides were built, and that area became Barracuda Bay.
Following the success of a new wooden roller coaster at another park, Funtime built The Predator roller coaster for Darien Lake. It opened in May 1990. Around this time, Paul Snyder sold his remaining share of the park to Funtime.
In 1992, a cool laser light show called Laser Light Fantasy (now Ignite the Night) started. It had laser graphics and fireworks. The show moved to the Lakeside Amphitheater the next year. Concerts then moved to the new Darien Lake Performing Arts Center, which could hold many more people. In 1994, the old Rainbow Mountain water slides were replaced with 'Cuda Falls. From then on, the water park was included with your park ticket!
Premier Parks and Six Flags Era
In 1995, a growing park company called Premier Parks bought Funtime, Inc. Premier Parks quickly started making changes. In 1995, Skycoaster opened over Fun Lake.
In 1996, Adventure Land was replaced by Popeye's Seaport. This new kids' area had new rides like a barrel-themed Ferris wheel and a submarine ride. A new miniature golf course also opened. The water park got bigger with Hook's Lagoon (1996) and the Crocodile Isle wave pool (1997).
From 1996 to 1999, Premier Parks added a new roller coaster every year! These included Nightmare at Phantom Cave (1996), Mind Eraser (1997), Boomerang: Coast to Coaster (1998), and Superman Ride of Steel (1999). Nightmare was later moved to another park.
In 1998, Premier Parks bought Six Flags Theme Parks. They started changing their parks to the Six Flags name. In May 1999, Darien Lake opened as Six Flags Darien Lake. They brought in popular characters like Looney Tunes and DC Comics. Popeye's Seaport became Looney Tunes Seaport. They also added new rides like Twister (2000) and Shipwreck Falls (2002).
In 2006, Six Flags moved the Big Kahuna waterslide to Darien Lake. They also brought the Batman The Escape roller coaster to store it, thinking about building it later. However, Six Flags decided to sell Darien Lake and several other parks.
New Owners: PARC Management and CNL Lifestyle
In 2007, Six Flags sold Darien Lake and six other parks to PARC Management. PARC Management then leased the parks from CNL Income Properties. For the 2007 season, the biggest changes were a new show called Le Grande Cirque. All Six Flags, Looney Tunes, and DC Comics signs were removed.
In 2008, the park opened the Orange County Choppers MotoCoaster. This was its first launched roller coaster. It was a Zamperla Motocoaster and the first of its kind in the United States. PARC promised to lower ticket prices.
In 2010, Darien Lake made its water park even bigger. It became Six Flags Hurricane Harbor (Darien Lake). New attractions included a lazy river called Flotation Station and the Swirl City slide complex. The Viper roller coaster was repainted black.
Herschend Family Entertainment and Premier Parks, LLC
In 2011, Herschend Family Entertainment started managing Darien Lake. Rowdy's Ridge opened in 2012 with several family rides. For 2013, Blast Off was added to the Waterfront Boardwalk area. This area also got new dining options. The laser show was improved and renamed Ignite the Night.
Herschend Family Entertainment's lease ended after the 2014 season. Premier Parks, LLC took over. New rides added during this time included Rolling Thunder (2015), Brain Drain, and Ripcurl Racer.
After the 2016 season, CNL Lifestyle sold Darien Lake and other parks to EPR Properties. Premier Parks still managed the park. Tantrum, a Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter coaster, opened in 2018.
Six Flags Returns
In May 2018, Six Flags Entertainment Corporation took over managing the park again. Six Flags SkyScreamer, a tall swing ride, opened for the 2019 season. During this season, the park went back to its original name: Six Flags Darien Lake.
For the 2020 season, a new ProSlide waterslide called Wahoo Wave was planned for the Hurricane Harbor WaterPark. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the park remained closed for the 2020 season. All tickets and season passes were moved to the 2021 season.
Awesome Rides and Attractions
Roller Coasters
| Ride | Opened | Manufacturer | What it's like |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boomerang | 1998 | Vekoma | This coaster takes you up a 120-foot (37 m) hill backwards. Then, you zoom through a cobra roll and a loop, going both forwards and backwards! |
| Mind Eraser | 1997 | Vekoma | New York's only Suspended Looping Coaster! It's about 120 feet (37 m) tall and has 5 inversions, including a cool heart-loop. |
| Motocoaster | 2008 | Zamperla | The first Motorbike roller coaster in the U.S.! It launches you from 0 to 40 miles per hour (0 to 64 km/h) in seconds, then you twist and turn down the track. |
| Predator | 1990 | Dinn Corporation | New York's biggest wooden roller coaster! It's a classic wooden ride with lots of bumps and thrills. |
| Ride of Steel | 1999 | Intamin | This Mega Coaster is the tallest in New York State! It's 208 feet (63 m) tall and reaches speeds of 72 miles per hour (116 km/h). |
| Tantrum | 2018 | Gerstlauer | A Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter with a 98-foot vertical lift hill and a super steep 97-degree drop! It goes up to 52 miles per hour (84 km/h). |
| The Viper | 1982 | Arrow Huss | The first coaster in the world with 5 inversions! It used to be all black, then green, and now it's black again. |
Thrill Rides
| Ride | Opened | Manufacturer | What it's like |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blast Off | 2013 | S&S Power Space Shot design | A Drop Tower ride that shoots you high into the air, then drops you down fast! |
| Red Hawk | 1995 | This Sky coaster pulls you up 180 feet (55 m) high, then releases you to swing like a giant pendulum. (Not included with park admission.) | |
| Rolling Thunder | 2015 | Larson International | A huge loop ride that spins you upside down again and again! |
| Skyscreamer | 2019 | Funtime | A super tall swing ride that lifts you 242 feet (74 m) into the air and spins you around at 35 mph. |
| Slingshot | 2002 | This reverse bungee ride launches you over 300 feet (91 m) into the sky! It's the tallest attraction at Darien Lake. (Not included with park admission.) |
Family Rides
| Ride | Opened | Manufacturer | What it's like |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bear Valley Bumper Buggies | 1981 | DUCE Ride Manufacturers | Classic Bumper Cars where you can bump into your friends! |
| Boat Docks - Midway Marina | You can rent a paddle boat and explore Fun Lake. (Not included with park admission.) | ||
| Corn Popper | 1982 | HUSS | A spinning ride that swings you around. It was part of the original Huss ride showcase. |
| Giant Wheel | 1983 | Vekoma | A 165 feet (50 m) tall ferris wheel that gives you amazing views of the park. It was once the tallest in the U.S.! |
| Grand Carousel | 1981 | International Amusement Devices | A beautiful, traditional carousel with horses and other animals to ride. |
| Grand Prix Speedway | 1987 | A go-kart track where you can race your friends. (Not included with park admission.) | |
| Grizzly Run | 1989 | Intamin | A fun river rapids ride where you float and splash through rushing water. |
| Haymaker | 1981 | Heintz Fahtze | A unique spinning ride that lifts you into the air. |
| Hornet's Nest | 2012 | Larson Rides Flying Scooters | You can control how high your vehicle flies on this swinging ride. |
| Lasso | 1981 | Zierer | A classic wave swinger ride that spins you around in circles while swinging high. |
| Moose on the Loose | 2012 | Metallbau Pony Trek | Ride a runaway moose through different scenes on this fun track ride. |
| Pirate | 1981 | HUSS | A big pirate ship that swings back and forth, almost upside down! |
| Rock Wall | Test your climbing skills on this rock-climbing wall. | ||
| Rowdy's Heave Ho | 2012 | HEEGE Tower | Pull yourself up a tower, then let go for a fun drop! |
| Scrambler | 1999 | Eli Bridge | A spinning ride that twists and turns in different directions. |
| Shipwreck Falls | 2002 | Intamin | A big water ride that sends a boat down a huge splash hill, making a giant wave! |
| Silver Bullet | 1981 | Heintz Fahtze | An Enterprise ride that spins you around and then lifts you up to spin vertically. |
| Sleighride | 1981 | Mack Rides | A unique ride that spins and slides you around like a sleigh. |
| Tin Lizzy's | 1981 | Arrow Dynamics | Drive your own antique car on a scenic track. |
Kids Rides
These rides are perfect for younger adventurers!
| Name | Opened | Manufacturer/Model | What it's like |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beaver Dam Explorer | 1996 | Zamperla Crazy Bus | A submarine-themed ride that goes up and down. |
| Bucky's Barrels | 1996 | Zamperla Sun & Moon | A mini Ferris wheel shaped like barrels. |
| Chucky's Mud Buckets | 1996 | Zamperla Mini Tea Cup | A teacup-style ride where you spin in open cans. |
| Critter Chase | 2010 | Zamperla Mini Jet | An animal-themed ride where you can make your animal go up and down. |
| Darien Lake Railway | 1996 | Zamperla Rio Grande | A small train ride that takes you on a figure-eight track. |
| Hoot N Holler | 1981 | Zierer | A fun steel kiddie roller coaster, now themed like an owl! |
| Raccoon Rally | 1981 | Kiddie Bumper Cars | Smaller bumper cars for younger kids to enjoy. |
| Tree Stump Turnpike | 1996 | Zamperla Convoy | Drive a truck on a fun track. |
| Wally's Weather Balloons | 1996 | Zamperla Samba Balloon | Ride in a balloon that spins and lifts you into the air. |
| Woody's Whirlers | 1996 | Zamperla Mini Swings | A mini swing ride for little ones. |
Water Park Rides
- Further information: Six Flags Hurricane Harbor (Darien Lake)
Entertainment and Shows
Darien Lake has awesome shows and events for everyone!
| Name | What you can see there | Cool facts |
|---|---|---|
| Galaxy Theatre | Magic shows, animal shows, and more! | This building used to have an indoor roller coaster. |
| Beaver Brothers Bay Showplace | Shows for families and children, often with characters. | Located in the Beaver Brothers Bay kids' area. |
| Grande Theatre | Music shows, illusion shows, and other live performances. | It opened in 1980 and has had different names over the years. |
| The Lakeside Amphitheatre | Ignite the Night: COLORBLAST laser and fireworks show. | This used to be where big concerts were held. Now it's home to the amazing nightly laser show! |
| The Gazebo Stage | Hypnotist shows, dance parties, and special events. | An outdoor stage in the middle of the park. |
Fright Fest
Six Flags Fright Fest is a special Halloween event held in October. The park transforms with haunted areas and spooky shows. It's a fun, spooky way to celebrate Halloween!
Harvest Fest
Harvest Fest is a family-friendly fall event. It includes hay rides, crafts for children, and special food trucks. It's a great way to enjoy the autumn season at the park.
Other Cool Places at the Resort
Lodge on the Lake Hotel
In 1998, the park built its first hotel, the Lodge on the Lake. It has 161 rooms and a heated outdoor pool. The Beaver Brothers Cafe is also there, serving meals.
Campgrounds
The campground has many spots for tents and RVs. You can even rent RVs and cabins right from the park!
Darien Square
This area is inside the campgrounds. It has a General Store, two restaurants, a gift shop, an arcade, and a lounge.
Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
The Darien Lake Performing Arts Center is a large outdoor venue on the park grounds. It hosts big music concerts and other events.
Images for kids
-
Six Flags Darien Lake logo
