Six Flags Discovery Kingdom facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom

Previously known as Marine World (1968–1970s) Marine World Africa USA (1970s–1997) The New Marine World Theme Park (1998) Six Flags Marine World (1999–2006)
Logo used since 2025
Location	Vallejo, California, U.S.
Coordinates	38°8′16″N 122°13′48″W / 38.13778°N 122.23000°W / 38.13778; -122.23000
Status	Operating
Opened	February 28, 1968
Owner	Six Flags
Slogan	America's Only Wildlife, Marine Life, and Thrill Ride Park
Operating season	Year round
Area	135 acres (55 ha)
Attractions
Total	40
Roller coasters	10
Water rides	3

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom is an exciting 135-acre animal theme park. It is located in Vallejo, California, between San Francisco and Sacramento. This park offers a fantastic mix of roller coasters, other fun amusement rides, and amazing animal encounters. It has been a part of the famous Six Flags family of parks since 1999.

Getting to the Park and What's Inside

You can easily get to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom using public transportation. Amtrak Thruway's Route 7 provides daily service to the nearby Martinez station. SolTrans, Vallejo's local bus service, also connects the park to other areas in Solano County from Monday to Saturday.

The park is also very eco-friendly! In 2019, a large solar canopy was built over the parking lot. This canopy provides about 80% of the park's electricity needs each year. It's a great way to use clean energy.

Park History: From Animals to Thrills

How the Park Started

An orca show at the original Marine World in Redwood City in 1970.

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom first opened in 1968. Back then, it was called Marine World and was a small zoo in Redwood City, California. In the 1970s, it joined with another animal park called Africa USA. Together, they became Marine World Africa USA.

The park later moved to a bigger location in Vallejo, California, opening its new gates in 1986. For many years, it was run by a non-profit group. A famous actor, William Shatner, even helped raise money for animal protection at the park in 1987.

Adding Exciting Rides

In the mid-1990s, the city of Vallejo took over the park. They hired a company called Premier Parks (which is now Six Flags) to help make the park even better. Premier Parks started adding more amusement rides to attract more visitors.

In 1997, the park added Popeye's Seaport, a fun area with eleven children's rides and water play. They also introduced DinoSphere, a special theater that showed exciting films. The park's name changed to The New Marine World Theme Park in 1998. That year, two big roller coasters, Kong and Boomerang: Coast to Coaster, were added. Other new rides included Hammerhead Shark, VooDoo, Monsoon Falls, and White Water Safari.

Becoming a Six Flags Park

Visitors enjoying a sunny day at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom.

A dolphin gracefully swimming at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom.

After the 1998 season, the park officially became Six Flags Marine World. This change brought many new things, including popular Warner Bros.' Looney Tunes characters! The park also got a new wooden roller coaster called Roar. Popeye's Seaport was renamed Looney Tunes Seaport and got a kiddie coaster, Roadrunner Express.

In 2000, the park opened its fourth major roller coaster, Medusa. This ride is known for its 150-foot-tall (46 m) drop and many loops and twists. Medusa is still one of the park's most popular attractions today. The Cobra family coaster was also added that year.

The park continued to grow with new rides. In 2001, V2: Vertical Velocity opened, becoming the tallest and fastest coaster in Northern California at the time. In 2002, the ride was adjusted due to height rules, making it unique. In 2003, Zonga, another roller coaster, was added, but it had some mechanical issues and was later removed.

In 2006, Tava's Jungleland opened. This new area featured nine new animal displays and children's rides.

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom Today

The iconic tower at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom.

Guests enjoying an animal show at the park.

On January 17, 2007, the park announced its new name: Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. This name shows that the park has three main parts: Land (exotic land animals), Sea (marine mammals), and Sky (thrill rides). The park invested a lot of money to improve animal habitats, add new shows, and upgrade its 3D theater to a "4D" experience. A children's area called Thomas Town, based on Thomas the Tank Engine, also opened in 2007.

In 2008, the park added its eighth roller coaster, Tony Hawk's Big Spin. This spinning coaster was built on the spot where Zonga used to be. The park also started its "Holiday in the Park" event, extending its operating season.

In 2009, Odin's Temple of the Tiger opened, featuring a diving white tiger named Odin. The park also welcomed two new Bengal tiger cubs, Nalin and Akasha.

Around 2010, Six Flags began to change the themes of some rides. Tony Hawk's Big Spin became Pandemonium, and Thomas Town was re-themed as Seaside Junction in 2011. That same year, the exciting SkyScreamer swing ride opened, taking riders 150 feet (46 m) high!

In 2012, the park added Superman: Ultimate Flight, a thrilling steel roller coaster. It features a 150 feet (46 m) tall inversion and speeds up to 62 miles per hour (100 km/h).

The park continued to add new attractions, including the Tsunami Soaker water ride in 2014 and the Dare Devil Chaos Coaster in 2015. In 2015, the park announced that the wooden coaster Roar would close. It was then transformed into a new hybrid coaster called The Joker, which opened in 2016. The Joker features a 100-foot height and unique inversions.

In 2016, Pacific Rim 5-D opened, offering a movie experience with special effects. In 2017, Six Flags also began operating Waterworld California, a water park in nearby Concord, renaming it Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Concord.

Fun Seasonal Events

Every fall, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom hosts Fright Fest for Halloween. This event includes haunted houses, spooky scare zones, and ghouls throughout the park.

The park also celebrates the holidays with Holiday in the Park, which started in November 2007. This event features Santa Claus, holiday-themed shows, and festive decorations. One year, the park even had the world's largest Christmas tree, which was 125 feet (38 m) tall!

Rides and Attractions to Explore

Roller Coasters

Superman: Ultimate Flight and The Joker roller coasters.

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom has many exciting roller coasters for thrill-seekers!

Medusa roller coaster in 2007.

Thrill Rides

For those who love a good thrill, check out these rides:

Family Rides

These rides are perfect for families to enjoy together:

Water Rides

Cool off on a hot day with these water adventures:

Children’s Rides

The colorful Looney Tunes Seaport area.

There are special areas just for younger adventurers!

Looney Tunes Seaport

This area, which used to be Popeye's Seaport, is full of fun for kids:

• Acme Fun Factory – A big indoor play area where kids can shoot foam balls. Opened in 1997.
• Pepe Le Pew's Rafts of Romance – A small tea cup ride. Opened in 1997.
• Elmer's Weather Balloons – Kids can spin their cars while the ride goes up and down. Opened in 1997.
• Sylvester's Pounce and Bounce – A children's drop ride. Opened in 1999.
• Bugs Buccaneer – A kiddie swinging ship. Opened in 1999.
• Taz's Typhoon – A children's swing ride. Opened in 1997.
• Daffy's Deep Sea Dive – A yellow submarine where kids and parents experience quick ascents and sudden drops. Opened in 1997.
• Foghorn Leghorn's Seaport Railway – A fun train ride. Opened in 1997.
• Yosemite Sam's Flight School – Small planes where children control how high they go. Opened in 1997.
• Seaport Carousel – A small merry-go-round with exotic animals. Opened in 1997.

Tava's Jungleland

All these rides opened in 2006:

• Tava's Elephant Parade – A circular ride where children ride small elephants and control their height.
• Congo Queen – A large tugboat that rocks and spins.
• Safari Jeep Tours – Riders board small Jeeps for a track ride through animal attractions.
• Nairobi's Lookout Balloons – Riders go up 35 feet (11 m) in gondolas and can spin themselves.
• Frog Hopper – A circular ride with "hopping" cars.
• Monkey Around – A swing ride.
• Zoe's Tree House – A large outdoor play structure with slides and lookout towers.

Seaside Junction

The former Thomas the Tank Engine area in 2010.

These rides were re-themed in 2011 from the former Thomas Town:

• Air Penguins – A circular ride where children ride small helicopters and control their height.
• Merlin’s Seaside Tours – A fun bus ride.
• Seaside Railway – A train ride around the Shark Experience. The engine still has Thomas's whistle!

Extra Fun (Upcharge Attractions)

• Rockwall Climbing Challenge – Test your climbing skills on a 45 ft (14 m) rock wall.

Amazing Animal Attractions

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom is home to many incredible animals!

• Shark Experience – Walk through an underwater tunnel and see various sharks up close, including sandbar sharks, zebra sharks, and nurse sharks.
• Jocko's Walrus Experience – Get face-to-face with the park's walrus. You might even see a training session!
• Stingray Bay – Located in Ocean Discovery, here you can gently touch live southern stingrays.
• Penguin Passage – See African penguins up close in Ocean Discovery.
• Seal Cove – Feed California sea lions and Pacific harbor seals in Ocean Discovery.
• Alligator Isle – An exhibit featuring American alligators.
• Butterfly Habitat – Step into a large, glass-enclosed garden filled with beautiful exotic butterflies.
• Cougar Rocks – Observe the park's four cougars.
• Odin's Tiger Island – Home to the park's endangered Bengal and Amur tigers.
• Giraffe Encounter – Get up close and feed the giraffes.
• Lion's Den – An exhibit for African lions.
• Dolphin Harbor – Enjoy an educational dolphin demonstration.
• Sea Lion Stadium – Watch shows featuring California sea lions, Pacific harbor seals, and Asian small-clawed otters.
• Toyota Stadium – The main dolphin show venue. You can also see bottlenose dolphins at the viewing windows behind the stadium.
• Odin's Temple of the Tiger – A large amphitheater for tiger shows, with a viewing exhibit outside.
• Animal Nursery – See baby animals and animals that need special care.
• Reptile Discovery – Located in Tava's Jungleland, view various reptile species.

Past Rides and Attractions

Over the years, some rides have left the park to make way for new adventures.

• Zonga – This roller coaster operated for two years (2003-2004) but had frequent mechanical problems. It was later moved to a park in Mexico.
• Pandemonium – Opened in 2008 as Tony Hawk's Big Spin, this spinning coaster was re-themed twice. It closed in 2012 to make room for Superman: Ultimate Flight and was moved to Six Flags México.
• Roar – A wooden roller coaster that operated from 1999 to 2015. It was then transformed into the hybrid coaster, The Joker.
• VooDoo – A thrill ride that inverted riders many times. It closed around 2017.
• TRS: Thunder Road Speedway – A high-speed go-kart track that closed in 2018 to make way for Batman: The Ride.
• Harley Quinn Crazy Coaster – A unique roller coaster that opened in 2018 but was removed after only two seasons due to maintenance issues.
• Dare Devil Chaos Coaster – A pendulum ride that opened in 2015 and was removed in 2022.
• The Penguin – A water ride that opened in 2014 and was removed in 2023.

Images for kids

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  Discovery Kingdom, seen from the parking lot.

Fast Lane

Fast Lane is a special system that lets you skip the regular lines for popular rides at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. Guests pay an extra fee to use a separate, shorter line. Fast Lane was introduced in 2026 and replaced The Flash Pass. As of January 2026, Fast Lane is available on 17 attractions.