The Great Escape and Hurricane Harbor facts for kids
Previously known as Storytown USA, The Great Escape Fun Park, The Great Escape & Splashwater Kingdom' | |
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Location | 89 Six Flags Dr, Queensbury, New York, U.S. |
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Coordinates | 43°21′04″N 73°41′24″W / 43.350991°N 73.690112°W |
Opened | 1954 |
Owner | Six Flags Entertainment Corporation |
Operating season | May through October |
Area | 351 acres (142 ha) |
Attractions | |
Total | 35 (excluding water park)
45 (including water park) 3 (upcharge) |
Roller coasters | 6 |
Water rides | 10 |
Website | Great Escape |
The Great Escape and Hurricane Harbor is a fun amusement park and water park. It is owned by Six Flags, a big company known for its parks. You can find it about 60 miles (97 km) north of Albany, in Queensbury, New York. This park is special because it's one of the few Six Flags parks that doesn't have "Six Flags" in its name.
Contents
History of The Great Escape
The Great Escape first opened in 1954. Back then, it was called Storytown USA. It was a park based on Mother Goose stories and characters. A businessman named Charles Wood bought the land for $75,000 to create it.
In 1957, the park added a new area called "Ghosttown." This was the first of many themed areas to open. It helped the park appeal to more than just very young children. For a while, the park even put bumper stickers on cars in the parking lot to get the word out!
In 1983, the park officially changed its name to The Great Escape. A year later, in 1984, the park got its first big roller coaster, the Steamin' Demon.
One of the most famous rides at the park is The Comet roller coaster. It's a wooden coaster that first opened in 1943 at another park called Crystal Beach. When that park closed, Charles Wood saved The Comet. He brought it to The Great Escape, and it reopened in 1994. Many roller coaster fans think it's one of the best wooden coasters in North America!
In 2006, something new and exciting opened: the Six Flags Great Escape Lodge & Indoor Waterpark. This huge indoor waterpark is just for guests staying at the lodge. It was the first indoor waterpark in New York State!
Over the years, the park has added many new rides and features. They've had character greetings, new shows, and even changed some restaurants.
Key Moments in Park History
- 1954 — Charles Wood opens Storytown USA.
- 1957 — The "Ghosttown" section opens.
- 1967 — The Alice in Wonderland walk-through adventure opens.
- 1983 — The park changes its name to The Great Escape Fun Park.
- 1984 — Steamin' Demon, a roller coaster with three inversions, is added.
- 1994 — The famous wooden roller coaster, Comet, opens at the park.
- 1995 — The park opens its own water park, called Splashwater Kingdom.
- 1996 — Six Flags buys the park.
- 1997 — Boomerang: Coast to Coaster is added. It's still the tallest roller coaster there!
- 2003 — Canyon Blaster, a mine train roller coaster, arrives from another park.
- 2005 — A new kids' area called Looney Tunes National Park opens. It has eight new rides, including the park's seventh roller coaster, Road Runner Express.
- 2007 — The "Tornado" water slide opens in Splashwater Kingdom.
- 2009 — Sasquatch, a tall drop and launch tower ride, is added.
- 2010 — Some classic Storytown USA features, like PoPo the Purple Cow, are brought back.
- 2011 — The park changes the names of its themed areas. Looney Tunes National Park becomes Timbertown.
- 2012 — Alpine Freefalls water slides open in Splashwater Kingdom.
- 2015 — Buccaneer Beach, a pirate-themed water play area for kids, is added.
- 2019 — Splashwater Kingdom gets a big makeover and is renamed Hurricane Harbor. It adds two new attractions: Bucket Blasters and Shipwreck Cove.
- 2020 — The park stays closed for the season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rides and Attractions
The Great Escape has different themed areas, each with its own unique feel and rides.
Themed Areas
Park Section | What it's like |
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Fest Area | This area has a fun German theme. |
Ghosttown | It looks like an old Western village from the past. |
International Village and Storytown | This part still has decorations from the original Storytown USA park. |
Timbertown | This area used to be called Jungleland. It's now a fun section with 10 rides, especially for kids. |
Hurricane Harbor | This is the park's water park, located inside the main park. You don't pay extra to get in! |
Hot Rod USA | This area has a cool 1950s theme and opened in 2016. |
Fest Area Rides
This area often plays German-style music and has food stands selling treats like funnel cakes.
Name | Picture | Type | Year Opened | Cool Facts |
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Alpine Bobsled | ![]() |
Bobsled roller coaster | 1998 | Each bobsled car is decorated with a flag from a different country. |
Comet | Wooden Coaster | 1994 | This classic roller coaster is known for its big drops and long ride. | |
Giant Wheel | Ferris wheel | 1989 | It's 90-foot (27 m) tall and gives you amazing views of the park! | |
Raging River | White Water Rapids | 1986 | Ride in a round boat through exciting "white water rapids." | |
Screamin' Eagles | Flying Scooters | 2013 | This family ride lets you control how high your eagle flies. | |
Extreme Supernova | Midi Discovery | 2014 | This ride swings you high into the air. |
Ghosttown Rides
This area makes you feel like you're in an old Western town!
Name | Picture | Type | Year Opened | Cool Facts |
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Canyon Blaster | Mine Train roller coaster | 2003 | This roller coaster used to be at another park called Opryland USA. | |
Desperado Plunge | Water flume ride | 1979 | Ride in a log-shaped boat on this fun water ride. | |
Steamin' Demon | ![]() |
Corkscrew coaster | 1984 | This is the oldest roller coaster at the park. |
International Village, Storytown, and Hot Rod USA Rides
This area mixes classic Storytown charm with a cool 1950s hot rod theme.
Name | Picture | Type | Year Opened | Cool Facts |
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Flashback | ![]() |
Boomerang | 1997 | This steel coaster goes forward and then backward through loops! |
Cinderella Coach | 1954 | You can take pictures with Cinderella and her pumpkin coach here. | ||
Grand Carousel | Carousel | 1989 | A classic merry-go-round with horses and other fantasy creatures. | |
Greezed Lightnin' | Giant Loop | 2016 | A large loop ride that spins you around. | |
Storytown Train | Train ride | 1956 | Enjoy a scenic train ride through Storytown and Timbertown. | |
Sasquatch | Combo Tower | 2009 | This ride has both a drop tower and a launch tower for double the fun! |
Timbertown Rides
This section is perfect for younger adventurers and families.
Hurricane Harbor Water Park
This water park is part of The Great Escape, so you don't need a separate ticket!
Name | Opened | Cool Facts |
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Typhoon Twister | 1995 | Ride in inflatable boats down these enclosed water slides. |
Adventure River | 1995–1997 | A long, lazy river where you can float in tubes or swim. |
Splashwater Island | 1997 | A treehouse with water sprays, slides, and a giant bucket that dumps water! |
Hurricane Bay | 1997 | A huge wave pool with six different wave patterns. |
Buccaneer Beach | 2015 | A pirate-themed water play area with fountains and slides for children. |
Tornado | 2007 | Slide into a giant funnel and swing back and forth before splashing down. |
Big Kahuna | 2008 | A special tube bowl slide for a thrilling ride. |
Alpine Freefalls | 2012 | This complex has a multi-lane racing slide and a super-fast trapdoor slide! |
Bucket Blasters | 2019 | Spin around in a boat and blast other riders with water! |
Shipwreck Cove | 2019 | A fun pool with interactive water sprays and fountains. |
Extra Fun (Upcharge Attractions)
These rides cost a little extra, but they offer unique thrills!
Name | Location | What it's like |
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Go-Carts | Fest Area | Race gas-powered cars around a track with exciting turns. |
Dare Devil Dive | Fest Area | This attraction pulls you 175 feet (53 m) into the air, then swings you down at speeds up to 70 mph (110 km/h)! |
Other Attractions
- Alice in Wonderland - A walk-through adventure based on the classic story, opened in 1967. It's located in the Fest Area.
Special Events
After Labor Day, The Great Escape hosts two special events before closing for the winter.
Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest happens on weekends in September. It's a celebration with special foods, music, dancing, and other fun activities.
Fright Fest
Fright Fest takes place on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays in October. The whole park is decorated for Halloween! Many shows change to Halloween themes. You can even go trick-or-treating in the miniature houses in Ghosttown. There are also haunted houses for those who like a good scare!
In 2009, the park tried a "Holiday in the Park" event for Christmas. It had holiday shows, lights, and even a sledding hill!
Defunct Rides and Attractions
Over the years, some rides have left the park to make way for new ones. Here are a few notable ones:
Ride | Year opened | Year closed | What it was |
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Ghost Town Railroad | 1957 | 2002 | A train ride that was removed for the Canyon Blaster roller coaster. |
Tornado | 1967 | 2002 | A dark ride that took riders through a "tornado." |
Rainbow | 1987 | 2007 | A large ride that lifted and spun riders high in the air. |
Nightmare | 1999 | 2006 | An indoor roller coaster in GhostTown. The building is now used as a haunted house during Fright Fest. |