Splash Down became Irrawady Riptide, Roaring Rapids became known as Congo Rapids, and the Rotor ride was rechristened as the Typhoon. To complement the new attractions, existing rides located within and near Adventure Rivers also received new names and themes. It also had an Australian-themed children's area named Koala Canyon. ![]() The new land was themed to the rivers of the world, and contained three dry water slide complexes themed after North America, Africa, and Asia. It was the most highly themed area to be added to the park since its opening in 1974, signaling a turn in direction for Six Flags Great Adventure. At the end of the season, Adventure Rivers was announced as the next season's addition.įor the 1991 season, the all-new Adventure Rivers opened in what was once a quiet corner of the park near the Splash Down flume ride. For the 1990 season, Great Adventure introduced Shockwave, a stand-up coaster that had previously operated at Six Flags Magic Mountain. In 1990, Time Warner acquired a 19.5% stake in the Six Flags Corporation, giving them partial ownership of the company and its theme parks. They were then owned by Penn Central which had large stakes in the Philadelphia and New York City regions.īatman: The Ride 1978–1981: Penn Central era In fall 1977, Great Adventure was purchased by Six Flags. Together, they set out to open the seven parks in stages over a 5-year period.Īfter a 4,500 invitation-only guest opening on June 30, 1974, the Great Adventure entertainment complex opened to the general public on July 1, 1974, at a price tag of $10 million. At the time of the opening, only the Enchanted Forest and Safari parks were operational, with elements from five of the other planned parks being used to create the Enchanted Forest. LeRoy collaborated with Hardwicke Industries, who previously built safari parks in Canada and Europe. The property on County Route 537 had easy access to the newly constructed Interstate 195, which connected central New Jersey to the New Jersey Turnpike (Interstate 95) and would eventually (in 1981) connect to the Garden State Parkway. ![]() He chose a property then owned by the Switlik family, in an area centrally located between the New York City and Philadelphia regions. LeRoy wanted his parks to flow naturally through the forest and lakes, capitalizing on the back-to-nature movement of the era. His proposal also included plans for multiple hotels which were connected to the parks and could be reached by boats, buses, a sky ride and/or a monorail, similar to the then-recently opened Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. LeRoy intended for the massive complex to have an amusement park, a safari park, a show park, a floral park, a sports complex, a shopping district, and a campground with a beach/waterpark and stables. ![]() In 1972, entrepreneurial businessman Warner LeRoy, grandson of Harry Warner, one of the founders of Warner Bros., developed plans for a seven-park entertainment complex that he called Great Adventure.
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