The Unofficial History of Six Flags Over Texas
Harley Quinn Spinsanity was installed in 2018. Although the park had previously hosted a ride with the same name, that ride was unrelated to the newer ride using the same name.
The Spindletop was a Rotor style rotating barrel ride. It was installed in 1967. Named for the Spindletop Oil Fields, the ride was originally located at the site that is now the location of the Majestic Theater.
For the 1968 season, it was moved to a location that was then part of Skull Island. In 1969, after the opening of the Tower, the same ride location placed it at site at the end of Tower Slide in the Tower Section. The ride was not moved for the 1969 season, but the tower and slide were placed around it and Skull Island was scaled back.
In 1982, the ride was moved for the second time. It was located at the former site of the Texas Astrolift. It was removed after the 1989 season.
New for 1977 was the Spinnakker, an Enterprise Style ride built by Intamin. Located just south of the Tower, the ride was composed of swingin gondolas units in which 1 or 2 guest sat. The ride would start parallel to the ground, where it would start to spin around, similar to carousel. It would spin continuously until the capsules were pointing straight out, parallel to the ground. At that point, the ride’s arm lifted up to a 90 degree angle, so that the riders were spinning up and down, as with a Ferris wheel. The difference with a Ferris wheel, however, is that the ride spun very fast, and when the gondolas reached the top of the circle, the riders were turned upside down.
The spinnaker was a very popular ride at amusement parks. It was a very visual entertainment, especially at night when it was well light.
The Spinnakker was removed and installed at Six Flags Fiesta Texas, where it was dubbed the “Wagon Wheel.”
The Acme Rock-n-Rocket was added in the 2006 season as part one the ten new attractions added for the year. It was located in the Modern Section, next to the Adventure Theater, close to where the Modern Astrolift had stood. Shaped like a cartoon firecracker rocket, the ride is similar to the Conquistador. Unlike the Conquistador, however, the Rock-n-Rocket turned riders completely upside-down as it swung 84-feet in the air and around in a full 360-degree circle. The ride lasted two minutes and thirty seconds. The rocket held up to fifty-riders, for an estimated hourly capacity of 650 riders.
Both the Conquistador and the Rock-n-Rocket were manufactured by Intamin. The Rock-n-Rocket is a Looping Starship style ride. Parts for the ride were relocated from Astroworld when the park was closed. The rocket unit in which the riders sit was manufactured for Six Flags Over Texas.
The ride was removed in 2014 to make room for the Justice League: Battle for Metropolis.
For the park’s twenty-fifth anniversary, the Conquistador, the Flying Ship of Spain was introduced. While technically themed as a Spanish attraction, and situated near the exit to Flume II, the ride was physically located within what had before always been the Mexican section. This placement created a blurring of the sections to the extent that they are sometimes referred to as if they were one section. The ride is a traditional swinging ship ride in which the riders sit facing the center of the boat. The ride is suspended from a structure so that it can swing back and forth like a pendulum. The ride slowly starts to rock back and forth, until it reaches the point where it seems as if it will go completely upside down. As that point, each time the ride reaches the top of either point, the riders experience a moment of weightlessness while the ride changes directions.
The Six Flags Silver Star Carousel opened with the opening of boomtown in 1963. It is tied with the Flume Ride as the fourth oldest attraction in the park, behind the Six Flags Railroad, the Chaparral cars, and Casa Magnetica (and excluding the Crazy Horse Saloon, which is a show). It actually has been open less years than the Log Flume, as it was out of service for three seasons.
DESCRIPTION
The Silver Star is a Sixty-six (66) horse carousel located at the Frontgate of the park. There are four rows of horses, fifty jumpers and sixteen “standers”. (Standers do not move up and down with the ride.)
In addition to the horses, there are two double bench seat “chariots”. The ride does not have menagerie animals.
Neither the brass ring machine, nor the band organ operate and the organ has been removed.
BACKGROUND
The Carousel is a Dentzel, meaning that it was manufactured by the Dentzel Carousel company of Philadelphia. Dentzel was started by Gustav Dentzel who manufactured his first carousel in 1867. He started the first manufacturing company in America which built carousels on a regular full time basis.
Carousel horses at the time were carved from wood by skilled wood carvers. They were each individually crafted. Some of the Six Flags horses actually predate the ride itself and were crafted in 1900.
Gustav Dentzel passed away in 1909 and his son William Dentzel took over the family business. The Six Flags Carousel was manufactured around 1925 or 1926. The Dentzel company was sold to another major ride producer, Philadelphia Toboggan, in 1928.
Some published articles state the Six Flags Carousel was the last Dentzel?s Carousel made. This is considered unconfirmed, since the company operated for at least two years after manufacturing this particular Carousel.
ROCKAWAY PLAYLAND
Prior to being purchased by Six Flags, the Carousel was at the Rockaway Playland on Long Island in New York. Rockaway had owned and operated it since it was bought new from Dentzel. Rockaway Playland closed in 1987.
Six Flags bought the Carousel for approximately $25,000, in 1962, the year before it opened in the park.
BOOMTOWN
The Carousel was originally placed in the Boomtown section of the Park in the current location of the Texas Tornado Swing Ride. It was simply referred to as the “Merry-go-Round” in early park maps and publications.
RESTORATION
The ride was removed from Boomtown in 1985 for restoration, with the hope that it would reopen for the park’s Twenty-fifth anniversary in 1986. The restoration, however, took two years longer than anticipated and the ride did not reopen until 1988.
It took over 30,000 hours of labor to restore the Carousel. The horses were completely rebuilt, with new body parts being created as needed. A coating of fiberglass, and old layers of paint, were stripped off the animals before being repainted.
Two of the original horses are missing and have been replaced.
FRONT GATE
The ride reopened on a raised platform and under a protective roof at the park?s Frontgate. After reopening, the ride was renamed as the Silver Star Carousel.
Located amidst the Park?s Six Flags, entrance to the ride is by a set of stairs which cross over the park’s “dancing waters.”
CURRENT STATE
The ride is now valued at over Five million dollars, and the individual horses are worth between $50,000 and $100,000. Ten years after being restored, some of the Horses are again becoming cracked and looking their age.
Although it is an impressive sight, the ride’s placement at the Frontgate is inconvenient for children wanting to ride the horses. Traditionally, rides are not placed at the front gate of amusement parks due to the congestive nature of front gate areas. Front gate plazas are always crowed with people coming and going. Having a ride in the area only adds to the confusion.
This is particularly true of the Carousel, whose stairs now constitute the majority of seating in the front gate area. Children wanting to ride the ride have to negotiate their way through layers of guests sitting on the stairs waiting on their parties. They then have to negotiate their way down the same steps after exiting the ride.
It is obviously too expensive and unwise to move the ride again. The Park should, however, explore the possibility of moving the entrance/exit to an area behind the Carousel. In this manner the ride would maintain the visual impact it has at the front gate, while at the same time, the congestion problems could be avoided.
OTHER TEXAS DENTZELS
The Carousel at the State Fair grounds in Dallas is also a Dentzel, being manufactured around 1914. The Carousel at Astroworld is an even older Dentzel, manufactured in 1907.
During the early 1970’s when the ride was in boomtown, the Railroad spiel stated that the ride was identical to the one at the Smithsonian Institute. In fact, prior to the bicentennial, the Smithsonian purchased a Dentzel Carousel, but was never able to restore it and make it operational. (Updated information provided by Anthony.)
| Silver Star Horses | |||
| 1 Dentzel | 17 Silver | 31 Casper | 49 Denny |
| 2 Snorty | 18 Den Keeper | 32 Galaxy | 50 White Gold |
| 3 Pegasus | 19 Spot | 33 Grace | 51 Last Chance |
| 4 | 20 | 34 | 52 |
| 5 Sound Wave | 21 Thunder | 35 Pale Rider | 53 Calypso |
| Fluffy the Happy Dragon | 36 Destiny | 54 Melon Ball | |
| 37 Clay Born | 55 Smokey | ||
| 6 Patent Leather | 22 Rex | 38 Double Trouble | 56 Wild Rider |
| 7 Desert Runner | 23 Jumper | 39 Breaker | 57 Lucky Star |
| 8 Curley | 24 Scotty | 40 Cupid | 58 Nice Gem |
| 9 Wild Runner | 25 Olympic | 41 Cyclone | 59 Jello |
| 10 Spike | 26 Grand Runner | 42 Miss Anne | 60 Blue Boy |
| 11 Sun Dancer 2 | 27 Dark Start | 43 Distant Runner | 61 Do Right |
| 12 Native Dancer | 28 Dasher | 44 Daisey | 62 Sleeper |
| Buttercup the Happy Dragon | 45 Feather | 63 Fighter | |
| 46 Blaze | 64 Midnight | ||
| 14 Moon Rider | 29 Porky Pig | 47 Sudden Motion | 65 Wind Rider |
| 15 Cruncher | 30 Ghost | 48 Blondie | 66 Soul Crusher |
| 16 Man a War | |||
Harley Quinn Spinsanity (originally the Crazy Legs) is one of the three villain rides in Gotham City. It is a Trokia style centrifugal force ride manufactured by HUSS Park Attractions.
The ride has three arms that each hold seven ride gondolas. When the ride is running, the arms travel around in a circle, as well as up and down at an angle up to 40-degrees. The units reach a height of thirty feet. As the ride arms rotate, the vehicles spin around the end of each arm. Each gondola holds two guests, for a total of forty-two riders. When run with two minute rides, the hourly capacity is estimated at 900 riders.
The ride was previously installed as the Warp 2000 at Astroworld. It was transferred to Arlington after Astroworld closed in 2005 and was part of the ten new rides opened in 2006. At that time it was named the “Crazy Legs”. It was renamed the Harley Quinn Spinsanity in 2016 as part of Villain Village in Gotham City.
Another ride named the Crazy Legs operated in the park from 1973 to 1982 at a nearby location. This ride is similar to the original Crazy Legs ride. The original ride was, however, a different type of ride.
Section Gotham City
The Batwing is an airplane carousel ride. Riders ride in fourteen small two seat “batplanes” around a base. Each plane as a flight stick to allow the riders to raise and lower the plane as the ride runs. The planes rotate at six rpm for a ride time of one minute and forty-five second. Around 700 riders can ride an hour.
The ride is a Telecombat style ride from Zamperla. The Batwing units are customized for Six Flags.
Section Gotham City
The Catwomen Whip is one of three villain rides in Gotham City. It was installed in 2016.
The ride is 65.6 feet in diameter. It is 13 feet tall when not operating and 68.5 feet when fully elevated. It rotates at 14 rpm, with a maximum acceleration of 3 gs.
Zamperla manufacturers the ride.
The ride holds 48 guests in suspended seats mounted on a circular structure. The ride starts by spinning around. As it does the seats wing out sideways from the structure. The ride structure then starts to rise up perpendicular to the ground, in the style of a Ferris Wheel. As it does, the units continue to spin around it, turning completely upside down as it spins. After a few moments, the ride slows and returns to its starting point.
The ride is similar to the “Enterprise” style ride Spinnaker, which was previously in the park. The Spinnanker, however, used enclosed gondolas for ride units and not suspended seats.
Section Gotham City
The Riddler Revenge is one of three Villain rides in the Gotham City section.
The ride is a swinging disk that travels 147 feet into the air. The disk swings back and forth while it spins counter-clockwise. The ride structure is 90 feet tall. At its highest, the disk swings out 120 degrees, 30 degrees above perpendicular to the ground. The disk obtains speeds of up to 70 mph. The ride seats 40 riders.
