Six Flags Darien Lake
Six Flags Darien Lake is a resort located in Darien, New York that features a theme park, water park, campground and lodging. It is owned by EPR Properties and operated by Six Flags.
History
Darien Lake Fun Country
In 1954, Darien Lake was excavated and filled. The lake was a popular swimming destination for many years. In 1964, investor Paul Snyder acquired a 164-acre parcel of land bordering the lake and opened a small 23-site campground and picnic area. Snyder continued acquiring more land eventually increasing his holdings to almost 1,000 acres of land which included seven lakes, the largest of which was Darien Lake. He stocked one of the smaller lakes, Trout Pond, with fish, increased the number of campsites and added activities for resort guests such as a small petting zoo, horseback and pony rides, paddleboats, skateboarding, tennis courts and miniature golf. From the late 70s and into the early 80s, Snyder added more attractions, including a set of water slides on a hill near the park's entrance called Rainbow Mountain, creating an amusement park he named Darien Lake Fun Country. Snyder made a deal with HUSS Park Attractions, turning Darien Lake into the North American showcase for the German manufacturer's new rides. Through this deal, the park acquired rides such as the Pirate, Ranger, Thrillbilly and the Corn Popper, for use in the park and to give HUSS a location to display them to potential US and Canadian buyers. In 1982, the newly merged Arrow Huss built and opened the park's first major roller coaster, Viper.Funtime Parks
In 1983, Snyder sold a 50% stake in the park to Funtime Inc., which also owned Geauga Lake and Wyandot Lake Park. The Fun Country was dropped from the name, and Funtime brought in some major improvements. Funtime's first purchase was the Vekoma-built Giant Wheel Ferris wheel, the showcase of the 1982 World's Fair in Knoxville, Tennessee and the largest in the United States at the time, which was permanently installed in the park's center. Although no longer the largest in the country, the Giant Wheel is still in operation today. Entertainment was also added to the park, with the construction of the Tops Jubilee Theater, the Lakeside Amphitheater, a large-scale concert stage on the south side of the main lake, presenting big-name acts including The Who, Alice Cooper, and Black Sabbath and Cinema 2000, a wide-angle movie theatre in the back of the park. In the mid-to late 1980s, there was Splashmania, a water skiing show located on Fun Lake. The improvements continued throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, with the addition of a themed kids area, Adventure Land for Kids in 1988 and in 1989 Grizzly Run replaced a kids ride area that was located where a skatepark was. In 1990, six new slides were added to the back of the water slide complex and the area became known as Barracuda Bay and an extra charge was added to the waterpark as well a new locker area, food complex, shopping area and changing rooms. Following the success of a new wooden rollercoaster at Geauga Lake in 1988, Funtime contracted Dinn & Summers to build a new wooden coaster for Darien. The Predator roller coaster opened in May 1990. Around this time, Paul Snyder, sold his remaining share of the park to Funtime, turning over all control to them. In 1992, a new style of entertainment debuted on the midway between Barracuda Bay and the Giant Wheel, a laser light show called Laser Light Fantasy, which included laser graphics and fireworks. The show was permanently installed in the Lakeside Amphitheater the following year, while concert events were moved to the new Darien Lake Performing Arts Center, which could hold nearly four times as many guests. In 1994, the old Rainbow Mountain waterslides were replaced with a new set called 'Cuda Falls and waterpark became included with park admission.Premier Parks/Six Flags
In 1995, growing regional park chain Premier Parks bought Funtime and its three parks. Premier dove right into changes and additions. In 1995, Skycoaster opened located over Fun Lake. In 1996, Adventure Land was replaced by Popeye's Seaport with all new kiddie rides like a Ferris wheel made to look like barrels, a hand-cranked train ride, a submarine ride, a ship themed play place, and a food stand and restrooms in the then new kiddie area in an area that was occupied by miniature golf course. A new miniature golf course opened behind the then-new kiddie area near Viper which replaced the old golf course. Also a waterpark expansion with new attractions took place in 1996 and 1997 with Hook's Lagoon the Crocodile Isle wave pool took over Adventure Land's old location by Elk Lake with new changing rooms and a food stand were built, and a bridge was built to connect the Barracuda Bay slides with the then new water park area and a boat tag game was added to the midway. Three of the old Adventure Land rides were moved to another part of the park as the Tiny Trio in 1997. From 1996-1999, Premier would also install a new roller coaster each year, Nightmare at Phantom Cave in 1996, Mind Eraser in 1997, in 1998 and Superman Ride of Steel in 1999. Nightmare was removed in 1998 and relocated to sister park The Great Escape. In 1998, Premier purchased Six Flags Theme Parks and began to rebrand its own parks as Six Flags. In May 1999, Six Flags Darien Lake opened under its new name, with a few major changes. Premier brought Six Flags' own character base, Looney Tunes and DC Comics, into the parks, renaming Popeye's Seaport to Looney Tunes Seaport, added a show in the vacant former Nightmare at Phantom Cave building called the Batman Thrill Spectacular and Hydro Force, Pipeline Plunge, Riptide Run and Torpedo Rapids were removed from Barracuda Bay and Scrambler replaced Cinema 2000. The midway stage was added to replace the boat tag game and The Emporium gift shop opened in Lasso's old location, Crazy Quilt was removed and replaced with Lasso. Premier Parks formed in 2000, assuming the name "Six Flags Inc." and adding new attractions. The next major attractions installed the Twister in 2000 and Shipwreck Falls in 2002, replacing the old Cascade Canyon water slides on the east side of Barracuda Bay as well as Slingshot behind the 'Cuda Falls water slides; and the Tornado in 2005.Troubled times
2006 was a year of turmoil for Six Flags and its parks. For the 2006 season, Six Flags moved the Big Kahuna, a family-sized waterslide, from Six Flags AstroWorld to Darien Lake and also moved the Batman The Escape roller coaster from Astroworld into storage at Darien Lake, with possible plans to build it. They also added an opportunity to meet with the entire Justice League at the park. Only a month into the season, however, Six Flags began pulling back the Justice League from Darien Lake and announced Darien Lake, along with eight other parks, was being considered for sale. Many parks throughout the chain, not just those for sale, also experienced numerous changes and cutbacks throughout the summer. In October 2006, after shortened operating hours and seasons, Six Flags officially announced the parks were being offered for sale as a package. Paul Snyder stated in a radio interview he would have considered purchasing Darien Lake from Six Flags if they allowed the parks to be sold individually. In January 2007, Six Flags announced a potential sale of seven of the parks to a new company, PARC 7F. Six Flags chose to retain two parks it had originally considered for sale.PARC Management (2007-2010)
In April 2007, Six Flags completed the sale of Darien Lake and six other parks to PARC Management. Upon completion of the sale, PARC entered into a fifty-year contract with CNL Income Properties, under which CNL purchased the properties from and lease them back to PARC for operation. Because of the timing of the final sale with respect to the park's opening, PARC was unable to make any major changes for the 2007 season. The biggest changes for the season were the addition of an all-new show, Le Grande Cirque, which replaced the Batman Thrill Spectacular, and the removal of all Six Flags-, Looney Tunes- and DC Comics-themed signage and references. In 2008, the park debuted the Orange County Choppers MotoCoaster, its first launched rollercoaster. A Zamperla Motocoaster coaster, it was the prototype that had been running outside Zamperla's factory in Italy. PARC pledged to lower admission prices that had risen under Six Flags ownership. Floodgate Falls was closed. In March 2010, Darien Lake expanded its current waterpark to Splashtown at Darien Lake, a new lazy river called Flotation Station, Swirl City slide complex and a kiddie wave pool called Lazy Days Lagoon. 2010 also brought about some minor park changes such as Viper being repainted with a black track, The Predator getting new trains and the addition of the Critter Chase in Adventure Isle replacing Raft Adventure. CNL subsequently announced that it had reached an agreement to terminate PARC's lease of Darien Lake and up to 17 other locations. The move was made after, according to their 2010 SEC filings, PARC defaulted on their lease obligations.Herschend Family Entertainment (2011-2014)
In 2011, Herschend Family Entertainment assumed day-to-day operation and management of Darien Lake and Elitch Gardens. Rowdy's Ridge opened in 2012 with several family rides. For the 2013 season, Blast Off was placed in the newly rethemed Waterfront Boardwalk area, which included major renovations to rides like the Grand Carousel and the Giant Wheel, along with some new dining options. Laserblast received new improvements and was rebranded Ignite the Night. UFO and the 'Cuda Falls waterslides were closed and removed. The Scrambler ride returned after two years in storage.Premier Parks, LLC (2014-2018)
Herschend Family Entertainment's lease ended after the 2014 season and was taken over by Premier Parks, LLC. New rides installed during this period include Rolling Thunder, a 72-foot Larson 22M Giant Loop; Brain Drain, a set of two body slides that drops riders through a trapdoor at high speeds; and Ripcurl Racer, a six-lane Proslide Kracken Racer.EPR Properties and Six Flags (2017-present)
Following the 2016 season, CNL Lifestyle sold Darien Lake and 14 other amusement parks to EPR Properties. The park continued to be leased and operated by Premier Parks, with no immediate change in operations or staffing. Tantrum, a Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter coaster, opened for the 2018 season. Starting with the 2018 season, Six Flags Entertainment Corporation acquired lease rights to operate the park, with the park remaining under the ownership of EPR Properties. Six Flags SkyScreamer, a Funtime Star Flyer, opened for the 2019 season. During this season, the park reverted to the Six Flags Darien Lake branding. For the 2020 season, it was announced that Wahoo Wave, a ProSlide waterslide, would be added to the newly re-named and re-themed Hurricane Harbor WaterPark.Current rides and attractions
Roller coasters
Flat and vertical rides
Many of the rides manufactured by Huss Park Attractions were installed as part of a deal with Huss to use Darien Lake as a North American showcase for Huss's new rides in the early 1980s.| Ride | Opened | Manufacturer | Description |
| Bear Valley Bumper Buggies | 1981 | DUCE Ride Manufacturers | A traditional Bumper Cars attraction. Guests drive around in one direction. |
| Blast Off | 2013 | S&S Power Space Shot design | A Drop Tower ride relocated from Alabama Adventure, which closed in 2011. Stands on the former spot of the Raging Seas. |
| Corn Popper | 1982 | HUSS | An original Swing Around. Part of the Huss showcase. This ride was called Rodeo Round Up when the park was owned by Six Flags. The name was changed back to Corn Popper in 2010. |
| Giant Wheel | 1983 | Vekoma | A tall ferris wheel. It was originally part of the 1982 World's Fair in Knoxville, Tennessee and was the tallest in the United States when constructed. |
| Grande Carousel | 1981 | International Amusement Devices | A traditional carousel. It received a large refurbishment before the start of the 2013 season. |
| Haymaker | 1981 | Heintz Fahtze | A Paratrooper-style ride, the only one of its kind. |
| Lasso | 1981 | Zierer | A traditional wave swinger ride. Lasso was previously located where the Emporium currently stands. It is now located where Crazy Quilt once stood. |
| Pirate | 1981 | HUSS | A swinging pirate ship ride on the edge of Fun Lake. It was installed as part of the HUSS showcase. |
| Rolling Thunder | 2015 | Larson International | A Larson Giant Loop model which is located on the former site of UFO. |
| Scrambler | 1999 | Eli Bridge | A standard scrambler ride that originally opened in 1999. It was removed before the 2012 season to make way for the Rowdy's Ridge family area. The ride remained in storage until the middle of the 2014 season, when it returned in a new location next to The Predator. |
| Silver Bullet | 1981 | Heintz Fahtze | The only Enterprise manufactured by Heintz Fahtze in operation. |
| Six Flags SkyScreamer | 2019 | Funtime | A Funtime Starflyer model that swings riders 242 feet high in the air at 35 mph. It is set to open at Darien Lake in 2019 under its new Six Flags branding. |
| Sleighride | 1981 | Mack Rides | A Petersburger Schlittenfahrt type ride. |
| Tin Lizzies | 1981 | Arrow Dynamics | An antique car ride. |
Kiddie Rides: Beaver Brothers Bay and Rowdy's Ridge
Adventure Land for Kids contained all kiddie rides from 1988 through 1996 when it was replaced by Beaver Brothers Bay with all new rides, exclusively from Zamperla. The Tiny Trio was a set of older kiddie rides from Adventure Land located near Mind Eraser. In 2012, the trio was expanded into Rowdy's Ridge. The Bay is located on an island surrounded by the midway originally formed by Treasure Island Mini-Golf.| Name | Opened | Manufacturer/Model | Description |
| Beaver Dam Explorer | 1996 | Zamperla Crazy Bus | Themed as a Submarine. Formerly called "S.S. Popeye, "Daffy's Diver" and "Dipsy Diver". |
| Bucky's Barrels | 1996 | Zamperla Sun & Moon | Barrel themed Mini Ferris wheel, formerly called "Olive's Barrels of Fun", Michigan J Frog's "Ferris Wheel" and "Barrels of Fun". |
| Chucky's Mud Buckets | 1996 | Zamperla Mini Tea Cup | Teacups style ride themed as open aluminum spinach cans. Formerly called "Spinach Spinnaker", "Bugs' Carrot Cans" and "Twisty Tubs". |
| Critter Chase | 2010 | Zamperla Mini Jet | An animal themed ride where the rider makes the animal go up down manually. It originally operated from 1988 until 1997. The ride returned in 2010 to Beaver Brothers Bay. |
| Darien Lake Railway | 1996 | Zamperla Rio Grande | A small train ride that goes on a figure eight track Formerly called Rabbit Transit, Darien Lake Express and Anchors Away Railway |
| Hornet's Nest | 2012 | Larson Rides Flying Scooters | A Flying Scooters ride where guests are able to control the flight pattern of their vehicle. |
| Moose on the Loose | 2012 | Metallbau Pony Trek | Riders ride a runaway moose through multiple scenes. |
| Raccoon Rally | 1981 | Kiddie Bumper Cars | Has been relocated several times. Formerly known as Dodgems. |
| Rowdy's Heave Ho | 2012 | HEEGE Tower | Guests pull themselves up a tower and then drop down. |
| Tree Stump Turnpike | 1996 | Zamperla Convoy | Formerly called Foghorn's Coastal Delivery, Monster Trucks and Brutus' Monster Trucks. |
| Wally's Weather Balloons | 1996 | Zamperla Samba Balloon | A Samba Balloon ride. Formerly called Seaport Weather Balloons, Weather Balloons and Up Up and Ahoy. |
| Woody's Whirlers | 1996 | Zamperla Mini Swings | A mini swing ride for small children that was formerly named Taz Twister, Whirlwind and Swee' Pea's Swings. |
Upcharge attractions
These attractions are not included in the admission price. The cost varies for each attraction.| Name | Opened | Description |
| Midway Marina | Guests can rent a paddle boat and paddle across Fun Lake. | |
| Red Hawk | 1995 | A Sky coaster ride that hoists riders to and releases them in a swinging motion. This attraction was originally named Skycoaster. In 2013, the name changed to Red Hawk. |
| Slingshot | 2002 | A reverse bungee model that is located at the front of the park. It's the tallest attraction at Darien Lake at. |
| Grand Prix Speedway | 1987 | A go-kart track. |
Water rides
This list does not include the water rides at Darien Lake's water park.| Ride | Opened | Manufacturer | Description |
| Grizzly Run | 1989 | Intamin | A river rapids ride. |
| Shipwreck Falls | 2002 | Intamin | A Shoot the Chute ride. |
Entertainment
All show venues listed here are included with price of admission.| Name | Recent Shows | Comments |
| Galaxy Theatre | Nik Wallenda: Beyond the Falls, Sea Lion Splash, Survivor Live!, Cirque Nouveau, Le Grande Cirque, Batman Thrill Spectacular | Building originally housed Nightmare at Phantom Cave, an indoor roller coaster. Was called the Gotham City Theatre while holding the Batman Thrill Spectacular show during the Six Flags era. This venue was closed for the 2012 and 2013 seasons with the exception of the building being temporarily used in 2013 during Kingdom Bound and for a haunted attraction during Fright Fest. |
| Beaver Brothers Bay Showplace | Backstage variety Show, The Wizard's Apprentice, Character Tales, Multiple shows in 2013, Beaver Mania & Beaver Fever Dance Party, Thomas & Friends Full Steam Ahead Live!, Bob the Builder Let's Recycle, Bob the Builder Live, An Alarming Adventure, Blake Daring's Storybook Adventure, Bugs Bunny Goes Hollywood | Features shows for families and children. Located in Beaver Brothers Bay. |
| Grande Theatre | Aaron Radatz Illusion Show, American Pop, American Rock, World of Magic, Multiple shows in 2012 and 2013 including Street Beat and the Aaron Radatz Illusion Show, Legends of Rock, RockNation! Don't Stop Believin, RockNation!, Rhythmnicity, The Magic of Cliff Hopkins & Kelly, Totally Pop, America: State of Rhythm, American Pop, Radioactive, Broadway Rhythm | Opened as the Tops Jubilee Theatre in 1980, has also been named Tops Palace Theatre. |
| The Lakeside Amphitheatre | Ignite the Night: COLORBLAST, Ignite the Night, LaserBlast!, LaserLight Reality, LaserLight Fantasy | The Lakeside Amphitheatre used to be the home of major concerts and other events until the 90s when the Performing Arts Center opened. It also held several concerts that were free to Darien Lake guests. Now, it is the place for the nightly Laser Show and has been since 1992. |
| The Gazebo Stage | Hypnotist Tammy Barton, Multiple shows in 2012 and 2013 such as Hypnotist Tammy Barton, Jump, Jive and Swing, Midway Dance Party Blow Out, The Heart Of Country, Country Unleashed, And The Answer Is!, Keepin' the Beat, Rockin' Country, Bahama Boys/Street Pop | Outdoor stage in the midway. Sometimes holds special events such as karaoke. |
Fright Fest
The original Six Flags Fright Fest was an annual event held at the end of the operating season from 1998-2006, which celebrated Halloween. Fright Fest added new areas to the park and different shows than the regular season When the park was sold to PARC Management in 2007, the event was rebranded as "Fall Family Fun Fest," adding family oriented areas such as hay mazes and pumpkin painting in addition to the haunted house. During this event, admission to the park was free, with individual charges for each ride and attraction. A re-branded FrightFest returned in 2008 with similar elements to the former Six Flags Fright Fest and additional new elements such as the Fright Night Field Trip, a bus ride through the haunted campgrounds. The Haunted House and the Trick or Treat Trail also returned from previous years. Fright Fest was removed from Darien Lake in 2015 and replaced by Harvest Fest. The Halloween-themed event is scheduled to return to Darien Lake in 2018 under the Six Flags branding. Recently, Darien Lake reintroduced Fright Fest with Six Flags' management.Harvest Fest
As of 2015, Darien Lake replaced their fall events with a more family-friendly event named Harvest Fest. Although this idea was attempted before with Fall Family Fun Fest, here rides were included with admission and less focus was put on scary attractions. Instead of upcharge haunts, hay rides and crafts for children were included with admission. Food trucks, craft beers and other vendors were made available to offset lower staffing during the offseason. Also, the schedule of the season was shortened to end in September, rather than the end of October.Former attractions
Past entertainment
Former entertainment venues within the park.| Name | Closed | Type | Description |
| Big Top Circus | 1996 | Circus show | Located in Adventure Land. |
| Cinema 2000 | 1999 | 3D cinema | Located where Rowdy's Ridge currently stands. |
| 50's Bandstand | Music show | Located where the queue line for Predator is now. | |
| Splashmania | Water ski show | A water ski show on Fun Lake. The pole that was used by the divers is still in the lake. |
Other on-site entities
Lodge on the Lake Hotel
In 1998, Premier Parks made a major investment to the property with the park's first on-site hotel, designed with a North Woods theme. The $12 million Lodge on the Lake Hotel opened with 161 hotel rooms, two suites and an outdoor heated pool. A few months later, the similarly themed Beaver Brothers Cafe opened as a full-service restaurant offering breakfast, lunch and dinner.Campgrounds
The campground and picnic area offers campsites, approximately half of which are equipped with park-owned RVs; cabins; a general store; two restaurants; and a gift shop.Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
The Darien Lake Performing Arts Center is an outdoor music venue on the park grounds.Laser Stage
Concerts were formerly held at the Laser Stage, also known as the Lakeside Amphitheater. A pool was added in front of the stage as part of the Ignite the Night laser show.Incidents
- On July 26, 1987, lightning killed three campers sleeping in tents on the campground.
- On May 16, 1999, a 365 lb guest who had been unable to properly secure his lap bar was ejected from Superman – Ride of Steel as the car went over a camel-hump hill. He fell approximately, sustaining serious injuries. He was awarded US$3.95 million in damages. Seatbelts and an extra brake segment before the final hill were added to the coaster after the incident.
- On September 6, 2009, the body of William Sutherland, a Pennsylvania resident who had been reported missing the day before, was found in a park lake.
- On July 8, 2011, James Hackemer, an Iraq War veteran who had lost both legs in a 2008 roadside bomb attack, fell to his death from the Ride of Steel. The accident was attributed to operator error.