Six Flags Darien Lake
Six Flags Darien Lake is a 1,200-acre amusement park and resort located in Darien Center, New York. Six Flags Darien Lake features an amusement park, a water park, a campground, and lodging. It is owned by EPR Properties and operated by Six Flags.
History
Paul Snyder
In 1954, Darien Lake was excavated and filled. The lake had already been 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. This land 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 1970s and into the early 1980s, Snyder added more attractions, including a set of water slides on a hill near the park's entrance called Rainbow Mountain, officially creating an amusement park, which at the time was called 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 offered HUSS a location to display rides to potential American and Canadian buyers, and acquired rides such as Pirate, Ranger, Thrillbilly, and Corn Popper. 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 at the time. The park's name was shortened to simply Darien Lake, and Funtime began to introduce several major improvements and attractions. Funtime's first addition was the Vekoma-built Ferris wheel, which had previously been showcased at the 1982 World's Fair in Knoxville, Tennessee, and was the largest in the United States at the time. Live entertainment was also brought to the park, with the construction of the Tops Jubilee Theater, and the Lakeside Amphitheater, which was a large concert stage on the south side of the main lake. It presented many well-known acts, including The Who, Alice Cooper, and Black Sabbath. Cinema 2000, a wide-angle movie theatre, was also installed in the back of the park.In the late 1980s, a water skiing show called Splashmania, was featured on Fun Lake. The improvements continued throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, with the 1988 addition of a themed kids area, Adventure Land for Kids, and the 1989 addition of the Grizzly Run river rapids ride. In 1990, six new water slides were added to the water park, and the water park was officially named Hurricane Harbor |Barracuda Bay]. It now required an extra admission fee to enter, and several common water park amenities were added. Following the success of the Dinn Corporation-built Raging Wolf Bobs at Geauga Lake in 1988, Funtime contracted the company to build a new wooden coaster for Darien Lake. The Predator roller coaster opened in May 1990 and was met with praise. Around this time, Paul Snyder, sold his remaining share of the park to Funtime, turning over all control of it to them.
In 1992, a laser light show called Laser Light Fantasy debuted, including laser graphics and fireworks. In 1993, this show was permanently moved to the Lakeside Amphitheater, while concert events were moved to the new and larger Darien Lake Performing Arts Center. In 1994, the old Rainbow Mountain water slides were replaced with a new slide complex known as 'Cuda Falls, and Barracuda Bay dropped its extra admission charge, becoming included with base park admission.
Premier Parks/Six Flags
In 1995, growing regional park chain Premier Parks bought Funtime, Inc. and its three parks. Upon taking control of Darien Lake, Premier dove right into changes and additions. In 1995, Skycoaster opened, located over Fun Lake. In 1996, Adventure Land for Kids was replaced by Popeye's Seaport, with all-new kiddie rides, including a miniature Ferris wheel, a hand-cranked train ride, a submarine ride, a play place, and several live-action children's shows, as well as several amenities. A new miniature golf course opened behind the then-new kiddie area near Viper, which replaced the old course.A water park expansion took place through 1996 and 1997 with the Hook's Lagoon children's area and the Crocodile Isle wave pool, as well as many new food locations and improved pathways between sections of the park and new midway game offerings. Three former Adventure Land for Kids rides were moved to another part of the park as the Tiny Trio in 1997. From 1996 to 1999, Premier would also install a new roller coaster each year: the enclosed Nightmare At Phantom Cave in 1996, the inverted The Mind Eraser in 1997, the shuttle Boomerang: Coast to Coaster in 1998, and the Superman – Ride of Steel hypercoaster in 1999.
Nightmare At Phantom Cave was removed in 1998 and relocated to sister park Great Escape and Hurricane Harbor|Great Escape]. In 1998, Premier purchased Six Flags and began to rebrand its own parks with the Six Flags name. In May 1999, Six Flags Darien Lake opened under its new name, with several major changes. Premier brought Six Flags' accessible IPs, Looney Tunes and DC Comics, into the parks. Popeye's Seaport was rethemed to Looney Tunes Seaport, a show called Batman Thrill Spectacular was added to the vacant Nightmare At Phantom Cave building, and four water slides were removed from Barracuda Bay. The Cinema 2000 theater was replaced by a Scrambler ride, a new midway stage was added, and a new gift shop opened. The Crazy Quilt Calypso ride was removed and replaced with the Lasso Wave Swinger ride. Premier Parks took on the name Six Flags Inc. in 2000, and continued adding new attractions. The next major attractions installed were the Twister Top Spin ride in 2000, and the Shipwreck Falls shoot-the-chutes ride in 2002, the latter of which replaced the old Cascade Canyon water slides and Slingshot. The Tornado water slide was added to Barracuda Bay in 2005.
Troubled times
2006 was a year of turmoil for Six Flags and its parks as the company began to struggle with debt. For the 2006 season, Six Flags moved Big Kahuna, a family water slide, from recently-closed Six Flags AstroWorld to Barracuda Bay, and brought the Batman The Escape roller coaster from Six Flags AstroWorld to store at Darien Lake, with plans to install it there at a later date. Only a month into the 2006 season, however, Six Flags began pulling back the DC theming from Six Flags Darien Lake, and announced that the park, along with eight other parks, was being considered for sale.In October 2006, after a season of shortened operating hours, 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 Six Flags Darien Lake from Six Flags if they allowed the parks to be sold individually. In January 2007, Six Flags announced a sale of seven of the eight parks to PARC Management. Six Flags chose to retain one of the parks it had originally offered for sale.
PARC Management/CNL Lifestyle (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 Lifestyle for lease of the park.Because of the timing of the final sale with respect to the park's opening, PARC Management was unable to make any major changes for the 2007 season. The only changes for the season were the addition of a new show, Le Grande Cirque, which replaced Batman Thrill Spectacular, and the removal of all Six Flags, Looney Tunes, and DC Comics signage and references, including in the park's name, which reverted to simply Darien Lake again. Notably, the Looney Tunes Seaport children's area was renamed to Adventure Isle. In 2008, the park debuted Orange County Choppers MotoCoaster, its first launched rollercoaster and the first Zamperla Motocoaster in the United States. PARC Management also pledged to lower admission prices that had risen under Six Flags ownership. The Floodgate Falls slide closed after the 2008 season.
In March 2010, Darien Lake renamed Barracuda Bay to Splashtown at Darien Lake, and began a large expansion of the water park, installing several new attractions and repainting the 'Cuda Falls complex. Among these new attractions were a lazy river called Flotation Station, the Swirl City four-slide complex, and a kiddie wave pool called Lazy Days Lagoon. 2010 also saw some minor park changes, such as Viper being repainted, The Predator receiving new trains, and the addition of the Critter Chase Balloon Race ride in the Beaver Brothers Bay children's area, replacing the Raft Adventure kiddie ride.
CNL Lifestyle announced in early 2011 that it had reached an agreement to terminate PARC Management's lease of Darien Lake and up to 17 other locations. According to their 2010 SEC filings, the move was made after PARC Management defaulted on their lease obligations.
Herschend/CNL Lifestyle (2011-2014)
In 2011, Herschend assumed day-to-day operation and management of Darien Lake and Elitch Gardens Theme Park, another park previously owned by PARC Management. The new Rowdy's Ridge children's area opened in 2012 with several family rides.For the 2013 season, the Blast Off drop tower was installed in the newly-rethemed Waterfront Boardwalk area. 2013 also saw major renovations to rides like Grand Carousel and Giant Wheel, along with new dining options. Laserblast received several improvements and was rebranded to Ignite the Night. The UFO ride and the 'Cuda Falls waterslides were removed, and the Scrambler ride returned after two years in storage.
Premier Parks, LLC (2014-2018)
Herschend's lease ended after the 2014 season, and was subsequently taken over by Premier Parks, LLC. New rides installed during this period include Rolling Thunder, a 72-foot Larson Loop; Brain Drain, two dropping body water slides; and Ripcurl Racer, a six-lane racing water slide. 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 roller coaster, opened for the 2018 season, the park's first new coaster in 10 years.Six Flags/EPR Properties (2018-present)
In May 2018, Six Flags acquired rights to operate the park once more, with the park remaining under the ownership of EPR Properties. For the 2019 season, the park reinstated the Six Flags Darien Lake branding, though it did not bring back the Looney Tunes or DC theming. SkyScreamer, a Funtime Star Flyer, was installed during this season as well. For the 2020 season, it was announced that Wahoo Wave, a ProSlide Technology TornadoWAVE slide, would be added to the newly renamed Hurricane Harbor water park.Although the installation of Wahoo Wave was successful, the park did not open in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the exception of the campgrounds. On September 11, 2020, the park announced that all season passes and tickets purchased for the 2020 season would be carried over to the 2021 season. The park reopened in 2021.
Current rides and attractions
Roller coasters
Thrill rides
Upcharge rides
Family rides
Many of the rides manufactured by HUSS Park Attractions were installed as part of a deal with HUSS to use Six Flags Darien Lake as a North American showcase for HUSS's new rides in the early 1980s.| Ride | Opened | Manufacturer | Model | Description |
| Bear Valley Bumper Buggies | 1981 | DUCE Ride Manufacturers | Bumper cars | Riders steer their cars in any direction across the rectangular floor, bumping other cars out of their way. |
| Corn Popper | 1982 | HUSS Park Attractions | Swing Around | The ride rotates in a circle as its arms swing out and retract. It was renamed Rodeo Round Up when the park was owned by Six Flags, but the name was restored to Corn Popper in 2010. Part of the HUSS showcase. |
| Grand Carousel | 1981 | International Amusement Devices | Carousel | A traditional carousel. It received a large refurbishment before the start of the 2013 season. |
| Haymaker | 1981 | Heinz Fähtz | Paratrooper | A Paratrooper-style ride, the only one of its kind by its manufacturer. Features ten umbrella-covered cars that rotate counter-clockwise on a hydraulically-powered arm. During the ride, the arm raises to a 45-degree angle. |
| Hornet's Nest | 2012 | Larson International | Flying Scooters | Consists of ride vehicles suspended from arms attached to a center post. When in operation, a motor causes the arms to spin, with centrifugal forces causing the ride vehicles to fly outwards. Riders can control the movement of their vehicles with a rudder. |
| Lasso | 1981 | Zierer | Wave Swinger | A swing ride that lifts and undulates. Lasso was previously located where the Emporium currently stands. It is now located where Crazy Quilt once stood. |
| Moose on the Loose | 2012 | Metallbau | Pony Trek | Riders sit atop a runaway moose through multiple comedic scenes. |
| Pirate | 1981 | HUSS Park Attractions | Pirate ship | A large pirate-themed boat suspended from an A-frame structure. The boat swings back and forth until it achieves a height of 60 feet and is at a 75-degree angle from its initial resting position, giving riders the sensation of weightlessness. Located at the edge of Fun Lake. Part of the HUSS showcase. |
| Scrambler | 1999 | Eli Bridge Company | Scrambler | Riders are seated in small carriages clustered together and connected by beams at the top to a central point. The clustered vehicles are spun in one direction, while the ride as a whole spins in the opposite direction. It was removed before the 2012 season to make way for the Rowdy's Ridge children's area. The ride remained in storage until the 2014 season, when it returned in a new location next to The Predator. |
| Sleighride | 1981 | Mack Rides | Matterhorn | Consists of a number of cars attached to axles that swing in and out. The hill and valley shape of the ride causes a pronounced swinging motion. The faster the ride goes, the more dramatic the swinging motion. |
| Tin Lizzy's | 1981 | Arrow Dynamics | Antique cars | An antique car ride. |
Water rides
Kiddie rides
The first children's area at the park, Adventure Land for Kids, opened in 1988. In 1996, it was replaced by Popeye's Seaport, which saw several name changes as the park switched ownership. It was renamed to Looney Tunes Seaport in 1999, and again to Adventure Isle in 2010. It was eventually renamed to Beaver Brothers Bay, a name it still retains today. Beaver Brothers Bay is located on an island originally home to Treasure Island Golf. It is surrounded by the midway.For a time, three kiddie rides known as the "Tiny Trio" that had been salvaged from the removal of Adventure Land for Kids, were located near The Mind Eraser. In 2012, this area was further expanded into a new children's area called Rowdy's Ridge.
| Name | Opened | Area | Manufacturer | Model | Description |
| Beaver Dam Explorer | 1996 | Beaver Brothers Bay | Zamperla | Crazy Bus | Themed to a submarine. Formerly called S.S. Popeye, Daffy's Diver, and Dipsy Diver. |
| Bucky's Barrels | 1996 | Beaver Brothers Bay | Zamperla | Sun & Moon | Barrel-themed miniature Ferris wheel. Formerly called Olive's Barrels of Fun, Michigan J. Frog's Ferris Wheel, and Barrels of Fun. |
| Chucky's Mud Buckets | 1996 | Beaver Brothers Bay | Zamperla | Mini Tea Cup | A miniature teacups ride. Formerly called Spinach Spinnaker, Bugs' Carrot Cans, and Twisty Tubs. |
| Critter Chase | 2010 | Rowdy's Ridge | Zamperla | Mini Jet | An animal-themed ride where the rider manually controls the movement of their animal. It originally operated from 1988 to 1997. The ride returned in 2010. |
| Darien Lake Railway | 1996 | Beaver Brothers Bay | Zamperla | Miniature train | A small miniature train ride. Formerly called Muscle Junction, Elmer Fudd's Tiny Tooter Railroad, and Runaway Railway. |
| Moose on the Loose | 2012 | Rowdy's Ridge | Metallbau | Pony Trek | Riders sit atop a runaway moose through multiple comedic scenes. |
| Raccoon Rally | 1981 | Rowdy's Ridge | Unknown | Kiddie Bumper cars | Has been relocated several times. Formerly known as Dodgems. |
| Tree Stump Turnpike | 1996 | Beaver Brothers Bay | Zamperla | Convoy | A convoy of trucks that slowly traverses a winding track. Formerly called Brutus' Monster Trucks, Foghorn's Coastal Delivery, and Monster Trucks. |
| Wally's Weather Balloons | 1996 | Beaver Brothers Bay | Zamperla | Samba Balloon Race | A Samba Balloon Race ride. Formerly called Up Up and Ahoy, Seaport Weather Balloons, and Weather Balloons. |
| Woody's Whirlers | 1996 | Beaver Brothers Bay | Zamperla | Mini Swings | A miniature Wave Swinger ride. Formerly called Swee' Pea's Swings, Taz Twister, and Whirlwind. |
Hurricane Harbor
All water park attractions are included with the base price of admission.Entertainment
All show venues are included with the base price of admission.| Name | Featured shows | Notes |
| 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. |
| Gazebo Stage | 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 events like karaoke. |
| Grande Theatre | Aaron Radatz Illusion Show, American Pop, American Rock, World of Magic, Street Beat, 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, and has also been known as the Tops Palace Theatre. |
| Lakeside Amphitheatre | Laser Light Night Time Spectacular, 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 1990s, when the Performing Arts Center opened. It also held several concerts that were free to park guests. |
Fright Fest
The original Six Flags Fright Fest was an annual Halloween event held at the end of the operating season during weekends in October from 1998 to 2006. Fright Fest featured several themed areas and new live shows When the park was sold to PARC Management in 2007, the event was rebranded to Fall Family Fun Fest, adding family-oriented attractions such as hay mazes and pumpkin painting, in addition to the haunted houses. 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 attractions, such as the Fright Night Field Trip, a bus ride through the campgrounds, which were decorated to appear haunted. FrightFest was removed from the park in 2015 and replaced by Harvest Fest. In 2018, the Six Flags Fright Fest event returned, providing more intense horror attractions alongside the family-friendly Harvest Fest. Harvest Fest did not return after the 2021 season. In 2022, Oktoberfest took its place, featuring German food, beer, and live music.Magic of Lights
In August 2021, the park introduced a Christmas lights display for the 2021 holiday season. The 1.25-mile drive-through holiday light display ran from November 19, 2021, through January 2, 2022. The event was free to season pass holders and did not return the following holiday season.Former attractions
Past entertainment
Former entertainment venues within the park.| Name | Opened | Closed | Type | Description |
| 50's Bandstand | Unknown | Unknown | Music show | Located where the queue for The Predator is now. |
| Big Top Circus | Unknown | 1996 | Circus show | Located in Adventure Land for Kids. |
| Cinema 2000 | Unknown | 1999 | 3D cinema | Located where Rowdy's Ridge is today. |
| Galaxy Theatre | 1999 | Unknown | Theater | Originally housed Nightmare At Phantom Cave, an indoor roller coaster. It was called the Gotham City Theatre while hosting the Batman Thrill Spectacular show. It 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. Featured several shows, including Nik Wallenda: Beyond the Falls, Sea Lion Splash, Survivor Live!, Cirque Nouveau, Le Grande Cirque, and Batman Thrill Spectacular. |
| Splashmania | Unknown | Unknown | 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, featuring 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, half of which are equipped with park-owned RVs and cabins. Amenities located within the campgrounds are in an area called Darien Square, which holds a General Store, two restaurants, a gift shop, an arcade, a lounge, laundry services, and the campground offices.Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
The Darien Lake Performing Arts Center is an outdoor music venue on the park grounds.Lakeside Amphitheater
Concerts were formerly held here, but this amphitheater now houses the park's laser show, Laser Light Night Time Spectacular, and has housed all its previous iterations as well. A pool was added in front of the stage as part of one of the former laser shows.Incidents
- On July 26, 1987, a lightning strike killed three campers sleeping in tents on the campground.
- On May 16, 1999, a 365 lb guest from Olean, New York who had been unable to properly secure his lap bar was ejected from Ride of Steel as the train went over one of its final airtime hills. 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 following a concert at the park, was found in a park lake. His death was unexplained but " not appear to be suspicious."
- On July 8, 2011, James Hackemer, an Iraq War veteran who had lost both legs in a 2008 roadside bomb attack, was ejected from Ride of Steel. The accident was attributed to operator error, as the operators should not have allowed him to ride, because the restraints required passengers to have both legs in order to be restrained safely. Witnesses reported seeing the man let go of the restraint to reach for his hat that had flown off his head before he was ejected, and evidence suggested that he died instantly from blunt force trauma to the head when he came into contact with the front of a ride car. Following this incident, the ride temporarily ceased operation for two weeks before reopening again on July 22.
- On September 30, 2017, several guests on the Silver Bullet ride suffered injuries as the ride came to a stop. The exact cause is unknown, though a park spokesperson said it was not due to a ride malfunction.
- On October 5, 2019, 36-year-old Adam Cassel of Livonia, Michigan, allegedly suffered shoulder and spinal injuries while riding The Predator when his seat's headrest broke during the ride. The victim claimed the headrest was partially broken prior to his boarding the train and that the attendants failed to notice and close off the seat.