Six Flags St. Louis, originally known as Six Flags Over Mid-America, is an
amusement park
An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...
featuring characters and rides from many
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
films and tv shows such as,
Looney Tunes
''Looney Tunes'' is an American Animated cartoon, animated comedy short film series produced by Warner Bros. starting from 1930 to 1969, concurrently with its partner series ''Merrie Melodies'', during the golden age of American animation. ,
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
, and formerly
Scooby-Doo
''Scooby-Doo'' is an American animation, animated media franchise based on an animated television series launched in 1969 and continued through several derivative List of Scooby-Doo media, media. Writers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears created the orig ...
. It is located in
Eureka, Missouri
Eureka is a city located in St. Louis County, Missouri, St. Louis County, Missouri, United States, adjacent to the cities of Wildwood, Missouri, Wildwood and Pacific, Missouri, Pacific, along Interstate 44 in Missouri, Interstate 44. It is in ...
, which is a suburb of
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...
. Owned and operated by
Six Flags
Six Flags Entertainment Corporation is an American amusement park corporation, headquartered in Arlington, Texas. It has properties in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Six Flags owns the most theme parks and waterparks combined of any amu ...
, the park opened on June 5, 1971 as the third of the company's three original theme parks. It is the only one of the original three Six Flags parks to be both owned and operated by Six Flags. (The other two,
Six Flags Over Texas
Six Flags Over Texas is a 212-acre (86 ha) amusement park, in Arlington, Texas, east of Fort Worth, Texas, Fort Worth and west of Dallas, Texas, Dallas. It is the first amusement park in the Six Flags chain, and features themed areas and attracti ...
and
Six Flags Over Georgia
Six Flags Over Georgia is a theme park located in Mableton, Georgia. Opened in 1967, it is the second park in the Six Flags chain following the original Six Flags Over Texas, which opened in 1961.
Six Flags Over Georgia is one of three parks ...
, are owned by
limited partnerships
A limited partnership (LP) is a form of partnership similar to a general partnership except that while a general partnership must have at least two general partners (GPs), a limited partnership must have at least one GP and at least one limited p ...
and operated by Six Flags.) The park was conceived by Six Flags founder
Angus G. Wynne
Angus Gilchrist Wynne Jr. (January 9, 1914 – March 12, 1979) was an American businessman. He was the founder of Wynnewood Shopping Center and community development in Oak Cliff, a residential and commercial district south of downtown Dallas. ...
in the 1960s, although unlike the previous two Six Flags parks, it was designed by the Six Flags company itself rather than architect
Randall Duell
Randall Duell (July 14, 1903 – November 28, 1992) was an American architect and motion picture art director. He designed Magic Mountain theme park in Santa Clarita, California, the original Universal Studio Tours in California, Six Flags ...
, who was preoccupied with designing
AstroWorld at the time. Its layout consists of eight themed areas, each of which contain numerous attractions, dining locations and
live entertainment
Artisan Entertainment (formerly known as U.S.A. Home Video, International Video Entertainment (IVE) and LIVE Entertainment) was an American film studio and home video company. It was considered one of the largest mini-major film studios until ...
. The adjacent Hurricane Harbor
water park
A water park (or waterpark, water world) is an amusement park that features water play areas such as swimming pools, water slides, splash pads, water playgrounds, and lazy rivers, as well as areas for floating, bathing, swimming, and other baref ...
is free with park admission.
Since its original opening in 1971, the park has undergone many changes, most notably of which are the replacement or renaming of all six of the park's original areas in the 1990s, as well as the addition of two new ones.
There are many celebrations and events held year round at the park. Some of the most popular are Fright Fest runs during the Halloween season (usually late September to late October/early November) and features many Halloween decorations and haunted houses. Coca-Cola's Fest takes place July 3–5 and features firework displays. Formerly Holiday in the Park during the Christmas season that ran from November to early January and featured Christmas decorations, music, New Years fireworks, and more.
History
Opening and operation
Plans for a Six Flags park in the St. Louis area were announced on July 16, 1969, which would be called Six Flags Over Mid-America. The park opened on June 5, 1971, the third and last of the three "true" Six Flags parks as envisioned by
Angus G. Wynne
Angus Gilchrist Wynne Jr. (January 9, 1914 – March 12, 1979) was an American businessman. He was the founder of Wynnewood Shopping Center and community development in Oak Cliff, a residential and commercial district south of downtown Dallas. ...
. The park was divided into six uniquely themed sections, the namesake "Six Flags" over Mid-America:
* ''Missouri'' (now 1904 World's Fair), the main entry of the park, themed after the
St. Louis World's Fair of 1904.
* ''U.S.A.'' (replaced by Time Warner Studios in 1995), located in the southeast of the park, with a patriotic theme, after the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
.
*''France'' (now Chouteau's Market), located to the east, adjacent to U.S.A., themed after a colonial French trading post.
*''Spain'' (replaced by DC Comics Plaza in 1997), located in the southwest of the park, with Spanish-themed architecture and restaurants.
*''England'' (now Britannia), located in the northwest of the park, themed after a village in Medieval England.
*''Old Chicago'' (currently known as Illinois), located in the northeast section of the park, themed after the city of Chicago in the early 1900s.
On June 5, 1999, the 12-acre
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor
Hurricane Harbor is a chain of water parks that are part of the Six Flags theme park chain. Although the parks are not identical, common features include a variety of body slides, speed slides, tube slides, wave pools, lazy rivers, and shopping ...
water park opened, adjacent to the main park. At a cost of $17 million, it was the largest single investment in Six Flags St. Louis' history.
In 2014, Six Flags sold 180 acres of unused land to the east of the park to developer McBride & Sons, effectively reducing the total property area of the park from 503 acres to 323 acres. According to the Six Flags 2015 Annual Report, the park now owns 323 acres of land (with 283 acres of land used for the park, plus an additional 40 acres of undeveloped land).
In January 2020, construction began on a renovated entry plaza, removing the original ticket booths that had been at the park since its opening in 1971. Subsequently, in March of the same year, Six Flags St. Louis announced that the opening of their 2020 season would be delayed, due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
.
Areas and attractions
Six Flags St. Louis is divided into eight themed sections, all of which were added after the park's opening or renamed. The park is laid out in a "Duell loop", a design concept that was often used by park designer
Randall Duell
Randall Duell (July 14, 1903 – November 28, 1992) was an American architect and motion picture art director. He designed Magic Mountain theme park in Santa Clarita, California, the original Universal Studio Tours in California, Six Flags ...
.
1904 World's Fair
1904 World's Fair is the main area of the park, named after the
Louisiana Purchase Exposition
The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the St. Louis World's Fair, was an World's fair, international exposition held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, from April 30 to December 1, 1904. Local, state, and federal funds tota ...
in
St. Louis
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
, which ran from April 30 to December 1, 1904. The area features the "Mall of the Mid-Americas", a shopping mall complex that features many foods introduced or present at the fair, as well as buildings themed to the time period of the early 1900s. The area was previously named "Missouri" from the park's opening until 1994 season.
Gateway to the West
Gateway to the West is themed after the old colonial times of the state of Missouri, and features many references to locales and people that have lived in the state. The area opened in 1993, taking over a part of what was formerly the Missouri section of the park.
Chouteau's Market
Chouteau's Market is themed after a French market along the
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
. It is named after
Auguste Chouteau
René-Auguste Chouteau, Jr. (September 7, 1749, or September 26, 1750 – February 24, 1829Beckwith, 8.), also known as Auguste Chouteau, was the founder of St. Louis, Missouri, a successful fur trader and a politician. He and his partner had a mo ...
, the founder of the city of
St. Louis
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
. The area opened in 1993, replacing France. In 2014, the area was expanded to take over a piece of what had formerly been the back of Studio Backlot.
Studio Backlot
Studio Backlot is themed to the
backlot
A backlot is an area behind or adjoining a movie studio containing permanent exterior buildings for outdoor scenes in filmmaking or television productions, or space for temporary set construction.
Uses
Some movie studios build a wide variety of ...
of a
movie studio
A film studio (also known as movie studio or simply studio) is a major entertainment company or motion picture company that has its own privately owned studio facility or facilities that are used to make films, which is handled by the production ...
in
Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood, ...
. The area originally opened in 1995 as "Time Warner Studios", but was renamed "Warner Bros. Backlot" the following year.
In the first couple years, the area featured five interactive movie set experiences based on various
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
films, including ''
Bonnie and Clyde
Bonnie Elizabeth Parker (October 1, 1910May 23, 1934) and Clyde Chestnut (Champion) Barrow (March 24, 1909May 23, 1934) were an American criminal couple who traveled the Central United States with their gang during the Great Depression. The co ...
'', ''
Little Shop of Horrors'' and ''
Maverick
Maverick, Maveric or Maverik may refer to:
History
* Maverick (animal), an unbranded range animal, derived from U.S. cattleman Samuel Maverick
Aviation
* AEA Maverick, an Australian single-seat sportsplane design
* General Aviation Design Bureau ...
'', all of which were retired after the 1997 season. The area's name was changed again to its current name in 2002, though it mostly retains its previous theme.
DC Comics Plaza
DC Comics Plaza celebrates the worlds of
DC Entertainment
DC Entertainment is an American entertainment company that was founded in September 2009 and was based in Burbank, California. The company is a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery that manages its DC Comics units and characters in other units, ...
, with several attractions based on various DC characters and properties. The area opened in 1997, replacing the former Spain section of the park. One of DC Comics Plaza's most iconic features is DC Circle, a section of the ground that is designed after DC's longtime "DC Bullet" logo. The visual centerpiece of the Plaza is the Hall of Justice, which serves as the facade and entrance for Justice League: Battle for Metropolis. Directly to the opposite side is the large, snowman-themed facade of the "Snowy's Ice Cream Factory Tours", which is the entrance to Mr. Freeze: Reverse Blast.
Britannia
Britannia is based on the country of
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...
as it was in its
medieval period
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
, including elements from
Arthurian legend
The Matter of Britain is the body of medieval literature and legendary material associated with Great Britain and Brittany and the legendary kings and heroes associated with it, particularly King Arthur. It was one of the three great Wester ...
. The area was named "England" from 1971 to 1992, then "Great Britain" in 1993, and it was given its current name in 1994.
Illinois
Illinois is loosely themed to the city of
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
. The area was formerly known as "Old Chicago" from 1971 to 1993.
Bugs Bunny National Park
Bugs Bunny National Park is a kiddie area based on the ''
Looney Tunes
''Looney Tunes'' is an American Animated cartoon, animated comedy short film series produced by Warner Bros. starting from 1930 to 1969, concurrently with its partner series ''Merrie Melodies'', during the golden age of American animation. '' franchise. It opened in 2006 as the successor to Looney Tunes Town. It replaced some former land that Britannia used to occupy.
Roller Coasters
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor
Hurricane Harbor is a water park that is connected to the southeast portion of Six Flags St. Louis and is adjacent to Studio Backlot, but is not part of the main park.
Unlike other Six Flags Hurricane Harbors across the United States, entrance to the Six Flags St. Louis version is included with park admission or a Season Pass.
Entertainment Venues
Six Flags St. Louis has several theaters that host daily shows during its operating season. With the exception of the summer concert series, all shows are free to attend.
Annual events
A number of annual seasonal events are held at the park:
July 4th Fest
Fest was introduced in the 2000s and features multiple nights of fireworks for the
Fourth of July
Independence Day (colloquially the Fourth of July) is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence, which was ratified by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing the United States ...
. It is typically sponsored by
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta ...
.
Fright Fest
Fright Fest was introduced in 1988 as "Fright Nights", which ran until Fright Nights V in 1992. In 1993, the event became Fright Fest under the ownership of
Time Warner
Warner Media, LLC ( traded as WarnerMedia) was an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate. It was headquartered at the 30 Hudson Yards complex in New York City, United States.
It was originally established in 1972 by ...
, who wanted each Six Flags park's
Halloween
Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observanc ...
event to use the same name for branding purposes. The event runs from mid to late September through Halloween and typically features several haunted attractions and scare zones, as well as live entertainment. Fright Fest celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2018.
Fright Fest was replaced with HALLOWFEST in 2020 in response to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. Park capacity was reduced to 25% of its normal capacity and all haunted houses, scare zones, and shows were replaced with outdoor, socially distanced alternatives.
Holiday in the Park
A holiday event was introduced in 2016 which features several themed areas as well as live entertainment. The event extended the park's operating season by two months for the first time in its history. It did not return in 2022.
Holiday Square and Cosmic Sleigh Ride
For the 2022 season, Holiday in the Park was replaced by Cosmic Sleigh Ride & Holiday Square.
Cinco de Mayo Celebration
A new Event, Cinco de Mayo Celebration, began for the 2023 season. According to Six flags, "Tacos, margaritas, music, and coasters all in one place for Cinco de Mayo weekend!"
Kids Weekend
Throughout weekends in June, Kids Weekends, happens. Kids Weekend features decorations, entertainment, and food offerings. According to Six Flags, "This event is all about the kids. Foam cannons, dance parties, and snow cones will be at Six Flags every weekend in June." Kids Weekend inaugural season is 2023.
Summer Vibes
Presented by M&Ms, Summers Vibes features food offerings, entertainment, and decorations. Summer Vibes is throughout July, after July 4th Fest. According to Six Flags, "This spectacular event features mouth-watering treats, beat-the-heat beverages, and photo moments in both the theme park and the water park."
[https://www.sixflags.com/stlouis/events/summer-vibes] Summer Vibes' inaugural season is 2023.
Former attractions
Gallery
Glow in the Park Parade at Six Flags St. Louis.jpg, Glow in the Park Parade at Six Flags St. Louis (Removed after the 2010 Season)
Stlouisflags.jpg, Mr. Freeze next to Colossus
Colossus, Colossos, or the plural Colossi or Colossuses, may refer to:
Statues
* Any exceptionally large statue
** List of tallest statues
** :Colossal statues
* ''Colossus of Barletta'', a bronze statue of an unidentified Roman emperor
* ''Col ...
Batman - The Ride - St. Louis.jpg, Batman: The Ride
Six Flags Railroad - St. Louis.jpg, Six Flags Railroad
Evel Knievel.jpg, American Thunder (Formerly Evel Knievel prior to the 2011 Season)
Scooby-Doo at SF St. Louis.jpg, Scooby-Doo Ghostblasters: Mystery of the Scary Swamp (Replaced by Justice League: Battle for Metropolis)
Incidents
References
External links
Six Flags St. Louis*
{{Six Flags St. Louis
1971 establishments in Missouri
Saint Louis
Saint Louis
Amusement parks in Missouri
Amusement parks opened in 1971
Buildings and structures in St. Louis County, Missouri