The Thrill is Calling! Trivia Quiz

A little company timeline to begin:

1957 - The Great Southwest Corporation formed with intent to develop a theme park in Texas
1961 - Six Flags Over Texas opens (named for the six nations that have governed Texas)
1966 - The park is sold to a subsidiary of the Pennsylvania Railroad (corporate ownership)
1967 - Six Flags Over Georgia opens
1969 - Six Flags Theme Parks, Inc. formed (to operate the parks)
1984 - Six Flags is acquired by Bally Manufacturing
1987 - Bally sells Six Flags to Wesray Capital Corporation
1992 - Time Warner acquires Six Flags
1994 - Controlling interest sold to Premier Parks, Inc.
2000 - Premier Parks changes its name to Six Flags, Inc.
2009 - Six Flags, Inc. files for bankruptcy
2010 - Restructured as Six Flags Entertainment Corp.
2024 - Merges with Cedar Fair; renamed Six Flags Entertainment
2025 - Six Flags Entertainment has 42 parks across the United States, Mexico and Canada

Six Flags New England, located in Agawam, Massachusetts, is the oldest amusement park in the Six Flags chain. First constructed as 'Gallup's Grove' in 1870, the theme park was renamed 'Riverside Grove' in 1887, 'Riverside Park' in 1912, and 'Riverside: The Great Escape' in 1996. That same year it was acquired by Premier Parks and in the year 2000 was rebranded as 'Six Flags New England'.

Six Flags Great Escape, located in Queensbury, New York, is another of the oldest amusement parks in the Six Flags portfolio. Originally opened as 'Storytown USA' in 1954, the park was founded by Charles Wood and themed around Mother Goose stories. It was renamed 'The Great Escape Fun Park' in 1983, and later became 'The Great Escape & Splashwater Kingdom' in 1995. Acquired by Premier Parks in 1996, it was not officially branded as a Six Flags park until much later, maintaining its unique identity within the chain.

The park first included the Six Flags name as part of the theme park in 2006 with the opening of the 'Six Flags Great Escape Lodge & Indoor Waterpark,' but the greater park did not emerge as 'Six Flags Great Escape and Hurricane Harbor' until 2018.

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, located in Vallejo, California, is a unique hybrid theme and animal park in the Six Flags chain. Originally opened as 'Marine World' in Redwood City in 1968, the park merged with Africa USA in the mid-1970s to become 'Marine World Africa USA'.

It relocated to Vallejo in 1986 and was managed by Premier Parks starting in 1996. The park officially joined the Six Flags family in 1999 under the name 'Six Flags Marine World,' and was rebranded as 'Six Flags Discovery Kingdom' in 2007.

Six Flags Magic Mountain, located in Valencia, California, is one of the most iconic and thrill-focused parks in the Six Flags chain. Originally opened as 'Magic Mountain' in 1971, the park was developed by the Newhall Land and Farming Company, in partnership with Sea World Inc. It was acquired by Six Flags in 1979, at which point it was rebranded as 'Six Flags Magic Mountain'.

Known as the "Thrill Capital of the World", the park claimed the world record for the most roller coasters in a single amusement park in 2022, with twenty coasters in operation.

Six Flags Great Adventure, located in Jackson, New Jersey, is one of the largest and most diverse parks in the Six Flags chain. Originally opened as 'Great Adventure' in 1974, the park was acquired by Six Flags in 1977, and has since evolved into a major thrill destination known as "The World's Ultimate Thrill Park."

In addition to the classic 'Runaway Mine Train' (est. 1974) and the record-breaking wooden coaster 'El Toro' (est. 2006), the park features 13 roller coasters ranging from family-friendly rides to extreme thrill machines. The park is part of the 510-acre 'Six Flags Great Adventure Resort,' which includes the 'Hurricane Harbor New Jersey' waterpark (added in 2000) and the 'Wild Safari Adventure,' a drive-through animal preserve that was merged into the main park in 2013.

Six Flags America, located in Woodmore, Maryland, near Washington, D.C., began its life as a wildlife preserve. First opened as 'The Largo Wildlife Preserve' in 1974, the park underwent several transformations and name changes over the years, including 'Wild Country' (1978), 'Wild World' (1982), and 'Adventure World' (1993) before being acquired by Premier Parks in 1998 and rebranded as 'Six Flags America' in 1999.

Following the 2025 operating season, as part of a strategic shift following the Six Flags-Cedar Fair merger, the park was scheduled to permanently close.

Six Flags Great America, located in Gurnee, Illinois, is one of the most visited amusement parks in the Six Flags chain. Originally opened as 'Marriott's Great America' on May 29, 1976, the park was designed to celebrate American history and culture as part of the nation's bicentennial.

It was acquired by Six Flags in 1984, and rebranded as 'Six Flags Great America', becoming a flagship destination for thrill-seekers in the Midwest.

Six Flags Darien Lake, located in Darien Center, New York, is one of the most scenic and multi-faceted parks in the Six Flags chain. Originally developed as a campground and picnic area in 1964 by investor Paul Snyder, the site gradually expanded into a full amusement park by the early 1980s. It was first named 'Darien Lake Fun Country' in 1981, and underwent several ownership and name changes before being acquired by Premier Parks in 1995 and rebranded as 'Six Flags Darien Lake' in 1999.

The financial struggles of Six Flags, Inc. resulted in the sale of the Darien Lake theme park in 2007. The park went through a number of different management companies and ownership passed to EPR Properties in 2016. Under that umbrella, Six Flags regained management of the site 2019, along with a return to the Six Flags branding.

Six Flags White Water, located in Marietta, Georgia, is one of the largest stand-alone water parks in the Six Flags chain. Originally opened as 'White Water Atlanta' in 1984, the park was developed by Silver Dollar City Inc. as a sister park to their water attractions in Missouri and Oklahoma.

It was acquired by the owners of nearby 'Six Flags Over Georgia' in 1999, and rebranded as 'Six Flags White Water', becoming a second gate for the Atlanta-area theme park.

I couldn't give it away in the prompt, but the full name of our final theme park for the quiz is 'Six Flags Fiesta Texas.' Located in San Antonio, it is one of the most uniquely situated parks in the Six Flags chain. Built inside a former limestone quarry, the park opened as 'Fiesta Texas' in 1992, originally developed as a music and show-themed destination.

It was acquired by Time Warner in 1996 and rebranded as 'Six Flags Fiesta Texas' for the 1996 season.