Editing Six Flags Over Georgia (section)

==History==
===Development===
[[Image:Georgia Cyclone.jpg|thumb|200px|The [[Georgia Cyclone]], opened in 1990.]]
After the success of his original [[Six Flags Over Texas]] park in Arlington, Texas, park founder Angus Wynne began searching for a location for a second park, looking mainly in the Southeastern United States, with initial design work on the park starting in 1964. In August 1965, the ''Wall Street Journal'' reported that Wynne's development company, Great Southwest Corporation, had purchased {{convert|3000|acre|ha}} of land along the [[Chattahoochee River]] outside of Atlanta for a planned $400 million industrial park with an adjacent $7 million amusement park.<ref>{{cite book |last=Hollis |first=Tim |title=Images of America: Six Flags Over Georgia |year=2006 |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |location=Charleston, South Carolina |isbn=978-0-7385-4358-1|ref=Hollis}}</ref> The land chosen was the site of the oldest permanent agricultural village in Georgia, home to [[Muscogee]] farmers from 200 BC to 500 AD. During development of the park the mounds were destroyed without being studied. The park itself sits on former dairy farm land known as Cole Brothers Dairy. The Cole Brothers sold their farm to Six Flags in the mid-1960s<ref>{{cite web|url=https://accessgenealogy.com/georgia/native-american-history-of-carroll-county-georgia.htm|title=Native American History of Carroll County, Georgia|date=July 2012|access-date=2021-05-19|archive-date=2024-05-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240513093208/https://accessgenealogy.com/georgia/native-american-history-of-carroll-county-georgia.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

Wynne hired former Hollywood art directors [[Randall Duell]] and [[Hans Peters (art director)|Hans Peters]] to develop the park, then named "Georgia Flags".<ref>[[#Hollis|Hollis 2006]]: 10-11</ref> Like its sister park in Texas, the design and theming of Six Flags Over Georgia was inspired by six different flags that have flown over the state (or, perhaps more accurately, the lands that are now part of it) during its history. The two states shared the connections to Spain, France, Confederate States of America, and the U.S.; for Georgia, Great Britain would replace Mexico, and the flag of the state of Georgia would replace that of Texas, even though Georgia was never a sovereign nation, as Texas once was.<ref>[[#Hollis|Hollis 2006]]: 8</ref> When Six Flags Over Georgia opened in 1967, Six Flags became the first theme park operator in the United States to operate parks at multiple locations.<ref>{{cite book |last=O'Brien |first=Tim |title=The Essential Guide to Six Flags Theme Parks |year=1996 |publisher=Oxmoor House, Inc. |location=Birmingham, Alabama |isbn=0-8487-1247-1}}</ref>

===The 1960s===
Six Flags Over Georgia opened to the public on June 16, 1967. Attractions first available included the Log Jamboree [[log flume]] ride, Jean Ribaut's Adventure (a boat tour similar to Disney's [[Jungle Cruise]] attractions),<ref>[[#Hollis|Hollis 2006]]: 75</ref> the Six Flags Railroad, two driving attractions (the Happy Motoring Freeway and the Hanson Cars), two Satellite [[flat ride]]s, the Tales of the Okefenokee [[dark ride]], the Casa Loco [[Funhouse|tilt house]], the Sky Lift/Astro Lift [[Gondola lift|cable car]] and the park's first roller coaster, the Dahlonega Mine Train. The park's live entertainment offerings included a dolphin show, the [[Sid and Marty Krofft|Krofft]] Puppet Theater and the Athenaeum, later renamed the Crystal Pistol.<ref name="Hollis 2006">[[#Hollis|Hollis 2006]]</ref>

After a successful first season, plans were set in motion to expand the park, and adjustments were made to existing attractions based on visitor feedback. A second Log Jamboree flume was added, a new show debuted in the Krofft Puppet Theater and the effects inside the Tales of the Okefenokee were upgraded with the help of Krofft Studios.<ref name="Hollis 2006"/> The park relocated Casa Loco out of its Spanish fort to make way for the Horror Cave haunted house attraction; a new adjacent building was built for Casa Loco's effects, which would become Casa Magnetica.<ref name="Hollis 2006"/> However, the largest improvement was the addition of the park's first new section, Lickskillet. Located outside the park's railroad tracks and named after a [[Adamsville (Atlanta)|Georgia mining town]] in the late 19th century, Lickskillet added three new rides — the Spindle Top (a [[Rotor (ride)|Rotor flat ride]], the Wheel Burrow (a Chance Tumbler) and the Sky Buckets, the park's second cable car ride — along with several craft shops and a shootout show performed on the street. In 1969, Six Flags added still more attractions, the Sky Hook observation tower, which was relocated from Six Flags Over Texas, the [[Mini Mine Train (Six Flags Over Georgia)|Mini Mine Train]], the park's second roller coaster<ref name="Hollis 2006"/> and the Chevy Show domed theater building.{{citation needed|date=July 2011}}

===The 1970s===
In the early 1970s, Six Flags began augmenting its supply of costumed characters with creations from various Sid & Marty Krofft television series. Characters from ''[[H. R. Pufnstuf]]'' began appearing in the park in 1970, with characters from ''[[Lidsville]]'' added in 1972.<ref name="Hollis 2006"/> The 1970 production in the Krofft Puppet Theater was based on ''H. R. Pufnstuf'', as well. These characters left the park after the 1974 season as Krofft decided to open its own amusement park, [[The World of Sid and Marty Krofft]], in downtown Atlanta.<ref name="Hollis 2006"/> In Lickskillet, the Drunken Barrels flat ride had replaced the Wheel Burrow, and in 1972 Six Flags debuted the fully-restored [[Riverview Carousel at Six Flags Over Georgia|Riverview Carousel]] on a hilltop adjacent to the section. This carousel, purchased from the defunct [[Riverview Park (Chicago)|Riverview Park]] in Chicago, was built into a pavilion modeled after its original home.<ref name="Hollis 2006"/>
 
For the 1973 season, Six Flags added its second park expansion, the Cotton States Exposition, a development four years in the making.<ref name="Hollis 2006"/> In 1969, general manager Earl McKoy first proposed that the park install a wooden roller coaster, an idea to which Angus Wynne wasn't very receptive.<ref>[[#Hollis|Hollis 2006]]: 104</ref> By 1971, however, the concept was approved, and designer [[John C. Allen]] and the [[Philadelphia Toboggan Company]] were contracted to design the ride, which opened in 1973 as [[The Great American Scream Machine (Six Flags Over Georgia)|The Great American Scream Machine]]. The Scream Machine, the largest roller coaster in the world at the time, was the anchor attraction for the Cotton States area, which was inspired by the 1895 [[Cotton States and International Exposition]]. In 1974, Six Flags added two new rides, the Mo-Mo the Monster [[Octopus (ride)|Octopus]] ride in the USA section and the Phlying Phlurpus spinning ride in Cotton States; Mo-Mo would later move to Cotton States, as well.<ref>[[#Hollis|Hollis 2006]]: 108</ref> The Spanish section received a number of children's rides for the 1975 season.<ref>[[#Hollis|Hollis 2006]]: 67</ref> After the end of that season, the Happy Motoring Freeway was removed to make way for the Great Gasp parachute drop, which would be the park's new attraction for 1976.<ref>[[#Hollis|Hollis 2006]]: 91</ref>

*1977: Added Wheelie (Schwarzkopf [[Enterprise (ride)|Enterprise]])
*1978: Added Mind Bender.
*1979: Added Highland Swings (Chance Yo-Yo)

===Present day===
[[File:Band Performance at Six Flags (Atlanta, Georgia).jpg|thumb|200px|A band performance in the park, 2025]]
In late 2010, Six Flags began the process of removing licensed themeing from attractions. They terminated several licenses including their license with [[Thomas the Tank Engine]]. Thomas Town was renamed and rethemed to [[Whistlestop Park]] in time for the 2011 season.<ref>{{cite news|last=MacDonald|first=Brady|title=Six Flags amusement parks prepare for thematic makeovers|url=http://www.latimes.com/travel/deals/themeparks/la-trb-six-flags-retheme-20101122,0,3267615.story|accessdate=27 November 2010|newspaper=LA Times|date=25 November 2010|archive-date=13 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230213091108/http://www.latimes.com/travel/deals/themeparks/la-trb-six-flags-retheme-20101122,0,3267615.story|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sixflags.com/overGeorgia/rides/KidsRides.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070428140652/http://www.sixflags.com/overGeorgia/rides/KidsRides.aspx |archive-date=2007-04-28 |title=Kids' Rides: Six Flags Over Georgia}}</ref> In an arrangement similar to that for Six Flags Over Texas, it is owned by a group of approximately 120 limited partners—some the heirs of Angus G. Wynne—and is managed by the corporation. In years past, this has caused significant friction, including legal action. Starting in 1991, the park was managed by [[Time Warner Entertainment]]. The partners sued Time Warner in 1997, claiming that they had neglected to invest in the park and overcharged the partners for the improvements it did receive. A [[Gwinnett County]] civil court jury agreed and awarded the partners damages in excess of US$600 million. In 1998, Time Warner sold its interests in the Six Flags parks to [[Premier Parks, LLC|Premier Parks]] of [[Oklahoma City]], which later changed its name to Six Flags Theme Parks, Inc.

On August 29, 2013, Six Flags officially announced it would add a [[Hurricane Harbor#Six Flags Over Georgia|Hurricane Harbor]] water park next door to the park for the 2014 season.<ref>{{cite web|title=New for 2014|url=http://content.sixflags.com/comingin2014/|date=August 29, 2013|access-date=August 29, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130901054320/http://content.sixflags.com/comingin2014/|archive-date=September 1, 2013}}</ref> In late April 2014, the park announced that it will expand their season from October to January, to include the new Christmas event, [[Holiday in the Park]] for years to come.<ref name="HITP">{{cite web|title=Six Flags Over Georgia's Holiday in the Park|url=https://www.sixflags.com/overgeorgia/special-events/festival/holiday-park|author=Six Flags Magic Mountain|publisher=Six Flags|date=April 28, 2014|access-date=April 28, 2014}}</ref>

As part of Six Flags' 2015 capital investment program, Six Flags Over Georgia received two rides in its Gotham City section. The first, "The Joker: Chaos Coaster" is a Larson [[Fire Ball|Giant Loop]] ride approximately 70 feet in height, while the second, "Harley Quinn Spinsanity", is a more traditional [[Tilt-A-Whirl]] family ride.<ref name="AJC-2015">{{cite web|url=http://www.accessatlanta.com/news/entertainment/thrills-times-three-six-flags-gets-ready-for-2015/nhBW4/|title=Thrills times three: Six Flags gets ready for 2015|author=Tom Kelley|work=accessatlanta.com|publisher=Cox Newspapers|date=August 28, 2014|access-date=September 2, 2014}}</ref> Both attractions were part of a broader renovation of Gotham City, which also included a new character meet-and-greet area and improvements to the existing Gotham City Eatery restaurant.<ref name="AJC-2015"/>

In 2016, Six Flags added two new children areas to the park – Bugs Bunny Boomtown and DC Super Friends, the first in the Six Flags chain. On June 16, 2016, it was announced that Dodge City Bumper Cars would be closed and removed from the park to make room for a new ride in 2017.<ref name="Dodge City removal">{{cite news|url=http://www.accessatlanta.com/news/lifestyles/say-goodbye-to-the-dodge-city-bumper-cars-ride-at-/nrhCr/|title=Say goodbye to the Dodge City Bumper Cars ride at Six Flags|last=Poole|first=Shelia|date=June 16, 2016|newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|access-date=June 16, 2016}}</ref> On September 1, 2016, the park announced that an all new dark ride named Justice League: Battle For Metropolis would replace Dodge City Bumper Cars.

In December 2024, Six Flags announced that they would take full ownership on the park and White Water from its partners for $332 million, of which the transition will occur at the beginning of January 2027.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1999001/000119312524284176/d920429d8k.htm | title=8-K }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/six-flags-consolidate-georgia-park-holdings-2027 | title=Six Flags to consolidate Georgia park holdings by 2027 | date=24 December 2024 }}</ref>