Six Flags Marking 50th Anniversary WIth New Coaster, New Safari Experience In 2024

JACKSON, NJ — Six Flags Great Adventure is gearing up to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2024 with a new roller coaster and a new safari "glamping" experience, park officials announced Wednesday.

The amusement park, which opened July 1, 1974, is highlighting the new coaster, named The Flash, as part of what it says is the largest investment in the park in nearly two decades.

"We are excited to offer guests of all ages compelling new experiences that make Six Flags Great Adventure the most popular theme park experience in the Northeast during our 50th Anniversary Celebration," park president Brian Bacica said. "In 2024, we will debut our 15th roller coaster, the first-of-its-kind in the Western Hemisphere; and the most unique overnight experience in the country within our 350-acre safari."

The Flash is billed as the first super boomerang coaster to open in North America.

The coaster "rushes forward and backward at nearly 60 miles per hour through a 180-degree twisted drop and zero-G roll. In a flash, it changes direction and speeds off again, backward," the park said.

The park also is making two changes to the Wild Safari Park.

The drive-through adventure is closing in the fall and will be replaced with the return of the Off-Road Adventure in the spring. The Off-Road Adventure will be a guided tour of the 350-acre site in off-road vehicles, accessible at two sites, including Frontier Adventures within the theme park or at the main Wild Safari entrance.

In addition, the park plans to open the Savannah Sunset Resort and Spa, which it describes as "an authentic African lodging experience" within the safari park.

"Overnight guests will enjoy ultra-luxurious 'glamping' accommodations, scenic vistas, spa services and VIP dining, all creating an unforgettable safari getaway," park officials said.

The 50th anniversary celebration also is set to include an opportunity for guests to buy an anniversary brick and keepsake, with the bricks set to line a new pathway at the park's original entrance.

It also plans to "add nostalgic elements that give a nod to the park’s history including an upgrade for two original park favorites, the Log Flume and iconic Big Wheel," park officials said.

The Saw Mill Log Flume, the Big Wheel Ferris wheel, the sky ride, the carousel and the Runaway Mine Train are the only original rides left in the park from the 1974 opening, according to Great Adventure History, a fan site dedicated to the amusement park.

Discounts on season passes that cover the remainder of 2023, including Fright Fest, and the 2024 season, are being offered through Sept. 5 as part of the run-up to the 50th anniversary celebration.