PHOTOS: Six Flags Over Texas, 51 years of history from Star-Telegram photo archives
Matt Leclercq
After visiting Disneyland in Anaheim, California, real estate investor and developer Angus Wynne Jr. began planning an amusement park in Arlington, Texas, in 1959.
Wynne and the Great Southwest Corp., with financial backing from New York, began construction on the $10 million project in 1960. Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington officially opened on Aug. 5, 1961, and Theresa Pool, 5, was the first visitor on opening day.
— Star-Telegram
Here are photos from the Star-Telegram’s archives from 1960 into the 2010s.
Dec. 13, 1960: Angus Wynne, Jr., founder of Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, points out where the LaSalle River Adventure ride will be built during a 1960 inspection tour.
Aug. 5, 1961: Six Flags Over Texas opening day. Boats on the Lavaca River in the French section and the Astrolift that started in the park’s USA section
1960s: Sea lion in Six Flags petting zoo
1961: Skull Island at Six Flags Over Texas.
November 1961: Audience watching a Western themed act depicting a shoot-out at Six Flags Over Texas.
Early 1960s: Suspension bridge and a canoe ride, the early attractions of Six Flags Over Texas
Early 1960s: Children getting inducted into the Confederacy at Six Flags Over Texas.
Aug. 10, 1961: Aerial view of Six Flags Over Texas (parking lot top center).
1961: Aerial of Six Flags Over Texas, Arlington, with plane in foreground
Aug. 10, 1961: Aerial view of Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Texas
Early 1960s: Six Flags Over Texas: Indian Village
1963: The Dancing Waters fountains in the entry thoroughfare to Six Flags Over Texas
April 18, 1964: Skeletons sitting at a bar in the Western section of Six Flags Over Texas on opening day of 1964.
April 12, 1965: Margaret Carriher of Fort Worth, Becky Martin of Arlington and Janice Johnson of Fort Worth receiving their Six Flags Over Texas uniforms
Sept. 5, 1966: Winners of the first Six Flags Educational Scholarships are, back row, left to right, Thomas Beene, Joe Cholopisa, Michael Carter, Robert Frazier, Richard Thomas and David Grigsby. Bottom, left to right, Janyce Hatcher, Jean Heidt, Vickie Foster and Ronald Sheckels
Aug. 6, 1966: The first visitor to Six Flags Over Texas in 1961 was Theresa Pool, who returns five years later in 1966.
April 9, 1965: The 190-foot tall Sky Hook and merry-go-round (carousel) rides at the new 6-acre oil boom town section of Six Flags Over Texas, new for the season
July 24, 1966: Steve Schellenberg waves a hat to a group on the debut ride “Run-a-Way Mine Train.”
Oct. 6, 1968: Angus G. Wynne Jr. and Miss California Sharon Terrill visit Six Flags Over Texas
April 19, 1970: Arlington Mayor Tom J. Vandergriff, left, and Mike Jenkins, vice president of Six Flags Inc., examine a model of the proposed oceanarium, called the Seven Seas, which would be constructed near Turnpike Stadium by the city of Arlington. Six Flags Inc. would operate the second theme park.
1971: Arlington Mayor Tom Vandergriff rides Big Bend with his daughter, Valerie, and a friend.
Circa 1973: People enjoying the rides at Six Flags over Texas in Arlington
March 25, 1972: Three-year-old Robby Masson of Wayzata, Minnesota, pets movie star Lassie as he has picture taken with the Collie on opening day at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington.
Jan. 3, 1976: A crowd waiting in line to apply for jobs for the 1976 season at Six Flags Over Texas
April 23, 1978: Six Flags Over Texas, Arlington, roller coaster ride
1980: At Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, 2-year-old John Uptmoor sits with a giant jack-o’-lantern during Halloween.
May 26, 1980: Steve and Todd Ellington of Arlington ride Judge Roy Scream in 1980, the year the ride opened.
June 6, 1982: Six Flags Over Texas, Spanish Galleon ride
June 4, 1983: Barnyard Bob in front of the gingerbread house in the petting zoo at Six Flags Over Texas, Arlington.
April 5, 1983: Six Flags Over Texas, Roaring Rapids ride
Nov. 28, 1986: Six Flags over Texas, Holiday in the Park
July 31, 1987: Children from Saragosa, Texas, at Six Flags Over Texas. Lorina Garcia and Asusena Melendez ride the Shock Wave.
Oct. 2, 2007: The Wildcatter ride at Six Flags Over Texas. The park is imploding the ride to make room for its new ride for the 2008 season the Tony Hawk’s Big Spin ride. The implosion of the 25-year-old Wildcatter ride was by Dallas Demolition Co. In a matter of seconds the ride that more than 17 million people have enjoyed will be nothing but rubble.
Oct. 2, 2007: The implosion of the Wildcatter ride at Six Flags Over Texas as viewed from the oil derrick tower. The park imploded the ride to make room for its new ride for the 2008 season, the Tony Hawk’s Big Spin ride. The implosion of the 25-year-old, 128-foot Wildcatter was done by Dallas Demolition Co.
June 12, 2007: Coobrila cast member, Devon Holt, rehearses with other members of the show at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington.
June 12, 2007: Cast members from Coobrila, Six Flags Over Texas’ new circus-like show, rehearse.
July 7, 2007: Couples (from front) Shelley Castillo and John Williams, Lori Cooper and Allen Hanks, Sonia Montano and Paul Benavides, Allison Honea and Sean Webb recite their vows on the Titan ride with Judge Linda Davis. Six Flags Over Texas played wedding host to seven couples in the Thrilled Ever After: A Wedding to Remember!
June 7, 2007: From left, Melanie Halley, 14, Stephanie Mendoza, 17, and Ferooza Mheta, 13, were among 30 teenage cancer patients treated to a day at Six Flags Over Texas during the 3rd annual Red Carpet Day hosted by Heart of Passion, a Georgia based organization dedicated to teens with cancer. The teens were riding El Conquistador.
June 6, 2009: Six Flags roller coasters The Titan (foreground) and The Texas Giant (left) are seen in front of the ballpark in Arlington (top left), home of the Texas Rangers baseball team, and the new Dallas Cowboys stadium (top center) on the day of the first event at Cowboys stadium.
March 3, 2010: Steve Martindale talks to the media as Six Flags Over Texas laid the first of the new track for the first phase of the $10 million Texas Giant renovation. Texas Giant will be a hybrid design combining features of a wooden roller coaster with steel track coaster.
July 1, 2010: Crews use a crane to lower a piece of steel track onto the wood frame of the Texas Giant at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington. The Texas Giant will feature the steepest drop in the world at 79 degrees when it reopens in spring 2011.
April 21, 2011: Roller coster fans ride the new and improved steel and wood super hybrid coaster at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington.
May 12, 2012: Vanilla Ice and park president Steve Martindale cut a block of ice to celebrate the opening of Mr. Freeze: Reverse Blast ride at Six Flags Over Texas
May 12, 2012: Six Flags Over Texas president Steve Martindale and rapper Vanilla Ice react after going on the first ride on Mr. Freeze: Reverse Blast, as it opened
Oct. 10, 2012: In preparation for Six Flags’ newest ride, Texas SkyScreamer, to debut next year, Dallas Demolition Co. implodes the 200-foot Texas Chute Out, which opened at the park in 1976 and was modeled after the old parachute drop at Coney Island. More than 29 million riders travelled up and down the structure. One of the most popular modes of travel on this ride was the basket, which allowed guests to stand up to take in the picturesque skyline. The baskets were removed in 1994 and replaced with the standard chairs. The ride took guests on its last ride on Sept. 3.
May 23, 2013: Pro rodeo rider Tilden Hooper and Lauren Quiroz at Six Flags Over Texas on its new 400-foot tall Texas SkyScreamer
Oct. 9, 2014: Taken from the top of the Six Flags Oil Derrick looking east toward the skyline of Dallas. Photo shows the SH 360 and I-30 intersection.
MORE: Check out other historic photo galleries from the Star-Telegram archives here, including these:
