History of Six Flags Magic Mountain in Timeline
Six Flags Magic Mountain is a 209-acre amusement park located in Valencia, California, about 35 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Originally developed by the Newhall Land and Farming Company and Sea World Inc., it opened on May 29, 1971, under the name Magic Mountain. In 1979, Six Flags acquired the park and renamed it Six Flags Magic Mountain. The park is known for its large collection of roller coasters.
1968: Theme Park Location Search
In 1968, Sea World Inc. founder George Millay and his executives began looking for a place in Los Angeles county to build a theme park.
November 1969: Construction Begins
Construction of Magic Mountain began in November 1969 and continued until May 1971.
May 1971: Construction Ends
Construction of Magic Mountain ended in May 1971.
May 29, 1971: Park Opening
On May 29, 1971, Magic Mountain opened as a development of the Newhall Land and Farming Company and Sea World Inc., located in Valencia, California.
1971: Opening Rides and Attractions
In 1971, at its opening, Magic Mountain's rides and attractions included Gold Rusher, the Log Jammer, the Sky Tower, Grand Prix, El Bumpo, a carousel, and four transportation rides to the peak: Funicular, which was renamed Orient Express, then Helpful Honda Express, and is currently named Magic Mover.
1971: Park Details at Opening
In 1971, when Magic Mountain opened, it had 500 employees and 33 attractions, many designed by Arrow Development. The admission price was $5 for adults and $3.50 for children between 3 and 12. The Greyhound bus line provided bus service to the park.
1971: Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies Characters
In the 1971 season, Magic Mountain obtained permission from Warner Bros. to use Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies characters.
December 31, 1972: Magic Mountain took on entertainer role
On December 31, 1972, Magic Mountain took on the role of providing entertainers wearing the troll costumes, a role previously held by All King Productions.
1973: Mountain Express Added
In 1973, the Mountain Express, a Schwarzkopf Wildcat model steel coaster, was added to Magic Mountain.
1974: Spinning Rides Complex Installed
In 1974, Magic Mountain installed a new complex of spinning rides in what would later be known as Back Street, consisting of the Himalaya, Electric Rainbow, and Tumble Drum.
1975: Grand Centennial Railway Opening
In 1975, the Grand Centennial Railway opened in the Back Street area of Magic Mountain, offering a train journey to Spillikin Corners and back.
1976: Great American Revolution Opening
In 1976, Magic Mountain opened Great American Revolution, becoming the first park in the world to have a modern, 360-degree looping steel coaster. Also in 1976, Universal filmed part of the suspense film Rollercoaster at Magic Mountain, which featured the Revolution as its centerpiece during the film's climax.
1976: Six Flags Great America Opening
Six Flags Great America has continuously used Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies characters since its opening in 1976.
1977: Revolution Featured in Rollercoaster
In 1977, the debut of the roller coaster Revolution was the focal point of the film Rollercoaster.
1978: Colossus Opening
In 1978, Magic Mountain opened Colossus, which at the time was the fastest and largest dual-tracked wooden coaster in the world.
1978: Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park Filmed at Magic Mountain
In 1978, the band Kiss filmed their acting debut in the made-for-TV movie Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park, which featured the band members in the park and near Colossus.
1979: Six Flags Purchase
In 1979, Magic Mountain was sold to Six Flags and became known as Six Flags Magic Mountain.
1981: Roaring Rapids Introduction
In 1981, Six Flags Magic Mountain introduced Roaring Rapids, a river rapids ride that was on the West Coast for the first time.
1982: Freefall Added
In 1982, Magic Mountain added Freefall, a cutting-edge drop tower ride by Intamin.
1983: Magic Mountain as "Walley World" in National Lampoon's Vacation
In 1983, Magic Mountain became the fictional "Walley World" for National Lampoon's Vacation, with scenes featuring Revolution and Colossus, each using fictional names.
September 1984: The Video Game Filming Location
From September 1984, Magic Mountain's Showcase Theatre served as the filming location for the video game-themed game show The Video Game.
1984: Sarajevo Bobsleds Erected
In 1984, Sarajevo Bobsleds was erected at Magic Mountain, a bobsled-style coaster built by Intamin in honor of the 1984 Winter Olympics.
1984: This Is Spinal Tap Filming Location
In the 1984 film This Is Spinal Tap, the band performs as second billing to a puppet show at the fictional "Themeland Amusement Park" in Stockton, California. The actual filming location is Magic Mountain's amphitheater.
September 1985: The Video Game Filming Location
Until September 1985, Magic Mountain's Showcase Theatre served as the filming location for the video game-themed game show The Video Game.
1985: Bugs Bunny World Retheme
In 1985, Children's World was rethemed as Bugs Bunny World, as Magic Mountain adopted Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies characters. Michael Jackson visited the park this year.
1985: End of Troll Mascots
In 1985, Magic Mountain stopped using trolls as the park mascots.
1986: Shockwave Added
In 1986, Magic Mountain added Shockwave, a steel stand-up looping roller coaster designed by Intamin.
1986: Sarajevo Bobsleds Moved
In 1986, Sarajevo Bobsleds was moved from Magic Mountain to Six Flags Over Texas.
1987: Back Street Retheme
In 1987, Magic Mountain rethemed the Back Street area, renaming spinning flat rides Turbo, Subway, and Reactor. The dance club Decibels was rethemed as After Hours and stayed open later than the rest of the park for one summer.
1988: Shockwave Removal
At the end of 1988, the Shockwave coaster was removed from Magic Mountain as part of a ride rotation program.
1988: Ninja Opening
In 1988, Magic Mountain opened Ninja, the first suspended swing roller coaster on the west coast.
1989: Tidal Wave Opening
In 1989, Magic Mountain opened Tidal Wave, a wet ride featuring a boat that travels up an incline to a trough and drops into a splash pool.
1990: Viper Opening
In 1990, Magic Mountain opened Viper, a multiple-looping coaster designed by Arrow Dynamics.
1990: Kidsongs Video Shoot
In 1990, Magic Mountain was used as a filming site for the Kidsongs video, "Ride the Roller Coaster".
1990: Nickelodeon's Wild and Crazy Kids Filming
In 1990, on Nickelodeon's Wild and Crazy Kids, the wooden roller coaster, Colossus, was featured as a game called "Wacky RollerCoaster Spill".
1990: Shockwave at Six Flags Great Adventure
In 1990, the Shockwave coaster was moved to Six Flags Great Adventure.
1991: Psyclone Addition and Retheme
In 1991, Magic Mountain added Psyclone, a wooden coaster modeled after the Coney Island Cyclone, and rethemed the Spillikin Corners area of the park as Cyclone Bay.
1991: Colossus Modification
In 1991, the camel hump before the last turn on Colossus was replaced by a block brake to increase capacity.
1992: Flashback Added
In 1992, Magic Mountain added Flashback, a prototype Space Diver model coaster from Intamin.
1992: Shockwave Removed from Six Flags Great Adventure
In 1992, the Shockwave coaster was removed from Six Flags Great Adventure and repainted white.
1993: Colossus Featured in My Life
In 1993, Colossus was filmed as the Serpent in the film, My Life.
1993: Time Warner Era Begins and New Ride
In 1993, Six Flags Magic Mountain entered the Time Warner era and added Yosemite Sam Sierra Falls, a water ride. The High Sierra Territory was also opened.
1993: TLC Concert Riot
In 1993, live non-Christian themed concerts at Magic Mountain ended after a riot broke out due to an oversold TLC concert, resulting in vandalism, property damage, and the park being evacuated.
1994: Psyclone Damage
In 1994, Psyclone's structure was damaged during the Northridge earthquake.
1995: Colossus Featured in Muppets on Wheels
In 1995, Colossus was used for filming for the Muppets video, Muppets on Wheels.
1995: Real Wheels Filming Location
In 1995, Magic Mountain was used as a filming site for the children's educational video series Real Wheels episode "Here Comes A Roller Coaster", with host Dave Hood.
2000: Space Cowboys Film Shoot
In the 2000 film Space Cowboys, Donald Sutherland is shown riding Viper and is portrayed as the designer when Clint Eastwood recruits him.
2002: RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 Recreation
In 2002, a recreation of Magic Mountain was featured in the computer game RollerCoaster Tycoon 2, including both a blank version of the park with no rides and attractions and a version of the park as it stood at the game's release, albeit missing both Batman: The Ride and the Riddler's Revenge.
2003: Flashback Closure
In 2003, Flashback was closed at Magic Mountain due to excessive noise near Hurricane Harbor.
2003: World's tallest coaster until 2003
Six Flags Magic Mountain's first roller coaster reached 400 ft (122 m) in 2003, becoming the world's tallest coaster until 2003.
2005: Astroworld Closure
When Astroworld closed in 2005, the ride was put in storage at Six Flags Darien Lake.
2007: Flashback Removal
In 2007, Flashback was removed from Magic Mountain.
2011: Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer Filming
In 2011, Six Flags Magic Mountain and its coaster Goliath are featured in the film Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer.
2011: Travel Channel's Scream! If You Know the Answer Filming
In 2011, Six Flags Magic Mountain was chosen as the setting for the Travel Channel's version of the quiz show Scream! If You Know the Answer.
2012: Glee Cast Visit
In 2012, the Glee cast visited Six Flags Magic Mountain for their senior skip day in the "Big Brother" episode, where they ride Viper.
June 2013: Full Throttle opening
In June 2013, with the opening of Full Throttle, Six Flags Magic Mountain obtained the world record for the largest number of roller coasters in an amusement park.
2013: Toyota Camry Commercial Filming
In 2013, a large section of the parking lot at Magic Mountain was blocked off for a Toyota Camry commercial. Background footage reveals Goliath and Colossus.
2013: Sam & Cat Episode About Mystic Mountain
In 2013, the Nickelodeon TV show Sam & Cat featured an episode about the protagonists organizing a day at Mystic Mountain (the same park featured in Drake & Josh and Zoey 101), although the park was never filmed this time.
2015: Twisted Colossus Renovation
In 2015, Colossus was re-tracked with steel tracking and several inversions were added, rebranding it as "Twisted Colossus".
September 2016: Justice League: Battle for Metropolis Announcement
In September 2016, Six Flags Magic Mountain announced the addition of Justice League: Battle for Metropolis. The 4D shooting dark ride was announced to open in 2017.
2016: Carpool Karaoke Segment with Selena Gomez
In 2016, Goliath was used for a Carpool Karaoke segment with Selena Gomez.
July 12, 2017: Justice League: Battle for Metropolis Opening
On July 12, 2017, Justice League: Battle for Metropolis, a 4D shooting dark ride, opened at Six Flags Magic Mountain in the Metropolis section near The Riddler's Revenge. The ride is nearly identical to other installations at Six Flags parks in North America.
August 2017: CraZanity Announcement
In August 2017, Six Flags announced the addition of CraZanity, a Zamperla Giga Discovery flat ride, to be built in a renovated Boardwalk Beach area near DC Universe. Marketed as "the world's tallest pendulum ride", CraZanity takes riders to a height of 172 feet and speeds up to 75 miles per hour.
2017: Katy Perry's "Chained to the Rhythm" Music Video Filming
In 2017, Six Flags Magic Mountain and Full Throttle were used in the filming of the music video for Katy Perry's "Chained to the Rhythm".
2017: Sandy Wexler Filming
In 2017, areas of Six Flags Magic Mountain were used in the filming of the Netflix comedy film Sandy Wexler starring Adam Sandler.
August 2018: West Coast Racers Announcement
In August 2018, Six Flags Magic Mountain announced the brand new racing launch coaster West Coast Racers from Premier Rides and a revamp of the old Cyclone Bay area into a high-energy, urban Los Angeles. The ride is dubbed the first launched racing coaster in the world and the first quadruple-launched coaster.
2018: Shockwave sold for scrap
In 2018, the Shockwave coaster, which had been in storage at Six Flags Darien Lake, was finally sold for scrap.
March 2019: Green Lantern: First Flight Closure Announcement
In March 2019, Six Flags Magic Mountain announced that Green Lantern: First Flight would permanently close and be removed from the park.
January 2020: West Coast Racers Opening
In January 2020, the Möbius loop coaster, West Coast Racers, opened to the public, becoming the 19th coaster at the park.
March 13, 2020: Park Closure Due to COVID-19
On March 13, 2020, Six Flags Magic Mountain closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2020: Tidal Wave Closure
In 2020, the Tidal Wave attraction was closed to make room for Wonder Woman: Flight of Courage.
April 1, 2021: Park Reopening After COVID-19 Closure
On April 1, 2021, Six Flags Magic Mountain reopened after being closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Members and Passholders were granted access on April 1 and 2, with the general public being admitted to the park on April 3.
August 2021: Masks No Longer Required Outdoors
As of August 2021, Six Flags Magic Mountain visitors are no longer required to wear masks outdoors.
October 2021: Wonder Woman Flight of Courage Announcement
In October 2021, Six Flags Magic Mountain announced Wonder Woman Flight of Courage, the world's tallest and fastest single rail coaster, set to open in summer 2022. The ride is an I-Box Raptor coaster built by Rocky Mountain Construction.
2021: Yes Day Filming
In 2021, some areas of Six Flags Magic Mountain were used in the filming of the Netflix comedy film Yes Day.
November 1, 2022: Operating Schedule Limited to Select Weekends
Starting November 1, 2022, the 365-day schedule, introduced in 2018, was limited to select weekends only during non-peak months. The changed operation schedule would deliver a more "exceptional guest experience".
2022: Wonder Woman: Flight of Courage Opening
In 2022, Magic Mountain became the first amusement park to offer 20 roller coasters with the opening of Wonder Woman: Flight of Courage.
2022: Second most coaster
In 2022, Six Flags Magic Mountain was tied for the second most coasters of any park in the world with eighteen operating.
2023: Scream Break Debuts
In Spring 2023, Scream Break debuted at Magic Mountain, as well as Six Flags Over Texas, Six Flags Fiesta Texas, Six Flags Over Georgia, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, Six Flags America, and Six Flags Great Adventure. The event lasted from March 18 to April 16 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays except for April 1–9. Hosted in the areas of DC Universe, Screampunk District, Full Throttle Plaza, and Six Flags Plaza, the event featured aspects of Fright Fest, such as themed props, shows, and mazes. Admission was available free for passholders on a first come, first served basis.
November 2024: Thrill Glider Announcement
In a November 2024 press release, Six Flags Magic Mountain publicly announced that a new 'Thrill Glider' Vekoma roller coaster, (currently under construction), was set to open in 2026, and would be built in and around the remnants of the Golden Bear Theater.
2024: Gained electric cars
In 2024, Six Flags Magic Mountain gained electric cars.
2024: Attendance Ranking
In 2024, Six Flags Magic Mountain had an estimated 3.31 million visitors, ranking it 16th in attendance in North America.
2024: La Vibora Closure
In late 2024, La Vibora, formerly Sarajevo Bobsleds, permanently closed at Six Flags Over Texas.
March 28, 2025: Superman: Escape from Krypton Closure Announcement
On March 28, 2025, it was announced that Six Flags Magic Mountain would close Superman: Escape from Krypton forever. According to the park president, the reason for the ride's closure was due to high maintenance costs and the difficulty of acquiring parts for the aging attraction.
December 16, 2025: Bugs Bunny World and Whistlestop Park Closure Announcement
On December 16, 2025, it was announced that Bugs Bunny World and Whistlestop Park will be permanently closed to make way for a new land, Looney Tunes Land at Six Flags Magic Mountain, and divided into TAZ–Mania, Road Runner Ridge, Bugs Bunny Play Park and Camp Duck Amuck, which will be debut by Summer 2026.
2025: Superman: Escape from Krypton Removal
In 2025, the removal of Superman: Escape from Krypton would end Magic Mountain's record of being the first amusement park to offer 20 roller coasters.
January 2026: Magic Flyer Closure
In January 2026, the closure of Magic Flyer would cause Magic Mountain to no longer be tied for first place for most roller coasters at any park.
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