Great Adventure Is Celebrating Its 50th Anniversary in 2024
Six Flags Great Adventure has been creating life’s greatest adventures since 1974. Now, they are inviting everyone to celebrate the park’s 50th anniversary with a summer long celebration. The Great Adventure 50th anniversary celebration will take place from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend.
First, A Little Great Adventure History.
According to the Six Flags Great Adventure page of Wikipedia, in 1972, entrepreneurial businessman Warner LeRoy developed concept plans for the Great Adventure entertainment complex, proposing seven parks be built within the complex. These were to include an amusement park, a safari park, a show park, a floral park, a sports complex, a shopping district, and a campground with a beach, a waterpark and stables. His proposal also included plans for hotels, which would be connected to the parks and could be reached by boats, buses, a sky ride and/or a monorail, not unlike Disneyworld which had opened the previous year. LeRoy wanted his parks to flow naturally through the forest and lakes, capitalizing on the back-to-nature movement of the era. He chose a property then owned by the Switlik family, in an area centrally located between the New York City and Philadelphia regions, our beloved Jackson. The property on County Route 537 had easy access to the newly constructed I-195, which connected Central Jersey to the New Jersey Turnpike, and some years later to the Garden State Parkway.
After a 4,500 invitation-only guest opening on June 30, 1974, the Great Adventure entertainment complex opened to the general public on July 1, 1974, at a price tag of $10 million. At the time of the opening, only the Enchanted Forest area and Safari park were operational, with elements from five of the other planned parks being used to create the Enchanted Forest.
In late 1977 the park was purchased by Six Flags. This regional theme park company was owned at the time by Penn Central, which had large stakes in the Philadelphia and New York City regions. Six Flags added rides found in bigger theme parks such as the wooden coaster called Rolling Thunder in 1979, The Buccaneer, Roaring Rapids (now known as Congo Rapids , Parachuter’s Perch (now Parachute Training Center) and Freefall (later Stuntman’s Freefall), all before the park’s tenth anniversary in 1984.
Great Adventure Has A Multitude Of Signature Events Planned For Their 50th Anniversary Celebration.
First, there will be personalized brick sold for the Dream Street Pathway. These anniversary bricks will adorn a new pathway located at the theme park’s original entrance and feature personalized engravings. You can purchase bricks here.
Next, you and your loved ones can fill out a form here for Great Adventure Anniversary Legacy Quotes. Six Flags Great Adventure has been turning moments into memories for 50 years and they want to celebrate the stories that have become part of YOUR history. From bonding moments on rides, to heartwarming experiences with friends and family, they will be choosing guest memories that have made Great Adventure a special place for so many to feature both online and in the park in 2024.
Meanwhile, other fantastic ways to celebrate Great Adventure’s 50th anniversary are in the works. Such as new rides like The Flash Vertical Velocity, and The CYBORG Cyber Spin!
But Wait There’s More!
The Savannah Sunset Resort and Spa is set to open in 2024. According to the Six Flags Great Adventure Website, you’re in for an authentic African lodging experience at the NEW Savannah Sunset Resort & Spa set within the expansive 350-acre Wild Safari Park. Overnight guests will enjoy ultra-luxurious glamping accommodations, scenic vistas, spa services and VIP dining, all creating an unforgettable safari getaway. See the video preview of the resort here!
Looks like it’s going to be cheers to 50 years at our good old Great Adventure!
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