Six Flags in the Adirondacks?

When it comes to the Adirondacks, roller coasters are the last thing I would imagine finding there. I was even more surprised to find an amusement park that is operated and owned by Six Flags Entertainment Corporation. I wondered why amusement parks existed in the Adirondacks in the first place. It seemed very odd to have roller coasters in a place where nature is supposed to be the main attraction. I believe that amusement parks exist in the Adirondacks as a way to entertain summer residents.

In 1954, Charles Wood opened Storytown USA in Lake George. Storytown originally opened as a Mother Goose themed amusement park which featured attractions based on the stories and themes found in Mother Goose. Charles realized that the park was geared towards little kids and he wanted to attract a larger population. He proceeded to open up more rides within the park that would attract people of all ages. In 1983, the park changed its name to The Great Escape. In 1994, a used wooden track and steel frame roller coaster called the Comet was bought from another amusement park and reassembled at Great Escape. The Comet is recognized as one of the best wooden roller coasters in North America because of its historical significance and the ride is still open to this day! The park was only open during the summer when tourist populations in Lake George were high. In 1996, Great Escape was bought by Premier Parks which is now known as Six Flags Entertainment Corporation. After Great Escape was purchased, the park became more consistent with other Six Flags amusement parks. Most of the rides were more on the scale of big roller coaster thriller rides, and they even added a few water attractions. This attracted both locals and tourist into the park.

In 2006, the Six Flags Great Escape Lodge & Indoor Waterpark was opened. It was the first indoor waterpark in New York. The Great Escape Lodge is located right across from the amusement park and is geared towards families. The Lodge is opened year round. This is interesting because weather is a huge determining factor in how long the outdoor amusement park can stay open. By building an indoor waterpark, weather is taken out of the picture. What I found really interesting was that the décor of the Lodge has an Adirondack-style to it, with exposed wood beams and fireplaces. The décor of the Lodge reminds me a lot of the Great Camps. Since the lodge is open year round, is this lodge meant to entertain local residents? Or is it meant to bring more money into the park?

Miller, Chuck. "Storytown – Er, the Great Escape – in Kodachrome." Times Union. N.p., 28 Oct. 2010. Web. 24 Apr. 2016.

Ducharme, Jay. "Six Flags Great Escape." Karen and Jay's Amusement Page. N.p., 29 May 2011. Web. 24 Apr. 2016.

"Six Flags a Great Escape to Time and the Adirondack Tourism Industry." Adirondack Almanack. N.p., 15 Jan. 2006. Web. 24 Apr. 2016.

https://www.sixflags.com/greatescape/plan-your-visit/frequently-asked-questions Michaels, Wendy. "Lake George: The Great Escape Theme Park." LoveToKnow. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2016.