Six Flags is famous for epic roller coasters and thrill rides. Situated adjacent to the picturesque Connecticut River, Six Flags New England is the oldest park in the franchise, dating back to the late 1800’s. The amusement park features over 60 rides, including 13 roller coasters and even an entire water park, Hurricane Harbor. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate on our mid May visit to enjoy the water park, but there were more than enough rides, characters and games to have a great time regardless.
Skyscreamer: The World’s Tallest Swing Ride!
In 2014, Six Flags New England debuted the Skyscreamer, which is the world’s tallest swing ride. The Skyscreamer swings brave souls over 400 feet in the air and offers fantastic views of the surrounding Pioneer Valley. Neither of us could muster the courage to swing 40 stories high, but we enjoyed watching others from below.
Goliath: Super Coaster
I rode the inverted super coaster, Goliath. Bell opted out of this thrill ride and stood by to take photos of me smiling on the outside, while slightly terrified inside. Six Flags New England’s website says “Goliath is so intense they had to invent a whole new category of super-coasters just to describe it… a Giant Inverted Boomerang.”
Check your pulse, because if climbing nearly 200 feet in the air at a 90 degree angle, then speeding 65 miles per hour through loops and twists, both forwards and backwards, doesn’t get your heart racing, we don’t know what will! Goliath is a seriously intense roller coaster, and put my fear of heights to the test. This was certainly the most exhilarating experience of our visit to western Massachusetts.
Shows and Characters at Six Flags New England
There’s a lot of opportunities to meet and great characters at Six Flags New England. We had fun watching the Looney Tunes Talent Show, where the characters square off in a song and dance competition, American Idol style. After the show, we had photos taken with Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. We also bumped into Scooby Doo, Scrappy Doo and Taz, among other characters throughout the day. It was fun taking photos with them, even though we’re in our 30’s and don’t have kids. Weird? Maybe just a little!
Historic Carousel from 1909
This is the first attraction that greets you after entering Six Flags New England. The Illions carousel was originally built in 1909 and has 68 hand carved saddled horses, dressed in colourful armor, and all featuring authentic horse tails. There are also lions, tigers and zebras that spin guests through a relaxing 3 minute journey. While fun for all ages, this is of course a huge thrill for little ones.
Superman: the World’s Tallest, Fastest, and Longest Virtual Reality Coaster
SUPERMAN, Six Flags New England’s most popular coaster, has just become one of the world’s first virtual reality roller coasters. Wearing virtual reality headsets, guests are now transported into a realistic 360-degree virtual world of Metropolis that’s synched to the movements of the roller coaster. Combining virtual reality with 20 story climbs and 77 mile per hour speeds means this is the closest you’ll come to actually feeling like Superman. We’ll have to return to Six Flags New England to experience this firsthand!
We had a great time at Six Flags New England and while the weather was cold, the bright side was that the park was not busy, so lines were virtually non-existent. We even rode the spinning tea cups all to ourselves! If you visit this summer on a warm day, consider bringing swimwear to enjoy the water park. There’s a ton to experience here, and we only scratched the surface of it. We’re looking forward to returning soon, and maybe next time we’ll bring the courage to try the world’s tallest swing ride!
Our visit to Six Flags New England was organized thanks to them, the Massachusetts Office of Transportation and Tourism and Explore Western Mass. All opinions and photos included in this article are our own.
Looks cold but fun
It was mid-May so that’s a mixed bag in New England. Summers here are generally very nice though!
I’m not around any theme parks so the only roller coasters I’ve been on were at Disney when I was 20… I still remember my face in the photos they take when the one I was on went backwards…panic. haha It was a lot of fun though!
Hi Hanna. Haha, I used to work at Disney in Orlando when I was teenager, before any coasters there went backwards. It’s been a decade since we’ve visited Disney. We’ll have to return to check that out!
Been to the Disneys of Florida and California but not to any Sikx Flags! Looks as much fun.
Hi Carolina. I used to work at Disney in Orlando as a teenager, and had a lot of fun there. It’s been about a decade since Bell and I visited Disney so we need to get back. This was our first time at Six Flags and we were impressed with so many big thrill rides!
Sounds like a blast! Clever going on a colder day to avoid the crowds – that’s what we usually try to do too. Haven’t yet been to any Six Flags but hopefully soon!
Hey Megan! Yeah, it’s so much more fun when you don’t have to wait in long lines. Alex used to work at Disney as a teenager and always advises people to visit in the low season when possible, and during week days. For those visiting Six Flags New England this summer, try and visit on a weekday if you can. Admission is also cheaper!
It looks like a great fun experience at Six Flags, was reminded of the great time we had some months back on our visit to Disneyland in Hong Kong.
Hey Vyjay. Six Flags New England was indeed a blast. We’d both love to visit Hong Kong Disney someday!
Thanks for taking a ride on Goliath for me, looks like a lot of fun!
Cheers Sara! Goliath was both fun and intense. Hope you get a chance to ride it soon! 🙂