Wild One was a wooden roller coaster at Six Flags America in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, and one of the oldest coasters ever operated in the United States. Built in 1917 as the Giant Coaster at Paragon Park in Hull, Massachusetts, it briefly held the title of the world’s tallest roller coaster before being relocated to Maryland in 1986, where it operated for nearly four more decades under its new name.
Designed by legendary coaster engineer John A. Miller and built by Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters, Wild One combined a classic out-and-back layout with a signature 450-degree spiral helix and a run of bunny hills known for delivering strong airtime. The ride closed permanently on November 2, 2025, when Six Flags America shut down for good, leaving its future uncertain even as preservationists pushed to save it.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Six Flags America (Upper Marlboro, Maryland)
- Manufacturer: Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters
- Opened: May 26, 1917 (as Giant Coaster, Paragon Park); relocated to Six Flags America May 3, 1986
- Closed: November 2, 2025
- Height: About 98 feet
- Top speed: About 53 mph
- Length: About 4,000 feet
- Inversions: 0
The Ride Experience
Wild One’s wooden out-and-back layout sent trains climbing a chain lift before diving into an 88-foot first drop, the kind of steep, old-school plunge that defined coaster design in the early 20th century. From there, riders hit a series of bunny hills that produced pronounced airtime, followed by a distinctive 450-degree spiral helix near the finish. The ride lasted just under two minutes but packed in the rattling, out-of-control feel that classic wooden coasters are known for.
From Paragon Park to Six Flags America
Originally built as the Giant Coaster at Paragon Park on the Massachusetts coast, the ride operated there from 1917 to 1984 and survived rebuilds after fires in 1932 and 1963. When Paragon Park closed, the coaster was sold at auction and relocated by the Dinn Corporation to what became Six Flags America, reopening as Wild One in 1986. It remained one of the oldest operating coasters in North America until Six Flags shut the entire park down at the end of 2025, and the property was later sold in 2026 for a mixed-use redevelopment unrelated to amusement parks.
Explore more: Explore more roller coasters, Read about the Six Flags America closure.
Wild One Photo Archive: July 2001
These are original ThrillZing photos of Wild One taken at Six Flags America on July 13 and 14, 2001, restored and upscaled from the original camera files. They show the 1917 wooden coaster, moved from Paragon Park in 1986, in its white paint near the park’s front gate: the entrance sign, trains cresting the lift and the hills, the lattice up close, the curves by the station, and a train leaving the covered station. All photos are free to reuse under a CC BY 4.0 license with credit to ThrillZing and a link to this page.
Wild One FAQs
Is Wild One still open?
No. Wild One closed permanently on November 2, 2025, when its home park, Six Flags America, shut down for good.
How old was Wild One?
It dated back to 1917, when it opened as the Giant Coaster at Paragon Park in Massachusetts, making it around 108 years old by the time it closed.
Who built Wild One?
It was designed by John A. Miller and built by Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters, one of the most influential names in early wooden coaster construction.
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