Six Flags Over Texas opened on August 5, 1961, in Arlington, Texas, as the very first park in what would become the worldwide Six Flags chain. Developer Angus G. Wynne Jr. built the 212-acre park in just a year for about $10 million, naming it for the six nations whose flags have flown over Texas: Spain, France, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the United States, and the Confederate States.
More than six decades later, the park sits between Fort Worth and Dallas and is marking its 65th anniversary season in 2026 as the oldest operating Six Flags park in the world. Its 13 roller coasters now span more than six decades of coaster engineering, from a 1963 Arrow Development log flume to Tormenta Rampaging Run, the record-setting giga dive coaster that opened this summer. This guide covers the park’s full history, its complete current ride lineup, and everything you need to plan a 2026 visit, including hours, tickets, and parking.
Quick Answer
Six Flags Over Texas opened August 5, 1961, in Arlington, Texas, making it the original park in the Six Flags chain. It covers 212 acres and currently operates 13 roller coasters. Tormenta Rampaging Run, a 309-foot giga dive coaster, opened July 9, 2026, and is now the park’s tallest and fastest ride at 87 mph, taking both titles from the 245-foot Titan. Park hours run daily through the summer and shift to weekends in spring, fall, and winter; tickets and parking use date-based dynamic pricing that’s cheapest when bought online in advance through the official park site.
Park History: How the First Six Flags Came to Be
After visiting the newly opened Disneyland in California, Texas real estate developer Angus G. Wynne Jr. decided his home state needed its own themed destination, one built around Texas history rather than fantasy. Construction started in August 1960, and the park opened to the public less than a year later on August 5, 1961, drawing 8,374 guests on opening day.
Six Flags Over Texas is credited with pioneering the ‘Pay One Price’ admission model, a single ticket covering all rides, which was a novelty at the time and later became the industry standard. Attendance during that first 45-day season far exceeded expectations, and what was planned as a temporary attraction became a permanent Arlington landmark and the flagship of a chain that now spans dozens of parks across North America.
What’s New for 2026: Tormenta Rampaging Run Has Arrived
The park’s 65th anniversary season centers on Tormenta Rampaging Run, billed as the world’s first ‘giga’ dive coaster and the record holder for tallest, fastest, and longest coaster of its kind. After a short delay from an originally planned late-June debut, it opened to the public on Thursday, July 9, 2026. It stands 309 feet tall with a beyond-vertical 285-foot first drop at a 95-degree angle, tops out around 87 mph, and runs 4,199 feet of track through the tallest vertical loop (179 feet) and highest Immelmann inversion (218 feet) of any coaster in the world. Riders must be at least 48 inches tall.
The coaster anchors a new Spanish-themed area called Rancho de la Tormenta, styled after the running of the bulls. Other 65th anniversary additions include a full renovation of the Southern Palace Theatre into the park’s premier indoor performance venue, a new 65th Anniversary Museum near Smith Street showcasing park memorabilia and history, and a new Splash Island feature at the adjacent Hurricane Harbor Arlington water park. One classic ride is sitting this season out: Shock Wave, the park’s 1978 steel looping coaster, has been closed since March 2026 with no announced reopening date, so check current ride status before planning around it.
The Complete Ride Lineup: All 13 Roller Coasters
Tormenta Rampaging Run (309 ft, 87 mph) is now the park’s marquee attraction, but the rest of the coaster lineup still spans generations of ride design. Titan, a 245-foot Giovanola hypercoaster designed by Werner Stengel, opened April 27, 2001, and plunges 255 feet into a 120-foot underground tunnel at 85 mph across an out-and-back and twister layout with two intense helixes near the finish.
New Texas Giant reimagined the park’s original wooden Texas Giant using Rocky Mountain Construction’s I-Box steel-track technology, a 2011 rebuild that became one of the first hybrid wood-and-steel coasters and influenced hybrid coaster construction worldwide. Rounding out the lineup: the inverted Batman: The Ride, launched shuttle coaster Mr. Freeze: Reverse Blast, wooden classic Judge Roy Scream, spinning coaster Pandemonium, 4D coaster The Joker, indoor coaster Runaway Mountain, the historic Runaway Mine Train, water coaster Aquaman: Power Wave, and two family coasters, Mini Mine Train and Wile E. Coyote’s Grand Canyon Blaster.
Beyond coasters, the park’s roughly 45 rides and attractions include water rides like El Aserradero, plus flat rides and kids’ areas throughout six themed sections. Hurricane Harbor Arlington, the park’s adjacent water park, operates on a separate ticket and is adding the new Splash Island feature for 2026.
A Legacy of Firsts
Beyond being the first park in the Six Flags chain, Six Flags Over Texas introduced genuine amusement-industry firsts. El Aserradero, which opened June 25, 1963, is recognized as the world’s first log flume ride, built by Arrow Development. The Runaway Mine Train, opened July 23, 1966, is credited as the world’s first ‘runaway mine train’ coaster and sparked a wave of similar mine train rides at parks nationwide; its final drop through a tunnel beneath Caddo Lake is considered the first underwater coaster tunnel.
The park has stayed a proving ground for new ride technology ever since, including the I-Box hybrid track system that debuted on New Texas Giant in 2011 before spreading to parks around the world, and now the giga dive format that arrived with Tormenta Rampaging Run in 2026.
Planning Your Visit: Hours, Tickets & Parking
Six Flags Over Texas sits in Arlington, Texas, between Fort Worth and Dallas, alongside AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Field. For 2026, the park generally operates daily through the peak summer months, then shifts to a weekend and select-day schedule in spring, fall, and winter, with Fright Fest running through October and Holiday in the Park spanning late November into early January. Exact hours change by date and season, so always confirm the day you’re visiting on the official calendar rather than assuming a set schedule.
Tickets use date-based dynamic pricing, meaning a single-day admission costs more on busy days (weekends, holidays) than slower weekdays. Buying online in advance is consistently cheaper than paying at the gate, and season passes or Fort Worth/Dallas-area membership tiers offer the best value for guests planning more than one visit, with higher membership tiers including perks like free general parking. Parking is sold separately in two tiers, general and preferred, both cheaper when purchased online ahead of arrival rather than on-site.
For current hours, ticket prices, parking rates, and any ride closures, check the official Six Flags Over Texas site before you go.
Six Flags Over Texas history and rides FAQs
When did Six Flags Over Texas open?
It opened August 5, 1961, in Arlington, Texas, as the first park in the Six Flags chain, drawing 8,374 guests on opening day.
What is the tallest and fastest roller coaster at Six Flags Over Texas?
Tormenta Rampaging Run, which opened July 9, 2026, is now both the tallest (309 feet) and fastest (about 87 mph) coaster in the park, taking the title from Titan (245 feet, 85 mph).
How many roller coasters does Six Flags Over Texas have?
The park operates 13 roller coasters as of 2026, including new arrival Tormenta Rampaging Run. The classic coaster Shock Wave has been closed since March 2026 and is not counted among currently operating rides.
Is Six Flags Over Texas the original Six Flags park?
Yes. It’s the flagship park that started the chain in 1961 and is now the oldest operating Six Flags park in the world.
What’s new at Six Flags Over Texas for 2026?
The headline addition is Tormenta Rampaging Run, a 309-foot giga dive coaster in the new Rancho de la Tormenta area. The park also renovated the Southern Palace Theatre, opened a 65th Anniversary Museum, and added the Splash Island feature at Hurricane Harbor Arlington.
What are the park hours at Six Flags Over Texas?
Hours vary by season: generally daily during summer, and weekends or select days during spring, fall, and winter events like Fright Fest and Holiday in the Park. Check the official park hours page before visiting, since specific hours change by date.
How much are tickets and parking?
Six Flags Over Texas uses date-based dynamic pricing for single-day tickets, so cost varies by day. General parking and preferred parking are sold separately in tiers, and both tickets and parking are cheaper when bought online in advance rather than at the gate. Season passes and area membership tiers offer the best value for repeat visits.
Where is Six Flags Over Texas located?
The park is in Arlington, Texas, between Fort Worth and Dallas, next to AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Field.
What was the first log flume ride in the world?
El Aserradero at Six Flags Over Texas, which opened June 25, 1963, is recognized as the world’s first log flume ride.
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