Six Flags Great Adventure

Jackson, New Jersey
732-928-1821

Wild Safari and Hurricane Harbor water park require separate admission from the theme park. Combo passes are available. Reduced price for children (under 54"). 3 and under are free. Discounted tickets are often available online. Season pass tickets include admission to all Six Flags parks.

Save money and time. Buy discounted tickets online, direct from Six Flags.

For an additional fee, the park offers the Flash Pass go-to-the-front-of-the-lines program. VIP tours available for an extra fee (which is quite high).

Compare rates for hotels near Six Flags Great Adventure at About.com's booking partner, Kayak.

Six Flags Great Adventure includes three parks:

• The Six Flags Great Adventure Theme Park
• Six Flags Hurricane Harbor water park
• Six Flags Wild Safari

The huge park features some of the world's greatest coasters, including:

• Kingda Ka rocket coaster
• El Toro hybrid wood coaster
• Nitro hypercoaster
• Superman Ultimate Flight flying coaster
• Bizarro floorless coaster

It also offers some highly themed areas with shows and rides geared for younger kids and families, including the Golden Kingdom, Looney Tunes Seaport, Plaza del Carnaval, and Bugs Bunny National Park.

The Six Flags Wild Safari is a drive-through animal preserve.

Six Flags Fright Fest Overview

From New Jersey and New York: NJ Turnpike to Exit 7A, I-195 E to Exit 16A.
Alternate route: Garden State Parkway to Exit 98, I-195 W to exit 16. One mile west on Rte. 537 to Six Flags.

From Philadelphia: Ben Franklin Bridge to Route 38 E. NJ Turnpike N to Exit 7A to I-195 E to exit 16A.
Alternate route: Route 295 N to I-195 E to Exit 16A.

• Six Flags Great Adventure Photo Gallery
• Six Flags Hurricane Harbor water park overview
• Six Flags Great Adventure Wild Safari Overview
• Fright Fest Halloween Event Info
• Kingda Ka info, videos, and photos
• El Toro coaster review and photos
• Nitro coaster review and photos
• Bizarro coaster review and photos
• Superman- Ultimate Flight coaster review and photos

For 2009, Great Adventure made over its Medusa floorless coaster with new visual, audio, and sensory effects and re-theming it as Bizarro, after the Superman comics character. Read more about Bizarro. The park also debuted an amped-up Saturday Night Lights fireworks show.

For 2008, Six Flags Great Adventure debuted the indoor Batman-themed coaster, The Dark Knight, the 3-D movie ride, Fly Me to the Moon, and the Glow in the Park nighttime parade.

One of Six Flags' signature properties, Great Adventure generally has more guests clicking its turnstiles than any of the other parks in the chain. Among the reasons for its success: Its prime locale puts it within easy traveling distance of the heavily populated New York/New Jersey/Pennsylvania area, and it features some kick-ass coasters.

In 2005, it took the crown for the world's tallest, fastest thrill machine when it debuted the rocket coaster, Kingda Ka. (Unfortunately, it promptly broke down and sat out most of its inaugural season.) Also included in its impressive collection: the wonderful hypercoaster, Nitro, the flying coaster, Superman Ultimate Flight, and the floorless coaster, Bizarro. In 2006, Six Flags Great Adventure unleashed El Toro, a new-age wood coaster that is among the best anywhere.

But the park is more than just an array of thrill rides. In recent years, it has added some extensive themeing and created elaborate shows and attractions geared more for families with younger children. The Golden Kingdom that surrounds Kingda Ka, for example, offers a jungle-themed stage show and Balin's Jungleland, a sprawling area packed with rides, an interactive play structure, and a sprayground. Six Flags Wild Safari, which is included in the cost of park admission, offers an impressive drive-through animal habitat. The Hurricane Harbor water park (separate admission) has enough water slides and rides to fill an entire day of fun.

With about 3 million guests visiting the seasonal park each season, the lines can become overbearing. If you have the resources, and you're planning to visit during prime time, you may want to consider purchasing the Q-Bot electronic FastLane ride reservation transponder. If you really want to splurge, the park also offers a VIP skip-all-the-lines pass as well as guided tours.