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Six Flags AstroWorld

Houston, Texas

Judge Roy Hofheinz (Houston mayor from 1952 to 1955 and former owner of the Houston Astros) opened AstroWorld in 1968. It had eight themed areas: Alpine Valley, American, Children's World, European Village, Modville, Plaza de Fiesta, Oriental Corner, and Western Junction. The park was purchased by Six Flags in 1975, and the park's name changed from AstroWorld to Six Flags AstroWorld. At the end of the 2005 season, AstroWorld was sold in order to reduce the massive debt load with which Six Flags was burdened. The amusement park chain believed that rising real estate values in the area would make the property worth more without a park on it than with the amusement park. Six Flags had hoped to get $150 million for the land but ended up settling for only about $75 million, not a great sum considering it cost over $20 million just to remove the rides and demolish the park's buildings. The park's rides were either moved to other Six Flags parks, sold, or scrapped. (Please click on the pictures below to read about the coasters' fates after the park closed in 2005.) Despite closing AstroWorld and selling over a dozen other properties, Six Flags filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2009 due to its capital expansion and park acquisition spree of the 1990s. Even in 2023, the Six Flags chain is still highly leveraged with nearly $4 billion in debt.

Two coasters not shown below also left the relatively small 80-acre park:

  • The park's first coaster, an Arrow mine ride, was the Dexter Frebish Electric Roller Ride (1972 to 1980), but was renamed Excalibur in 1981. The ride was moved in 1999 to Frontier City in Oklahoma City.
  • The Swamp Buggy Ride (1973-1974) was a toboggan from Chance Rides.


Batman: The Escape


Greezed Lightnin'


Mayan Mindbender


Serial Thriller


Serpent


Texas Tornado

(formerly Taz's Texas Tornado)

Texas Cyclone


Ultra Twister


Viper


XLR-8