Six Flags White Water - History

History

Six Flags White Water was constructed by Silver Dollar City, a theme park company known today as Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation, as a corporate sibling to their White Water park in Branson, Missouri, and first opened in 1984. In June 1998, the park was the site of an E. coli outbreak, which sickened at least ten children, including the son of then-Atlanta Braves baseball player Walt Weiss. In May 1999, the park was sold to the group of limited partners that own the nearby Six Flags Over Georgia theme park, with the park becoming "Six Flags White Water," and, like its sister park, being managed by Six Flags Theme Parks. Today, the two parks operate together, despite being roughly 15 miles apart, with each offering promotions for the other.

Six Flags White Water is one of four stand-alone Six Flags water parks, and the only one of the group to not use the "Hurricane Harbor" name.

In late 2010, Six Flags began the process of removing licensed themes from attractions. They terminated several licenses including their license with The Wiggles. Wiggles Water World was rethemed to Buccaneer Bay in time for the 2011 season.

In July 2011, Six Flags introduced the Flash Pass at Six Flags White Water, and was the first water park in the world to feature the virtual queue system for their water rides. Six Flags White Water was the testing park of the new system and with huge success, nine more Six Flags water parks will be adding the system in 2012.