SIX FLAGS NEW ENGLAND

Located in Agawam, Massachusetts, 17.2 miles from Hartford’s Bradley International Airport, Six Flags New England opened as Riverside Amusement Park in 1870 and continued to operate under that name until the end of the 1999 season, when it officially became a Six Flags park.    This park features a variety of attractions, including a water park which shares the name Hurricane Harbor with Six Flags Great Adventure.   There are eleven roller coasters, the most noteworthy of which are the awesome Bizarro (winner of the 2011 and 2012 Golden Ticket award for #2 steel coaster in the world) and Goliath, a giant inverted boomerang that’s frightening just to look at.   On the whole, the other coasters are not of the same calibre as those at Six Flags Great Adventure but they’re fun rides and there are approximately twenty rides designed specifically for kids, so families have a number of options.

Like all Six Flags parks, this theme park offers the Flash Pass, an electronic device that enables park guests to reserve a ride without having to wait in line, for an upcharge.   The Flash Pass is available at three levels – regular, gold and platinum, with platinum significantly cutting the wait time and permitting consecutive riding.

There are multiple dining options, and like other Six Flags parks, this park offers a season dining pass.  As of 2013, the pass cost $74.99 and included two meals on each visit to the park.   For season pass holders who visit frequently, the dining pass is an option which represents a significant savings over buying individual meals.

For entertainment, the park has a repertoire of shows and also hosts local entertainers who perform live.  It’s easily accessible to residents of both Massachusetts and Connecticut.  For more information about Six Flags New England, visit www.sixflags.com/NEWENGLAND/  Photo courtesy of www.coasterimage.com