Dark rides are a rarity in Six Flags parks, but one at its original Texas park will be redone for a 2022 debut.
The space used for Yosemite Sam and the Gold River Adventure, which has been closed since sustaining flood damage in 2018, will be transformed into Pirates of Speelunker Cave. The park’s press release says the new ride is a reimagining of the old attraction, The Cave, that debuted with the park in 1964 and was replaced by Yosemite Sam after the 1991 season.
“As the world’s first regional theme park, Six Flags Over Texas has built a solid reputation of providing innovative thrills and lifelong memories for generations of families,” said Six Flags Over Texas Park President Ron McKenzie. ““What better way to celebrate our park’s 60th anniversary than by announcing a brand-new attraction that pays homage to our past and launches us into the future.”
The ride will feature 17 brand new scenes combining projections, physical sets, and animatronics.
Dark rides at Six Flags are largely limited to the Sally Dark Rides interactive attraction, Justice League: Battle for Metropolis, which exists at six parks in the chain, with Texas sporting the original built in 2015. Six Flags Over Georgia does sport its own water-based dark ride with Monster Mansion.
Six Flags also confirmed that the Arlington, Texas park will still be adding a new coaster in 2022. Aquaman: Power Wave will be the park’s 15th coaster and the first Mack Rides PowerSplash model built in the U.S.
The coaster will feature multiple launches and hit a top speed of 63 miles per hour.
The Six Flags Over Texas announcement was the second 2022 ride reveal for the Six Flags family. Six Flags Fiesta Texas unveiled its new-for-2022 dive coaster, Dr. Diabolical’s Cliffhanger, last week. The chain is opting to announce new attractions park-by-park rather than all at once for this year.