A Wednesday morning news dump revealed some previously-unannounced additions coming to the Six Flags chain this year. 

First, Six Flags St. Louis is getting its first new coaster since 2013 with Rookie Racer. A Vekoma junior coaster, Rookie Racer will be 843 feet long, 41 feet tall and hit a top speed of 27 miles per hour, and have a 36-inch height requirement. It will be built near the entrance to The Boss.

“This family ride has the look and feel of a major coaster with a height requirement that will allow smaller kids to ride with their parents and older siblings to provide an adrenaline charged experience like only Six Flags can,” Six Flags St. Louis park president John Krajnak said in a press release.

Rookie Racer (Six Flags)

The quick addition of an off-the-shelf Vekoma model aligns with Theme Park Tribune’s previous reporting that Six Flags was looking for new rides that could be installed quickly. The shift in strategy comes after the theme park chain reported steep drops in attendance and revenue through the third quarter of 2022. The company will announce its annual earnings on Thursday. 

Other additions and changes unveiled Wednesday include:

  • Dino Off Road Adventure, a retheme of the existing Wild Wheelz attraction at Six Flags New England;
  • Esix Gaming, a 5,000-square-foot esports arena at Six Flags Fiesta Texas; 
  • A refurbished Shark Experience at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom; 
  • Water park additions in New Jersey, Georgia, and San Antonio;
  • Rainforest Trail, Six Flags Great Adventure’s new butterfly exhibit.

Six Flags also revealed that the previously-announced single-rail family coasters for Fiesta Texas and Six Flags Over Georgia will both be named Kid Flash Cosmic Coaster. 

The chain’s biggest new coaster for 2023, Aquaman: Power Wave, will hold its grand opening on March 11 at Six Flags Over Texas.

Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Rookie Racer was Six Flags St. Louis’ first new coaster in 15 years. In fact, the park’s last coaster addition was Boomerang, a relocated coaster from Six Flags Over Texas, in 2013; its last all-new coaster, American Thunder, opened in 2008. Theme Park Tribune apologizes for the error.