Park section Mardi Gras Opening date 1986 Max speed 85 km/h Track length 1,219 m | Status Operating Drop 88 ft (27 m) Height 30 m Height restriction 1.22 m | |
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Address Upper Marlboro, MD 20774, USA Similar Batwing, The Joker's Jinx, Mind Eraser, Roar, Great Chase | ||
The Wild One is a wooden roller coaster at Six Flags America in Prince George's County, Maryland. It features a 450° spiral helix and a series of bunny hills that produce a significant amount of air time. The wooden coaster was previously known as Giant Coaster when it was located at Paragon Park in Hull, Massachusetts. It operated there from 1917 to 1984.
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History
When the roller coaster first opened in 1917, it was a double out and back side friction coaster called "The Giant Coaster" at Paragon Park in Nantasket Beach, Massachusetts, just under 25 miles (40 km) south of Boston. Then, in 1932, Herbert Paul Schmeck redesigned much of the ride after it was partially destroyed by fire. In April 1963, another fire destroyed the station, trains, double helix finale and part of the lift hill. The park wanted John C. Allen to rebuild the coaster as it was, but his estimate proved too high for the traditional park. Instead he left out two bunny hops and the helix finale in order to create an angled approach into the brake run. Although nowhere near as exciting as Miller's finish, Allen gave the park an affordable option to tearing down the coaster. On July 19, 1963, Forest Park Highlands burned but the Comet was still standing. The Comet was torn down in 1968. Paragon Park bought the used trains from Forest Park Highland's Comet because they were much cheaper than buying new ones from Philadelphia Toboggan Company. For the remaining years the park was open, the Giant Coaster's trains ran with the name "Comet" emblazoned across the front of the car. "The Giant Coaster" suddenly closed with Paragon Park in 1984 and was sold to Wild World (now Six Flags America.) It acquired the ride in a last minute bid at auction. In 1986, Wild One opened in its current location, restored to its original condition, reincorporating the original helix at the end of the ride. Some of this retracking was completed by Martin & Vleminckx. Wild One did not open for the 1991 season since the park was having financial difficulties. It reopened for the 1992 season and has been operational ever since.
The ride kept its name even though its themed area Southwest Territory was replaced with a Mardi Gras section in 2014.