Frontier City
| Location | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States  |
|---|---|
| Opened | 1958 |
| Owner | CNL Lifestyle Properties |
| Operating season | April to October |
| Area | 55 acres 109 acres (0.44 km2) total |
| Attractions | |
| Total | 45 |
| Roller coasters | 5 |
| Water rides | 2 |
| Website | www.FrontierCity.com |
Frontier City is an amusement park in northeast Oklahoma City. It is owned by CNL Income Properties and operated by PARC Management. Frontier City is currently the only theme park in Oklahoma, after the 2006 closing of Bell's Amusement Park in Tulsa.
History
Frontier City was originally opened in 1958 as a Western "town" theme-park. It originally opened up at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds but moved to its current location a few years later to become a "boomtown" since it sprung-up quickly. It was created to compliment Oklahoma City's western heritage and provide a new amusement park for the area due to the demise of Delmar Gardens and Springlake Amusement Park. The park added spinning rides as well as several roller coasters and a log flume ride starting in the 1960s and 1970s.
Frontier City was originally operated and owned by Premier Parks. It was the company's first and flagship park. Premier Parks' corporate offices were located at the southeast corner of the Frontier City property and continued to be located there until 2006 when the company's offices were moved to New York. Premier Parks would purchase Six Flags Inc. in 1998. It was thought that Frontier City, Wild Waves/Enchanted Village, and Great Escape would eventually be re-branded Six Flags parks. But they never were. The other two parks would still sell Six Flags season passes good at all Six Flags parks except for Frontier City and White Water Bay. The Frontier City passes would only be good there and not at other Six Flags parks. But in some years, Six Flags passes were also available for purchase at a higher price. Six Flags Corporate offices remained in Oklahoma City until 2006, despite Oklahoma City's now booming economy.
On January 27, 2006, Six Flags put Frontier City and White Water Bay, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Elitch Gardens, Darien lake, a couple waterparks, and Wild Waves/Enchanted Village for sale. At the same time, Six Flags also announced its plan to close corporate offices in Oklahoma City and move to New York City. Six Flags CEO Mark Shapiro had said he expected the parks to continue operation after the sale. But rumors surfaced that some of them could close.
On January 11, 2007, Six Flags opted to keep Magic Mountain but then announced that it would sell Frontier City and White Water Bay, along with Elitch Gardens, Darien Lake, Splashtown near Houston, and Wild Waves/Enchanted Village to PARC 7F-Operations. [1] As a part of the deal, the Six Flags prefix was removed from the names of Elitch Gardens and Darien lake. Frontier City and White Water Bay were never branded as Six Flags parks.
Since the management was changed from Six Flags to PARC Management, Frontier City has been granted the largest capital investment that the park has seen in its 50 years. The new ownership allowed for the addition of the Steel Lasso, as well as a few minor changes within the park. Also in 2008, former Director of Revenue Stephen Ball was selected to be the park's General Manager.
Rides and Attractions
Roller Coasters
Currently operating
Frontier City currently has four major operating roller coasters and one children's coaster.
- Steel Lasso a Vekoma family coaster that opened July 17, 2008 in celebration of Frontier City's 50th Anniversery. The Steel Lasso is the first and currently the only suspended roller coaster in Oklahoma. It has a top speed of 29.2 MPH and maximum height of 49 feet (15 m).
- The Wildcat is a wood hybrid, "out and back" coaster consisting of a wooden track with structural steel supports. Originally built in 1968, it was designed by Aurel Vaszin and Edward Leis for National Amusement Device Company for Fairyland Park in Kansas City, MO. It was relocated to Frontier City in 1991 and was one of the first complete relocations of a wooden coaster. The original coaster was modified to fit the terrain of the current site. In 1999, the original NAD trains were replaced by new Philadelphia Toboggan Company trains. The Wildcat is 75 feet (23 m) in height and has a first drop of 65 feet (20 m). Its track length is 2,653 feet (809 m) and maximum speed reached is 46 MPH.
- The Silver Bullet is a steel coaster designed by Anton Schwarzkopf. The Silver Bullet was originally built to be a completely portable coaster. There are no concrete footings holding the coaster down like permanent structures. Instead, water-filled ballasts hold the weight of the coaster down. Operating since 1979, it had a brief position at the Texas State Fair from 1980-1983. It was relocated to Frontier City in 1986. Since being at Frontier City, it has gone through many color schemes including blue/black, and teal/pink but is currently black/silver. The Silver Bullet is Oklahoma's tallest coaster, at some 83 feet (25 m) high. The Silver Bullet has a top speed of 45 MPH.
- The Diamondback, originally built in 1978, is a "shuttle loop" roller coaster manufactured by Arrow Dynamics. Originally named the "Lightning Loops," it was relocated from Six Flags Great Adventure to Frontier City in 1994. The second coaster, part of the original design was not re-constructed due to lack of space. In 2007 it was painted yellow and blue.
- The Wild Kitty is a small children's coaster made of strap steel.
Defunct
- The Nightmare Mine was a "Galaxi" style coaster built as an indoor attraction at Frontier City in 1989. Prior to that, it had been an outdoor roller coaster known as the Orange Blossom Special which was manufactured in 1974 by S.D.C. The Nightmare Mine has been standing but not operating since 2003.
- Excalibur was an Arrow Dynamics "Runaway Mine Train" meant to be installed in Frontier City after being relocated from Six Flags Astroworld in Houston, TX. Excalibur was carelessly dismantled in Astroworld and upon arrival at Frontier City was deemed in too poor of shape to be rebuilt. It sat in the storage lot behind the park until 2006 when it was sold for scrap metal. [citation needed]
- Treasure Mountain was an indoor dark ride featuring lit animatronics. Due to lack of interest it was replaced by Quick Draw in June 2007.
- Tomahawk a Zamperla Hawk 48. It was removed for the 2007 season and replaced by the Steel Lasso in 2008.
Other thrill rides
- Quick Draw is a family interactive dark ride designed and manufactured by the Sally Corporation with an old west concept. Riders use pistols equipped with infrared LEDs/readers that count up a score based on targets hit. The ride uses an old building that once housed a previous dark ride, Treasure Mountain. The old ride was completely dismantled and walls deconstructed so that Quick Draw's hardware could be installed.
- Eruption an S&S Power Sky Sling built in 2003. Currently the tallest attraction in Oklahoma with towers reaching 225 feet.
- Tornado a Sellner Tilt-A-Whirl attraction.
- The Hangman a Chance tower/drop ride in which riders sit around a square tower in a ring of seats harnessed to a cable system which launches them into the air where they "hang" for several moments before plummeting back down to the ground.
- Geronimo a free-falling attraction manufactured by Skycoaster.
- Terrible Twister a Chance Rotor.
- Sidewinder a Huss Frisbee ride.
- Rodeo Round-up a Huss Enterprise.
- Mindbender a Chance Inverter.
- Casino a Chance Trabant.
- The Prairie Schooner a swinging ship ride manufactured by Intamin.
Water Rides
- Mystery River Log Flume, formerly "Ozarka Splash" once sponsored by Ozarka, is the first Arrow Dynamics built "log flume" style ride. Riders travel in a log themed boat through a concrete canal filled with water. The Log Flume is characteristic of older-style flumes by the fact that 90% of the ride is ground level, as opposed to newer versions where the ride is a fiberglass canal suspended over the ground.
- Renegade Rapids is a large raft-style attraction which carries riders through simulated white water rapids.