Six Flags Magic Mountain Reviews and Guide

One of the flagship parks in the Six Flags chain, Six Flags Magic Mountain has more roller coasters than any theme park on the planet (17). Located in Santa Clarita, California, it is heavily focused on thrill rides, although two children's areas (Whistlestop Park and Bugs Bunny World) do offer a handful of kids' attractions. Among the park's biggest hitters are the X2 fourth-dimension coaster, the enormous Goliath hypercoaster and the world's tallest drop tower, Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom.

History: The park first opened in 1971, when it was known simply as Magic Mountain. A large number of its original rides (and many of those added later) were constructed by Arrow Developments, a company that later went bust after losing millions on the development of the park's X2 roller coaster. It was purchased by Six Flags in 1979, and moved away from a family audience to focus almost exclusively on teenagers and young adults. The infamous "coaster wars" with Cedar Point followed, resulting in a huge number of roller coasters being installed at both parks. With Six Flags struggling financially, the park was put up for sale in 2006, with arch-rival Cedar Fair linked with a takeover. Ultimately, though, attendance improved and Six Flags opted to retain it.