LOCATIONLOCATION
Six Flags Over Georgia (SFOG) is located
outside of Atlanta, west on Interstate 20 approximately 20 minutes
from downtown. If you think of Atlanta as a clock Six Flags
is at the 9:00 position. MARTA
(the bus/subway service) offers seasonal rail-to-bus service
with buses that depart the Hamilton E. Holmes (Hightower) station
on the east/west line. Be sure to call (404)848-4711 for information
about the shuttle schedule because it is seasonal and is not always
operating during the non-Summer months. Cobb County Community Transit also has
a line that services the park.
If coming from Atlanta (heading West on Interstate 20) Six Flags is at Exit 47. But if yo're heading eastbound, from the Alabama side, it's Exit 46. From either direction follow the signs to Six Flags Park.
On June 7, 1967, Six Flags Over Georgia (SFOG) opened the gates to the public for the first time. This was seven years after the first Six Flags park, Six Flags Over Texas, opened near Dallas. During the year of the Georgia park's construction the Six Flags Railroad offered visitors a tour of the site for a small admission fee, thus the railroad is the first attraction ever operated at the park.
In 1969 the Georgia park 's ownership was divided (and separately the Texas property) with the land passing to Six Flags Over Georgia, LP, a limited investor partnership, and a new company, Six Flags Theme Parks (SFTP), became responsible for daily operation of the park.
SFTP built their first (and only) park from the ground up outside of St. Louis, Missouri. Six Flags Over Mid-America opened in 1971 (where yours truly found employment for two Summers) and is now called Six Flags St. Louis. Further growth in the chain was created by purchasing large regional amusement parks near major cities including New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. SFTP ownership went through a maze of corporations including Penn Central and Bally, finally ending up in the arms of the entertainment company Time-Warner, Inc. Note that the properties in Georgia and Texas were (and continue to be) owned by the limited partnerships.
In December of 1997 the Texas property's partners were upset concerning the lack of focus Time-Warner placed on improving their property and approached Premier Parks about developing a management relationship. Premier was a regional park operator that began as a real estate land investment in Oklahoma City. The Texas partners proposed allowing Premier to manage the operations and marketing of the Texas park, replacing then-owner Time-Warner's SFTP. Time-Warner successfully defended and renewed their management contract with offers to the Texas partners assuring better operations and revenues.
Meanwhile, the Georgia partnership also felt their interests were being neglected and filed suit against Time-Warner charging them with mismanaging operations and improvements. In April, 1998, Premier Parks acquired all of Six Flags Theme Parks, Inc., and reached agreements with the Georgia and Texas partnerships to acquire the outstanding partnership shares in 2026 (or sooner). The Georgia lawsuit came to a decision in 1998 that requires substantial annual capital investments (equivalent to 5% of the operating income) in the park - while the record-setting punitive damages from the judgment are being appealed by AOL/Time-Warner, Inc.Click here for details.
In 2000 Premier Parks changed their corporate name to Six Flags, Inc and spread the Six Flags "brand" by re-naming various parks throughout their holdings both in the United States and Europe. In 2004, the chain sold off Geauga Lake (known as Six Flags Ohio and Six Flags Worlds of Adventure) and all of the European assets.
In the fall of 2005 a corporate take-over of what had become an ineffective board of directors ousted the chief executives of the company and installed executives from the Washington Redskins and ESPN organizations. 2006 should be an interesting year with promises of better guest services with rides running at capacity and more shows and characters throughout the park. Of course, this all comes at a price and even before the season began prices of tickets, season passes and parking were already beginning to skyrocket. Whether the prices and guest service improvements stick around will be the big question marks surrounding the year. For example, will there be a show in the Axis Arena that has been dark for over three years?
For a trivia game when waiting in line try
to name the 6 flags that either today or in history flew over
the state. Only the Six Flags parks in Texas, Missouri
and Georgia keep the "6 flags" tradition alive. 
The answer is found in the original lands
of Six Flags Over Georgia (see map
section);
Over the years a few "rogue" themed lands have emerged:
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