STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Get ready for thrilling rides, as Six Flags Great Adventure opens its Jackson, N.J., theme park on Saturday for the 2021 season.
We’ve compiled a guide of what to know before you visit.
PARK HOURS
Six Flags will open on Saturday and Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., for its opening weekend.
Hours will be extended throughout spring break week from March 29 to April 11 — with weekday hours from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and weekend hours from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The theme park will then open only on weekends and some Fridays until it begins daily operation starting May 28. Park hours may vary, so be sure to check Six Flag’s park operating schedule for more information.
If there are no operating hours listed for a particular date, the park is closed.
TICKET PRICES
One-day admission to the park is $79.99 per person, but a 50% off sale has tickets as low as $39.99. Children 2 years and under are free. Season passes offer unlimited visits to Six Flags, Hurricane Harbor, and the Wild Safari Drive-Thru Adventure. Usually priced at $199.99, season passes are currently on sale for $79.99.
You can also buy a membership that gives you access to all outdoor parks and up to 50 benefits. Prices vary depending on membership level.
Due to new safety protocols, parking must be purchased online before your visit. Parking prices are currently at $23.45.
This file photo shows Six Flags manager Josh Taniwah greeting customers with a sign thanking them for wearing a mask during the 2020 season. (Michael Mancuso/NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Med
MAKE A RESERVATION
You won’t be able to buy tickets at the gate this season.
Six Flags is requiring reservations for all guests, including members, season pass holders, and single-day ticket holders. Guests without advance reservations will not be allowed to enter. The reservation system will allow the theme park to stagger arrival times and manage attendance throughout the day.
Make reservations at sixflags.com/reserve.
Guests will submit their online order number, ticket number, or membership/season pass number, select the day and approximate time they want to visit, acknowledge their understanding of the company’s health policy, order pre-paid parking if needed, and watch a brief video describing new social distancing and sanitization procedures.
Single-day ticket holders can make a reservation while making their ticket purchases.
DON’T FORGET A MASK
The park will continue to follow new health and safety guidelines amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. When you arrive, you’ll go through new advanced security screening technology for touchless bag checks and state-of-the-art thermal imaging for temperature checks.
And don’t forget to wear a mask when you visit. We suggest bringing multiple masks with you, in case you drop one, lose one, or need to replace a mask.
Six Flags employees will also follow health protocols like wearing a face mask and gloves as appropriate. They are also health-screened and temperature-checked daily.
GET A PEEK AT NEW COASTER
Sneak a peek at one of the most anticipated coasters, the triple record-breaking Jersey Devil Coaster.
It is slated to open this summer. Six Flags said riders will be able to straddle the thin, monorail track as they soar through the foreboding woods on the tallest, faster, and longest single-rail coaster in the world. Inspired by infamous New Jersey mythology, the coaster will feature five intense elements through three dramatic inversions.
The Jersey Devil Coaster is slated to open this season. (Courtesy/Six Flags)
WILD SAFARI
The Six Flags Wild Safari Drive-Thru Adventure begins daily operation Saturday.
Guests will be able to see the new rare bongo species, including an adorable calf, as well as other adorable babies like four giraffe calves and two Siberian tiger cubs.
The safari takes guests on a self-guided journey through 1,200 exotic animals from six continents. From the safety and privacy of their own vehicle, guests will slowly wind through 11 simulated natural habitats — seeing animals like giraffes, elephants, rhinos, lions, tigers, bears and baboons.
While most animals roam freely in the safari, predators are safely kept behind fences. All animals, Six Flags added, are clearly visible from car windows.
The drive is about five miles and takes about one hour to complete.
You’ll also need to make a reservation in advance to go to the drive-through safari. Admission is $19.99 per person, and free for season pass holders and members.
WATERPARK OPENS IN MAY
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor will open for the 2021 season on Saturday, May 15. Reservations for the waterpark will launch Tuesday, May 4, at noon.
This tropically-themed oasis will offer cool refreshment for the entire family with more than 20 high-speed thrill slides, a half-mile lazy river, two massive pools and two interactive kids’ areas.
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