Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson is really three parks in one complex: a theme park with 14 roller coasters, a 350-acre Wild Safari with more than 1,200 animals, and the Hurricane Harbor water park. It opened on July 1, 1974, it sits just off Interstate 195 in Ocean County, and it’s close enough to both New York and Philadelphia that most visitors drive down, ride until they can’t, and drive home the same night. If you last went when Kingda Ka still owned the skyline, a lot has changed.
Kingda Ka, the 456-foot launch coaster the park called the world’s tallest for nearly two decades, was imploded in February 2025. Its replacement, a spinning launch coaster called Bakunawa, is due in 2027, a year later than first promised. Meanwhile the safari has gone back to guided trucks you can board inside the theme park, a Jersey Shore boardwalk area called Shoreline Pier opened in July 2026, and Holiday in the Park returns this November after a year off. This page covers all of it: which tickets to buy (and which to skip), the rides ranked from best to skippable, the safari, the water park, Fright Fest and the holiday season, food, getting there without a car, hotels, and the rules that trip people up at the gate.
Quick answer: Buy tickets online, where a one-day ticket was $45 in late September 2026 against $90 at the gate, and budget another $45 for parking. If you’ll come twice before the end of 2027, the $99 Gold Pass is cheaper than two days and includes parking. Ride El Toro, Jersey Devil Coaster and Nitro early, take the safari truck tour that boards inside the park (it’s included), and buy a separate ticket only if you want Hurricane Harbor.
Last updated September 24, 2026. Prices, hours, event dates, ride heights and rules were checked on September 24, 2026, against Six Flags’ own website, ticket and pass pages, park calendar, FAQ and Guest Accessibility Guide, and every price is dated in the text. Where the park’s own pages disagree with each other, we say so. Drive times are light-traffic routing estimates from Times Square and Philadelphia City Hall.
- Included with a park ticket: the rides (Slingshot costs extra), the Safari Off-Road Adventure truck tour when you board inside the theme park, the shows, and Fright Fest’s scare zones and night rides.
- Book ahead: tickets and parking (the $45 ticket price is online only), and seats on the private TransportAzumah bus if you’re coming from New York without a car.
- Gone: Kingda Ka, Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom, Green Lantern, the Sky Way, the drive-your-own-car safari, THE FLASH Pass (now Fast Lane) and NJ Transit’s bus to the park.
- Costs extra: parking ($45 online), Hurricane Harbor, the Wild Safari’s Base Camp, Fast Lane (from $45 a day), Fright Fest’s haunted mazes (from $35) and Slingshot. See What’s changed.
On this page: At a glance | Kingda Ka and Bakunawa | Tickets and passes | The rides, ranked | Wild Safari | Hurricane Harbor | Fright Fest and Holiday in the Park | Food and drink | Getting there | Hotels | Tips and rules | What’s changed | What to skip | FAQ
Six Flags Great Adventure at a Glance
| What | The details (checked September 24, 2026) |
|---|---|
| Address | 1 Six Flags Blvd., Jackson, NJ 08527, a mile off I-195 on Route 537 |
| What’s there | The theme park (14 coasters, by Six Flags’ count), the Wild Safari (350 acres, 1,200+ animals) and Hurricane Harbor, each with its own gate and ticket |
| 2026 season | The theme park opened March 28; the water park ran from late May to Labor Day; the safari opened April 3 and has dates listed into early November |
| Rest of 2026 | Fright Fest on select days through November 1, a few regular park days in mid-November, then Holiday in the Park on select nights from November 21 to January 3 |
| One-day ticket | $45 online, $90 at the gate; children 2 and under free (except on Fright Fest nights) |
| Parking | $45 general, $65 priority, bought online; free general parking with a Gold Pass |
| Season pass | 2027 Gold Pass $99 online, good for the rest of 2026 and all of 2027 |
| Biggest coasters now | Nitro (230 feet, 80 mph), El Toro (176-foot drop, 70 mph) and Jersey Devil Coaster (130 feet, 58 mph) |
| Coming in 2027 | Bakunawa, a 382-foot, 100 mph spinning launch coaster (no opening date announced) |
| Payment | Cashless: cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay only, parking booths included |
| Drive | 1 hr 35 min from NYC, 1 hr 15 min from Philadelphia |
| Time to allow | A full day for the theme park; add half a day for the water park or Safari Base Camp |
What’s New at Six Flags Great Adventure: Kingda Ka, Bakunawa and 2026
The park is in the middle of its biggest makeover in years, and most of the older advice floating around (start your day at Kingda Ka, buy a Flash Pass, drive your car through the safari) is now wrong. Here’s where things stand.
What happened to Kingda Ka
Kingda Ka opened in 2005 as the world’s tallest and fastest roller coaster. A hydraulic launch threw its trains from a standstill to 128 mph in 3.5 seconds and straight up a 456-foot tower, which the park liked to describe as 45 stories, and by the park’s count it gave more than 12 million rides. On November 14, 2024, Six Flags announced it was retiring Kingda Ka, together with the Green Lantern coaster, the Twister, the Parachutes and the Sky Way chairlift, to clear space for a new record-breaking launch coaster. Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom, the drop ride built into Kingda Ka’s tower, went with it. A park spokesperson explained that the ride’s 20-year-old technology had “challenged operations and contributed to an inconsistent guest experience,” which is a polite way of saying it broke down a lot.
Kingda Ka came down in a controlled implosion just before 7 a.m. on February 28, 2025, about two hours earlier than the window first given to the public, while Jackson police warned would-be spectators that trespassers could be charged and asked drivers on Route 537 not to stop and block traffic. If you see Kingda Ka on a map, a ride list or a photo of the skyline, the source is out of date. (Zumanjaro’s old page is, oddly, still live on the Six Flags site, describing a 415-foot drop tower that no longer exists.)
Bakunawa, the 2027 coaster
The replacement was first promised for the 2026 season in a November 2024 Six Flags investment announcement. In July 2025 a park spokesman said the timeline had moved “beyond 2026,” citing the project’s size and scope; the goal at the time was a spring opening. Construction crews called it Project Purple. The first track sections arrived in February 2026, the last piece went up in early July, and on July 28, 2026 the park finally revealed the name: Bakunawa, after the moon-eating sea serpent of Philippine mythology.
The numbers, all from Six Flags and all from before the ride has carried a single guest:
- 382 feet tall and 100 mph at the top speed, which Six Flags says will make it the world’s tallest and fastest spinning coaster.
- Three launches: 0 to 60 mph, then 60 to 80 mph while upside down, then 80 to 100 mph.
- 3,163 feet of track and a ride cycle of 2 minutes 17 seconds.
- Two trains of 20 riders, in five free-spinning cars that seat four riders back to back.
- A 48-inch height minimum, the same as El Toro and the Jersey Devil Coaster.
- Six claimed world records: fastest spinning coaster, tallest spinning coaster, fastest inversion (80 mph), longest stall inversion, first floorless spinning coaster and first upside-down launch.
Bakunawa will anchor the park’s renovated Boardwalk section, the same part of the park as the new Shoreline Pier. As of late September 2026, Six Flags had announced no opening date more specific than “2027,” so treat any day or month you see elsewhere as a guess. If you want to ride it in its first summer, the 2027 season pass is the obvious buy, and the $599 All Season Fast Lane add-on for 2027 lists Bakunawa by name.
What else changed in 2026
- Shoreline Pier opened at the Boardwalk in early July 2026. It’s a Jersey Shore-themed area, built partly on the old Green Lantern site, with five rides (Barrels O’ Fun, Super Round Up, Flying Scooters, Wave Swinger and Hypno Twister), boardwalk food, drinks and games. Barrels O’ Fun, a spinning family coaster, is the park’s 14th coaster.
- The safari boards inside the theme park again. Guided trucks leave from Frontier Station, near Runaway Mine Train and Medusa, and that tour is included with admission, so you no longer have to leave the park and drive to the safari entrance.
- El Toro got substantial sections of new track before the 2026 season to smooth out the ride.
- Live entertainment came back, with a new main stage behind the fountain and Boardwalk Nights on select summer evenings. A Six Flags spokesperson told Patch that live shows had been mostly shelved since 2010.
- The food changed, led by the park’s executive chef, Jeremy Hacker: Best of the West became a smokehouse, Main Street Pub was reworked, and the Boardwalk got a new set of shore-style stands.
- THE FLASH Pass became Fast Lane, and the Gold season pass became a regional pass covering the East Coast Six Flags parks.
- The park got more than 600 new Wi-Fi access points, which matters because tickets, Fast Lane and wait times all live in the Six Flags app.
Six Flags Great Adventure Tickets, Passes and Parking
The ticket menu here is long, and the gap between the smart buy and the lazy one is about $45 a person before you’ve even parked. The short version: never pay the gate price, always pre-pay parking, and if there’s any chance you’ll come back before the end of 2027, the season pass is the cheapest ticket in the building.
| Ticket or add-on | Price (September 24, 2026) | What you should know |
|---|---|---|
| One-day Park Ticket | $45 online; $90 at the gate | Dated for one day; covers the theme park and the safari tour that boards inside it |
| General parking | $45 online; priority parking $65 | Free general parking with a Gold Pass or membership |
| 2027 Gold Pass | $99 online (listed at $115); renewals $89 | The rest of 2026 plus all of 2027, parking included |
| 2027 Prestige Pass | $249 online (listed at $275); renewals $239 | Every Six Flags park, preferred parking, free fountain drinks, one Fast Lane ride a visit |
| Gold or Prestige Membership | $8 or $20 a month, after a $20 initiation fee | 12 monthly payments minimum, then month to month |
| Wild Safari Ticket (Base Camp) | From $25; $15 for kids 36 to 42 inches and seniors 65+ | Not valid in the theme park; free under 36 inches |
| Hurricane Harbor | $60 at the gate; $35 online during summer 2026 | A separate park, open late May to Labor Day |
| Fast Lane (one day) | From $45 a person | Admission not included; limited number sold each day |
| All Season Fast Lane 2027 | $599 (listed at $899) | A Fast Lane Ultimate session on every visit in 2027 |
| Haunted Attractions Pass | From $35 a night; $75 for the 2026 season | Fright Fest’s mazes cost extra even for passholders |
| Dining deals | $25 one meal; $35 all day; $45 all day with drinks | Season dining plans from $109 |
Online prices add a processing fee of up to $9.99 plus tax, and tickets and passes are non-refundable and non-exchangeable, even when weather closes the park. There are no rain checks. Tickets can be printed or shown on your phone, and season passes live in the Six Flags app now, so there’s no plastic card to lose.
Which ticket to buy
One visit, no plans to return: the online Park Ticket. Six Flags sells it as “starting from” $45 and prices each date in its checkout, so check your date before you assume. At the gate it’s $90, which is the most expensive way into the park by a wide margin. Everyone 3 and older needs a ticket; children 2 and under get in free, except on Fright Fest nights, when the event page says every guest needs their own paid ticket regardless of age.
Two visits or more before the end of 2027: the 2027 Gold Pass, at $99 online. The math is not close. One day costs $90 with online parking ($45 ticket plus $45 parking), while the Gold Pass includes general parking and works for the rest of 2026 (Fright Fest nights, Holiday in the Park) and the whole 2027 season, Bakunawa’s first. It also gets you into Hurricane Harbor, the safari’s Base Camp and the other East Coast Six Flags parks, Dorney Park in Pennsylvania among them, plus 10% off food and merchandise and access to discounted Bring-A-Friend tickets. It does not include Fast Lane, the haunted mazes or free drinks. Six Flags said the launch price would end September 7, 2026, but it was still $99 on September 24, so don’t count on it lasting.
Coaster people who travel: the Prestige Pass ($249 online). It adds every Six Flags park in North America, preferred parking (limited), free fountain drinks on every visit, two free Bring-A-Friend tickets a year, 15% off food and merchandise, a VIP entrance benefit and one single-use Fast Lane ride per visit. For a family that visits New Jersey three or four times a year, the drinks alone won’t pay for it; for someone planning a coaster road trip, it might.
Can’t pay up front: a membership. The Gold Membership is $8 a month after a $20 initiation fee, with a 12-payment minimum, so the first year costs $116, against $99 for the pass. The Prestige Membership runs $20 a month, or $260 for the first year against $249 for the pass. Memberships then renew monthly until you cancel. Six Flags also offers Flex Pay installment loans (through Upgrade, Inc.) on orders of $49 or more, though not on memberships, at 0% to 36% APR.
Renewing a pass: Gold renewals are $89 and Prestige renewals $239. Renew by November 1, 2026 and you get a free Bring-A-Friend ticket to use at Great Adventure, Hurricane Harbor or the safari by December 31, 2026. Any 2027 pass has to be used first at the park where it was issued, and it isn’t valid for special-ticket events.
Discounts worth knowing
- Bring-A-Friend: passholders and members can buy tickets for friends from $35 each online; the friend has to come with the passholder, and the ticket doesn’t cover the safari’s Base Camp.
- Military and first responders: active and retired military, veterans and first responders can buy one-day tickets from $39 (and Hurricane Harbor tickets from $29) for up to six family members or friends, after verifying through ID.me.
- Kids Boo Fest Family Pack: through November 1, 2026, tickets from $39 each with a four-ticket minimum, as long as everyone enters before 2 p.m.
- Groups of 15 or more: from $38 a ticket, with one free ticket for every 15 bought. Birthday packages for eight or more cost $62.99 a person with a meal, a drink and a treat.
Six Flags lists no child or senior price for the theme park itself; the only junior and senior discount on its site is for the safari’s Base Camp ticket.
Fast Lane: is it worth it?
Fast Lane is the paid line-skipping system that replaced THE FLASH Pass (you may still see the old name in the app). It comes in two all-day versions: Fast Lane Reserve, which holds your place in a virtual line and gives you a return time, and Fast Lane Ultimate, which books an immediate slot and, Six Flags says, cuts your wait by 90%. Daily Fast Lane starts at $45 a person (Six Flags doesn’t publish separate prices for the two tiers), you can hold one reservation at a time, and you need a phone with a web browser and a data connection. It doesn’t include admission, it can’t be shared, only a limited number are sold each day, and it doesn’t cover Fright Fest’s haunted mazes, which have their own Express upgrade. Inside the park you can also buy single-use Fast Lane rides on select rides at select times, with prices that vary.
Our take: Fast Lane earns its price on the days the park is packed, meaning summer weekends and Fright Fest Saturdays, if you have only one day and your group cares mostly about the big coasters. On a quiet weekday it’s $45 spent skipping lines that barely exist. Check wait times in the Six Flags app after you arrive before you buy; you can add Fast Lane on the day by scanning a QR code in the park, while supplies last.
Parking
Pre-paid online, general parking costs $45 and priority parking $65, plus the processing fee. The safari’s Base Camp has its own lot, from $20 online. Gold passholders and members park free in the general lot, and Prestige holders get preferred parking while it lasts. The toll booths are cashless like everything else here, so have a card or phone ready. Cash-to-card kiosks in the park turn bills into a prepaid card, but the simplest move is to pre-pay parking online.
The Rides at Great Adventure, Ranked
Six Flags counts 14 roller coasters at Great Adventure for 2026, from a kiddie coaster with a 13-foot drop to a 230-foot hypercoaster, and says the whole complex has more than 70 rides and attractions. This is our ranking of what’s running, best first, with the height rules from each ride’s official page and the park’s Guest Accessibility Guide (updated October 28, 2025). Heights are the minimum to ride alone; many rides let shorter children ride with a Supervising Companion, who must be at least 54 inches tall, roughly 14 or older, and sit in the same row.
Two things to know before you get in line. First, El Toro, the Jersey Devil Coaster, The Joker and The Flash don’t allow loose articles past the entrance to the line, not even a phone or keys, so use a locker or leave things with a non-rider. Second, ride pages on the Six Flags site sometimes say “Closed for the Season” when the ride is actually scheduled to run; on September 24, 2026 the park’s own ride-closures page listed only Runaway Mine Train and the Ferris wheel as closed for work. The Six Flags app has the live status and wait times, so check it on the day.
1. El Toro
Wooden coaster; 48-inch minimum. The best ride in the park, and it isn’t close. El Toro is a wooden coaster built by Intamin, and its first drop falls 176 feet at a 76-degree angle, which Six Flags calls the steepest of any wooden coaster in the country. It hits 70 mph over 4,400 feet of track and spends most of that distance throwing you out of your seat. It spent most of 2021 and 2022 out of service before reopening in 2023, got substantial new track sections for 2026, and placed third among wooden coasters in the 2026 Golden Ticket Awards, according to Six Flags.
Plan it: 48 inches. No loose articles, and glasses need an athletic strap. A test seat sits at the entrance if you’re unsure about the lap bar. Ride it early, before the line grows. Best for: anyone tall enough, and the reason plenty of coaster fans drive here from out of state.
2. Jersey Devil Coaster
Single-rail steel coaster; 48-inch minimum. Named for the Pine Barrens’ own monster, the Jersey Devil Coaster opened in 2021 on a single steel rail built by Rocky Mountain Construction. It climbs 130 feet, drops at 87 degrees, turns riders upside down three times, and reaches 58 mph on 3,000 feet of track, which Six Flags says makes it one of the fastest single-rail coasters in the world. It’s the park’s most modern thrill ride until Bakunawa opens, and it’s intense in a different way from El Toro: tighter and twistier.
Plan it: 48 inches. No loose articles; glasses need a strap; test seat at the entrance. Best for: teenagers and adults who’ve already done the classics and want the newest thing in the park.
3. Nitro
Hypercoaster; 54-inch minimum. With Kingda Ka gone, Nitro is the tallest and fastest coaster in the park: a Bolliger & Mabillard hypercoaster that stands 230 feet tall, drops 215 feet and hits 80 mph on what Six Flags calls “a whole mile of track.” Where El Toro is all force, Nitro is long, smooth hills built for floating out of your seat. It’s the ride to hand to a first-timer who’s nervous about El Toro.
Plan it: 54 inches. Test seat at the entrance; larger riders sometimes have trouble fitting, so try it first. Best for: airtime fans and anyone who wants big without brutal.
4. Medusa
Floorless coaster; 54-inch minimum. Your feet dangle over the track on Medusa, a Bolliger & Mabillard floorless coaster from 1999 that Six Flags calls the world’s first. It climbs a 142-foot lift hill, drops 132 feet at 55 degrees, reaches 60 mph by the park’s figure, and turns you over seven times, including a 114-foot vertical loop and two interlocking corkscrews. If older friends tell you they rode Bizarro, it’s the same ride: it wore that name from 2009 until 2022.
Plan it: 54 inches. Test seat at the entrance. It’s near Runaway Mine Train and the in-park safari boarding station, so pair them. Best for: loop lovers; this is the park’s best classic inverting coaster.
5. The Joker
Spinning wing coaster; 48 to 77 inches. The Joker’s seats hang off both sides of the track and flip head over heels on their own as the car moves, so you never know which way you’ll be facing on the next drop. It shoots riders up 12 stories and is the most disorienting ride here by a wide margin. It turned 10 in 2026. There’s a maximum height of 77 inches, and the accessibility guide sets a 300-pound maximum weight.
Plan it: 48 to 77 inches; no loose articles; glasses need a strap. Best for: people who love spinning, and nobody who gets motion sick.
6. Batman: The Ride
Inverted coaster; 54-inch minimum. You hang below the track with your feet dangling on Batman: The Ride, a compact Bolliger & Mabillard inverted coaster that climbs a 10-story lift (105 feet), hits 50 mph and turns you upside down five times. The park says riders briefly pull 4 G. It’s short and forceful, and one of the most re-rideable coasters in the park.
Plan it: 54 inches. Test seat at the entrance. Best for: a quick hit of intensity between the bigger rides.
7. Superman: Ultimate Flight
Flying coaster; 54-inch minimum. You fly face down and head first under the track, which is either the coolest feeling in the park or deeply wrong, depending on who you ask. It climbs 106 feet, and the 78-foot pretzel loop is the ride’s big moment.
Plan it: 54 inches. Test seat at the entrance; the park warns that larger riders may have trouble fitting. Best for: anyone who’s ever wanted to fly like the comic-book version.
8. The Flash: Vertical Velocity
Launched shuttle coaster; 56-inch minimum. The Flash, a Vekoma super boomerang that Six Flags billed as North America’s first, launches you forward through its course, then sends you back through the whole thing in reverse. Six Flags described it as taking riders upside down almost 100 feet off the ground, and it reaches 59 mph. It was due in 2024, opened a year late on March 29, 2025, and Six Flags billed its return as part of the 2026 season.
Plan it: 56 inches to ride alone, or 48 with a Supervising Companion; a maximum of 76 inches. No loose articles; glasses need a strap. Best for: launch fans, while they wait for Bakunawa.
9. Skull Mountain
Indoor coaster in the dark; 48 to 77 inches. An Intamin coaster that runs almost entirely in the dark inside its mountain building. The numbers are modest (33 mph and a biggest drop of 37 feet, which the park admits feels more like 100), but not seeing what’s coming does most of the work. It’s the right step between the kids’ coasters and the big ones.
Plan it: 48 inches to ride alone, 44 with a Supervising Companion (the accessibility guide says 42, so check the sign), and a 77-inch maximum. Best for: kids graduating to real coasters, and a break from the sun.
10. The Dark Knight Coaster
Indoor coaster; 48-inch minimum. A small, enclosed coaster themed to a Gotham City subway, with six hairpin 180-degree turns and a series of drops from 45 feet. Because it’s all indoors, the thrills come from hairpin turns and sudden drops you can’t see coming rather than from height. It’s more fun than scary.
Plan it: 48 inches alone, or 42 with a Supervising Companion. Larger guests may struggle to fit. Best for: families with kids around 8 to 12.
11. Runaway Mine Train
Family mine-train coaster; 44-inch minimum. An Arrow Dynamics mine train near the Frontier Adventures safari station, with a 60-foot lift hill, a 39-foot first drop and a top speed of 38 mph. It’s the gentlest of the full-size coasters and a good first “real” coaster for a child who’s 44 inches or taller. The 2026 ride page calls it simply Runaway Train.
Plan it: 44 inches. On September 24, 2026 the park’s ride-closures page listed it as closed or undergoing enhancements, so check the app. Best for: a family ride where nobody has to sit out.
12. Harley Quinn Crazy Train
Family coaster; 48-inch minimum. A small Zierer coaster on a figure-eight layout, 26 feet high and 22 mph at the top speed. It’s short and cheerful, and parents who aren’t coaster people can ride it with a child without regretting it.
Plan it: 48 inches alone, or 41 with a Supervising Companion. Best for: first coasters.
13. Barrels O’ Fun
Spinning family coaster; new for 2026. The newest coaster in the park, at Shoreline Pier: barrel-shaped cars carry four riders each and spin as they run 1,378 feet of track. The official page lists an unusually high 59-inch minimum to ride alone (48 inches with a Supervising Companion), which may well be an error for a family ride, so check the sign at the entrance before promising it to a small child.
Plan it: 59 inches alone or 48 with a companion, per the park’s page. Best for: families with older kids who like spinning.
14. Lil’ Devil Coaster
Kiddie coaster; 42-inch minimum. A small Zamperla coaster in the Jr. Thrillseekers area, with a 13-foot drop and a top speed of 15 mph. It opened in 2021 alongside its big sibling, the Jersey Devil Coaster, and is the first coaster most small children here will ride.
Plan it: 42 inches. Best for: preschoolers and early grade-schoolers.
15. Wonder Woman Lasso of Truth
Giant pendulum; 52 to 80 inches. A huge spinning pendulum in Movietown that swings riders up to 17 stories while it rotates, so you get repeated moments of weightlessness hanging high over the park. For a lot of people it’s more frightening than any coaster here.
Plan it: 52 to 80 inches; test seat at the entrance. Best for: thrill seekers who like big swings more than drops.
16. SkyScreamer
Tower swing; 44-inch minimum. A swing ride that lifts you 242 feet up a tower, then spins you around it at up to 40 mph. It’s still operating in 2026 (the ride removed in 2024 was a different one called Parachutes). With Kingda Ka and Zumanjaro gone, it’s also the tallest ride in the park.
Plan it: 44 inches. Best for: kids too short for the big coasters who still want something scary, and anyone who wants the view.
17. Slingshot
Extra charge; 44-inch minimum. A reverse-bungee ride that fires a two-person capsule up to 220 feet between two towers. It isn’t included with admission or any pass, and Six Flags doesn’t post the price online. You need two riders with a combined weight of at least 110 pounds; singles can’t ride.
Plan it: 44 inches; two riders. Best for: a dare you can say you did.
18. Giant Wheel
Ferris wheel; 42-inch minimum. A 150-foot wheel with covered gondolas in Adventure Alley, which the park says was the world’s tallest Ferris wheel for many years. It’s the calmest ride in the park and the best place to see the layout. Single riders can’t ride, and infants may ride if held.
Plan it: 42 inches. On September 24, 2026 it was listed as closed or undergoing enhancements (under the name Big Wheel), so check the app. Best for: grandparents, toddlers and tired legs.
19. Houdini’s Great Escape
Illusion ride; 48-inch minimum. A haunted-mansion ride in Dreamstreet. It’s more playful than scary, and a good indoor break between coasters.
Plan it: 48 inches; article bins are provided. Best for: families and anyone who wants 10 minutes out of the sun.
20. Justice League: Battle for Metropolis
Interactive dark ride; 48-inch minimum. An indoor shooting ride from Sally Corp. that opened in 2017: you ride through scenes with superheroes and villains, firing at targets and keeping score. Kids love beating their parents at it, and they usually do.
Plan it: 48 inches alone, or 42 with a Supervising Companion. Best for: families with mixed ages.
21. Saw Mill Log Flume
Log flume; 46-inch minimum. The classic log ride in Frontier Adventures, and yes, you will get wet. On a July afternoon it’s the most sensible thing you can do.
Plan it: 46 inches. Best for: hot days, and anyone who doesn’t mind wet sneakers.
22. Shoreline Pier’s boardwalk rides
Flat rides; 36 to 48 inches. Besides Barrels O’ Fun, the new Shoreline Pier has four classic boardwalk rides: Wave Swinger, a tilting swing ride (48 inches), which echoes the Flying Wave that ran here from 1974 to 2007; Super Round Up, a standing spin-and-tilt ride that has been at the park since 1974 under several names and is back to its original one (42 inches); Flying Scooters, where you steer your own car to make it swoop (44 inches, or 36 with a companion); and Hypno Twister, a new spinning ride (42 inches). With the food stands and games, it’s the closest thing to a Jersey Shore boardwalk you’ll find this far inland.
Plan it: go after dark in summer and fall. Best for: families, and nostalgia.
23. Fender Benders
Bumper cars; 50 inches to drive. Bumper cars, exactly as advertised. Drivers must be 50 inches tall; riders 42 to 50 inches can go as passengers with a Supervising Companion.
Plan it: 50 inches to drive. Best for: settling sibling arguments.
24. Jr. Thrillseekers and Bugs Bunny National Park
Kids’ areas; height limits vary. The park has two children’s areas. Jr. Thrillseekers, which was called Safari Kids until 2022, has eight rides, including Lil’ Devil Coaster, Air Safari, Barnstormer, Bugaboo, Raja’s Rickshaws, Sky Zooma, Storm Chaser and Tree Top Hopper. Bugs Bunny National Park has five, all for small children: Bugs Bunny Camp Carousel, Bugs Bunny Ranger Pilots, Daffy Duck Hot Air Balloons, Porky Pig Camp Wagons and Wile E. Coyote Canyon Blaster. Several rides here have maximum heights, not minimums: Bugaboo is for riders under 54 inches, Raja’s Rickshaws under 48, and Tree Top Hopper and Ranger Pilots are for 36 to 54 inches.
Plan it: the park’s Lost Parents and Baby Care area is in Bugs Bunny National Park. Best for: children under about 48 inches, and parents who need a bench.
Not on this list: Roaring Rapids, the river-raft ride, and the Great American Road Race go-karts, which still have pages on the Six Flags site but aren’t on the park’s 2026 attractions list, and Foghorn Leghorn Stagecoach Express, in the same position. Ask at Guest Relations if one of them is the reason you’re going.
The Wild Safari: How It Works Now
The part of Great Adventure that surprises first-timers most isn’t a ride. Next to the theme park, the Wild Safari spreads over 350 acres, with more than 1,200 animals from six continents in 11 simulated habitats, including giraffes, rhinos, bears, elephants, tigers and lions. Six Flags calls it one of the largest safari parks outside of Africa. So yes, if you’re wondering, Six Flags Great Adventure does have a zoo, of a kind; you just see it from a truck.
How you see it has changed more times than the coaster lineup. The safari opened with the park in 1974 as a drive-through, and by 2012 it had drawn 10 million visitors. Private cars were banned after September 30, 2012, and guided truck tours took over in 2013. In 2020 the park went back to letting people drive their own cars, to meet pandemic distancing rules, and that lasted through 2023. Since 2024 it has been guided Safari Off-Road Adventure trucks only, with a new Safari Base Camp, and in 2026 the park brought back a boarding point inside the theme park. You can’t drive your own car through anymore, whatever an older guide (or, confusingly, the Six Flags home page) says.
Two ways to ride
| From inside the theme park | From Safari Base Camp | |
|---|---|---|
| Where you board | Frontier Station in Frontier Adventures, near Runaway Mine Train and Medusa | The safari’s own entrance, with its own parking lot |
| Ticket | Included with a theme-park ticket or pass | Wild Safari Ticket from $25; $15 for kids 36 to 42 inches and seniors 65+; free under 36 inches; included with season passes |
| Tour length | About 30 minutes | About 45 minutes, adding Baboon Village |
| Parking | The theme-park lot ($45 online) | The safari lot (from $20 online) |
| Extras | None | Animal exhibits with educators, Base Camp Bites, the Safari Outfitters shop, and paid Tortoise Encounter and Lorikeet Feeding sessions sold on the day |
For most visitors the in-park tour is the obvious choice: it’s included, it takes half an hour, and you’re back among the rides when it’s done. The Base Camp version makes sense if you’re not riding coasters at all (a grandparent, say, or a preschooler who’s too small for most rides), because the safari ticket costs less than park admission ($25 against $45 online) and the tour is longer. Baboon Village, with its troop of olive baboons, is only on the Base Camp route. Season passholders can board at either place.
Safari rules and tips
- Go early. The park itself recommends making the safari your first stop of the day, because demand builds. Hours vary by day and the park doesn’t publish separate departure times for the in-park station.
- Small children ride on laps. There’s no height minimum, but children 36 inches and under must sit on a lap in an interior seat. Strollers and child seats aren’t allowed on the trucks.
- Stay seated and belted, and don’t feed or touch the animals. No smoking or vaping on the trucks. Guests who break the rules are removed without a refund.
- No pets, and no service animals, in the safari or on the trucks.
- Accessibility: most trucks hold about 30 people, and the ADA trucks carry two wheelchair users plus 19 other passengers. Guests using a mobility scooter or their own wheelchair transfer to a truck seat or one of the park’s wheelchairs.
- Weather: tours may pause during thunderstorms or high winds, and trucks already out come back by a shorter route.
- Giraffe feeding is only for guests of the Savannah Sunset Resort & Spa, the glamping resort inside the safari. Older articles describing a giraffe-feeding tour for day visitors are out of date.
- New faces: Six Flags says a brown bear cub named JJ went on view in 2026.
Fall 2026 hours: the park calendar lists Safari Base Camp open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays through October 31 (plus Columbus Day, October 12), then 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on November 1 and November 5-8. The calendar lists no safari dates after November 8, so don’t plan a safari visit around Holiday in the Park. The 2026 safari season opened April 3; 2027 dates haven’t been announced. Groups can also book private 45-minute truck tours for up to 31 people on select dates from April through Labor Day.
Hurricane Harbor New Jersey
The water park next door is a separate park with its own gate, and a regular Great Adventure ticket doesn’t get you in. Six Flags describes it as one of the Northeast’s largest water parks, with more than 25 attractions. It’s a summer-only operation: the official page says mid-May through early September, and in 2026 the calendar’s last operating day was Labor Day, September 7. So if you’re reading this in fall or winter, it’s closed until next summer season, and Six Flags hasn’t announced the 2027 dates.
Tickets: $60 at the gate. Online tickets were sold “from $35” during summer 2026 (the ticket page now shows only the gate price and “coming soon”), and military families could buy them from $29. Gold and Prestige passes include the water park, which is one more reason the pass is the better deal if you’ll come in summer. The water park ticket doesn’t cover the theme park or the safari.
The big slides
- Cannonball, Wahini and Jurahnimo Falls: a tower of three body slides, nearly eight stories high. Jurahnimo Falls is an open slide with a 76-foot drop; Cannonball Falls is a 357-foot enclosed slide ending in a 65-foot drop at 40 mph; Wahini Falls is a 394-foot enclosed slide. 48 inches.
- Tornado: four-person rafts drop from 75 feet through a 132-foot tunnel into a 60-foot-wide funnel. 48 inches, at least two riders.
- Hurricane Mountain: six slides named for hurricanes (Mickey, Nellie, Lola, Bertha, Agnes and Marge), rated like storms from Category 1 to Category 5. 48 inches.
- The Winds: four tube slides named for the Greek wind gods, from a 54-foot tower. 48 inches.
- Bada Bing, Bada Bang, Bada Boom!: three high-speed tube slides from a five-story tower; Bada Bang is 430 feet long. 48 inches.
- Big Wave Racer: a six-lane, head-first mat race down 1,800 feet of slide. 42 inches.
- Big Bambu and Reef Runner: side-by-side family raft slides, each 14 feet wide with a six-story drop. 42 inches with a life jacket.
For families and floaters
Blue Lagoon, the wave pool, reaches six feet deep (52 inches to go in alone, 42 with a life jacket). Taak It Eez Ee Creek is a 2,150-foot lazy river through the middle of the park. Calypso Springs is a shallow, beach-entry pool with a geyser fountain. The two kids’ areas are Discovery Bay, a multi-level play structure with a pirate ship, tube slides, a tipping bucket and a small wave pool, and Splash Island, added in 2024, with a treehouse, 14 kids’ slides and more than 50 play features for children under 42 inches.
Water park rules that catch people out
- There’s no Fast Lane and no Rider Swap at Hurricane Harbor, and it doesn’t rent strollers or wheelchairs, so bring your own.
- Phones and cameras aren’t allowed on any water attraction, and most slides don’t allow loose articles, so rent a locker (there are banks at North Beach and South Beach) or leave things with someone who isn’t riding.
- Glasses must be held on by an athletic strap on the big slides, or left behind.
- Outside inflatables, life jackets that aren’t Coast Guard approved, glass bottles and lawn chairs are banned.
- Food: Paradise Pizza & Grill was fully renovated for 2026 with a new menu (hand-breaded tenders, jerk chicken wings, coconut rice), and there’s the Blue Lagoon Cafe by the wave pool and Calypso Grill. Adults can get a drink at Polly’s Pub, Sip & Slide or Island Temptations.
Fright Fest, Holiday in the Park and the Rest of the 2026 Calendar
After Labor Day the park stops opening every day. In September it was closed Mondays through Thursdays; in October it’s closed Mondays through Wednesdays, and also on Thursdays, October 1 and 8. It’s open Thursday nights from October 15, and open on Columbus Day, October 12. What you get on the open days depends on the time of day: family Halloween events in daylight, Fright Fest after dark.
| Dates (2026-27) | What’s on | Hours on the park calendar |
|---|---|---|
| Through November 1 | Fright Fest (evenings), plus Kids Boo Fest and Oktoberfest on weekend days | Saturday, September 26, 10:30 a.m.-11 p.m.; October Fridays 5 p.m.-midnight; October Saturdays 10:30 a.m.-midnight; Sundays 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m. (October 11 until midnight); Thursdays October 15, 22 and 29, 6-11 p.m. |
| November 5-8 and 14-15 | Regular park days, no event listed | 11 a.m.-7 p.m. |
| November 20 | Listed opening before Holiday in the Park | 4-8 p.m. |
| November 21 to January 3 | Holiday in the Park, select nights | 1-8 p.m. on November 21-22 and 27-29, December 5-6, 12-13, 19-20 and 23, and daily December 26 to January 3 |
| Closed | Thanksgiving (November 26), Christmas Eve and Christmas Day |
These are the hours on the park calendar as of September 24, 2026; they can change, and the calendar is the final word on the day.
Fright Fest 2026
Fright Fest, sponsored this year by Snickers, runs on select nights from September 18 to November 1, 2026. After dark the park fills with scare actors, and the rides keep running. Five scare zones and the live shows are included with admission; the haunted mazes are not.
- Nine haunted mazes: two new ones, JASON: Blood Reign and Final Destination: Death’s Playground, plus The Conjuring Universe, Army of the Dead, Asylum, Twisted Holidays, Deadwood Cabin, Big Top Terror and The Witch’s Reflection. The four headliners (The Conjuring Universe, Army of the Dead, JASON and Final Destination) open at 6 p.m. on Fright Fest nights, the rest at 6:45 p.m.
- Five scare zones: CarnEvil (evil clowns on the Boardwalk), Exile Canyon, Plaza De La Muerte, Curse of Blackbeard’s Bounty and The Bloody Fountain.
- Shows: Dead Man’s Party, Unleashed, The Awakening, Blade Drummers and Freak Show.
- Maze prices: a one-night Haunted Attractions Pass costs from $35 online, on top of admission, and even season passholders pay it. The All Season Haunted Attractions Pass is from $75, and bundles of same-night admission plus mazes start at $80. An Express upgrade is sold too, but Six Flags doesn’t post its price, and regular Fast Lane doesn’t cover the mazes.
The rules are stricter than a normal day. Six Flags doesn’t recommend Fright Fest for children under 13, and on Fright Fest nights every guest needs their own paid ticket, whatever their age. From September 18 to November 1, 2026, anyone 17 or younger must be with a chaperone who is at least 21, carries a valid government-issued photo ID with a date of birth (a digital ID or a photo of one isn’t accepted), stays with the group all day and can supervise no more than 10 minors. Adults 18 and older may be asked for ID at the gate. Halloween masks and full-face coverings are banned, including hoods that zip over the face; costume makeup can cover only half the face (children 12 and under can have a fully painted face), and costumes that hide your identity aren’t allowed.
Our advice: go on a Thursday or Sunday if you can, arrive before the mazes open at 6 p.m., and do the mazes you care most about first.
Kids Boo Fest and Oktoberfest
On weekend days (plus Columbus Day) through November 1, the daytime park runs two family events that are included with admission. Kids Boo Fest is the family-friendly Halloween side, with a costume contest and seasonal treats; Oktoberfest, presented by Cash App, adds seasonal beers from Paulaner and Samuel Adams for guests 21 and older (food and drinks are extra). The old “Thrills by Day, Fright by Night” slogan you’ll see in older articles is no longer how the park bills it. Remember the Kids Boo Fest Family Pack if you’re a group of four or more arriving before 2 p.m.: tickets from $39 each.
Holiday in the Park returns
Holiday in the Park, which the park ran for several winters before cancelling it for 2025 to focus on its spring-to-fall season, returns on select nights from November 21, 2026 to January 3, 2027. Six Flags describes the reimagined event as themed holiday lands with elaborate decor, nightly tree-lighting shows, live entertainment across the park, lights and thrill rides. The calendar hours are 1 to 8 p.m., so you can ride in daylight and stay for the lights.
Admission is included with Gold passes and active memberships, and the 2027 Gold and Prestige passes list Fright Fest and Holiday in the Park among their benefits. As of September 24, 2026, Six Flags hadn’t posted a daily Holiday in the Park ticket or said whether a regular day ticket covers it, and no safari dates were listed during the event. If you’re planning around it, the $99 Gold Pass is the surest way in, and it keeps working into 2027.
Dress for it: this is the Jersey pine country in December, and a coaster at 60 mph in 35-degree air is a different ride from the same coaster in July.
Food and Drink
You can’t bring a picnic into the theme park. Outside food, drinks and coolers aren’t allowed, with two exceptions: baby food in non-glass jars, and food for a guest with allergies (two 7-by-8-inch sealable bags and one snack, in one small soft-sided cooler, with a medical sticker from Security at the entrance). Grills and open flames are banned everywhere on the property, parking lots included, so the tailgate-lunch plan is out too. You can leave and come back through the re-entry gate on the same day with your ticket or pass, which lets you eat a packed lunch at your car.
Inside, the food got real attention in 2026. The park’s executive chef, Jeremy Hacker, has been pushing scratch-made ingredients and faster service, according to Six Flags, and a few spots are worth planning around:
- Best of the West (Frontier Adventures): the park’s smokehouse since 2026, with pulled pork, smoked sirloin, smoked chicken and tenders, plus draft beer, wine and cocktails.
- Jersey Devil BBQ (The Pine Barrens): more smoked meats, some spicy options, and cauliflower bites for the vegetarians.
- The Boardwalk stands at Shoreline Pier: Riptide Seafood Shack, Garden State Fresh Cut Fries, Boardwalk Steak and Fries (cheesesteaks), FUN-nel House Funnel Cakes and Rita’s Italian Ice, in a setting built to look like the Shore.
- Main Street: Johnny Rockets for burgers and shakes, Primo’s Pizzeria, and Main Street Pub, reworked in 2026, with wings, shepherd’s pie and fish and chips.
- Elsewhere: Mama Flora’s Cucina, in a castle-style building in Adventure Alley (pizza, gyros, wings); Granny’s Chicken for hand-breaded tenders, barbecue chicken and meatloaf; Fatburger in Movietown, which also has an Impossible Burger; Macho Nacho in Plaza Del Carnaval; and Rollercoaster Coffee, which serves Starbucks.
Adults 21 and older can drink at several bars, including Villain’s Tavern in Movietown, Skyline Taps in Adventure Alley, Pine Barrels Bar and Wicked Saloon, and at the Ale House on Main Street. Alcohol bought in the park has to be finished before you leave, and outside alcohol isn’t allowed.
Are the dining plans worth it?
For a single day, the numbers are straightforward. The Single Meal Deal ($25) is an entree with a side, a regular drink and a snack. All Day Dining ($35) gets you an entree and side every 90 minutes, and Premium All Day Dining ($45) adds fountain drinks with refills every 15 minutes. All Day Drink Plans start at $20. If you’ll eat two real meals in the park, All Day Dining pays for itself; if you’re eating lunch in the car, skip it.
For passholders, the season plans can be very good value: All Season Dining Access costs $109 for up to 20 meals (about $5.45 a meal if you use them all) across the rest of 2026 and 2027, All Season Dining Plus $139 for up to 30 meals, and All Season Dining Unlimited $399, with one meal every two hours on all of them. Season drink plans start at $39. Access and Plus work only at your home park, while Unlimited covers every Six Flags park. All prices are as of September 24, 2026, plus the processing fee and tax.
Order ahead in the Six Flags app to skip the food lines, and remember the whole park is cashless: cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay only.
Getting There and Parking
Great Adventure is at 1 Six Flags Blvd. in Jackson, in Ocean County, and for most people the answer is to drive. Light-traffic routing estimates put it about 1 hour 35 minutes from Times Square and 1 hour 15 minutes from Philadelphia City Hall. Summer weekend traffic heading to the Shore can add to that.
- From New York and North Jersey: the New Jersey Turnpike south to exit 7A, then I-195 east to exit 16A, then one mile west on Route 537 to the park.
- From Philadelphia: the Ben Franklin Bridge to Route 38 east, then the Turnpike north to exit 7A (or I-295 north) and I-195 east to exit 16A, then Route 537 west.
- From the Shore: the Garden State Parkway to exit 98, then I-195 west to exit 16, then one mile west on Route 537.
- GPS trouble: if your GPS doesn’t recognize 1 Six Flags Blvd., the park has suggested entering 599 Monmouth Rd. and following the signs.
These directions come from Six Flags’ own directions page as it read in 2024 and 2025; the current page shows only the address and a map link, so use a live map on the day. Parking is $45 for general and $65 for priority when you buy online (plus the processing fee), the safari’s Base Camp lot is from $20, and the booths take only cards and phone payments.
Without a car
This is where older guides go wrong. NJ Transit no longer runs a bus to Six Flags. It announced in April 2024 that it would stop serving the park, and in March 2025 confirmed that its 308 bus no longer goes there. Trains don’t come anywhere near the park either.
The one option we found for 2026 is a private carrier, TransportAzumah, which runs a seasonal bus it calls Route 308 from the George Washington Bridge Bus Station (Gate 4) in upper Manhattan, stopping at Newark Penn Station (the Greyhound stop) and arriving at the park’s Lot 1 or 45. On October 2026 weekends, the operator’s schedule has buses leaving the GWB station at 9:30 a.m. and Newark at 10 a.m., reaching the park at 11 a.m. and leaving it at 9:30 p.m.; Friday trips leave Manhattan at 4:30 p.m. and head home at 11:59 p.m. The fare is $60 round trip for all ages, bus only, and you have to book seats in advance online; trips with very few bookings can be cancelled, and the bus leaves on schedule whether or not you’re on it. Six Flags listed this operator on its own directions page in 2025, but not on the current one, so treat it as a private service and check its site before you rely on it. We found no 2026 service from Philadelphia.
Rideshare works, but it gets expensive from either city; it’s more practical from a hotel in the Freehold or East Windsor area.
Hotels Near the Park
Great Adventure is a day trip for most people, but if you’re coming from farther away, doing two days (theme park one day, water park or safari the next) or driving home after a midnight Fright Fest close, staying nearby makes sense. The surprise is how few hotels there are right next to the park.
- Savannah Sunset Resort & Spa is the park’s own lodging: 20 glamping suites inside the Wild Safari, on one of the highest points in Jackson, and the only way to hand-feed the giraffes. Stays have a two-night minimum and every guest must be 5 or older, so it’s a splurge for couples and older kids, not a base for a family with toddlers.
- Six Flags’ hotel packages (sold through an authorized reseller linked from the park’s site) bundle tickets with a room at about a dozen hotels, mostly around Hamilton, Robbinsville, East Windsor, Cranbury, Bordentown and Princeton, plus Freehold. None of them is in Jackson.
- The closest partner hotels: the Radisson Hotel Freehold (50 Gibson Place), which the package site puts 17 minutes from the park, and two hotels on Monmouth Street in East Windsor, the Hampton Inn East Windsor (No. 384) and the Holiday Inn East Windsor – Cranbury Area (No. 399), each about 20 minutes away by the same site’s estimate.
- Camping: two independent campgrounds in Jackson advertise themselves as close to the park: Tip Tam RV Camping Resort on Brewers Bridge Road and Indian Rock RV Park & Campground on West Veterans Highway, which has a limited number of tent sites.
We don’t list room rates, which change daily; compare the package price against booking the room and the tickets separately, since the online ticket price alone is half the gate price.
Tips for a Better Day at Great Adventure
Six Flags doesn’t publish crowd calendars or typical wait times, so most of this is the practical advice that works at any big theme park, adjusted for how this one runs.
- Buy everything online the night before. Ticket, parking and any Fast Lane or dining plan. The gate price is double the online price.
- Arrive before opening. Security screening checks every bag, and the height-check station is at the front entrance, before security, so families should budget a few extra minutes there.
- Ride the big three first. El Toro, the Jersey Devil Coaster and Nitro are the rides most people came for. Do them in the first hour or two, then fill the middle of the day with the safari tour, shows and flat rides.
- Or do the safari first, as the park itself recommends, if animals are the main event for your group. The in-park tour takes about 30 minutes.
- Live in the app. The Six Flags app has your tickets, wait times, ride status, show times, a map and mobile food ordering. Charge your phone, bring a battery pack, and use the park’s Wi-Fi, which got more than 600 new access points for 2026.
- Plan for the loose-article rules. El Toro, the Jersey Devil Coaster, The Joker and The Flash don’t allow anything past the entrance to the line. PIN-code lockers are at the main gate, next to the Apple Shop and at most major ride areas, and Houdini’s Great Escape, Runaway Mine Train and Slingshot have article bins. The simplest system for a group: one person holds the bag while the others ride, then swap.
- Use Rider Swap if you have small children. One adult waits with the kids while the rest of the group rides, then that adult boards without waiting in line again. Passes come from the Ride Information Center near the front gate, Guest Services or Passholder Services.
- Check the weather, then go anyway. Rides can close for lightning and high winds, and tickets are non-refundable with no rain checks, which is one more point for the season pass.
- Stay for the evening on Fright Fest and Holiday in the Park days. The park changes character after dark, and those are the nights when the extra hours are the point.
Rules that trip people up
- Bags are screened. Every guest goes through security, and every bag is inspected. Weapons, pepper spray, fireworks, marijuana, selfie sticks, tripods, monopods, drones and laser pointers are banned.
- It’s cashless. Cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay only, everywhere, including the ticket windows and parking booths. Kiosks in the park turn cash into a prepaid card.
- No phones or cameras on rides. The park bans them on every ride and attraction, not just the big coasters.
- Smoking and vaping are allowed only in the designated area outside the main entrance, and marijuana is banned everywhere, including there.
- Re-entry works the same day through the re-entry gate, with the ticket or pass you used that morning.
- Rentals are on Main Street next to Guest Relations, first come, first served: $15 for a single stroller, $20 for a double, $25 for a manual wheelchair and $55 for an electric wheelchair or ECV (the renter must be 18 or older), as of September 2026, plus the processing fee if you book online.
Accessibility and rider requirements
Great Adventure’s Attraction Accessibility Program runs through an IBCCES Accessibility Card, which guests with mobility restrictions or cognitive disabilities register for online and then show at Guest Services on arrival. The program gives equal access to rides, not immediate boarding. A guest with a disability who needs a personal care attendant can ask Guest Relations to waive the attendant’s admission after buying tickets. There’s a Quiet Room at Ranger Station for anyone who needs a break from the noise, and braille and large-print accessibility guides at Guest Services.
The Guest Accessibility Guide (updated October 28, 2025) is worth reading before a visit if anyone in your group is tall, large or uses a medical device. Test seats sit at the entrances to Batman, El Toro, the Jersey Devil Coaster, The Joker, Medusa, Nitro, Superman and Wonder Woman, and the park warns that larger guests may have trouble fitting on several coasters, so try the seat before you get in line. Magnets are used on most of the coasters, which matters for guests with pacemakers and other magnet-sensitive devices. Service animals are welcome in the park but can ride only the Giant Wheel and the carousels, and they aren’t allowed in the safari or the water park.
What’s Changed at Great Adventure
Older guides, videos and even some Six Flags pages are behind. These are the changes most likely to catch you out.
| Ride, rule or event | What changed | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Kingda Ka | Closed after the 2024 season and imploded February 28, 2025 | Nitro (230 feet) is now the tallest coaster; Bakunawa is due in 2027 |
| Zumanjaro, Green Lantern, Twister, Parachutes, Sky Way | Removal announced November 14, 2024 | Gone, even though Zumanjaro’s old web page is still up |
| Bakunawa | Promised for 2026, delayed, named July 28, 2026 | Opens in 2027; no date announced |
| Wild Safari | Self-drive ended after 2023; guided trucks since 2024; in-park boarding back in 2026 | You can’t drive your car through; the in-park tour is included |
| THE FLASH Pass | Replaced by Fast Lane Reserve and Fast Lane Ultimate | From $45 a day; one reservation at a time |
| NJ Transit 308 bus | Stopped serving the park in 2024 | Drive, or book the private TransportAzumah bus from Manhattan and Newark |
| Holiday in the Park | Cancelled for 2025; returns November 21, 2026 | Select nights to January 3; included with Gold passes |
| Gold Pass | Now a regional East Coast pass; the 2027 pass sells for $99 online | Includes parking, Hurricane Harbor and Dorney Park |
| Medusa | Called Bizarro from 2009 to 2021 | Same ride, original name back since 2022 |
| Jr. Thrillseekers | Was Safari Kids until 2022 | Same kids’ area |
| Fright Fest rules | New 2026 chaperone rule for anyone 17 and under | Minors need a chaperone 21 or older with photo ID |
| Boardwalk | Shoreline Pier opened in July 2026, with Barrels O’ Fun as the 14th coaster | New rides, food and games; the Super Round Up is back under its original name |
What to Skip
- The gate price. $90 at the window against $45 online is the single most expensive mistake you can make here.
- A second daily ticket when a season pass costs $99. If there’s any chance of a return trip before the end of 2027, including a Fright Fest night or Holiday in the Park, buy the pass.
- Fast Lane on a quiet day. Check the wait times in the app after you arrive; if the headliners are short, keep your $45.
- The Base Camp safari ticket if you’re already in the park. The in-park truck tour is included with admission; pay for Base Camp only if you want the longer route with the baboons, or you’re not doing the theme park at all.
- Old advice about Kingda Ka, the drive-through safari or the NJ Transit bus. All three are gone.
- Bringing little kids to Fright Fest nights. Six Flags doesn’t recommend it for children under 13, the mazes are extra, and the daytime Kids Boo Fest is built for them instead.
- A cooler in the trunk for a tailgate. Grills and open flames are banned in the parking lots too, and outside food can’t come into the park.
Six Flags Great Adventure FAQ
How much are tickets to Six Flags Great Adventure?
As of September 24, 2026, a one-day ticket costs $45 online against $90 at the gate, plus up to $9.99 in fees and tax, and online parking is $45 more. The 2027 Gold Pass costs $99 online, covers the rest of 2026 and all of 2027, and includes parking. Children 2 and under are free, except on Fright Fest nights.
Is Kingda Ka still at Six Flags Great Adventure?
No. Kingda Ka, the 456-foot launch coaster that opened in 2005, closed after the 2024 season and was imploded on February 28, 2025. Its replacement, Bakunawa, is a spinning launch coaster that Six Flags says will stand 382 feet tall and reach 100 mph. It’s due in 2027, but no opening date had been announced by late September 2026.
Does Six Flags Great Adventure have a zoo?
It has the Wild Safari, a 350-acre safari park with more than 1,200 animals from six continents, including giraffes, rhinos, elephants, tigers, lions and bears. You see it on a guided open-air truck, not in your own car. The 30-minute tour that boards inside the theme park is included with admission; the Base Camp tour needs its own ticket.
What is the tallest ride at Six Flags Great Adventure now?
With Kingda Ka gone, the tallest ride is SkyScreamer, a swing ride that lifts riders 242 feet, and the tallest coaster is Nitro, a 230-foot hypercoaster that reaches 80 mph. That changes in 2027, when Bakunawa is due to open at 382 feet, which Six Flags says will make it the world’s tallest spinning coaster.
Is Hurricane Harbor included with a Six Flags ticket?
No. Hurricane Harbor New Jersey is a separate water park with its own gate, and a theme-park ticket doesn’t cover it. Tickets were $60 at the gate and from $35 online during summer 2026. Gold and Prestige season passes include it. The water park is open from mid-May to early September; its 2026 season ended on Labor Day.
Can you bring food into Six Flags Great Adventure?
Not generally. Outside food, drinks and coolers aren’t allowed in the theme park, except baby food in non-glass jars and food for guests with allergies, which Security marks with a medical sticker. You can leave and re-enter the same day with your ticket to eat at your car, but grills and open flames are banned in the parking lots.
When does Six Flags Great Adventure close for the season?
Fright Fest runs on select days through November 1, 2026, the park opens on a few days in mid-November, and Holiday in the Park runs on select nights from November 21, 2026 to January 3, 2027. The park is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Six Flags hadn’t announced the 2027 opening date as of late September 2026.
How do you get to Six Flags Great Adventure without a car?
NJ Transit no longer runs its 308 bus to the park. In 2026, a private company, TransportAzumah, runs a seasonal bus from the George Washington Bridge Bus Station via Newark Penn Station for $60 round trip, booked in advance. No train goes to the park, so otherwise you’ll need a car or a rideshare.
Sources and How We Checked
We checked every price, date, hour, ride statistic and rule on this page on September 24, 2026, on Six Flags’ own website (the park’s ticket, pass, parking, Fast Lane, dining, attraction and event pages, its FAQ, its calendar and its Guest Accessibility Guide), in Six Flags Entertainment Corporation’s investor releases and annual report, and, for the park’s history, in news reports we name in the text. We did not visit the park for this update, and nothing here is sponsored. Prices change often, especially online ticket prices, so check the Six Flags site before you buy. Drive times are light-traffic estimates from the OSRM routing engine (Times Square and Philadelphia City Hall to the park), rounded to five minutes.
- Six Flags Great Adventure: official site, including the daily tickets, season pass and park hours pages
- Six Flags Great Adventure: frequently asked questions (safari, lockers, rider rules, rentals and policies)
- Six Flags Great Adventure: New in 2027 (Bakunawa)
- Six Flags Great Adventure: Fright Fest and code of conduct (chaperone and costume rules)
- Six Flags Great Adventure: accessibility
- Six Flags Entertainment Corporation: investor releases, including the November 14, 2024 capital plan and the August 7, 2026 season pass release
- TransportAzumah: Route 308 bus to Great Adventure
New Jersey Tourism Guide is an independent publication. We are not affiliated with Visit New Jersey or the New Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism, Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, NJ Transit, TransportAzumah or any hotel listed here, and no one paid to be included.
Photo Credits
- Jersey Devil Coaster: photo by Jeremy Thompson, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
- The Great Adventure entrance plaza: photo by Martin Lewison, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
- El Toro: photo by Coasterman1234 at en.wikipedia, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
- Nitro: photo by Jeremy Thompson, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
- Medusa: photo by Jeremy Thompson, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
- The Joker: photo by Jeremy Thompson, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
- A gazelle in the Wild Safari: photo by rahimabaid, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)