A brief history of how the closure of one defunct roller coaster 50 years ago illustrates the tough nature of ride closures today.

JACKSON, NJ — Besides later building, and closing, the world’s tallest roller coaster — this historic New Jersey theme park achieved one other significant record decades prior.

They built the only roller coaster to never open to the public in Six Flags Entertainment history.

More often than not, ride projects are scrapped during construction or relocated to no further question. But, unequivocally, there is no greater mystery than Jumbo Jet at Six Flags Great Adventure.

And, even so, it represents a stark reminder of what the famous east coast theme park is being criticized for in 2025.

50 years earlier

1975 was an important era in the theme park industry.

Six Flags was in the midst of continuing its nationwide expansion, developing and acquiring parks and testing the waters with new, innovative attractions.

Great Adventure did so in 1975 with its last-minute addition of Jumbo Jet, a forceful Jumbo Jet III model built by German manufacturer Schwarzkopf. Dozens of the same model operate around the world today.

But the one in New Jersey never had the same luck. Not for one day.

With no further explanation, the ride was closed despite Jumbo Jet’s 2,854 feet of track already being installed and ready for operation. Other brochures then advertised its immediate replacement, the Super Cat matter horn flat ride, according to Great Adventure History.

Great Adventure’s archive page described the Jumbo Jet roller coaster as “perhaps the most mysterious attraction in the park’s history, with very little information existing on the ride and its short stay at the park.”

Great Adventure’s Jumbo Jet featured a spiral lift hill into curving drops and helices. The ride was intended to offer six-rider capacity trains with a theoretical capacity of 2,00 riders per hour, according to Great Adventure History. (which would be insane and nearly impossible to accomplish).

Archives show Willy Miller’s Continental Park leased the Jumbo Jet to Great Adventure, including other rides in the Fun Fair section.

The ride’s construction finished in the spring then “sat idle for weeks,” Great Adventure’s History page said.

None of the 26 Six Flags theme parks, including the Cedar Fair parks post the $1 billion merger, has built a roller coaster and never operated it.

Some rides have only lasted less than it was intended.

Those shortest-lived coasters that come to mind first are The Bat at Kings Island (1981-1983), Z-force at Six Flags Great America (1985-1987) and Harley Quinn Crazy Coaster at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (2018-2020).

Greatest Great Adventure closures throughout the years

Jumbo Jet’s closure began a series of ride closures and openings over the next 50 years. In fan, Great Adventure has opened and closed 16 roller coasters since 1975, according to the Roller Coaster Database.

Some of the most notable closures:

• The interlocking Lightnin’ Loops (1978-1986)
  • A dying breed of first-generation Arrow Dynamics launch coasters.
• Ultra Twister (1986-1988)
  • Only of the last remaining Togo Japanese twister models.
• Great American Scream Machine (1989-2010)
  • One of the greatest large-scale Arrow coasters of all time.
• Viper (1995-2004)
  • A very problematic coaster Six Flags took the L in.
• Batman and Robin: The Chiller (1998-2007)
  • An even more problematic coaster with a dueling launch track.
• Green Lantern (2011-2024)
  • An OK Bolliger and Mabillard stand-up coaster.
• Kingda Ka (2005-2024)
  • Built as the fastest (128 mph) and tallest (459 feet) roller coaster in the world.

Typing the ladder hurt.

As previously mentioned in Sky High Screams, the closure of Kingda Ka was perhaps the most tragic ride closure in history — and likely the most controversial.

Great Adventure’s coaster woes have gone far beyond the never-opened Jumbo Jet.

The park’s history of closing rides without much notice or warning have now re-emerged 50 years later, arguably with the park’s best roller coaster (besides El Toro).

Closing both Kingda Ka, still the tallest coaster in the world, was a decision Six Flags officials knew was a controversial one. Understandably, it’s tough to let something go, but financially, and for the sake of innovation, it was the right decision to close it.

Ethically, however, Great Adventure could’ve done better at honoring Ka’s legacy.

Obviously, Jumbo Jet didn’t leave much of a legacy — besides being the only Six Flags coaster to be built but never open…

However, Ka did, and it deserved a proper send off with more notice and love.

As Six Flags Entertainment enters a new era with the merging of legacy Cedar Fair Parks, it’s time to embrace change and look forward to new, innovative ride and theme park experiences in the near future.

Sourcing:

Great Adventure Histroy: Jumbo Jet — https://www.greatadventurehistory.com/JumboJet.htm

Roller Coaster DataBase: Six Flags Great Adventure coasters — https://rcdb.com/4534.htm