Six Flags Magic Mountain to close Colossus on August 16

June 3, 2014, 4:29 PM · Six Flags Magic Mountain will be closing its 36-year-old wooden roller coaster, Colossus, on August 16, the park confirmed today.

Colossus at night

Magic Mountain has been running the roller coaster backwards as part of a promotion this spring. (Batman the Ride also has been running backwards.) The coaster opened in June 1978. There's no immediate word on a replacement, but Magic Mountain said that it will announce future plans for the park at a later date.

Replies (19)

June 3, 2014 at 4:47 PM · Hello Iron Horse treatment...
June 3, 2014 at 5:09 PM · Yeah, it had a horrid parking lot view, was a violent ride, and had to be reprofiled at least once, but Colossus was still one of my favorite coasters when I was a kid. If it is truly closed forever, it will be missed.

Has RMC been contacted yet?

June 3, 2014 at 6:18 PM · Between now and August 16th, TEA/AECOM estimates that 18.6 million people will ride the attraction. They made this calculation through a variety of methods -- including writing random numbers on scraps of paper.
June 3, 2014 at 7:12 PM · Screamscape (a website) offered up his own theory that they should combine the two tracks into one long track to give double the length of thrills. This is a great idea. Despite how great the ride, it is too short and we often felt like getting right back into the line to ride it again. Nonetheless, I am through with all Six Flags parks and will never give them my time and money.
June 3, 2014 at 8:13 PM · TH, I was working the "Colossus Math" on a piece of toilet paper and just when I thought I had the equation, I had to use the paper. Ugh. Will try again after a shower.
June 3, 2014 at 8:17 PM · From a nostalgic perspective, I will miss it, as I grew up with it as a local coaster and is a childhood thing for me.

From a practical perspective, I say replace it. The last few times I rode it, it was clearly showing its' age, was very rickety, wanted to rattle my teeth out, etc. It needs either a major rehab or a replacement IMHO.

June 3, 2014 at 8:48 PM · I'm so sad . I still haven't been able to ride it yet and I probably won't get to. I'm not into extreme coasters and there aren't very many at six flags that can ride so I hope they don't replace it with something that's too crazy for me :(
June 3, 2014 at 9:33 PM · Ugh, we can not use "Colossus" and "toilet" in the same sentence. : )

Great America's American Eagle is only three years younger, so I wonder if it will end up needing some extra TLC too.

June 3, 2014 at 10:05 PM · I always liked that old rickety coaster!
June 3, 2014 at 11:02 PM ·
I remember riding Colossus before the woman fell off and they changed it. In its original it was a faster and rougher ride. I still ride Colossus every summer but the last couple of years it has felt very, very old. Oh no, maybe I'm getting old too!! I remember the year Revolution opened at Magic Mountain as the first loop coaster.
June 4, 2014 at 6:20 AM · Wasn't it the one everyone was riding at the end of National Lampoons Vacation? It always looked like fun. I wish I had the chance to ride it.
June 4, 2014 at 10:43 AM · Is this the coaster featured in "KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park"? KISS fights a bunch of cyborg were-apes in front of a white roller coaster that I'm pretty sure was at Magic Mountain.
June 4, 2014 at 12:11 PM · fix the friggin wood with all that money you're charging us to go!!!!!
noo!!!

this is my favorite ride!!! i love this ride!
if this closes ill never go again!

where can i start a petition!?

keep Colossus ALIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

June 4, 2014 at 12:28 PM · I am not a fan of this coaster. Too violent, jerks you around. I end up with back and neck pain that I didn't have prior to getting on the ride. Excited to see what they put in its place.
June 4, 2014 at 1:38 PM · Boss will close next year. American Eagle is to classic be retracted.
June 4, 2014 at 4:33 PM · I'm pregnant, due in November. I'm totally destroyed that I won't get to ride the mighty Colossus one final time, as I remember riding it as a kid around the time it opened. Had no idea that last year's ride would be my last.
June 4, 2014 at 9:29 PM · I rode Colossus once in 1999, right before the supports for the Goliath changed the view. Have not been back since. This IS the coaster featured in National Lampoon's Vacation at the end of the movie, where it was referred to as Screemie Meemie". Revolution was also featured in the movie in the Wally World scenes, referred to simply as 'loop-de-loop'. Interestingly, the Wally World park entrance was filmed somewhere else.

My money is on a RMC conversion; the iconic ride is not going anywhere.

June 7, 2014 at 11:52 AM · One of John Allen's final coasters. My wife's favorite coaster - we will have to take one more trip down there.
June 7, 2014 at 12:03 PM · Colossus is 36 - do we even want to start naming wooden coasters in the country that are older? I'll just stick to California: The Giant Dipper (which, of course, has had a revamp) in San Diego: 89 on July 4th; and The Giant Dipper in Santa Cruz: 90 this past May 17th. This is disgusting on Six Flags' part.

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