Why is Six Flags called Six Flags?

[Ian]

I could Google it but I thought I'd make a topic out of it, just in case anybody else has ever wondered and never bothered to Google it. And to see if somebody can Google it for me.

So, why is Six Flags called Six Flags?

 

[ATTACKHAMMER]

Here you go:

The name refers to the flags of the six different nations that have governed Texas: Spain, France, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the United States of America, and the Confederate States of America.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Flags

 

[therick311]

Hence, Six Flags Over Texas.

 

[jj23w]

I thought it was to with at first they had a certain amount of parks in 1 country because in america they first started off with 6 hence it being called six flags. Thats what I think anyway.

 

[tomahawk]

No, the chain started in Texas with over Texas, Astroworld, and Fiesta Texas. It is named after the six flags that have flown over Texas.

Fun fact, the Texas flag is only state flag that can fly at same height as American flag since they were a republic.

 

[rtotheizzo17]

^^No the correct answer was already posted.

^Right and then wrong. The first Six Flags was over Texas and then when Wayne sold the new company expanded to other markets. They shoe horned the "Six Flags over" brand in to parks like Georgia and Mid-America (St. Louis).

Every other park in the chain was acquired, not built by Six Flags. Astroworld didn't become a Six Flags park until 3 years after St. Louis was built and 6 years after Georgia.

Fiesta Texas was built by Gaylord, the same people who built Opryland in Nashville, and opened in 1992, or 31 years after over Texas did.

 

[jj23w]

Yh I know was just contribuiting what I thought.

 

[Ian]

Fiesta Texas was built by Gaylord

*snigger*

Anyway, thank you very much for the answer. My original thought was the six board directors were from different states or something, but now I know.

 

[Pokemaniac]

I recall a snippet on CoasterGallery bringing it up once. The name of the first park, Six Flags Over Texas was originally meant to be "Texas under six flags", with an area themed to each of the six nations who have been in control of the state. But the owner purportedly changed his mind, figuring out that Texas shouldn't really be "under" anything. So the perspective was changed, so to say, to Six Flags over Texas, which invokes the image of flags flying gloriously in the breeze, instead of Texas being thrown between rulers like a trade commodity.