Over 30 years ago, we didn’t have to schlep to Rapids Water Park in West Palm Beach for some awesome water slide fun. Six Flags Atlantis was right in our backyard.
If you don’t remember, Atlantis was located off of I-95 in Hollywood. After closing in 1992, there has never been a water park for Broward County residents.
Sure, we have those mini-parks in many of our cities, but those slides are for the little kids. If you are looking for a real thrill, then you’ll have to hoof it up to Palm Beach County.
Six Flags Atlantis Waterpark {Florida Department of Tourism}
We contacted Michael Lucas, a former employee of Atlantis who created an unofficial blog called Atlantis Memories. He wanted me to remember that he is not affiliated with Six Flags Atlantis and that these are his recollections.
Six Flags Atlantis Waterpark {Florida Department of Tourism}
Six Flags Atlantis was a water park that occupied several prime acres of land at the intersection of I-95 and Stirling Road in Hollywood, Florida.
It was born “Atlantis, the Water Kingdom,” designed and built by a local developer who ran out of funds before the park could open. For several years, it remained in a state of partial completion.
Bally’s, then the parent company of Six Flags, purchased at least part of the park, and it finally opened in 1983 as “Six Flags Atlantis.”*
The park facilities included a seven-story slide tower, a lake with water-skiing shows, a wave pool, video arcades, a small midway, and dozens of other shows and activities.
1984 Six Flags Atlantis Promotional Brochure – Michael Lucas
Some “Miami Vice” scenes were filmed at Atlantis. Though the park’s name is changed in the storyline, the Atlantis midway is clearly recognizable. Also, an Italian motion picture company filmed “The Genii” at the park. The film appears to have never been released.
Despite hosting over 500,000 guests every year for nine years, Atlantis never had a fatality or serious injury.
The mural on the back of the wave pool was made from hand-painted Italian tile — as were all the tiled surfaces around all the pools.
1984 Atlantis Promotional Brochure – Courtesy of Michael Lucas
The late Tiffany Sessions was an employee of Atlantis before her disappearance. Hopefully, she is well and happy in some part of the world.
Atlantis did have some inherent problems. First, it was located just a couple of miles from Dania Beach and minutes away from the world-famous beaches in Ft. Lauderdale and Miami.
Second, its operating schedule was subject to the whims of the weather.
Thunderstorms along the sea-breeze front, an event common on hazy South Florida afternoons, could close the park for hours.
1984 Atlantis Brochure – Courtesy of Michael Lucas
Six Flags sold the park in the summer of 1988, and the new owners reopened it under the original name “Atlantis, The Water Kingdom.” Reinvented as a smaller, more efficient park and freed from the burden of Six Flags’ insurance costs, Atlantis began to operate in the black.
But in the end, damage from 1992’s Hurricane Andrew closed the park’s gates forever.
There was even an effort to relocate the park, but no site far enough east to avoid the daily thunderstorms could be found.
The site is now the Oakwood Plaza in Hollywood with Michael’s, Ross, Homegoods, Home Depot, and PetSmart.
Oakwood Plaza in Hollywood now sits at the site of the former Six Flags Atlantis Waterpark. {Google Maps}
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