Six Flags Atlantis: Florida's Lost Water Kingdom

For many years, rumors have swirled about the possibility of a Six Flags park in Florida.  Years ago, it actually happened, in Hollywood, Florida.

The park started life as "Atlantis: The Water Kingdom" circa 1982.  Bally's, the owners of Six Flags parks, took the park under its wing in 1983.

Brochures for Six Flags Over Georgia in 1983 promoted Atlantis: The Water Kingdom as another Six Flags destination.  I was curious about the park as a kid, but back then, the Internet didn't exist, so it remained a mystery.

The King Neptune mascot suggests a magical fantasy world.  The reality looks like a typical water park.

Apparently, the association with Six Flags lasted until 1988.

The park regained its original name until it closed in 1992.  Not even Neptune could stop Hurricane Andrew, which damaged Atlantis enough to close it for good.

These days, many Six Flags properties have their own water parks (Six Flags Over Georgia has Hurricane Harbor inside its gates, plus White Water nearby).  But Six Flags Atlantis was a whole different kettle of fish.

Interestingly, there were a couple other short-lived "non-Six Flags" Six Flags parks around the same time as Atlantis, including Six Flags AutoWorld in Flint, Michigan (1984), and Six Flags Power Plant in Baltimore, Maryland (1985).