Six Flags Over Georgia to close Georgia Cyclone this month

AUSTELL, Ga. (AP) - Six Flags Over Georgia will permanently shutter its iconic wooden roller coaster, the Georgia Cyclone, this month.

News outlets report park spokesman Gene Petriello says the attraction is closing July 30 to make way for a new one. He said the amusement park adds a new ride to the park each year, but declined to reveal what would replace the Georgia Cyclone.

The Georgia Cyclone opened in 1990, and was modeled after New York’s Coney Island Cyclone. Nearly 100 feet tall and reaching speeds of 50 miles per hour, the roller coaster has given nearly 8.7 million rides.

The park will close at 8 p.m. on the roller coaster’s final day. Petriello says the park plans to interview those among the Georgia Cyclone’s final riders.