Parks have always looked to set the scene at the entrances to their parks with elaborate and beautiful landscaping.  Quite often topiaries and other unique plantings have been a key part of the entry plazas.
	With the relocation of Great Adventure's front gate from the foot of Dream Street to the center of the park for the 1976 season, the new entry from the parking lot had to make a statement as well as help screen the park from the cars. To help accomplish this a large planter mound was built at the edge of the parking area, offering a place for guests to be dropped off as well as to create a first impression of the park to those arriving. The hill was planted with a series of ornamental bushes as well as the topiary letters "GA". Over the years the plantings changed with varying words, patterns and styles.
	The planter was routinely updated with the seasonal changes in flowers as well as varying images including the park's rainbow logo, Bugs Bunny, the name Six Flags and  a return of the "GA" letters.
	For the 2006 season the planting was reimagined as a giant cake in honor of the 45th birthday of Six Flags Theme Parks. The cake was topped with a sign and figures of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck.  Even though the best efforts were made to keep the cake fresh and new, the cake design suffered a washout where the soil collapsed through the mesh walls and needed to be reinforced.
	The cake's reconstruction required a great deal of work before the summer flowers could be planted to replace the spring flowers including a complete redesign. For fall that year, the cake was covered with cobwebs for Fright Fest.
	For the 2007 season, the planting was changed back to a hill, this time with the return of Bugs Bunny. This new version of the planting was much more elaborate than past incarnations, creating a detailed image of the park's mascot much like Mickey Mouse greets visitors at the entrance to Disney's parks.
	A series of topiary figures were added to the planting beds featuring the Looney Tunes. The topiaries were a combination of fiberglass and wire framework to hold ivy and other plant materials to fill in the bodies of the characters.  With seasonal changes of plantings on the main floral display, the beds at the edges of the planter were also changed many times throughout each year.
	Whether bringing smiles to guests' faces as they are welcomed in the morning or being a spot to take a last minute photo before heading home, Great Adventure's beautiful front planter serves as a wonderful marker to the fun that awaits beyond the entrance to the park.
Great Adventure Topiary Postcard
	The iconic GA topiary welcoming guests to the park was featured on a postcard from the 1980's.