Monster Spin At Six Flags Great Adventure


                                                                                                       (1985 Standing But Not Operating)

The Monster Spin was a standard production model Monster II ride produced by Schwarzkopf, which offered a fun and exciting ride which could be enjoyed by all ages.  The ride was very popular with parks around the country and around the world, with dozens showing up in theme parks throughout the 1970's and 80's.

With the death of Anton Schwarzkopf, and the end of Schwarzkopf as a manufacturer, parts for the rides became scarce and expensive, so like many parks the ride was removed as the parts wore out and it became unfeasible to perform the required maintenance.

Today there are very few of these once plentiful rides still operating in parks, with one of the last located at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois.
   
 
     
     
     
  The Monster Spin was the second of three similar "monster" rides located at Great Adventure, replacing the Pretty Monster (later called the Dream Street Dazzler) in a location beside the Yum Yum Palace.   The site was originally home to "The Happening" show before Pretty Monster was moved there in 1976 when the park entrance was relocated.

Monster Spin took the place of the original ride in 1978, and operated in that location through 1987, with one year "standing but not operating" in 1985 as the ride's transmission and hydraulic systems underwent a major overhaul.   During its first year of operation the Monster Spin was still adorned with the old Dream Street Dazzler sign.

The ride was removed at the end of the 1987 season, and the site sat vacant for several years until the Teacups were added in 1996. 		  
   
   
   
   
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
Technical Information
     
  Manufacturer: Anton Schwarzkopf
  Ride Model: Monster II
     
  Number of Arms: 5
  Number of Cars per Arm: 5
  Total Number of Cars: 25
  Car Capacity: 2 people
  Number of Guests per Cycle: 50 people
  Ride Duration: 3 minutes
     
  Approximate Capacity: 1000 guests per hour
     
  Number of Lights on Arms: 36 on each (180 total)
  Number of Lights on Cars: 8 on each (200 total)
  Total Number of Lights: 380
     
  Direction of Travel:  
    Arm Rotation: Clockwise
    Car Assembly Rotation: Counterclockwise
    Individual Car Rotation: Variable
     
  Operating Feature: All cars are loaded at the same time at ground level
     
  Safety Restraint: Single lap bar per car
     
 
 
 
 
 
     
  Watch A Video of the
East River Crawler,
Monster Spin's Sister Ride
At Six Flags Great America:
 
 
 
     
  Two decades after the Monster stopped spinning, the ride's central housing cover could still be spotted being used as a flaming cauldron prop as part of the park's haunted hayride during Fright Fest.    
   
   
     
Before
"The Happening"		 During
"Monster Spin"
   
After Now
"Teacups"
   
   
 

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