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| Manufacturer | Willy Bühler Space Towers | ||||||||||||||
| Product | Space Tower | ||||||||||||||
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| Height | 340 feet | ||||||||||||||
AstroNeedle was a 340 foot tall Observation Tower that was formerly located at Six Flags AstroWorld, in Houston, Texas, USA.
History
AstroNeedle opened with the park on June 1, 1968, and was located in the European Village section of the park. The ride was originally named Skyrama at opening.[1][2]
In 1974, an concert stage was constructed on the base of the ride.
The ride was featured with a double-deck cabin with 32 passengers each level which slowly rotated up 340 feet up into the air, which gave a 360-panoramic view of the park and Houston skyline. The double-deck cabin that originally opened with the ride was manufactured by Von Roll, but then was later retrofitted with an Intamin double-deck cabin in 1979. Air conditioning was also added to the ride in 1991.
During the 1999 season, the ride did not operate. In February 2000, it was announced that Six Flags AstroWorld would be removing the ride to make room for new attractions. The ride last operated in 1998.[3]
After it was removed, it was stored in the park's boneyard. The ride was to be rebuilt at Six Flags Mexico in Mexico City, but this never came into fruition.[4] Diablo Falls was later built on its former site in 2003. The ride was eventually sold for scrap during the park's demolition in early 2006 after the park closed on October 30, 2005.
References
- ↑ "Timeline". Six Flags Houston.
- ↑ "Houston's Astroworld To Open". Victoria Advocate. 1968-06-01. p. 6. Retrieved 2025-04-05.
- ↑ "On this day 50 years ago: The Astroneedle protest". ABC13 Houston. 2021-01-23. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
- ↑ "Six Flags Astroworld Bids Farewell To Astroneedle". www.ultimaterollercoaster.com. Retrieved 2024-12-09.