page_title: California's Great America
section_title: California's Great America's timeline
hierarchical_section_title: California's Great America / California's Great America's timeline
context_page_description: California's Great America is a 112-acre amusement park located in Santa Clara, California. Owned and operated by Cedar Fair, it originally opened in 1976 as one of two parks built by the Marriott Corporation. California's Great America features over 40 rides and attractions, and one of its most notable is Gold Striker, which has been featured as a top-ranked wooden roller coaster in Amusement Today's annual Golden Ticket Awards publication. Other notable rides include RailBlazer, a single-rail coaster from Rocky Mountain Construction, and Flight Deck, an inverted coaster from Bolliger & Mabillard. The park appeared in Beverly Hills Cop III and Getting Even with Dad, two films that were released in 1994.
context_section_description: 2020: Boomerang Bay expanded and renamed South Bay Shores
  2019: Drop Tower gets a new paint scheme to represent a Redwood Tree. Pre-K pass is introduced for the 2019 season.
  2018: RailBlazer, one of the world's first Raptor Track Coasters by Rocky Mountain Construction. Halloween Haunt and WinterFest expansions.
  2017: Patriot, a floorless conversion, repaint and re-theme of the park's stand-up coaster, Vortex. Halloween Haunt and Winterfest expansions. Sweet Tooth, funnel cake shop, FireFall, Logger's Run, H.M.B Endevour and Snoopy's Splash Dance are removed.
  2016: A 4D holographic attraction themed to BioWare's Mass Effect video game in newly renovated Action Theater. Winterfest debuts. Halloween Haunt expansion.
  2015: Planet Snoopy takes over the former KidZville section of the park. Halloween Haunt expansion.
  2014: Flight Deck re-painted red and white, Grizzly Loading Dock painted red and white, Fun TV added to most rides, Grizzly re-tracked and new flooring in Carousel Columbia. Halloween Haunt expansion. Picnic Pavilion make-over and new entrance from the parking lot. All 6 Drop Tower cabins operating, and KidzVille Shooting Range removed for birthday party area. All Day Dining Pass and new food options added. Halloween Haunt expansion with more monsters, two new Haunted Mazes for 2014, and one new Haunted Attraction. Werewolf Canyon and Slaughterhouse: Annihilation mazes removed. The Overlord is removed as Haunt icon. Skeleton Key is added, giving 5 mazes a new interactive room.
  2013: New Great Coasters International wooden coaster, "Gold Striker" added; Happy Feet: Mumble's Wild Ride in the Action Theater; Subway added, Halloween Haunt expansion.
  2012: Several park improvements such as a repaint of Carousel Columbia, Demon and Flight Deck. ADA improvements including an elevator lift entrance for Loggers Run and Vortex. Also, The Grizzly is retracked, Fast Lane. Construction commenced on Levi's Stadium, the new home of the San Francisco 49ers, in the former Great America overflow parking lot. Halloween Haunt expansion, Construction of 2013 attraction, Gold Striker (wooden coaster), in former Whizzer site.
  2011: Invertigo is removed to be sent to Dorney Park; Three new live shows. Halloween Haunt Expansion.
  2010: Planet Snoopy (Retheme of Nickelodeon Central); Hanna Barbera references removed in KidZville; Panda Express
  2009: All Wheels Extreme Stunt show; Chipper Lowell Experience show; expanded Halloween Haunt
  2008: Park is renamed to California's Great America; FireFall; Dora's Sing-Along Adventure; Endless Summer On Ice show; Halloween Haunt debuts
  2007: Park is renamed to Great America; Great Barrier Reef Wavepool added to Boomerang Bay; Ed Alonzo Misfit of Magic; Twistin' to the '60s Show
  2006: Tiki Twirl (Formerly Survivor: The Ride); Park is sold to Cedar Fair
  2005: Boomerang Bay expansion to include lazy river, two other waterslides and a large swimming pool.
  2004: Boomerang Bay is added including a complex of children's water slides/play area, a 4-person adult raft/tube ride, a two-person inner-tube water slide and a fully enclosed two-person inner-tube water slide. Triple Play is removed
  2003: SpongeBob SquarePants 3-D in the Action Theater; Nickelodeon Central (expansion of Splat City); Stealth (flying steel coaster) is removed and sent to Carowinds as Nighthawk
  2002: Delirium; Flying Eagles; Greased Lightning (shuttle loop coaster) is removed; Time Capsule buried
  2001: Psycho Mouse; Celebration Swings; Thunder Raceway; Stan Lee's 7th Portal 3D/ Smash Factory in Action Theater
  2000: Stealth (flying steel coaster) opens to the public; Scenic Railroad and Skyhawk are removed
  1999: KidZVille; Tidal Wave renamed Greased Lightnin'; Stealth is constructed and tested all season; Logger's Run modified to allow construction of Stealth
  1998: Invertigo; James Bond: License to Thrill; in the Paramount Action F/X Theater Yankee Clipper is removed
  1997: Xtreme Skyflyer; Triple Wheel (originally Sky Whirl) is removed
  1996: Drop Tower Scream Zone (Formerly Drop Zone Stunt Tower)
  1995: Nickelodeon Splat City; The Edge an
caption: The former Invertigo coaster (Removed 2011)
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