At the Bartow County Georgia 4th of July Celebration there was a roller coaster themed inflatable. It looked really cool, but the fact it was named “The Wild One” was really interesting and probably not accidental. The Wild One was a wooden coaster at the now shuttered Six Flags America park. It was originally built in 1917 as the Giant Coaster at Paragon Park in Massachusetts, but was relocated to Six Flags America in 1986. It had a red, white and blue color scheme just like the inflatable, however the yellow trains are a diversion from the original.

The Wild One has a height of 98-feet with an 88-foot drop and an iconic 450° spiral helix. When it opened in 1917 it was the tallest roller coaster in the world until it was surpassed in 1925. Some rides aren’t just about specs though as The Wild One delivered a great ride with lots of air time. In 2025 (the year of its closing at Six Flags America) it was ranked the #37 wood roller coaster by Golden Ticket. It is also an American Coaster Enthusiast (ACE) Landmark Coaster.

The Wild One is still SBNO according to last reports of urban explorers. The land has been sold to a group that includes NBA star Kevin Durant. They plan to redevelop the site and don’t plan to operate the theme park as a whole again. However they want some entertainment on the property, so there’s a chance some of the rides could be saved. Some rides from the park had already been relocated Six Flags, prominently to Six Flags Great Adventure as part of their new Shoreline Pier, but a wood coaster is notoriously hard to move. However, it has already moved once, so you never know. It was great to see The Wild One inflatable though and have a memory of this great coaster.