The "laying to rest" ceremony at the beginning of the Six Flags St. Louis 30-Hour Coffin Challenge, on Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018. The six participants were challenged to stay in a wooden coffin for 30 hours, receiving a 6-minute bathroom break each hour, limited cell phone use and meals in their coffins. Those who complete the 30 hours will receive two 2019 Gold Season Passes, two VIP Haunted House Passes, 2 seats on the Fright Fest Freak Train, $300 and they get to keep their coffin. Photo by Johanna Huckeba, jhuckeba@post-dispatch.com
The Six Flags St. Louis 30-Hour Coffin Challenge participants lay in their coffins during the first few hours of the challenge, on Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018. Photo by Johanna Huckeba, jhuckeba@post-dispatch.com.
Matt Daley, of Topeka, Kan., a Halloween enthusiast who has operated a haunted house for the past 12 years, competes in the Six Flags St. Louis 30-Hour Coffin Challenge, on Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018. Photo by Johanna Huckeba, jhuckeba@post-dispatch.com.
Zeaken, 3, and Azreal Sepulveda, 4, watch their mom, Stevi Rogers, a vampire enthusiast, as she begins the Six Flags St. Louis 30-Hour Coffin Challenge, on Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018. Photo by Johanna Huckeba, jhuckeba@post-dispatch.com
Keith Richter, a Navy veteran from Atoka, Tenn., who served on five submarines, referred to as "Iron Coffins," and slept on beds called coffin racks, gets into his coffin to kick-off the Six Flags St. Louis 30-Hour Coffin Challenge, on Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018. Photo by Johanna Huckeba, jhuckeba@post-dispatch.com.
Six participants lay in their coffins in the first few hours of the Six Flags St. Louis 30-Hour Coffin Challenge, on Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018. Photo by Johanna Huckeba, jhuckeba@post-dispatch.com
Stevi Rogers, a vampire enthusiast intrigued by the legends and lifestyle, especially their use of coffins, crosses her arms as she begins the first few minutes of the Six Flags St. Louis 30-Hour Coffin Challenge, on Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018. Photo by Johanna Huckeba, jhuckeba@post-dispatch.com
"Fillmore Graves", played by entertainment supervisor Steven Castelli, introduces the competitors for the Six Flags St. Louis 30-Hour Coffin Challenge, on Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018. Photo by Johanna Huckeba, jhuckeba@post-dispatch.com
All six of the aspiring coffin-dwellers who took Six Flags of St. Louis' challenge to spend 30 hours in a wooden coffin went the distance Sunday.
Each won their coffin, two gold season passes for 2019, $300 and other prizes.
The challenge started at 1 p.m. Saturday with a "laying to rest ceremony," and ended at 7 p.m. Sunday with a "raising from the dead."
They were required to stay in the coffins the whole time, except for a six-minute bathroom break every hour and a series of mini-challenges.
Participants, including Stevi Rogers (front), of Fort Wayne, Ind., use their phones during the limited time they were allowed to during the first hours of the Six Flags St. Louis 30-Hour Coffin Challenge, on Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018. Photo by Johanna Huckeba, jhuckeba@post-dispatch.com.
Six Flags spokeswoman Elizabeth Gotway's idea proved so popular, it went viral, prompted over 45,000 applicants and inspired other parks to host their own challenges.
The participants were fed in the coffins and also allowed some time to use cellphones. They were watched by park goers and visited by "Fright Fest Freaks" after hours.
The six successful coffin challengers all had season-appropriate interests or professions.
Brian Johnson of Arnold is a professional wrestler whose alter ego is Kahyman, master of the dark arts.
Navy veteran Keith Richter of Atoka, Tenn., served on five different submarines, sometimes referred to as “Iron Coffins.”
Matt Daley of Topeka, Kan., is a Halloween enthusiast who has run a haunted house for 12 years and drives a 1989 Cadillac Brougham hearse.
St. Louis University student Olivia Crabtree of Naperville, Ill., is studying forensic science and aspires to be a medical examiner.
Stacey Wagner of Thomasboro, Ill., has been working in the funeral industry since the age of 16 and has been a licensed funeral director and embalmer for a decade.
Stevi Rogers of Fort Wayne, Ind., says she is intrigued by the legends and lifestyles of vampires.
Photos: Coffin challenge kicked off at Six Flags Saturday
Coffin Challenge
Matt Daley, of Topeka, Kan., a Halloween enthusiast who has operated a haunted house for the past 12 years, competes in the Six Flags St. Louis 30-Hour Coffin Challenge, on Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018. Photo by Johanna Huckeba, jhuckeba@post-dispatch.com.
Coffin Challenge
The "laying to rest" ceremony at the beginning of the Six Flags St. Louis 30-Hour Coffin Challenge, on Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018. The six participants were challenged to stay in a wooden coffin for 30 hours, receiving a 6-minute bathroom break each hour, limited cell phone use and meals in their coffins. Those who complete the 30 hours will receive two 2019 Gold Season Passes, two VIP Haunted House Passes, 2 seats on the Fright Fest Freak Train, $300 and they get to keep their coffin. Photo by Johanna Huckeba, jhuckeba@post-dispatch.com
Coffin Challenge
Keith Richter, a Navy veteran from Atoka, Tenn., who served on five submarines, referred to as "Iron Coffins," and slept on beds called coffin racks, gets into his coffin to kick-off the Six Flags St. Louis 30-Hour Coffin Challenge, on Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018. Photo by Johanna Huckeba, jhuckeba@post-dispatch.com.
Coffin Challenge
The Six Flags St. Louis 30-Hour Coffin Challenge participants lay in their coffins during the first few hours of the challenge, on Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018. Photo by Johanna Huckeba, jhuckeba@post-dispatch.com.
Coffin Challenge
Participants, including Stevi Rogers (front), of Fort Wayne, Ind., use their phones during the limited time they were allowed to during the first hours of the Six Flags St. Louis 30-Hour Coffin Challenge, on Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018. Photo by Johanna Huckeba, jhuckeba@post-dispatch.com.
Coffin Challenge
Zeaken, 3, and Azreal Sepulveda, 4, watch their mom, Stevi Rogers, a vampire enthusiast, as she begins the Six Flags St. Louis 30-Hour Coffin Challenge, on Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018. Photo by Johanna Huckeba, jhuckeba@post-dispatch.com
Coffin Challenge
Six participants lay in their coffins in the first few hours of the Six Flags St. Louis 30-Hour Coffin Challenge, on Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018. Photo by Johanna Huckeba, jhuckeba@post-dispatch.com
Coffin Challenge
Stevi Rogers, a vampire enthusiast intrigued by the legends and lifestyle, especially their use of coffins, crosses her arms as she begins the first few minutes of the Six Flags St. Louis 30-Hour Coffin Challenge, on Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018. Photo by Johanna Huckeba, jhuckeba@post-dispatch.com
Coffin Challenge
"Fillmore Graves", played by entertainment supervisor Steven Castelli, introduces the competitors for the Six Flags St. Louis 30-Hour Coffin Challenge, on Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018. Photo by Johanna Huckeba, jhuckeba@post-dispatch.com
Jet Scream, MoMo the Monster, Mule-Go-Round and more: Six Flags attractions of yore
Moon Cars
Attendants help couples into the Moon Car ride in 1971 at Six Flags St. Louis. The ride was discontinued starting in 2021. Its track had been shortened over the years to make way for new attractions, and its cars were getting harder to repair.
Highland Fling
The Highland Fling opened in 1977 in the Britannia Section of the park. After 40 years and over 18.2 million riders, The Highland Fling was removed at the end of the 2017 season. It will be replaced with a new attraction, and the park will announce their plans in late August. It's shown in the background of this photo, near the Sky Chuter. (handout photo from Six Flags St. Louis)
MoMo the Monster
MoMo the Monster opened in 1973, and was part of the park expansion that took the park beyond the railroad tracks, said Elizabeth Gotway, park spokewoman. The ride spun in one direction and the buckets swayed back and forth. Halfway through the ride, the arms stopped and the ride would spin the opposite way. MoMo was named after a bigfoot-like creature that was spotted around and near Louisiana, Mo. in the early 1970s. It closed in 1994, replaced by a swing ride called the River View Racer. The SkyScreamer, which is on that spot today, opened in 2011. (Handout)
Dolphin Show
When Six Flags St. Louis opened in 1971, it featured a dolphin show that was reintroduced in 1989.
Tom's Twister
Riders of Tom's Twister, which was open from 1972 to 2005, got their thrills with the help of centrifugal force. Riders stood against the wall and waited for the room to spin. The force of the spinning pressed them against the wall, and then the floor dropped from underneath. Riders slid back down the wall and to the floor as the room stopped spinning.
(Handout)
Sky Chuter
Sky Chuter, a 250-foot parachute drop, opened at Six Flags St. Louis in 1978 and was removed in 1982. It was 25 stories tall and was billed as the "world's tallest ride." (Handout)
Pet-A-Pet
The Pet-A-Pet petting zoo, which was open from 1971 to 1985, was in the area now home to Colossus, the giant Ferris wheel. (Handout)
Super Sports Cars
The Super Sports car ride was one of the park's original attractions, standing on the spot of the present-day Batman: The Ride roller coaster. It was on the other side of the park as the Moon Car ride, which remains today. After the sports cars were removed in 1980, the site was home to the Jet Scream roller coaster from 1981-1988. When that was removed, the site housed Tremors night club for teens from 1989-1992 and then the Carrot Club for families and kids from 1993-1994. There, kids could get their picture taken with Bugs Bunny, and wear carrot hats. Ground broke for the Batman roller coaster after that. (Handout)
Jet Scream
Jet Scream, which ran at Six Flags St. Louis from 1981 to 1988, was located where Batman: The Ride is today. It was the park's first looping roller coaster. (Handout)
Mississippi Adventure Six Flags St. Louis
Mississippi Adventure ran from 1971 to 1982 at Six Flags St. Louis. It was replaced by Thunder River.
Injun Joes Cave, the Time Tunnel, and more
Injun Joe's Cave opened at Six Flags St. Louis in 1971, and was described in a Post-Dispatch article that year as "charming" with "funny-looking" frogs and bats, and Tom, Becky, Muff Potter, Injun Joe, and others from the Mark Twain Story. "Of course, it's really the old Tunnel of Love for those interested in that sort of thing," commented a rider.
From 1979-1989, it became the Time Tunnel, which took you on a trip through time from the age of dinosaurs to a trip through space.
From 1992-1999, six kid characters took guests on the Castaway Kids Jungle Adventure. It then became Scooby-Doo! Ghostblasters: The Mystery Of The Scary Swamp. That brought the first interactive element to the dark ride, as guests armed with laser guns shot at targets to help Scooby and the gang "catch" the ghosts.
In 2015, the same building was expanded to house Justice League: Battle for Metropolis for a 4-D experience with twisting, tilting cars and laser guns but without the water. (Handout)
Injun Joes Cave, the Time Tunnel, and more
Injun Joe's Cave opened at Six Flags St. Louis in 1971, and was described in a Post-Dispatch article that year as "charming" with "funny-looking" frogs and bats, and Tom, Becky, Muff Potter, Injun Joe, and others from the Mark Twain Story. "Of course, it's really the old Tunnel of Love for those interested in that sort of thing," commented a rider.
From 1979-1989, it became the Time Tunnel, which took you on a trip through time from the age of dinosaurs to a trip through space.
From 1992-1999, six kid characters took guests on the Castaway Kids Jungle Adventure. It then became Scooby-Doo! Ghostblasters: The Mystery Of The Scary Swamp. That brought the first interactive element to the dark ride, as guests armed with laser guns shot at targets to help Scooby and the gang "catch" the ghosts.
In 2015, the same building was expanded to house Justice League: Battle for Metropolis for a 4-D experience with twisting, tilting cars and laser guns but without the water. (Handout)
Time Tunnel
A Six Flags Over Mid-America park worker installs the life-life triceratops in the Time Tunnel in 1979. (Post-Dispatch file photo)
Castaway Kids Jungle Adventure
A photo of artwork promoting the Castaway Kids Jungle Adventure ride, which replaced the old Time Tunnel ride from 1992-1999. Six kid characters took guests on a jungle adventure. (Handout)
Scooby-Doo Ghost Blasters
A publicity photo for Scooby Doo Ghost Blasters: The Mystery Of The Scary Swamp, which debuted in 2002 and replaced the Castaway Kids Jungle Adventure. This brought the first interactive element to the dark ride, as guests armed with laser guns shot at targets to help Scooby and the gang "catch" the ghosts. (Handout)
Hannibarrels
Hannibarrels, one of the park's original rides, involved a main platform that spun around with three individual platforms that spun in different directions, explained Gotway, the park spokeswoman. Six barrels were on each platform, and guests could spin them around as much as they wanted. The ride closed in 1997 but was not removed until 2014 to make room for the Tsunami Soaker. A couple of the Hannibarrels remain in the park for people to sit and rest. (handout)
Hannibarrels
Hannibarrels, one of the park's original rides, involved a main platform that spun around with three individual platforms that spun in different directions, explained Gotway, the park spokeswoman. Six barrels were on each platform, and guests could spin them around as much as they wanted. The ride closed in 1997 but was not removed until 2014 to make room for the Tsunami Soaker. A couple of the Hannibarrels remain in the park for people to sit and rest. (Handout)
Chevy Show
The Chevy Show is one of the park’s original attractions and featured a curved wide screen with a point-of-view movie that made the viewer feel like they were in the middle of the action. Scenes included a point-of-view from a roller coaster and a car going on a curvy road, going around sharp turns and making sudden stops. The screen was about 30 feet long, 12 feet high, and curved horizontally at 34 degrees.
Outside the theater, Chevrolet displayed their newest models of cars.
In 1996, the building became Sound Stage #2 and featured a variety of family shows, including a magic show, said Gotway. It 2013, it became a haunted attraction for Fright Fest and does not host shows during the summer season.
Skyway
The Skyway was one of 16 original rides at the park, and it allowed guests transport from one end of the park to the other. In 1978, a man and his two nieces were killed when a support beam from the ride broke, sending their car plummeting to the ground. The ride was repaired and altered and finally shut down in 1981. (Post-Dispatch file photo)
Rush Street Flyer
The Rush Street Flyer, seen here in a publicity photo released for its debut in 1987, was described as a "futuristic trolley car" that swept riders to 45-degree angles before looping 360 degree, providing a free-fall sensation. Up to 60 children or 40 adults could ride it at a time. It was replaced by the Fireball in 2016. (Handout)
Mule-Go-Round
Stanley J. Goodman and Mrs. Richard A. Glenn on the Mule-Go-Round, in May 1971. In the background are Walter King and Mrs. Donald L. Fleming, president of the Junior Division of the St. Louis Symphony Society. The group was attending a benefit for the symphony at Six Flags Over Mid-America before it officially opened to the public in June 1971. At the time of the park's opening, there were 16 rides, five shows and the daily admission was $6.50 for adults and $5.50 for children. Post-Dispatch file photo
Rail Blazer
Stand-up riders on Six Flags Over Mid-America's new Rail Blazer ride in 1984. The stand-up cars were removed that year after a woman from Indianapolis was thrown to her death.
The Rail Blazer was made from one of two tracks that had made up the Mine Train, one of the park's original rides. The second track was dismantled and sold a few years after the accident, and the track that remains as the Mine Train was the one that was part of the Rail Blazer. (Post-Dispatch file photo)
Six Flags Over Mid-America in 1988
The Condor, a thrill ride in a photo from 1988, at Six Flags Over Mid-America. Post-Dispatch file photo
Six Flags Over Mid-America in 1995.
Bugs Bunny and other Time Warner characters were part of Six Flags Over Mid-America in 1995. Handout file photo
Six Flags Over Mid-America parking trolley in 1971
A motorized trolley on the parking grounds at Six Flags Over Mid-America in August 1971, returns visitors to their automobiles. Post-Dispatch file photo
Six Flags Over Mid-America entrance and park overview in 1971
Six Flags Over Mid-America opened to the public in June 1971. The Chevy Show building can be seen in the upper right. Post-Dispatch file photo
