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 Interactive map of La Ronde | |
| Location | Montreal,Quebec, Canada |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 45°31′21″N73°32′06″W / 45.52250°N 73.53500°W /45.52250; -73.53500 |
| Status | Operating |
| Public transit |   Jean-Drapeau 767 Jean-Drapeau 769 Papineau |
| Opened | April 1967; 58 years ago (1967-04) |
| Owner | City of Montreal |
| Operated by | Six Flags |
| Operating season | May–October |
| Area | 59 hectares (146 acres) |
| Attractions | |
| Total | 37 |
| Roller coasters | 8 |
| Website | La Ronde |
La Ronde (lit. 'The Round') is anamusement park inMontreal, Quebec, Canada. It was originally built as the entertainment complex forExpo 67, the 1967world's fair. Today, it is operated bySix Flags Entertainment Corporation, under anemphyteutic lease with theCity of Montreal until 2065. In-addition to being the Six Flags chain's northernmost location, La Ronde is the largest amusement park in Quebec and the second-largest in Canada (behindCanada's Wonderland, which became a sister in 2024 after Six Flags merged withCedar Fair).[1]
La Ronde occupies 59 hectares (146 acres) of the northern tip ofSaint Helen's Island, situated on a man-made extension to the landmass; the park is in the vicinity of where the smaller, adjacentRonde Island had once been (the origin of the park's name). The park hosts the annualMontreal Fireworks Festival, an international fireworks competition. Prior to Cedar Fair's merger with Six Flags, La Ronde was one of only two Six Flags properties, along withFrontier City inOklahoma City, Oklahoma, that were not officially branded as Six Flags parks.
The Montreal region park is located within theSt. Lawrence River onSaint Helen's Island, situated atop a man-made extension on its northern tip where the small (water-enclosed)Ronde Island had once been. The former graniteRonde island, which the extension was made around, was destroyed by blasting and the resulting crater it left turned into Dolphin lake, which the park surrounds.[2][3] South of the amusement park isJean-Drapeau Park, an urban park and former grounds of Expo 67, as well as theJean-Drapeau Metro station andMontreal Biosphere museum.
Access to the park from Montreal and theSouth Shore is primarily served by theJacques Cartier Bridge, or alternatively throughCité du Havre via theConcordia bridge at the island's opposite end. Public transit provides accessibility by means of the island's Metro station, with weekend summer-only shuttle bus service to the park.
The amusement park opens to the public from mid-May to late October (with peak season in July). La Ronde closes for the season in the last weekend of October.
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In 1967, La Ronde was built as the entertainment complex forExpo 67, theworld fair held in Montreal from April 28 to October 29, 1967.[1] The exposition was located on 400hectares (990acres) of man-made islands in the St Lawrence River adjacent to Montreal, and comprised six "theme" pavilions, 48 national pavilions, four provincial pavilions, 27 private-industry and institutional pavilions, and La Ronde – a 54 ha (130 acres) entertainment complex with theatres, midway attractions, drinking and dining.[4] The rides, restaurants and beer halls of La Ronde remained open until 2:30 a.m. nightly, after the rest of the Expo site closed down at 10:30 p.m.[5] After Expo 67 World's Fair, the City of Montreal continued to run the amusement park for the next 34 years.[6]
In 1973, on July 8, the drowning deaths of two police officers occurred at La Ronde's Dolphin Lake, after the officers attempted to aid an intoxicated woman who had fallen into the water that night.[7]
In 1973, in October, therapid transit train system that served La Ronde, theExpo Express, permanently closed. Its terminus station sat right above La Ronde's main entrance, and brought off-island visitors directly to the park during Expo 67 and the early days ofMan and His World. Although the transit system has long since been demolished, La Ronde's main entrance is built around the former train station, and an (abandoned) train bridge still sits in the St Lawrence river to the east of the park.
In 1979, on July 8, the drowning deaths of three people occurred at La Ronde's Dolphin Lake when "The Mississippi" tour boat, ferrying up to 60 passengers, capsized.[8] Two weeks later, on July 22, a fourth drowning death occurred when a man attempted a swim across Dolphin Lake late at night after the park had closed.
In 1980, blue-collar workers at La Ronde'sAlcan Aquarium enacted a 41-day strike, refusing to enter the aquarium to feed or care for its dolphins. Abandoned by their trainers, and left to starve in isolation, 3 dolphins died as a result of the neglect. Never recovering from the negativity surrounding the tragic event, the aquarium permanently closed in 1991.[9]
In 1992, the amusement park was used as a backdrop in theAre You Afraid of the Dark? episode "Laughing in the Dark" (season 1, episode 2) and was given the fictional name "Playland". The episode featured the park's giant roller coaster, haunted house with a dragon on the front and its old-fashioned carousel.
In 2001, the City of Montreal sold La Ronde toSix Flags, an American theme park chain, in a deal completed on May 4, 2001. Six Flags acquired all of the assets of the park for $20 million USD and has a long-term contract to lease the land from the city. Before the announcement of the Six Flags purchase, the city had considered offers from other bidders includingParamount Parks,Cedar Fair, andParc Astérix. Since then, Six Flags has invested around $90 million in new rides and improvements,[10] such asLe Vampire, Splash,Le Goliath andEdnör – L'Attaque as well as a new main entrance.
In 2007, La Ronde celebrated its 40th anniversary with Expo 67 themed events commemorating the world fair.[11]
In 2012, a man was struck and killed by "The Vampire" roller-coaster after entering a restricted zone while the ride was operating.[12]
In 2020, after a three-month delay due to theCOVID-19 pandemic,[13] La Ronde opened belatedly for its 54th operating season.[14] It closed early for the season too due to the ongoing pandemic.[15] Only a limited number of rides were open during its unprecedented two-month season that only ran from August 3 to October 3, 2020.[16]
La Ronde holds a number of attractions including live shows andamusement rides. As of 2025, the amusement park had 37 amusement rides including eightroller coasters. One of the park's roller coasters,Le Monstre (lit. 'The Monster'), a 40-metre (131 ft) wooden coaster, holds the record for highest double-tracked roller coaster in the world.[citation needed] During the month of October, the park hosts an annual Fright Fest to celebrate Halloween. The festival has four haunted houses, and many costumed performers who walk around the park. Park admission is free for toddlers under the age of two, accompanied by an adult.
| Name | Ride manufacturer | Year opened | Type or model | Thrill level[note 1] | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boomerang | Vekoma | 1984 | Shuttle roller coaster | Maximum | [17] |
| Dragon | Intamin | 1994 | Indoor roller coaster | Moderate | [18] |
| Ednör – L'Attaque | Vekoma | 2010 | Suspended Looping Coaster | Maximum | [19] |
| Goliath | Bolliger & Mabillard | 2006 | Out and back roller coaster | Maximum | [20] |
| Monstre, Le | William Cobb & Associates | 1985 | Dual-trackedwooden roller coaster | Maximum | [21] |
| Toboggan Nordique | Zamperla | 2003 | Wild Mouse roller coaster | Moderate | [22] |
| Vampire, Le | Bolliger & Mabillard | 2002 | Inverted roller coaster | Maximum | [23] |
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| Name | Ride manufacturer | Year opened | Type or model | Thrill level[note 1] | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aqua Twist | Mack Rides | 2013 | Twist 'n' Splashteacups | Moderate | [24] |
| Autos Tamponneuses | RDC Bumper Cars | 2003 | Bumper cars | Moderate | [25] |
| Bateau Pirate | HUSS Park Attractions | 1988 | Pirate ship | Maximum | [26] |
| Catapulte[note 2] | Ride Entertainment Group | 2008 | Skycoaster | Maximum | [27] |
| Chaos | Larson International | 2019 | Fire Ball | Maximum | [28] |
| Condor | HUSS Park Attractions | 1990 | Condor | Moderate | [29] |
| Disco Ronde | HUSS Park Attractions | 1986 | Breakdance | Moderate | [30] |
| Démon | Mondial | 2014 | Top Spin | Maximum | [31] |
| Grand Carrousel | Chance Morgan | 2003 | Carousel | Mild | [32] |
| Grande Roue | Vekoma | 1984 | Ferris wheel | Mild | [33] |
| Manitou | Zamperla | 2003 | Nitro | Maximum | [34] |
| Orbite | S&S – Sansei Technologies | 1999 | Space Shot | Maximum | [35] |
| Sling Shot[note 2] | 2002 | Reverse Bungee | Maximum | [36] | |
| Splash | Intamin | 2004 | Log flume | Moderate | [37] |
| Titan | Zamperla | 2017 | Giant Discoveryfrisbee | Maximum | [38] |
| Tour de Ville | Zamperla | 2003 | Swing ride | Moderate | [39] |
| Tourbillon | Larson International | 2018 | Tilt-A-Whirl | Moderate | [40] |
| Vertigo | Zamperla | 2003 | Ranger | Maximum | [41] |
| Vol Ultime | Funtime | 2012 | Swing ride | Maximum | [42] |
| Name | Ride manufacturer | Year opened | Type or model | Thrill level[note 1] | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Papillon | Zamperla | 2005 | Crazy bus | Mild | [43] |
| Danse des Bestioles, La | Zamperla | 2005 | Junior jets | Mild | [44] |
| Grande Envolée, La | Zamperla | 1990 | Balloon Race | Moderate | [45] |
| Explorateurs, Les | Arrow Dynamics | 1967 | Rub-A-Dub ride | Mild | [46] |
| Marais Enchanté | Zamperla | 2005 | Rockin' Tug | Mild | [47] |
| Marche du Mille-pattes | Arrow Dynamics | 1967 | Kiddie Coaster | Mild | [48] |
| Monsieur L'Arbre | Zamperla | 2005 | Swing ride | Mild | [49] |
| Ourson Fripon | Zamperla | 2005 | Kiddie drop tower | Mild | [50] |
| Phoenix | Larson International | 2016 | Flying Scooters | Moderate | [51] |
| Pommes d'Api | Zamperla | 2005 | Ballon tower | Mild | [52] |
| Safari, Le | Arrow Dynamics | 1967 | Train ride | Mild | [53] |
In May 2002, La Ronde announced the installation of aBolliger & Mabillardinverted roller coaster calledLe Vampire, which was the first major investment by Six Flags.[54] It is a mirror image of the "Batman – The Ride" roller coasters found at many other Six Flags parks.
In 2003, La Ronde opened six new rides including Auto Tamponneuses, Tour de Ville, Manitou, Vertigo, Grand Carrousel, and Toboggan Nordique. Some existing rides were replaced by these new rides.
In 2004, La Ronde opened Le splash (a Shoot the Chute ride) and SpongeBob 3D.[citation needed]
In May 2006, La Ronde opened its ninth roller coaster,Goliath, a 53-metre (174 ft) highBolliger & Mabillard mega coaster. It reaches speeds of 110 km/h (68 mph), making it the fourth tallest and the fourth fastest roller coaster in Canada.
In 2006, La Ronde permanently closed the Nintendo Megadome, housed in the former Alcan Aquarium building since 1995. It was aNintendo-sponsored video game centre with the (then) latest Nintendo video games and attractions. Filling the gap, in 2009 the former 3D theatre housedNintendo DS andWii consoles, advertisements and had a Nintendo Store. This attraction too was permanently phased out a few years later.
For the 2007 season, La Ronde painted its observation tower bright orange to advertisePizza Pizza, an Ontario pizza chain that was emerging into the Quebec market at the time. All of the pizza stands inside the park were renamed from Pizza Ronde to Pizza Pizza.
In January 2009, La Ronde announced its intention to become a Six Flags branded park, using the rights toWarner Bros. (Looney Tunes) andDC Comics trademarks under the licensing agreement with Six Flags.[55] Le Vampire, a mirror image ofBatman: The Ride constructed in 2002, carries no association to theBatman media franchise because the license with Warner Bros. and DC Comics is not valid in unbranded Six Flags parks.[56] It is not yet known whether Le Vampire will be re-branded toBatman: The Ride once the branding of the park commences.
The Serial Thriller, aVekomaSuspended Looping Coaster that used to be located at the now defunctSix Flags AstroWorld, was shipped to La Ronde from theGreat Escape, another Six Flags property where it had laid in storage since 2005. The roller coaster, which opened in 1999 at Six Flags AstroWorld, was installed over the Lac des Dauphins at the park for the 2010 season and is namedEdnör – L'Attaque.[57] It features special effects and is themed around an alleged sea monster that was purported to have appeared in the Lac des Dauphins.[58]
On March 9, 2010, La Ronde announced thatTerminator X: A Laser Battle for Salvation, an interactive laser-tag attraction themed around theTerminator series, would also be featured in the park for the 2010 season.[59]
On January 19, 2012, Six Flags announcedVol Ultime at La Ronde; it is similar to theSkyScreamers and it is 45-metre (148 ft) tall.[60][61]
In 2013, the park opened a water-themed attraction, Aqua Twist. On August 29, 2013, Six Flags announced the addition of Demon, a top spin ride, for the 2014 season.[62] As a world premiere, Goliath was the first roller coaster equipped and exploited with a virtual reality headset.
On August 28, 2014, Six Flags announced Maison Rouge, a haunted house, for the 2015 season.[63]
On September 3, 2015, Six Flags announced Avenue Aventure, a section of the park which includes Bateau Pirate, Condor and two new rides: Phoenix, a Larson flying scooters, and Gravitor, a Chance Falling Star fromSix Flags St. Louis.[64]
On September 1, 2016, Six Flags announced Titan, aZamperlaGiant Discovery. It is the park's second pendulum ride. It is identical to the Riddler Revenge atSix Flags Over Texas.
In 2017, Le Monstre had only one track open for mainly the whole season while the other track was retracked.
In May 2017, on its 50th anniversary, La Ronde announced the permanent closure of one of its original rides,La Pitoune. The water log ride dated back to Expo 67, and had its final season in operation in 2016. It has since been dismantled.
On Saturday, May 19, 2018, Six Flags La Ronde opened a platform thrill ride calledLe Tourbillon, a Larson International GX5 model (Waltzer-style) Tilt-A-Whirl, residing along L'Avenue across from the Phoenix. This addition was supposed to have been amongst the proposed featured rides for a new family section, calledCarnaval En Folie (the newly added ride was due to be namedLa Torsade).
On May 18, 2019, La Ronde debuted a new ride called Chaos, aFire Ball ride by Larson International previously known as El Diablo when it was located atSix Flags Great Adventure from 2015 to 2018. After being relocated to La Ronde, its red color was changed to black, and it received new trains. Chaos is located on the former site of Le Moulin de la Sorcière between the rides Manitou and Boomerang.
On August 25, 2019,Super Manège closed. In August 2019, Six Flags announced that Vipère, formerlyGreen Lantern: First Flight atSix Flags Magic Mountain, would debut in 2020. The project was delayed several times and ultimately cancelled in 2022.
In November 2022, La Ronde began the demolition and removal of theMinirail, another original ride dating back to Expo 67. It had been out of service since 2019, and was the last vestige of the monorail system that ran three separate circuits, with one on Notre-Dame Island and two on opposite ends of Saint Helen's Island.[65]
In May 2023, La Ronde silently retired its Galopant carousel (built in 1885) when it was removed from its official park map and list of rides. Its final season of operation was 2019 (its 19th centurymusic organ stopped working two decades earlier). The carousel has been at La Ronde since Expo 67, but heritage groups are concerned as its upkeep and maintenance have been abandoned and it's now in a deteriorating state.
In November 2025, La Ronde demolished and removed Spirale. The ride, which had not operated since 2018, was installed during Expo 67 and had been a fixture of the park and city's skyline for nearly 60 years.[66]
A number of attractions and amusement rides have been installed and later removed from the park. They include:
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| Name | Manufacturer | Installation Year | Closed | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sprung Schanze | Mack | 1967 | 1969 | |
| Voyage a la Lune | Schwarzkopf | 1967 | 1968 | |
| Hofbrauhaus (Fun House) | Schwarzkopf | 1967 | 1970 | |
| Parasols, Les | Schwarzkopf | 1967 | 1971 | |
| Flitzer | 1967 | 1974 | ||
| Bobsled | Schwarzkopf | 1967 | 1980 | |
| Parachutes, Les | 1967 | 1980 | ||
| Gyrotron | Von Roll | 1967 | 1977 | Replaced by Le Monstre in 1985. |
| Scooter | Schwarzkopf | 1967 | 1982 | |
| Calypso | 1967 | 1982 | ||
| Carroussel (Car Carousel) | Hennecke | 1967 | 1983 | |
| Trabant | Chance Rides | 1967 | 1981 | |
| Turbo | 1967 | 1979 | Replaced by Boomerang in 1984. | |
| Spider | 1967 | 1984 | Replaced by Maelstrom. | |
| Grande Roue | 1967 | 1983 | Replaced by Condor. | |
| Alcan Aquarium | 1967 | 1991 | Replaced by Nintendo Megadome. | |
| Sky Ride / Le Téléférique | Von Roll | 1967 | 1996 | Replaced by Dragon. |
| Mont Blanc | Reverchon | 1967 | 2000 | |
| Bagnoles, Les (Antique Cars) | Arrow | 1967 | 2004 | Replaced by Air Papillon. |
| Pitoune, La | Arrow Dynamics | 1967 | 2017 | |
| Spirale | Von Roll Holding | 1967 | 2018 | |
| Minirail | Maschinen, Fabeiv | 1967 | 2019 | |
| Galopant, Le[note 3] | Bairolle | 1967 | 2019 | |
| Montagnes Russes, Les | Schwarzkopf | 1968 | 1984 | Replaced by Le Monstre. |
| Super Himalaya | Mack | 1968 | 1985 | |
| Flight to Mars | Schwarzkopf | 1969 | 1970 | |
| Matterhorn | Mack | 1969 | 1974 | |
| Bousclade, La | Eli-Bridge | 1969 | 1976 | |
| Petites Avions | Herschell | 1969 | 1990 | |
| Moulin de la Sorcière, Le | Pinfari | 1969 | 2004 | Replaced by Chaos. |
| Astronet | Hampton | 1970 | 1983 | |
| Mini Patrouille | Hampton | 1970 | 1983 | |
| Saut, Le | Mack | 1971 | 1971 | |
| Tornade, La | Watkins | 1971 | 1973 | |
| Brasserie du Rire (Fun House) | 1971 | 1974 | ||
| Saturne VI | Portable-Rides-Inc. | 1972 | 1973 | |
| Course, La | Zierer | 1972 | 1976 | |
| Tourbillon, Le | Hrubetz | 1972 | 1983 | |
| Rotor, Le | Chance Rides | 1972 | 1987 | Replaced by Astronef. |
| Zipper | Chance Rides | 1970 | 1980 | |
| Tilt-a-Whirl | Sellner | 1974 | 1978 | |
| Disco Dome | Eli-Bridge | 1977 | 1984 | |
| Cinema 180 | 1978 | 1984 | ||
| Salem Aleikium (Fun House) | 1978 | 1985 | Replaced by Le Monstre. | |
| Mont Blanc, Le | Reverchon | 1978 | 2000 | |
| Troika / Diablo | HUSS Maschinenfabrik | 1978 | 2003 | Replaced by Le Splash. |
| Super Manège | Vekoma Rides | 1981 | 2019 | |
| Entreprise | HUSS Maschinenfabrik | 1982 | 1988 | |
| Arc en ciel | HUSS Maschinenfabrik | 1983 | 1987 | Replaced by Bateau Pirate. |
| Autos Tamponneuses, Les | Reverchon | 1983 | 2002 | Replaced by Le Toboggan Nordique |
| Carrousel Volant | Zierer | 1983 | ||
| Astrobolides, Les | Sartori | 1984 | 2004 | Replaced by Le Marais Enchanté |
| Petite Roue, La | Sartori | 1984 | 2004 | Replaced by Pommes D'api |
| Chat et la Souris, Le | Sartori | 1984 | 2004 | Replaced by La Danse des Bestioles |
| Astronef (Sky Flyer) | Vekoma | 1985 | 2002 | Replaced by Le Manitou |
| Palais des Glaces, Le | 1985 | 2003 | Replaced by Le Splash | |
| Twister, Le | Heintz Fahtze | 1985 | 2008 | Replaced by Phoenix |
| Maëlstrom | Mack | 1985 | 2008 | Replaced by Zone du bonhier Coca-Cola |
| Aqua-parc | 1985 | 1992 | Replaced byVampire | |
| Tapis Volant, Le | Zierer | 1986 | 2002 | Replaced by Les Autos Tamponneuses |
| OVNI | HUSS Maschinenfabrik | 1986 | 2006 | Replaced by Démon |
| Mini Rallye | Sartori | 1993 | 2004 | Replaced by Monsieur l'Arbre |
| Hydroid '94 (Sub-Oceanic Shuttle) | Iwerks | 1994 | 1995 | Replaced by Volcanozor (Dino Island II) |
| Volcanozor (Dino Island II) | Iwerks | 1995 | 2004 | Replaced by SpongeBob SquarePants 3D. |
| Nintendo Megadome | 1995 | 2006 | ||
| Cobra | Intamin | 1995 | 2016 | |
| Tornade, La | HUSS Maschinenfabrik | 1997 | 2010 | |
| Rock Wall | 2001 | 2010 | Replaced byAqua Twist | |
| Eurobungy | 2002 | 2011 | Replaced by Gravitor | |
| Tasses Magiques | Zamperla | 2003 | 2009 | Replaced byEdnör – L'Attaque |
| SpongeBob 3D | Iwerks | 2004 | 2007 | Replaced by Experience Nintendo |
| Experience Nintendo (Cyberzone) | Ubisoft,Nintendo | 2008 | 2011 | Replaced by Season pass processing center |
| The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor | Sudden Impact! Entertainment Company (SIEC) | 2009 | 2009 | Replaced byTerminator X: A Laser Battle for Salvation |
| Terminator X: A Laser Battle for Salvation | Sudden Impact! Entertainment Company (SIEC) | 2010 | 2010 | |
| Maison Rouge (Haunted House)[note 4] | ACME-Services-Sceniques | 2015 | 2017 | |
| Gravitor | Chance Rides | 2016 | 2023 |
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