The rollercoaster that turned the Griswolds nightmarish vacation into a dream is shuttering its creaky, wooden doors.
Colossus, the iconic staple of Six Flags Magic Mountain, will cease thrilling riders on August 16. Officials didnt give a formal reason for the shutdown.
"Colossus, the king of wooden coasters, ends its 36-year reign on August 16," Magic Mountain spokesperson Sue Carpenter said in a statement. "Six Flags Magic Mountain will announce exciting future plans for the park we think our guests will love at a later date. In the meantime, dont miss your last chance to ride Colossus."
The imposing ride has been a theme park beacon since June of 1978, when it was deemed the fastest and tallest wooden coaster in the world. Boasting two drops greater than 100 feet -- the first coaster in the world to try that -- Colossus greets visitors when they pull up to the park, its 4,300 feet of track taking up over ten acres of land.
Its been a hit in Hollywood, too, most memorably as the final ride taken by the Griswold clan in National Lampoons Vacation (and less memorably but no less awesomely as a backdrop for an epic fight scene in the made-for-TV cult hit KISS Meets The Phantom of the Park). Colossus also appeared in episodes of Knight Rider, The A-Team, and Wonder Woman.
It hasnt always been a smooth ride, however. A mere six months after Colossus opened, a woman died after being ejected from her seat. Colossus was shut down and overhauled with new height and weight restrictions, though for years safety concerns lingered.
