Six Flags Safari drive-thru reopens in time for summer

MAY 20 UPDATE: Six Flags will begin taking reservations for the Wild Safari Drive-Thru Adventure on Wednesday at 10 a.m. at SixFlags.com which will open on Friday, May 30. The park said there be no food sold at the park and only portable bathrooms will be available at the entrance and exit to the park. Riders will have to keep the windows and door closed and convertible tops and no buses, RV’s, commercial vehicles or trucks larger than a consumer pick up truck will be allowed.

JACKSON — A portion of Six Flags Great Adventure will soon reopen to the public after Gov. Phil Murphy on Wednesday said that drive-thru events are now allowed during the public health emergency.

Murphy on Wednesday said gatherings of vehicles at drive-in movies, farms and safaris would be allowed. Visitors have to remain in their vehicles and follow social distancing protocols.

The Delsea Drive-In located in Vineland said it will open on Friday, May 22.

Six Flags Great Adventure said it would reopen its Safari as a standalone drive-thru format to view the 1,200 exotic animals it houses but did not give an exact start date. Reservations will be required by everyone, including season pass and single-day ticket holders. Tickets must be purchased online and will not be available at the gate.

Spokeswoman Kristin Fitzgerald said a date should be announced in the next week or two. Preparations are underway to put procedures in place to protect animals, guests and workers, according to Fitzgerald.

The theme park and Hurricane Harbor water park remain closed.

The Safari, an original attraction of the theme park that first opened in 1974, changed to a guided tour format in 2013.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ