[5] In 1968, Sea World Inc. founder George Millay and his executives began looking for a place in Los Angeles county to build a theme park.

The reservoir can hold 1.5 million U.S. gallons (5.7 Ml) of water, and one of the innovations used on it was the introduction of guide boards to help eliminate jam ups.

It is a short, wet ride featuring a large boat that travels up a low-angled incline to a level water trough.

It features a 188-foot (57 m) drop, speeds up to 70 mph (110 km/h), three vertical loops, a batwing turn that inverts riders twice, and a double corkscrew.

This coaster rarely ran by 1996 and couldn't operate during the summer months due to the noise generated being distracting for the lifeguards at the nearby water park.

In 2006, Tatsu, a Bolliger & Mabillard flying roller coaster, was added, causing a temporary closure of Revolution and Roaring Rapids to allow construction to take place.

The park began focusing more attention on marketing with family-oriented values, and a new children's themed area, Thomas Town, was added in 2008.

X was closed on December 2 for its transformation into X2, which featured new fourth-generation trains, a new paint job, and special effects that included pyrotechnics and audio.

[16] Later that year, Six Flags President and CEO Mark Shapiro said in a Los Angeles Times published interview that Magic Mountain had plans to install a new roller coaster for its 2010 season, and would add a new themed area for children in 2011 called Wiggles World.

[25] It was later announced, on November 4, 2010, that the children's roller coaster would be called Road Runner Express and located in Bugs Bunny World.

[29] On January 18, 2011, the Los Angeles Times reported after considering a new theme based on DC Comics superhero sidekicks, the park opted for simplicity and renamed the Little Flash coaster to Road Runner Express.

[31][32][33] On September 1, 2011, Six Flags Magic Mountain announced that they would be opening a new attraction for the 2012 season named Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom.

In addition, Full Throttle set a record for being the first roller coaster to feature a track section with rails on both sides of the spine.

[36] On August 29, 2013, Six Flags Magic Mountain officially announced that they would run both Batman: The Ride and Colossus backwards for a limited time of the 2014 season.

[40] On September 3, 2015, Six Flags announced the renovation of Revolution with a new paint scheme, upgraded lighting, and new train eliminating the controversial over-the-shoulder restraints that had been the source of the ride's spotty reputation for much of its life.

[41] On August 29, 2017, Six Flags announced the addition of a Zamperla Giga Discovery flat ride to be built in a newly renovated Boardwalk Beach area near DC Universe.

[42] Marketed as "the world's tallest pendulum ride", CraZanity takes riders to a height of 172 feet (52 m) and speeds up to 75 miles per hour (121 km/h).

[43] On August 29, 2018, the park announced the brand new racing launch coaster West Coast Racers from Premier Rides and a revamp of the old Cyclone Bay area into a high-energy, urban Los Angeles.

[47] On October 21, 2021, the park announced Wonder Woman Flight of Courage, the world's tallest and fastest single rail coaster, to open in summer 2022.

[48] Starting November 1, 2022, the 365-day schedule, introduced in 2018 to "maximize travel industry opportunities", was limited to select weekends only during non-peak months.

Park Marketing & Communications Publicist Alexandria French said in a statement that the changed operation schedule would deliver a more "exceptional guest experience".

After an incident at a TLC concert in the 90s, the theater sat dormant with the exception of the occasional regional cheer championship or religious gathering.

There are presently eleven separately themed areas within the park – each zone featuring its own distinct rides, attractions, and food service venues.

Magic Mountain's proximity to downtown Los Angeles, the hub of the American film and television industry, has resulted in its appearance in several productions, usually representing a park other than itself.

In the 2000 movie Space Cowboys Donald Sutherland is shown riding Viper and is portrayed as the designer when Clint Eastwood recruits him.

Magic Mountain was also the filming location for the children's educational video series Real Wheels episode "Here Comes A Roller Coaster", with host Dave Hood, which was released in 1995.

In 1990, Nickelodeon's Wild and Crazy Kids, the wooden roller coaster, Colossus, was featured as a game called "Wacky RollerCoaster Spill".

In the movie This Is Spinal Tap, the band performs as second billing to a puppet show at the fictional "Themeland Amusement Park" in Stockton, California, located 300 miles (480 km) north of Santa Clarita.

Six Flags Magic Mountain's coasters are commonly ranked high in Amusement Today's annual Golden Ticket Awards.

With the opening of Full Throttle on June 22, 2013, Six Flags Magic Mountain obtained the world record for the largest number of roller coasters in an amusement park.