Adored Atlanta-area roller coaster gets new life in new home. But where?

ArieForce One, the roller coaster revered among thrill enthusiasts but hardly a name attraction in metro Atlanta after it opened three years ago, will have a new home.

Six Flags Entertainment Corp. on Tuesday announced its acquisition of the coaster from Fun Spot America, which closed its amusement park last month in Fayette County, where the ride had languished in relative obscurity.

However, which of Six Flags’ 20 amusement parks it will be moved to won’t be divulged until later. It is expected to open again in 2028. One of the company’s parks, Six Flags over Georgia, is in Austell, west of Atlanta.

“Part of the excitement is that the story isn’t over,” Mark Pauls, chief operating officer of Six Flags, said in a statement. “We know fans will immediately begin theorizing about which Six Flags park is the perfect fit. The passion surrounding ArieForce One is unlike anything we’ve seen in recent years, and when the time comes to reveal its new home, we believe that announcement will be just as exciting as the acquisition itself.”

ArieForce One roller coaster had a home at Fun Spot America in Fayetteville until that park closed. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

The coaster, which boasts a top speed of 64 mph and is said to have the longest zero-gravity stall in the United States, made headlines in July and early August around the time it closed. One local fan had ridden it more than 28,000 times.

Heralded as a top 10 coaster in the world, ArieForce One was the crown jewel of the roadside amusement park it lorded over. But in its off-the-beaten-path location 8 miles due south of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Fun Spot was hamstrung, as the park’s owner John Arie Jr. said in July, by “not enough attendance.”

Arie, whose family name serves as the coaster’s namesake, which Six Flags said will be preserved, said at the time he had “been contacted by a lot of people” interested in acquiring the coaster. “We’re gonna find a home. This thing cannot go down to the ground.”