The Odd History of Six Flags’ First Dark Ride: Speelunker’s Cave

Pirates Take Over The Cave

As the years passed by, the boat ride sat abandoned. The very building was where generations of kids, friends, and families made memories. Guests walked by but couldn’t go in as they had in summers before. The skeleton of The Cave sat in the middle of the park.

But, in 2021, activity started in the building. Work was being done to heavily refurbish the historic ride, restoring the building from its flood damage.

Six Flags took this opportunity to bring back a classic in a fresh way.

Pirates of Speelunker Cave opened for the 2022 season at Six Flags Over Texas. While this ride isn’t an exact recreation of the beloved Speelunker’s Cave from decades past, the new dark ride followed the same track and reintroduced the Spees in a reimagined way.

Six Flags used an original Spee character from the National Roller Coaster Museum so that the new models were as accurate and as faithful to the original as possible. The nautical underground voyage is a true tribute to the original Speelunker’s Cave, including 64 Spee characters—64 specifically as a reference to the original ride’s opening year of 1964.

The story-driven attraction starts off in the midst of chaos caused by pirates. The scenic environment, custom soundtrack, and pumped-in scents transport riders into another world. In ways, it’s reminiscent of the original Speelunker’s Cave with the sound of harps ringing through one of the scenes.

Toward the second half of the ride, guests approach the land of the Speelunk Caves, adorned with astonishing colors in all directions and sparkling visuals. The Speelunkers are out and about, just as busy as they were when they were last seen three decades ago.

They’re whistling away just like the Seven Dwarfs mining for glowing gems. All is well until the Spees have to defend their treasure from the pirates.

This story has a happy ending, though, especially for fans of the original Speelunker’s Cave, as one Spee is seen playing the organ, and they all gather for the final scene just as they did years before.

The Spees have made an impression on countless theme-park-goers as a community of Speelunker fans bond over their shared love for the little creatures. From refurbishment projects of the old Spees to taking them to NASCAR events, the love for Speelunkers is just as strong now as it ever has been.

The Spees once again live on at Six Flags Over Texas, but the impact they’ve made on fans will live on forever.