The Old Dark Ride That Made Six Flags Over Georgia Special: Tales of the Okefenokee

The Original Tales of the Okefenokee

Tales of the Okefenokee has gained infamy among fans, but the earliest version of the ride has faltered into obscurity. The ride as it was in the park’s opening year has gone mostly undocumented. Not much is known about it aside from brief footage, rare promotional materials, and sparse descriptions.

The attraction started with guests lining up in the lattice-covered queue with decorations of the ride’s characters on the outside facing the pathway. An upbeat song played on a loop overhead, sharing the storyline of the adventures that awaited inside.

The Disney-quality musical number was glorious, but its grandiose melody outclassed what guests could expect on the ride.

The Ride Experience in 1967

Tales of the Okefenokee, in a similar style to Speelunker’s Cave in Texas, followed a 700-foot trough. Riders boarded Native American style boats that floated through various scenes with animated characters—this time, following the stories of Br’er Rabbit, known as “Mr. Rabbit” in the ride.

Once boarded, guests went on a journey through colorful backcountry sets past the ruins of an old plantation and musical woodland scenes. Endearing creatures—such as rabbits, frogs, and woodpeckers—were seen around the banks of the river as Mr. Fox and Mr. Bear chased Mr. Rabbit.

Their escapades lead the boats into a dark frightening storm, passing through the underground burrows of the rabbits, and ending in a bubbly finale of celebration.

Reception of the Original Version

Tales of the Okefenokee was designed and built with modesty, but its colorful and melodic environment made it a memorable attraction with an artistically outdoorsy style that blended into the wooded Six Flags park.

Unfortunately, Tales of the Okefenokee didn’t get the same praise Speelunker’s Cave out in Texas got, even though it was produced in-house by some of the same creatives who made The Cave. The low-budget Tales of the Okefenokee came across as more shabby than sensational.

The small, gregarious characters were lovable in Speelunker’s Cave with the miniature alien species running around the underground caves. However, in Tales of the Okefenokee, the same small type of animatronics—the largest of which were a mere 5 feet tall—were disenchanting in their vibrant surroundings.

The ride had satisfying scenic design, but those expansive sets made the animated characters unimpressive by comparison. Despite being a ride unlike any other in the park, the simple yet somewhat outlandish boat ride was not up to the standards Six Flags founder Angus G. Wynne had set for the park.

Overall, he was not satisfied with how the ride turned out. Tales of the Okefenokee was one of several attractions Wynne planned to modify before the park’s second season.

Supposedly, as soon as Six Flags Over Georgia welcomed its first guests, park leadership already started planning a major upgrade for Tales of the Okefenokee. The ride in its original form lasted only through the inaugural 1967 season—having operated for less than a year—before undergoing significant updates.