The park opened in 1974 under restaurateur Warner LeRoy. Six Flags took over ownership of the park in 1977. Today, the park contains eleven themed areas, three of which are designed for small children.
On August 30, 2012, Six Flags combined its 160-acre (65 ha) Great Adventure Park with its 350-acre (140 ha) Wild Safari animal park to form the 510-acre (210 ha) Great Adventure & Safari park, making it the second-largest theme park in the world, after Disney's Animal Kingdom.
Numerous artists have performed concerts at the park, including The Ramones, The Beach Boys, Heart, Kansas, Cheap Trick, Joan Jett, Falling In Reverse, Alice Cooper, and Justin Bieber.
