After 36 years of greeting fans as they drive into the Six Flags Magic Mountain parking lot, Colossus will be closing.

Both Colossus and Batman The Ride will continue running backwards until June 15, and then Colossus will remain open for another two months before closing on Aug. 16.

"Colossus, the king of wooden coasters, ends its 36-year reign on August 16," said a Magic Mountain spokesperson in a statement. "Six Flags Magic Mountain will announce exciting future plans for the park we think our guests will love at a later date. In the meantime, don't miss your last chance to ride Colossus."

Magic Mountain officials did not comment on why they had decided to shut down the ride.

Colossus first opened on June 29, 1978 and was the fastest and the tallest wooden roller coaster in the world at the time. It was built just before Newhall Land sold Magic Mountain to Six Flags for $51 million in 1979.

The Magic Mountain website calls it "the granddaddy of all roller coasters, the legendary classic ride… This gargantuan creature is one of the world's most enormous wooden roller coasters, taking up over ten acres of land, with more than 4,325 feet of track."

The tradition of running Colossus backwards began in 1984, which the park has traditionally done during their annual Halloween Fright Fest.

Colossus has also been featured in several movies, including the cult classic, "KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park" and "National Lampoon's Vacation."

Leon Worden of SCVHistory.com contributed to this story.