Latest news with #CaliforniaGreatAmerica
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Six Flags Announces Closure of Another Iconic Park After 50 Years of Operation
Six Flags Announces Closure of Another Iconic Park After 50 Years of Operation originally appeared on Parade. It's always a sad day whenever a fan-favorite theme park announces that it's closing its doors. Such is especially the case for an amusement park with as lengthy a history as California's Great America. Since opening for the public in 1976, Santa Clara's premiere theme park property has delighted fans across countless generations, thanks in large part to its family-friendly atmosphere and fast-paced thrill rides. Sadly, history seems to be coming to an end for the iconic West Coast park, with its parent company Six Flags setting a closing date for the park in the very near future. Fortunately, most travelers and amusement park fans still have a decent amount of time to visit California's Great America one last time before its eventual closure. More recently, Six Flags has confirmed that the park will remain open at least until after the 2027 season. While the company has the option of extending its lease on the land holding Great America's property, Six Flags Entertainment Corporation Chief Financial Officer Brian Witherow said that such an extension remains incredibly unlikely. "Unless we decide to extend, and exercise one of our options to extend that lease, that park's last year without that extension would be after the '27 season," Witherow said during the most recent Six Flags Investor Day. Six Flag's closure of California's Great America comes a short time after the company's property in Bowie, Maryland (Six Flags America) similarly announced their closing dates. Unlike Great America, though, Maryland's Six Flags America is expected to shutter after its 2025 season. In the past, Great America achieved long-standing for its eclectic variety of rides and attractions, including the award-winning Gold Striker wooden roller coaster, RailBlazer and the inverted Flight Deck roller coaster. Additionally, the park is best known for providing backdrops for such films as Beverly Hills Cop III and the Ted Danson-led Getting Even with Dad. Six Flags Announces Closure of Another Iconic Park After 50 Years of Operation first appeared on Parade on Jul 9, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
Daily Mail
03-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Fears mount as Six Flags announces closure of second park in three months
California residents who are looking for their next stomach-churning thrill might soon have one less option. Six Flags California's Great America is likely nearing its final days, the amusement park chain's CFO, Brian Witherow, said during a recent investor day. 'Unless we decide to extend, and exercise one of our options to extend that lease, that park's last year without that extension would be after the '27 season,' he said, according to People. The potential closure means roller coasters could take their final loops after Halloween 2027 — and the move is part of a larger shakeup in the theme park world. It comes soon after the company announced in May it would close a Maryland park for good in November. For Bay Area residents, the potential closure isn't a huge shock. 'If they decide to close it rather than sell it off or make some kind of other arrangement, that's understandable,' one local said on Reddit. 'It seems like they are just counting the days until the end.' Back in 2020, Cedar Fair — the corporation that used to own the park — sold the land beneath it to Prologis, San Francisco-based real estate firm for $310 million. The deal helped bring in cash while the park was shut down during the pandemic. As part of that deal, Prologis included a stipulation that it could boot the amusement park with just two years' notice. The theme park sits on 112 acres next to Levi's Stadium, where the San Francisco 49ers play. Prologis is reportedly planning to redevelop the land into real estate and retail spaces designed to serve game-day crowds hunting for a Brock Purdy win. 'We're focused on identifying and partnering with planning and design experts to help us create a master plan for the property,' Jennifer Nelson, a spokesperson for the real estate company, said during an interview with the LA Times. Inside, the park has reportedly seen better days. Attractions now include a series of twirling rides that lack the adrenaline-inducing thrill many guests expect, according to SFGate. The publication also found that, like many other amusement parks, California's Great America also charges steep prices for food and drinks. The looming shutdown comes amid a wave of changes for Six Flags. Six Flags already announced it was closing a park in Maryland this year In 2024, the company finalized an $8 billion merger with Cedar Fair, forming a theme park powerhouse that now operates 42 amusement parks across the US. As the company finishes its first year as a combined corporation, some other parks are now appearing on the chopping block. Six Flags recently announced that it will also shutter a park in Bowie, Maryland. Roller coasters there will stop running on November 2. 'Those are two parks that are very low on the ranking of margins,' Witherow said of the Bay Area and Maryland locations. Six Flags did not immediately respond to request for comment. This isn't the only California amusement park that faces closure this year. In March, Playland in Fresno closed down its child-friendly park. The company also struggled to turn a profit after it shut down in 2020.
