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Travel + Leisure
16-05-2025
- Business
- Travel + Leisure
Six Flags to Shut Down Theme Park This November—What Travelers Should Know
Thrill seekers and roller coaster lovers in Maryland will have to get their kicks somewhere else after this upcoming winter. Six Flags Entertainment Corporation announced in May that it will shut down Six Flags America and Hurricane Harbor in Bowie, Maryland, on Nov. 2 after 25 years. It will sell off the 500-acre property for redevelopment. Six Flags is the largest amusement park operator in the U.S., with 42 amusement parks across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, featuring roller coasters, water parks, and close-up animal encounters. Six Flags America in Bowie has rides specifically for families or young kids. The change is part of Six Flags' ongoing portfolio optimization program. According to the company, Six Flags America currently employs 70 full-time associates, who will be eligible for severance and other benefits. 'This was a difficult decision, and we recognize the impact it will have on our Six Flags America and Hurricane Harbor park associates and guests,' Richard A. Zimmerman, Six Flags president & CEO, said in a release obtained by Travel + Leisure . 'We are grateful to our park associates who work hard to create lifelong memories for our guests, and Six Flags is committed to supporting all impacted associates through the closure process at the end of this year. Six Flags America and Hurricane Harbor have been an important part of the local community, and this final season will be an opportunity to celebrate the decades of fun that guests have enjoyed at the property.' As for what will happen to the rides and attractions, the company told PEOPLE nothing is finalized and relocating or selling to other operators are options. All 2025 season passes and tickets for Six Flags America and Hurricane Harbor will be honored through the 2025 amusement park season. More information about the park and its schedule this season can be found at
Daily Mail
06-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Six Flags America to close after 25 years
Six Flags America and its adjoining water park, Hurricane Harbor, located in Bowie, Maryland, will close permanently at the end of the 2025 season, the company confirmed on May 1. The decision marks the end of a 25-year chapter for the park under the Six Flags brand, though its history stretches back even further. Originally opened in 1974 as The Largo Wildlife Preserve – a drive-thru safari – it was later redeveloped into a full-scale amusement destination, rebranded as Six Flags America in 1999. 'As part of our comprehensive review of our park portfolio, we have determined that Six Flags America and Hurricane Harbor are not a strategic fit with the company's long-term growth plan,' said Six Flags President & CEO Richard A. Zimmerman in a statement. He continued: 'After reviewing a number of options, we believe that marketing the property for redevelopment will generate the highest value and return on investment.' The nearly 500-acre site will be placed on the market for redevelopment. While future plans for the land remain unclear, Six Flags is weighing several possibilities for the existing rides and attractions. 'We have not yet determined what will happen to each ride or attraction after the park is closed but relocation to other Six Flags parks or selling to other amusement park operators are options that may be considered,' the company told PEOPLE. Zimmerman acknowledged the emotional and economic impact of the closure. 'This was a difficult decision, and we recognize the impact it will have on our Six Flags America and Hurricane Harbor park associates and guests,' he said. He concluded: 'We are grateful to our park associates who work hard to create lifelong memories for our guests, and Six Flags is committed to supporting all impacted associates through the closure process at the end of this year.' Six Flags Entertainment Corporation operates over 50 properties across North America, including amusement parks, water parks, and resorts. While the Maryland park's legacy is drawing to a close, the company continues to focus on growth opportunities in other regions.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Six Flags America Plans to Shut Down After 25-Year Run
Maryland thrill-seekers are about to lose a major destination. Six Flags announced this week that Six Flags America and Hurricane Harbor, located in Bowie, Maryland, will permanently close after the 2025 season. The park's final day of operation is set for November 2, 2025. The company said the decision was part of a broader review of its properties. 'We have determined that Six Flags America and Hurricane Harbor are not a strategic fit with the company's long-term growth plan,' said Six Flags President & CEO Richard A. Zimmerman. He added that selling the nearly 500-acre site for redevelopment is expected to bring the best return. The closure will impact about 70 full-time employees. Six Flags said eligible workers will receive severance and benefits, and the company pledged support throughout the transition. Fans who've already bought season passes can still use them through the end of the season. As for the park's rides and attractions, Six Flags hasn't made final decisions yet but said relocation to other parks, or selling them to different operators are both on the table. Originally opened in 1974 as a drive-thru safari called The Largo Wildlife Preserve, the park transformed into Six Flags America in 1999 and has been a fixture for local families and rollercoaster fans ever since. With this closure, Six Flags Entertainment Corporation will continue to operate its other parks across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, including more than 27 amusement parks and 15 water parks. For now, the Maryland park is still open for the 2025 season, so if you want one last ride on Superman: Ride of Steel or Joker's Jinx, you've got until November to make it happen. Read the original article on GEEKSPIN. Affiliate links on GEEKSPIN may earn us and our partners a commission.
Miami Herald
05-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Six Flags begins selling off amusement parks
Six Flags has hung a For Sale sign out in front of two parks in the Washington, D.C. area and is looking to sell more of the 42 locations in the North American amusement park chain following an $8 billion merger with rival Cedar Fair. Six Flags announced on May 1 that the Six Flags America amusement park and Hurricane Harbor water park in Maryland will close after the 2025 season. The two parks sitting on 500 acres in Bowie, Maryland, will be sold and marketed for redevelopment as part of Six Flags' ongoing portfolio review. "We have determined that Six Flags America and Hurricane Harbor are not a strategic fit with the company's long-term growth plan," Six Flags CEO Richard Zimmerman said in a statement. "We anticipate strong interest in the property and will continue to strategically pursue portfolio optimization opportunities as we work to unlock the full value of our portfolio." Six Flags America opened for the season on April 12 and will permanently close on Nov. 2 after the Halloween season. Six Flags announced that some smaller parks in the chain were up for sale during the company's quarterly earnings call in February after completing a comprehensive portfolio review following the merger of Six Flags and Cedar Fair in July. Six Flags plans to share more details about its long-term strategy at an upcoming investor day on May 20 at Ohio's Cedar Point theme park. Six Flags America seemed like a likely contender to be sold after the Cedar Fair-Six Flags merger. The Maryland amusement park and Virginia's Kings Dominion both compete for visitors in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Six Flags has two other markets with competing parks - Southern California and the San Francisco Bay Area. Knott's Berry Farm and Six Flags Magic Mountain are among the chain's two biggest attendance draws and aren't likely to be sold anytime soon. The San Francisco rivalry will soon sort itself out with California's Great America set to close in the next few years - leaving only Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in the Bay Area. Which parks might be up for sale or in play? And which ones are untouchable or safe for now? Let's take a look at all the possibilities. Untouchable parks The chain's eight largest parks based on attendance include Buena Park's Knott's Berry Farm (4.2 million annual visitors), Ohio's Cedar Point (4 million), Ohio's Kings Island (3.5 million), Valencia's Six Flags Magic Mountain (3.4 million), Canada's Wonderland (3.2 million), Illinois' Six Flags Great America (3 million), New Jersey's Six Flags Great Adventure (2.5 million) and Six Flags Mexico (2 million), according to the TEA/AECOM report. Those locations seem like core properties in the new Six Flags and appear to be untouchable at the moment. Safe for now Four more of the chain's parks are located close to major metropolitan areas: Philadelphia (Dorney Park), Dallas/Fort Worth (Six Flags Over Texas), Atlanta (Six Flags Over Georgia) and Boston (Six Flags New England). Without any major local competition, those locations seem safe for now. Fury 325 at Carowinds debuted as the tallest and fastest version of the wildly popular Giga coaster model from Swiss designers Bolliger & Mabillard. (Courtesy of Carowinds) Carowinds Fury 325 at Carowinds debuted as the tallest and fastest version of the wildly popular Giga coaster model from Swiss designers Bolliger & Mabillard. (Courtesy of Carowinds) On the bubble Four parks in the chain sit on the bubble in mid-sized metropolitan areas: Carowinds (Charlotte, North Carolina), Six Flags Fiesta Texas (San Antonio, Texas), La Ronde (Montreal) and Six Flags St. Louis (Missouri). Carowinds is likely safe since Six Flags corporate headquarters is now located in Charlotte. The other three parks could be on the market if Six Flags finds the right bidder. Potentially for sale That leaves the six smallest parks in the chain - Frontier City (Oklahoma City), Six Flags Darien Lake (Buffalo, New York), Valleyfair (Minneapolis, Minnesota), Worlds of Fun (Kansas City, Missouri), Six Flags Great Escape (Albany, New York) and Michigan's Adventure (Grand Rapids). Michigan's Adventure could argue that it's near Detroit and Chicago, but likely couldn't compete with the bigger Cedar Point or Six Flags Great America. The dueling Six Flags parks in upstate New York have coexisted for years - but are both among the smallest in the chain. Six Flags doesn't own Darien Lake and only serves as the lease operator, which likely means costs are lower there. Water parks The water parks in the newly combined chain all draw fewer than 1 million visitors a year. Most of the water parks are connected to amusement parks in the chain, but not all of them. The two Sclitterlitterbahn water parks in Texas rank first and third in attendance among Six Flags water parks, according to the TEA/AECOM report. Knott's Soak City sits in between the Sclitterlitterbahn parks. The other top water parks in terms of attendance are tied to Six Flags Over Texas, Six Flags Great Adventure, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Six Flags Over Georgia and Cedar Point. The stand-alone Six Flags Phoenix water park also makes the TEA/AECOM Top 20 North American water parks list. Four stand-alone water parks in the chain - in Northern California, Texas, Georgia and Mexico - aren't directly tied to amusement parks and could be among the smallest locations in the Six Flags chain. ________ Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Chicago Tribune
02-05-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Six Flags begins selling off amusement parks
Six Flags has hung a For Sale sign out in front of two parks in the Washington, D.C. area and is looking to sell more of the 42 locations in the North American amusement park chain following an $8 billion merger with rival Cedar Fair. Six Flags announced on Thursday, May 1 that the Six Flags America amusement park and Hurricane Harbor water park in Maryland will close after the 2025 season. The two parks sitting on 500 acres in Bowie, Maryland, will be sold and marketed for redevelopment as part of Six Flags' ongoing portfolio review. 'We have determined that Six Flags America and Hurricane Harbor are not a strategic fit with the company's long-term growth plan,' Six Flags CEO Richard Zimmerman said in a statement. 'We anticipate strong interest in the property and will continue to strategically pursue portfolio optimization opportunities as we work to unlock the full value of our portfolio.' Six Flags America opened for the season on April 12 and will permanently close on Nov. 2 after the Halloween season. Six Flags announced that some smaller parks in the chain were up for sale during the company's quarterly earnings call in February after completing a comprehensive portfolio review following the merger of Six Flags and Cedar Fair in July. Six Flags plans to share more details about its long-term strategy at an upcoming investor day on May 20 at Ohio's Cedar Point theme park. Six Flags America seemed like a likely contender to be sold after the Cedar Fair-Six Flags merger. The Maryland amusement park and Virginia's Kings Dominion both compete for visitors in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Six Flags has two other markets with competing parks — Southern California and the San Francisco Bay Area. Knott's Berry Farm and Six Flags Magic Mountain are among the chain's two biggest attendance draws and aren't likely to be sold anytime soon. The San Francisco Bay Area rivalry will soon sort itself out with California's Great America set to close in the next few years — leaving only Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in the Bay Area. Which parks might be up for sale or in play? And which ones are untouchable or safe for now? Let's take a look at all the possibilities. Untouchable Parks The chain's eight largest parks based on attendance include Buena Park's Knott's Berry Farm (4.2 million annual visitors), Ohio's Cedar Point (4 million), Ohio's Kings Island (3.5 million), Valencia's Six Flags Magic Mountain (3.4 million), Canada's Wonderland (3.2 million), Illinois' Six Flags Great America (3 million), New Jersey's Six Flags Great Adventure (2.5 million) and Six Flags Mexico (2 million), according to the TEA/AECOM report. Those locations seem like core properties in the new Six Flags and appear to be untouchable at the moment. Safe For Now Four more of the chain's parks are located close to major metropolitan areas: Philadelphia (Dorney Park), Dallas/Fort Worth (Six Flags Over Texas), Atlanta (Six Flags Over Georgia) and Boston (Six Flags New England). Without any major local competition, those locations seem safe for now. On the Bubble Four parks in the chain sit on the bubble in mid-sized metropolitan areas: Carowinds (Charlotte, North Carolina), Six Flags Fiesta Texas (San Antonio, Texas), La Ronde (Montreal) and Six Flags St. Louis (Missouri). Carowinds is likely safe since Six Flags corporate headquarters is now located in Charlotte. The other three parks could be on the market if Six Flags finds the right bidder. Potentially For Sale That leaves the six smallest parks in the chain — Frontier City (Oklahoma City), Six Flags Darien Lake (Buffalo, New York), Valleyfair (Minneapolis, Minnesota), Worlds of Fun (Kansas City, Missouri), Six Flags Great Escape (Albany, New York) and Michigan's Adventure (Grand Rapids). Michigan's Adventure could argue that it's near Detroit and Chicago, but likely couldn't compete with the bigger Cedar Point or Six Flags Great America. The dueling Six Flags parks in upstate New York have coexisted for years — but are both among the smallest in the chain. Six Flags doesn't own Darien Lake and only serves as the lease operator, which likely means costs are lower there. Water Parks The water parks in the newly combined chain all draw fewer than 1 million visitors a year. Most of the water parks are connected to amusement parks in the chain, but not all of them. The two Sclitterlitterbahn water parks in Texas rank first and third in attendance among Six Flags water parks, according to the TEA/AECOM report. Knott's Soak City sits in between the Sclitterlitterbahn parks. The other top water parks in terms of attendance are tied to Six Flags Over Texas, Six Flags Great Adventure, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Six Flags Over Georgia and Cedar Point. The stand-alone Six Flags Phoenix water park also makes the TEA/AECOM Top 20 North American water parks list. Four stand-alone water parks in the chain — in Northern California, Texas, Georgia and Mexico — aren't directly tied to amusement parks and could be among the smallest locations in the Six Flags chain. Originally Published: May 2, 2025 at 2:14 PM CDT
