Latest news with #SixFlagsAmerica
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Six Flags America, Hurricane Harbor in Prince George's County closing
BOWIE, Md. (DC News Now) — Six Flags Entertainment Corporation announced Thursday that this will be the last season for Six Flags and Hurricane Harbor in Bowie, with officials saying the sites are no longer a 'strategic fit.' The 500-acre property will be marketed for redevelopment as part of Six Flags' ongoing portfolio optimization program, President & CEO Richard A. Zimmerman noted in a press release. '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,' Zimmerman stated. 'After reviewing a number of options, we believe that marketing the property for redevelopment will generate the highest value and return on investment. 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.' Thousands march in May Day rally in DC The park employs about 70 full-time associates, with severance and other benefits being offered to eligible employees. '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,' Zimmerman stated, in part. '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.' All 2025 season passes and tickets will be honored, officials noted, as the park will close after the upcoming season. The final operating day will be Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025. Acting Prince George's County Executive Tara H. Jackson said she was saddened by the announcement. She said, in part: For decades, Six Flags has been more than just a theme park—it is a cherished part of our county's identity, a source of joy for families, and a hub of economic activity. The park employs approximately 70 full-time associates and provides other valuable job opportunities, supporting our local economy. Council Member Wala Blegay called the announcement 'disappointing.' 'The closure represents a significant loss, especially for our District 6 families who have built generational ties to the park. While this news is difficult, it is also a pivotal moment for us to reimagine what comes next,' Blegay stated, in part.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Broken air conditioning at Prince George's County school causes frustration
CAPITOL HEIGHTS, Md. (DC News Now) — Some students are sweating it out inside one Prince George's County school, but not over grades. The air conditioning is not working at William Hall Academy in Capitol Heights. But the good news is, school leaders said the air conditioning will soon be fixed. Charles County investigators work to solve 2018 murder of Waldorf man Phyliss Wright's daughter is in the 8th grade, and she is concerned and frustrated because the air conditioning has not been working for several weeks. 'As a mother concerned about my child who is in this building in the heat, and she has asthma because I was worried because it is hot in there,' Wright said. Prince George's County Public School Chief Operating Officer, Charoscar Coleman, said the air conditioning system is being replaced with a newer operating system. He said the project started back in January but was never finished, and the job was delayed because some important equipment did not arrive on time, causing delays, but the work is moving forward. 'Having children in a comfortable learning environment is very important, and one of our capital projects for improvement at this school is to put in a new air conditioning system. That includes two new chillers and full piping replacement as well as new controls,' Coleman said. Six Flags America, Hurricane Harbor in Prince George's County closing Wright said knowing her daughter's school will be cooler in the classroom soon is good news. 'When it started happening and it was so hot. I was upset, but when I got a response from the school system and Dr. Coleman, I felt a little more at ease because I knew that something was being done,' she said. Coleman said the air conditioning system should be operational by Thursday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | DC, Virginia, Maryland News, Weather, Traffic, Sports Live.
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.
02-05-2025
- Business
Six Flags America in Maryland to close at the end of 2025 season
BOWIE, Md. -- After more than a quarter century of thrills and fun, Six Flags America and Hurricane Harbor in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C., will close at the end of this season. The approximately 500-acre (202-hectare) property in Bowie will be marketed for redevelopment, Six Flags Entertainment Corporation announced Thursday. As part of a portfolio review, the Charlotte, North Carolina-based company determined that the parks 'are not a strategic fit with the company's long-term growth plan,' Six Flags President and CEO Richard A. Zimmerman said in a statement. The final day of operations will be Nov. 2. '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,' Zimmerman said. Six Flags America employs about 70 full-time associates, and severance and other benefits will be provided to eligible associates, the company said. A wildlife preserve that operated on the site in the 1970s later became an amusement park, The Washington Post reports. It opened as Six Flags America in 1999, according to a company spokesperson. The park features many attractions and rides, including nine roller coasters. The Wild One is one of the oldest wooden roller coasters in the country, the spokesperson said. Acting Prince George's County Executive Tara H. Jackson lamented the loss of the parks. 'For decades, Six Flags has been more than just a theme park—it is a cherished part of our county's identity, a source of joy for families, and a hub of economic activity,' Jackson said in a statement. 'We are committed to working closely with Six Flags and other stakeholders to guide a thoughtful and inclusive redevelopment process that supports jobs, growth and long-term community benefit.'
Hamilton Spectator
02-05-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Six Flags America in Maryland to close at the end of 2025 season
BOWIE, Md. (AP) — After more than a quarter century of thrills and fun, Six Flags America and Hurricane Harbor in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C., will close at the end of this season. The approximately 500-acre (202-hectare) property in Bowie will be marketed for redevelopment, Six Flags Entertainment Corporation announced Thursday. As part of a portfolio review, the Charlotte, North Carolina-based company determined that the parks 'are not a strategic fit with the company's long-term growth plan,' Six Flags President and CEO Richard A. Zimmerman said in a statement. The final day of operations will be Nov. 2. '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,' Zimmerman said. Six Flags America employs about 70 full-time associates, and severance and other benefits will be provided to eligible associates, the company said. A wildlife preserve that operated on the site in the 1970s later became an amusement park, The Washington Post reports . It opened as Six Flags America in 1999, according to a company spokesperson. The park features many attractions and rides, including nine roller coasters. The Wild One is one of the oldest wooden roller coasters in the country, the spokesperson said. Acting Prince George's County Executive Tara H. Jackson lamented the loss of the parks. 'For decades, Six Flags has been more than just a theme park—it is a cherished part of our county's identity, a source of joy for families, and a hub of economic activity,' Jackson said in a statement. 'We are committed to working closely with Six Flags and other stakeholders to guide a thoughtful and inclusive redevelopment process that supports jobs, growth and long-term community benefit.'
