Six Flags Great Escape in Queensbury, NY is one of the parks being sold. Photo © Jiawangkun | Dreamstime.com
When it comes to bringing youth sports tournaments to town, sports commissions and CVBs have long enjoyed the additional marketability provided by nearby theme parks. After all, such parks make for great family attractions and a welcome diversion.
In many cases, DMOs have forged partnerships with parks, putting coupons for discounted admission into athletes’ welcome materials, as well as information on other local attractions, creating a win/win scenario.
Now, amusement park company Six Flags has announced it will be selling off several of its underperforming assets to rival park entity EPR Properties. Some of those parks are located near top sports destinations.
The parks that are being sold, notes this article, are:
- Michigan’s Adventure (Muskegon, MI)
- Schlitterbahn Waterpark Galveston (Galveston, TX)
- Six Flags Great Escape (Queensbury, NY)
- Six Flags La Ronde (Montreal, QC)
- Six Flags St. Louis (St. Louis, MO)
- Valleyfair (Minneapolis, MN)
- Worlds of Fun (Kansas City, MO)
A detailed analysis of each park and its relative value (both in terms of its place in the overall attractions market and in terms of the value of each park to the surrounding community) can be found here.
While the six USA amusement parks will be folded into the EPR Properties portfolio, the six U.S. parks will be leased to and operated by Enchanted Parks, while the Montreal park will be operated by La Ronde Operations, Inc.
According to a press release from Six Flags, the terms of the sale included a $331 million transaction.
The release further noted, “EPR will retain the right to utilize the Six Flags brand through the end of 2026, subject to certain requirements, and no significant impact on guests is expected during this transition. The parks will continue their regular operating schedules, and all season passes sold will be recognized through the 2026 operating season, including multi-park pass privileges at other parks within the Six Flags’ portfolio.”
Enchanted Parks/EPR describes itself as the third largest privately held regional park operator in the United States with properties including amusement parks, water parks and destination attractions. According to Wikipedia, it will operate the newly acquired parks on a 40-year lease.
Not all of Six Flags’ parks have fared well in recent years. Last summer, Bowie, Maryland-based Six Flags America closed permanently following years marked by decreasing economic performance and little to no investment on the part of Six Flags.
According to the Baltimore Banner, “the park’s footprint makes up only a fraction of the 523-acre parcel that it sits on. To generate some revenue out of the remaining land, Six Flags leased a portion to a paintball company, which has since closed.
Officials considered other options — like a campground or a solar panel farm — which never came to fruition. A developer wanted to build 300 apartments and a mixed retail zone with a grocery store in 2021, but neighborhood pushback stalled efforts.”
Unfortunately, redevelopment of an amusement property of any type is a difficult undertaking; this article discusses the formidable challenges facing developers, as well as the community at large. In some cases, more than a decade can pass before any measurable change is made, while in the meantime, parks become a magnet for vandalism and looting.
At last check, the property in Bowie was still for sale, with multiple suggestions being offered for its development and use.
Attractions Magazine noted that Six Flags also plans to close California’s Great America in Santa Clara sometime between 2028 and 2032, and recently sold excess undeveloped land surrounding Kings Dominion near Richmond, Virginia (though Kings Dominion itself remains open with no announced plans to close).
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