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A couple of days ago, I took my little girl to see the new “Gabby’s Dollhouse” movie. As an exhausted parent, I fell asleep at the theater — not coma-style, but definitely dozing off. The movie carries a sweet message: Don’t forget to play when you grow up, and don’t let the kid inside you fade as you outgrow your stuffed animals. I’m not entirely sure that message lands with little kids as much as adults, but Gabby’s cats did their job keeping the little ones entertained. Becoming a parent can reawaken your inner child. Our kids remind us how to play again, how to wonder and imagine. They’re our teachers as much as we are theirs. And for many adults, one of the few places that still makes us feel like kids again, that delivers an adrenaline rush and pure, unfiltered excitement, is a theme park. Unfortunately, the last few years, especially since the Covid pandemic, haven’t been kind to many of these parks. Beloved theme parks that have closed their doors for good: Funplex Myrtle Beach (South Carolina) Splashes Oceanfront Waterpark (South Carolina) Styx River Water World (Alabama) Big Surf (Arizona) Wild River Country (Arkansas) Hydro Adventures (Missouri) Coney Island Cincinnati (Ohio) Joyland (Texas) Splashtown San Antonio (Texas) Schlitterbahn Corpus Christi (Texas) Source: Blooloop Now, Six Flags America, in Woodmore, Maryland, is the latest to join the group. Six Flag America closes for good after 51 years of operation Six Flags America, an amusement park that has operated since 1974 under a variety of names and owners, closed its doors on November 2, 2025, for good. The park announced the closure in May 2025 saying it would put the land up for sale, but it didn’t name a buyer. Spokesperson Kristin Fitzgerald didn’t provide a timeline for the sale, reported Theme Park Insider. “Interest from buyers and developers has been high and we anticipate eventually bringing forward a buyer whose plan will provide a positive impact on Prince George’s County,” Fitzgerald stated. Reasons for Six Flags America closure: poor revenue, attendance Around 1999, the park added four coasters in three years, raising excitement. However, the additions made it harder to sustain the high level of guest experience, writes The Baltimore Banner. Since then, the park’s parent company Six Flags Entertainment Corporation (FUN) has not invested much in the facility, which resulted in Six Flags America consistently being among the lowest performers in revenue and attendance. In May 2025, announcing the closure, Six Flags CEO Richard Zimmerman stated 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.” “After reviewing a number of options, we believe that marketing the property for redevelopment will generate the highest value and return on investment,” Zimmerman added. “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.” The company noted that the closure of Six Flags America and Hurricane Harbor is not expected to have a material impact on the company’s financial results in 2025. The park’s footprint occupies only a small portion of the 523-acre parcel, so to generate some revenue out of the remaining land, the company leased a portion to a paintball company, which has since closed. Officials examined other options, including a solar panel farm, campground, and an apartment and retail zone, but none of the ideas became reality. The company believes it can get at least $200 million for the property, plus some land at King’s Dominion. The company said it might relocate or sell some rides to other parks, but that might be challenging due to the age of some of its coasters, writes The Baltimore Banner. Interestingly, the park’s first coaster, Wild One, was built in Massachusetts in 1917. Considered one of the oldest in the world, it was moved to Maryland in 1986 to save it from destruction. Six Flags is struggling, may face bankruptcy Six Flags merged with rival Cedar Fair in 2024, suggesting possible cuts and reorganization of the new company’s portfolio, and Six Flags America was a part of that. In August 2025, the company revealed that Zimmerman will step down as CEO by the end of 2025. The same month, Six Flags posted second-quarter financial results revealing a net loss of $100 million or $0.99 per diluted share of common stock, which compares with net income of $56 million, or $1.08 per diluted limited partner unit, for the three months ended June 30, 2024. The second-quarter net loss included $126 million of net loss related to legacy Six Flags operations during the three-month period. The second-quarter losses followed up on the first-quarter net losses of $220 million, or $2.20 per diluted share, which compares with a net loss of $133 million or $2.63 per diluted limited partner unit. The company largely blamed poor weather, “including prolonged periods of rain, extreme temperatures, and severe storms,” in May and June for the second-quarter losses. According to bankruptcy expert Jonathan Shenson, Six Flags’ decision to close Six Flags America was symptomatic of deeper financial issues. “I don’t think they’ll be able to avoid bankruptcy at the end of the day,” attorney and partner at Los Angeles-based firm Greenberg Glusker, Shenson, told People Magazine. “I think they need to almost reimagine and reinvent or almost change the whole business model.” Year to date, Six Flags stock is down 52.31%, trading at $22.98 per share. Six Flags America timeline July 15, 1974: The park opens as an ABC Scenic & Wildlife Attractions drive-through safari called Largo Wildlife Preserve. 1978: The Largo Wildlife Preserve closes. 1982: The site is reincarnated as a theme park named Wild World (after earlier names) with thrill rides added. 1992: The park is renamed Adventure World under new ownership (Premier Parks). 1998: Premier Parks acquires the Six Flags brand and rebrands the park as Six Flags America. May 1, 2025: The parent company Six Flags Entertainment Corporation announces that Six Flags America (and the adjacent water park) will close permanently. November 2, 2025: Final day of operations for Six Flags America. Sources: Wikipedia, Theme Park Brochures Saddened and frustrated visitors share their memories The news about Six Flags America’s closure hit the community hard, highlighting how important the park was to the neighborhood. The closure was shared on several Reddit threads, with visitors and neighbors commenting and expressing their sadness, nostalgia, and frustration. User xredlightningx wrote: “Damn this is my home park. Another piece of childhood gone. Being old sucks! :P” Some users blamed the closure on the mismanagement, low investment, or corporate priorities, rather than a lack of local support. Even those who never visited the park, or who hadn’t visited recently, expressed regret for missing the opportunity. User ivanhoe_martin, who has been visiting the park since it opened as Wild World, wrote: “The park’s flaws are well documented and I won’t argue that it’s surrounded by superior parks in neighboring states, but the water park is good, Superman is a very good coaster, and Batman (when running) is a unique experience. I wish they would have made an attempt to improve things, building on the positive aspects, but alas. It will be missed but the memories remain.” Visitor SailorDirt visited the park on its last day and shared their experience: “Got my last ride of the day on Wild One and ngl [not gonna lie] had tears in my eyes leaving lol. Rode this coaster for my mom, who went to Paragon back in the day and now is too chronically ill to ride coasters anymore :(“
