Copyright CBS News
Six Flags of America in Maryland welcomed visitors for the final time on Sunday, with the amusement park shutting down for good. The company announced in May that the 500-acre property in Bowie, Prince George's County, would be put up for sale at the end of the season. Six Flags President and CEO Richard Zimmerman said last May that the park would be sold for redevelopment as the company moves to optimize its 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 said. Zimmerman said the company expects there to be a strong interest in the property. "A lot of memories" Six Flags of America visitors shared fond memories of the amusement park in Maryland. "Family, a lot of memories," visitor Danae Diggs told WJZ's media partner WUSA9 in Washington, D.C. "When I was younger, my Mom and Dad would drop me off here, me and my friends would meet up here and have a good time." "It's in our neighborhood where you could come together and meet up with your family and friends and let your hair down," added Kalah Bailey. "We don't have a lot of places anymore to do that; this was our one place." Officials say a new owner of the site hasn't been announced. But visitors hope that it remains an entertainment venue. "The turnout today should show that people still have faith in the park; it just needs a couple of tweaks," Bailey said. Six Flags of America in Maryland The amusement park was originally built in 1974 as Wild World, according to WUSA9, and was purchased by Premier Parks in 1992, and was rebranded as Six Flags of America in 1999. According to the corporation, Maryland's Six Flags amusement park employed about 70 people full-time.
