Six Flags is closing one of its beloved parks – here is when its last day will be

Six Flags announced that it is closing down one of its beloved parks after 25 years, leaving locals “deeply disappointed.”

Six Flags America and its waterpark Hurricane Harbor in Bowie, Maryland, will shut its doors at the end of the 2025 season on November 2, the park’s parent company announced in a statement Thursday.

The 500-acre plot is due to be sold for redevlelopment after executives determined that the parks “are not a strategic fit with the company’s long-term growth plan,” Six Flags Entertainment President and CEO Richard Zimmerman said.

“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 continued. “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 employs about 70 full-time workers, with eligible associates to be provided with severance and other benefits, the statement said.

Members of the local community have sharply criticized the decision to close the parks.

“It is deeply disappointing to hear that Six Flags America, a long-standing fixture in our community, will be closing its doors after years of service to Prince George’s County,” Prince George’s County Councilmember Wala Belgay said in a statement.

“This amusement park has not only provided entertainment and memories for countless families, but it has also been a critical community partner.”

Prince George’s County Council Chair Edward Burroughs III also reeled at the loss of the “cherished space.”

“This decision does not just impact one business; it impacts the very fabric of our community,” he said in a statement. “It means fewer opportunities for families to come together, fewer spaces for children to play and explore, and a gap in accessible entertainment that many relied upon.”

“As a young child, Six Flags America made believe in immersion,” a Six Flags regular said on X, adding that seeing those criticizing the park was “like a gut punch.”

A park of some form has sat at the current site of Six Flags America for more than 50 years.

Texas billionaire and former presidential candidate Ross Perot and his partners opened a wildlife preserve before it was bought by ABC in 1974, which would later become Wild World.

An amusement park was first opened in 1992 and, after changing hands—and names—several times, it was acquired by Six Flags Entertainment and rebranded to Six Flags America in 1999.

The park, which is based just 19 miles from Washington, D.C. is home to the world’s third-oldest wooden rollercoaster, which was first opened in 1912 at Paragon Park in Massachusetts.

Roar, Superman: Ride of Steel, and the region’s tallest water coaster, RipQurl Blaster, are among other notable Six Flags America attractions.

The fate of the rides was not immediately clear.