The iconic Six Flags amusement park empire will soon be short a few banners — and that could affect future thrill seekers’ spring and summer getaway plans.
The struggling roller-coaster conglomerate will be selling off seven of its parks to new owners as it battles against longstanding financial troubles and disgruntled investors.
"This transaction will simplify our portfolio, strengthen our balance sheet and position us to execute with greater clarity and discipline," Six Flags CEO John Reilly said as he announced the $331 million sale on March 5. "We know how much these parks mean to our guests... decisions like this are never taken lightly."
The sale comes after Six Flags, which declared bankruptcy in 2009 before merging with rival Cedar Fair in 2024, announced the closure of two major theme parks in California and Maryland. It also coincides with a boardroom struggle against activist investors (including Kansas City Chiefs star player Travis Kelce), who accuse the company of “dysfunctional” leadership.
The parks being sold range from upstate New York to Kansas City, and together saw roughly 4.5 million guests over the course of 2025.
All parks will retain their regular schedules until at least the end of this year, and all season passes — including multi-park passes — will be honored throughout the 2026 season, the company said.
But after that, their future is in the hands of Missouri-based real estate investment company, EPR Properties, and its operating partners.
So what will the sale mean for each of the seven parks?
Six Flags Great Escape in Queensbury, New York
Six Flags Great Escape opened in 1954 as a Mother-Goose-themed park called Storyland, beating Walt Disney to the punch by one year. That makes it one of the United States' older continuously operating theme parks.
But as its new owner Six Flags fell deeper into financial trouble, it appears to have suffered from low crowds, shuttered attractions, and closed-down food stands.
"I’ve never seen it like this," one visitor told the Albany Times Union last July. "It was pretty dead up there."
At just two hours' drive from the Canadian border, the park was also badly affected by President Donald Trump's trade war with Canada, which caused many Canucks to boycott U.S. attractions and goods.
On social media, locals complained of decades of low investment, with most of the park's rollercoasters pre-dating the year 2000. One Reddit user in January 2023 even called it "Six Flags' forgotten child."
Now it's possible that the park will receive upgrades under new management. Like six out of the seven sold-off parks, Great Escape will be operated by newly-formed company called Enchanted Parks.
The name is unlikely to change this year, since the new owners will retain rights to the Six Flags brand through the end of 2026.
In the long term, according to Entertainment Weekly, Enchanted has filed a trademark for the name "Enchanted Parks Great Escape Lodge", suggesting a new title is on the cards.
Six Flags St. Louis in Missouri
Six Flags St. Louis wasn't originally part of the sale. But according to Enchanted's CEO James Harhi, its new operators consider it the "crown jewel" of the whole deal.
"It’s a unique park. We really pushed for [the sale] to include St. Louis," Harhi told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch earlier this month.
He claimed that Enchanted, which has signed a 40-year lease with EPR, will spend this year studying which rides are popular and what visitors want, before launching significant upgrades.
"It should be seeing new attractions on a consistent basis," Harhi said. "We want to get this thing running right."
He also hinted at potential price changes, saying he wanted to make the park "much more value-priced for people."
Opened in 1971 as one of Six Flags' original three attractions, the park will be renamed Mid-America by Enchanted Parks in homage to its original name of Six Flags Over Mid-America.
La Ronde in Montreal, Canada
La Ronde is Quebec's biggest amusement park, and the second largest in Canada. It first opened in 1967 as an entertainment branch for that year's world fair, known as Expo 67.
Unlike the U.S. parks, it will not be operated by Enchanted but by Canadian amusement park magnate Kieran Burke, who runs numerous other attractions in Quebec and Ontario.
"I have a special affection for La Ronde, having attended Expo 67 as a child," Burke said in a statement. "I am very proud to take on its management and operation in the years ahead, with a commitment to respecting the traditions and rich history that are so dear to Montrealers and to visitors from around the world."
Burke was CEO of the real estate company Premier Parks when it bought Six Flags in 1998. At one point he was manager of La Ronde, before being forced out in 2005 by a shareholder coup.
Local historian Roger La Roche told CBC News that he was optimistic about Burke's involvement, saying Six Flags had always struggled to recognize La Ronde as a longstanding social space for Montrealers rather than a destination for thrillseekers.
Burke said there are no major organization changes planned for now, and that most things will remain the same. "Our priority is to ensure a smooth transition and to continue developing the park while respecting its identity and local roots," he said.
Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Galveston, Texas
Schlitterbahn Galveston is a relatively new park, opening in 2006 on a thin strip of land on the Gulf Coast near Houston.
Even in such a short history, this is the third time the park has changed ownership, with Cedar Fair buying it in 2019 and then merging with Six Flags in 2024.
Until the end of 2026, no big changes are expected. A Six Flags spokesperson told Galveston County's Daily News that there would be no change of name, no new schedule, and no change in hiring during the 2026 season.
Beyond that, EPR Properties PR chief Brian Moriarty told Houston Public Media that the property will remain a waterpark, while improving its food offerings and customer experience.
"We’re long-term owners of properties, and so success is key. We don’t flip properties, if you will," Moriarty said. "We also recognize these properties mean a lot to the people in the local areas, not only as customers but as employees."
According to trademark filings, the park could now be renamed Enchanted Parks Galveston.
Michigan's Adventure in Muskegon, Michigan
Michigan's Adventure is the Great Lakes State's biggest amusement park. It's also pretty old, dating back to 1956 (when it was named Deer Park, with a petting zoo as its headline feature).
Enchanted CEO James Harhi told The Detroit News that his company would take full control of the park within the next few weeks.
"This year our goal is to just learn: learn from our consumers, learn from our employees, how we can make the park better," he said.
"We try to give a lot of empowerment to our local teams to reduce guest friction, which is a little bit different than a corporation mindset they've been in the last few years.
"Happy people usually equals happy guests, so we really want to make sure the employees see it as an amusement park: a fun place to play, go and that energy will hopefully translate to our guests to continue that lifelong relationship with that park."
Trademark filings suggest it could be renamed Enchanted Parks Michigan Adventure.
Valleyfair in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Valleyfair is another former Cedar Fair property that was rolled into Six Flags when the two companies merged in 2024.
This year, the park is set to celebrate its 50th anniversary.
A Six Flags spokesperson told local broadcaster Fox 9 KMSP that the sale was "not expected to affect the guest experience in any significant way."
"Our goal is to ensure a smooth, seamless experience, so guests can continue making great memories at Valleyfair," they said.
Worlds of Fun in Kansas City, Missouri
With EPR Properties based very nearby in Kansas City, Missouri, fans are hoping that the area's beloved Worlds of Fun will receive special attention.
The Kansas City connection goes deeper: Kansas City Chiefs star and Taylor Swift’s fiancé, Travis Kelce, who calls himself a theme park "superfan", is part of the group of activist investors who have been pushing Six Flags to "deliver" for shareholders.
"We’re very pleased to be able to invest in our own community," EPR's Brian Moriarty told KCTV5. "There’s going to be opportunity for increased overall focus — everything from fundamental maintenance to areas of enhancement around rides and various attractions."
He argued that because Enchanted runs fewer parks than Six Flags, it will be able to dedicate more attention to each one.
The Six Flags sale includes two parks in one: Worlds of Fun and its attached water park Oceans of fun. Neither name will change, Moriarty claimed (although Enchanted has applied for a trademark on 'Enchanted Parks Oceans of Fun').
The sale will also have no impact on seasonal hiring this year, Six Flags told KCTV5. A park employee and union steward staff were "excited to work with the new owners", adding that their union agreement will remain in place.
The Independent has asked Six Flags and Enchanted for comment.
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