Six Flags
Encyclopedia
Six Flags Entertainment Corp. is the world's largest amusement park
corporation based on quantity of properties and the fifth most popular in terms of attendance. The company maintains 14 properties located throughout North America, including theme parks, thrill parks, water parks and family entertainment centers. In 2009, Six Flags properties hosted 23.9 million guests.
The company was founded in Texas and took its name from its first property, Six Flags Over Texas
. The company maintains a corporate office in Midtown
Manhattan
, New York City
and its headquarters are in Grand Prairie
, Texas
. On June 13, 2009, the corporation filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and successfully exited the restructuring 11 months later on May 3, 2010.
The name refers to the flags of the six different nations that have governed Texas
: Spain
, France
, Mexico
, the Republic of Texas
, the United States of America, and the Confederate States of America
, not counting the flag of The State of Texas, since becoming a part of the USA. The original park was (and still is) split into separate regions, such as the Spain and Mexico section which featured Spanish-themed rides, attractions and buildings.
The Six Flags chain began in 1960 by Angus G. Wynne
of Arlington, Texas
, with the creation of the original park, "Six Flags Over Texas", opened in 1961, which initially featured a Native American
village, a gondola
ride, a railroad, some Wild West shows, a stagecoach
ride, and "Skull Island", a pirate-themed adventure attraction. There was also an excursion, inspired by the historical La Salle Expeditions
in the late 1600s, called "LaSalle's River Adventure", aboard French riverboats through a wilderness full of animated puppets. Over time, all of those attractions, except for the railroad, would be replaced by others, such as roller coaster
s, swing rides, log flume
s, and shoot-the-chute rides, as well as an observation tower.
, which was actively pursuing non-railroad investments in an effort to diversify its sources of income. (In 1968, the company merged with the New York Central Railroad
to form Penn Central Corp.) With the new owners came a more abundant supply of capital for geographic expansion and park additions. Six Flags opened Six Flags Over Georgia
in 1967 and Six Flags Over Mid-America
in 1971, which would, along with Six Flags Over Texas, be the only three parks that would be constructed by the company.
The company continued to grow by acquiring other independent parks. It purchased Astroworld
in Houston, Texas
in 1975, Great Adventure
in Jackson, New Jersey in 1977 and Magic Mountain
in Valencia, California
in 1979 before Penn Central sold its assets to Bally
Manufacturing Corporation in 1982. In 1984, the Great America
theme park in Gurnee, Illinois
was acquired from the Marriott
hotel chain.
In 1984, as a result of its acquisition of Great America, the company acquired the rights to Warner Bros.
' Looney Tunes
animated characters for use in their properties. Bally surrendered control of the chain to Wesray Capital Corporation
in a leveraged buyout in 1987. Time Warner
quickly began to gain more leverage in the company, gaining a 19.5% stake in Six Flags in 1990 and then 50% in 1991, with the remaining shares of the company being split by Blackstone Group
and Wertheim Schroder & Company. Time Warner purchased the remaining stakes in the company in 1993, changing the company's name from Six Flags Corp. to Six Flags Theme Parks, Inc.
In 1996, Six Flags acquired the Fiesta Texas
theme park in San Antonio, Texas
.
-based real estate company. The company purchased the Frontier City
theme park in Oklahoma City
in 1982 for $1.2 million. Tierco had no intention of entering into the amusement park business, however. Company officials described Frontier City as "beat up" and "run down"; they planned to demolish the park, subdivide the land, and build a shopping center. However, given the economic downturns prompted by an oil bust in Oklahoma, developers lost interest in the idea of converting the park into a shopping center. So in 1984 Tierco hired Gary Story as general manager of Frontier City and sunk about $13 million into improving the park. As the new manager of Frontier City, he would quadruple that park's attendance and revenues. Under his leadership, two new rides and a petting zoo were added to the park along with a new ticket booth, sales office, and improved food service.
In 1988, Tierco shifted its strategic direction from real estate to amusement parks. It sold much of its property during this time, which generated capital to reinvest in Frontier City. Once this reinvestment paid off in terms of increased business and profits, more capital became available, which meant further growth. Tierco opened White Water waterpark in 1991 (the name later being changed to White Water Bay
). The company realized the key to boosting a park's attendance was to add new and exciting rides and make it more attractive to families.
Tierco acquired the financially troubled Wild World in Largo, Maryland
, in 1992 and later changed that park's name to Adventure World. With a $500,000 investment, Tierco expanded Wild World's kiddie section and remodeled its buildings to give the park a tropical look and feel. Story was promoted to executive vice-president after the purchase of Wild World. In 1994, he was promoted again to president and chief operating officer (COO). More flat rides and a couple more roller coasters were added to that park.
Since Tierco was on its way to becoming a "premier" regional theme park operator, in 1994 it changed its name to Premier Parks, Inc. Kieran E. Burke, chairman and chief executive officer (CEO), noted that the new name signified the beginning of a new era for the company. At the end of 1994, Premier Parks acquired an agreement to manage Elitch Gardens
in Denver, Colorado
which had just relocated from outside the city.
During the next few years, Premier picked up speed. In 1995, the company acquired parks from Funtime Parks, Inc., namely Geauga Lake near Cleveland, Ohio
, Wyandot Lake
in Columbus, Ohio
, Darien Lake, near Buffalo, New York
, and Lake Compounce
near Hartford, Connecticut
. In 1996, Premier added to its portfolio. It bought Elitch Gardens in Denver, Colorado outright, Waterworld USA waterparks in Sacramento
and Concord, California
, Riverside Park, near Springfield, Massachusetts
, and Great Escape and Splashwater Kingdom at Lake George, New York
. Premier immediately sold Lake Compounce to Kennywood
.
Geauga Lake, Wyandot Lake, and Adventure World had water parks within their amusement parks while Frontier City had one that was adjacent and has separate admission. Riverside added their water park in 1994 just before selling to Premier. Premier Parks also added water parks to Darien Lake, Lake Compounce (right before selling it), Elitch Gardens, and Great Escape in 1995 and 1996.
Premier went public in 1996 and raised nearly $70 million through an initial offering at $18 a share. The company planned to use the money to expand its ten parks and acquire new ones. In 1997, Premier purchased Kentucky Kingdom, in Louisville, Kentucky and Marine World, near San Francisco. A second public offering at $29 a share raised an additional two million dollars. A water park was added to Kentucky Kingdom in 1998. Nearly 8.8 million people visited Premier's parks in 1996. They added amusement park rides and roller coasters to Marine World in 1998 as well. Premier Parks also made plans to acquire more parks and wound up buying a larger corporation late that year.
Six Flags Theme Parks Inc. was purchased in whole on April 1, 1998 from Time Warner by Premier Parks for $1.86 billion. Premier then began to apply the Six Flags name to a number of smaller parks that the company had already owned, including Darien Lake, Elitch Gardens
, Kentucky Kingdom
and Adventure World
.
In 2000, Premier Parks assumed the Six Flags Theme Parks, Inc. name and continued re-branding its parks, most notably the former Geauga Lake into Six Flags Ohio. Six Flags began vigorously expanding, attempting to branch out internationally, acquiring numerous properties across the country and overseas including the Walibi chain and historic Belgian park Bellewaerde
in Europe, La Ronde
in Canada, and Reino Aventura
in Mexico. Three of those parks were re-branded as Six Flags parks—Walibi Flevo became Six Flags Holland, Walibi Wavre became Six Flags Belgium and Reino Aventura became Six Flags Mexico
.
In 2001, Six Flags acquired the former SeaWorld Ohio from Anheuser-Busch, merged it with the adjacent Six Flags Ohio and re-branded the park again, this time into Six Flags Worlds of Adventure. The park was positioned to compete against northern Ohio's more famous amusement park, Cedar Point
.
". In April that year, Six Flags determined that the investment required to keep Worlds of Adventure
competitive with Cedar Point
would be too great, and thus the company sold the park to Cedar Fair, the owner of Cedar Point. These sales raised $345 million in an effort to relieve Six Flags' massive debt.
In 2005, Six Flags endured even more turmoil. Some of the company's largest investors, notably Bill Gates
's Cascade Investments (which owned about 11% of Six Flags at the time) and Daniel Snyder
's Red Zone, LLC (which owned 12%), demanded change. Indeed, on August 17, 2005, Red Zone began a proxy battle
to gain control of Six Flags' board of directors. Later that month, Six Flags New Orleans
was severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina
.
On September 12, 2005, Six Flags Chief Executive Officer Kieran Burke announced that Six Flags Astroworld
would be closed and demolished at the end of the 2005 season. The company cited issues such as the park's performance, and parking issues involving the Houston Texans
football team, Reliant Stadium
, and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
, leveraged with the estimated value of the property upon which the park was located. Company executives were expecting to receive upwards of $150 million for the real estate, but ended up receiving $77 million when the bare property (which cost $20 million to clear) was sold to a development corporation in 2006.
On November 22, 2005, Red Zone announced it had gained control of the board. Kieran Burke was removed on December 14, 2005 and replaced by Mark Shapiro, former Executive Vice President of Programming at ESPN
. Six Flags then named former Representative
Jack Kemp
, entertainment mogul Harvey Weinstein
, and Michael Kassan, the former president of the Interpublic Group of Companies Incorporated, to their newly revamped board of directors.
Even with the new management team, the sell-off would continue into 2006. On January 27, Six Flags announced the sale of the Frontier City
theme park and White Water Bay
water park, both located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
, at the conclusion of the 2006 operating season. At the same time, Six Flags also announced its plan to close corporate offices in Oklahoma City, moving its headquarters to New York City. Six Flags CEO Mark Shapiro said he expected the parks to continue operation after the sale, a lesson the company learned after its public relations debacle with the closure of Astroworld.
In June 2006, Six Flags announced it was considering closing or selling up to six of its parks, including Elitch Gardens, Darien Lake, WaterWorld in Concord, California
, Wild Waves and Enchanted Village in Federal Way, Washington
, Splashtown
in Houston, Texas
and, most notably, Six Flags Magic Mountain
. In addition, Six Flags also announced the sale of Wyandot Lake
in Powell, Ohio
to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, which is located next to the park. Ultimately, Six Flags Magic Mountain was spared, with the remaining six parks sold on January 11, 2007 to PARC Management
for $312 million, $275 million cash and a note for $37 million.
. With the 2008-2009 global financial crisis weighing both on consumer spending and the ability to access credit facilities, Six Flags was believed to be unable to make a payment to preferred stockholders due in August 2009. Management saw the business as a sound one, noting that attendance across the company's parks increased slightly in 2008 compared to 2007. Six Flags CEO Mark Shapiro said that the company's problem was the declining attendance and cash flow created by his new management initiatives . If not resolved, the company warned in its 2008 annual report that the situation might require a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, with Six Flags already retaining counsel should that occur. The company stated at the time that it expected business to continue as normal in the event of such a filing, although one analyst believed attendance at the company's parks would decrease by six percent, suggesting parents would be leery of letting their children ride a roller coaster operated by a bankrupt company. In April 2009, the New York Stock Exchange announced it would delist Six Flags' stock on April 20, a decision that the company did not intend to appeal. On June 1, 2009, Six Flags announced they would delay their $15 million debt payment further using a 30-day grace period. Less than two weeks later, on June 13, the firm filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection
, but issued a statement that the parks would continue to operate normally while the company restructured. On August 21, 2009, Six Flags' Chapter 11 restructuring plan was announced in which lenders would control 92% of the company in exchange for cancelling $1.13 billion in debt. The approval of this plan is pending per the decision of the presiding U.S. Bankruptcy Judge.
One component of the restructuring was negotiating a new lease agreement with the Kentucky State Fair Board, which owned much of the land and attractions for Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom
. Six Flags had asked to forgo rent payments for the remaining nine years of its current lease agreement in exchange for profit-sharing from the park's operations. When it appeared that the offer had been rejected, Six Flags announced in February 2010 that it would not re-open the park. However, the Kentucky State Fair Board stated at the time that they were still open to negotiating a revised lease agreement.
On April 28, 2010, the company's bondholders reached an agreement on a reorganization plan. Junior note holders, including hedge fund
s Stark Investments and Pentwater Capital Management, assumed control of the company, while senior note holders were paid in cash. Despite objections from some parties who stood to gain nothing, the bankruptcy judge approved the plan on April 30, 2010. As part of the settlement, Chairman of the Board Dan Snyder was removed, while Chief Executive Officer Mark Shapiro briefly remained in his post.
.
Six Flags announced that Jim Reid-Anderson
would replace Weber and become Chairman, President and CEO on August 13, 2010.
and the 35th anniversary of Six Flags Over Georgia in 2002). In 2004, Six Flags began a series of commercials linking all of the parks. The commercials were notable for a new mascot, "Mr. Six
", an apparently feeble old man in a tuxedo and red bow tie. In many of the commercials, Mr. Six would slowly exit a multi-colored bus, only to start frenetically dancing to the Vengaboys
' "We Like to Party
". The commercials were an immediate hit and Mr. Six almost instantly became the official mascot, although he was initially retired after the 2005 season. These ads have become widely parodied on the Internet, with faces from other Internet memes being superimposed over Mr. Six's face.
From 2008-2010, Six Flags' TV ads have a "Fun-O-Meter" in which the beginning of the ad may show something boring or embarrassing and a man's face judges it "One Flag!" or sometimes "Two Flags!" Then roller coasters and attractions of Six Flags are shown and says "Six Flags, More Flags, More Fun!" for Six Flags parks. However, the thick accent of the Asian man in the original commercials had drawn criticism for being an offensive caricature. In 2009, the Mr. Six character came back from retirement and replaced the Asian man in Six Flags' ads, still using the Fun-O-Meter. Since 2011, Six Flags' TV ads got a brand-new slogan "Go Big! Go Six Flags!" for its current Six Flags theme parks.
Six Flags has licensed its name and its theme park creations to other companies, who have used these assets to create licensed products. One such example is the theme park simulation game Roller Coaster Tycoon 2, which featured recreations of Six Flags parks and rides that could be expanded and operated at the player's discretion. Six Flags has also partnered with Brash Entertainment to create a video game called Six Flags Fun Park. It allows the player to explore the themed areas and mini-games representative of a visit to a Six Flags park. In the game, players are tasked with quests that encourage them to explore the park's universe. After creating a unique custom character, Six Flags Fun Park patrons can win prizes, and compete with other players in 40 mini-games. Although the video game is called Six Flags Fun Park, it lacks any major reference of Six Flags. This caused some to speculate that the video game was created then the rights to the name of the game were sold as a way to pay for the game's development.
In recent years, Six Flags has created strategic partnerships with other companies who would feature their products inside the parks. On March 30, 2006, Six Flags announced that it will sell no other pizza besides Papa John's
at its parks. In turn, Six Flags will receive an annual sponsorship and promotional opportunities from Papa John's, though financial details of the deal have not been disclosed. Other recent partners have included Cold Stone Creamery
, Johnny Rockets
, Tyson Foods
(chicken), Chrysler
, and Nintendo
, which added testing stations in several parks to show off its Wii
console.
In late 2010, Six Flags began the process of removing licensed theming from attractions. They terminated licenses with Thomas the Tank Engine
, The Wiggles
, Tony Hawk
, Evel Knievel
, and Terminator
.
, which owns rights to American Bandstand
and other shows and productions.
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
corporation based on quantity of properties and the fifth most popular in terms of attendance. The company maintains 14 properties located throughout North America, including theme parks, thrill parks, water parks and family entertainment centers. In 2009, Six Flags properties hosted 23.9 million guests.
The company was founded in Texas and took its name from its first property, Six Flags Over Texas
Six Flags Over Texas
Six Flags Over Texas is a major amusement park located in Arlington, Texas , east of Fort Worth and about west of Dallas. It is the oldest park of the Six Flags chain. The park opened on August 5, 1961 following just a year of construction and an initial investment of US$10 million by real estate...
. The company maintains a corporate office in Midtown
Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan, or simply Midtown, is an area of Manhattan, New York City home to world-famous commercial zones such as Rockefeller Center, Broadway, and Times Square...
Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and its headquarters are in Grand Prairie
Grand Prairie, Texas
Grand Prairie is a city in Dallas, Ellis, and Tarrant counties in the U.S. state of Texas and is a part of the Mid-Cities region in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Grand Prairie is a suburb of both Dallas and Fort Worth and had a population of 175,396 at the 2010 census.- History :The city of...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. On June 13, 2009, the corporation filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and successfully exited the restructuring 11 months later on May 3, 2010.
Beginnings
Six flags over Texas
Six Flags Over Texas is the slogan used to describe the six nations that have had sovereignty over some or all of the current territory of the U.S. state of Texas. This slogan has been incorporated into shopping malls, theme parks , and other enterprises...
: Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, the Republic of Texas
Republic of Texas
The Republic of Texas was an independent nation in North America, bordering the United States and Mexico, that existed from 1836 to 1846.Formed as a break-away republic from Mexico by the Texas Revolution, the state claimed borders that encompassed an area that included all of the present U.S...
, the United States of America, and the Confederate States of America
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
, not counting the flag of The State of Texas, since becoming a part of the USA. The original park was (and still is) split into separate regions, such as the Spain and Mexico section which featured Spanish-themed rides, attractions and buildings.
The Six Flags chain began in 1960 by Angus G. Wynne
Angus G. Wynne
Angus Gilchrist Wynne, Jr. was a land developer, founder of Wynnewood Shopping Center and community development in Oak Cliff, a suburb of Dallas. He also developed Six Flags Over Texas and Six Flags Over Georgia and Six Flags St. Louis theme parks in Texas, Georgia, and Missouri...
of Arlington, Texas
Arlington, Texas
Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. According to the 2010 census results, the city had a population of 365,438, making it the third largest municipality in the Metroplex...
, with the creation of the original park, "Six Flags Over Texas", opened in 1961, which initially featured a Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
village, a gondola
Gondola lift
A gondola lift is a type of aerial lift, normally called a cable car, which is supported and propelled by cables from above. It consists of a loop of steel cable that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate supporting towers. The cable is driven by a bullwheel in a terminal,...
ride, a railroad, some Wild West shows, a stagecoach
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
ride, and "Skull Island", a pirate-themed adventure attraction. There was also an excursion, inspired by the historical La Salle Expeditions
La Salle Expeditions
The Expeditions of René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle were a series of trips into the Mississippi and Ohio Valley by French explorers led by René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle that began in the late 1660s and continued for two decades. Much of the area that was explored was land that no...
in the late 1600s, called "LaSalle's River Adventure", aboard French riverboats through a wilderness full of animated puppets. Over time, all of those attractions, except for the railroad, would be replaced by others, such as roller coaster
Roller coaster
The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
s, swing rides, log flume
Log flume
A log flume is a flume specifically constructed to transport lumber and logs down mountainous terrain to a sawmill by using flowing water. These watertight trough-like channels could be built to span a long distance across chasms and down steep mountain slopes...
s, and shoot-the-chute rides, as well as an observation tower.
Growth and acquisitions
The original park in Arlington was sold in 1966 to a subsidiary of the Pennsylvania RailroadPennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
, which was actively pursuing non-railroad investments in an effort to diversify its sources of income. (In 1968, the company merged with the New York Central Railroad
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
to form Penn Central Corp.) With the new owners came a more abundant supply of capital for geographic expansion and park additions. Six Flags opened Six Flags Over Georgia
Six Flags Over Georgia
Six Flags Over Georgia is a theme park located west of Atlanta, in unincorporated Cobb County. Opened in 1967, it is the second park in the Six Flags chain, after the original opening in 1961 in Texas....
in 1967 and Six Flags Over Mid-America
Six Flags St. Louis
Six Flags St. Louis , is an amusement park owned by Six Flags, Inc. It is located in Eureka, Missouri, USA . Opened in 1971 as the third theme park of the Six Flags chain, this was the last park that was built under the Six Flags name...
in 1971, which would, along with Six Flags Over Texas, be the only three parks that would be constructed by the company.
The company continued to grow by acquiring other independent parks. It purchased Astroworld
Six Flags Astroworld
AstroWorld was a seasonally operated theme park located on approximately of land between Kirby Drive and Fannin Avenue, directly south of Loop 610 in Houston, Texas, USA...
in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
in 1975, Great Adventure
Six Flags Great Adventure
Six Flags Great Adventure is a theme park in Jackson Township, New Jersey, owned by Six Flags Entertainment Corp., the world's largest amusement park corporation...
in Jackson, New Jersey in 1977 and Magic Mountain
Six Flags Magic Mountain
Six Flags Magic Mountain is a theme park located in Valencia, California north of Los Angeles. It opened on Memorial Day weekend on May 30, 1971 as Magic Mountain, by the Newhall Land and Farming Company. In 1979, Six Flags purchased the park and added the name Six Flags to the park's title. In...
in Valencia, California
Valencia, California
Valencia is an affluent planned community located in the City of Santa Clarita, California and Los Angeles County, California, U.S. in the northwestern corner of the Santa Clarita Valley, adjacent to Interstate 5. In 1987, it was one of the four unincorporated communities that merged to create the...
in 1979 before Penn Central sold its assets to Bally
Bally
Bally Technologies, Inc. is a manufacturer of slot machines and other gaming technology based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is the descendant and continuation of the original Bally Manufacturing Corporation of Chicago....
Manufacturing Corporation in 1982. In 1984, the Great America
Six Flags Great America
Six Flags Great America is a Six Flags theme park in the Chicago metropolitan area, located in Gurnee, Illinois. It first opened in 1976 as Marriott's Great America. Six Flags purchased the park from the Marriott Corporation in 1984, making it the seventh park in the chain...
theme park in Gurnee, Illinois
Gurnee, Illinois
Gurnee is a village in Lake County, Illinois, United States. The population was 28,834 at the 2000 census, and estimated to be 30,772 in 2005. The village borders the city of Waukegan and is considered a part of the Chicago metropolitan area. Gurnee is perhaps best known for being the location of...
was acquired from the Marriott
Marriott Corp.
Marriott Corporation was a hospitality company that operated from 1927–1993, founded originally by J. Willard Marriott and Frank Kimball as Hot Shoppes, Inc. In 1957, Marriott Corporation opened its first hotel in Arlington County, Virginia, United States as the Twin Bridges Motor Hotel...
hotel chain.
In 1984, as a result of its acquisition of Great America, the company acquired the rights to Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
' Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes is a Warner Bros. animated cartoon series. It preceded the Merrie Melodies series and was Warner Bros.'s first animated theatrical series. Since its first official release, 1930's Sinkin' in the Bathtub, the series has become a worldwide media franchise, spawning several television...
animated characters for use in their properties. Bally surrendered control of the chain to Wesray Capital Corporation
Wesray Capital Corporation
Wesray Capital Corporation was an early private equity firm focussing on leveraged buyout investments. The firm was founded by former US Secretary of the Treasury William E...
in a leveraged buyout in 1987. Time Warner
Time Warner
Time Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
quickly began to gain more leverage in the company, gaining a 19.5% stake in Six Flags in 1990 and then 50% in 1991, with the remaining shares of the company being split by Blackstone Group
Blackstone Group
The Blackstone Group L.P. is an American-based alternative asset management and financial services company that specializes in private equity, real estate, and credit and marketable alternative investment strategies, as well as financial advisory services, such as mergers and acquisitions ,...
and Wertheim Schroder & Company. Time Warner purchased the remaining stakes in the company in 1993, changing the company's name from Six Flags Corp. to Six Flags Theme Parks, Inc.
In 1996, Six Flags acquired the Fiesta Texas
Six Flags Fiesta Texas
Six Flags Fiesta Texas is a seasonally operated theme park located on approximately of land in San Antonio, Texas.Six Flags Fiesta Texas is the major entertainment component of USAA's La Cantera, a 1,600 acre master-planned development in northwest San Antonio...
theme park in San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
.
History of Premier Parks
Premier Parks originally operated as the Tierco Group, Inc., an OklahomaOklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
-based real estate company. The company purchased the Frontier City
Frontier City
Frontier City is a western-themed amusement park in Oklahoma City's Adventure District. It is currently owned by CNL Lifestyle Properties and operated by former Six Flags executives Kieran Burke and Gary Story. The park is the subject of the song "Frontier City" by the Nashville band Kings of...
theme park in Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
in 1982 for $1.2 million. Tierco had no intention of entering into the amusement park business, however. Company officials described Frontier City as "beat up" and "run down"; they planned to demolish the park, subdivide the land, and build a shopping center. However, given the economic downturns prompted by an oil bust in Oklahoma, developers lost interest in the idea of converting the park into a shopping center. So in 1984 Tierco hired Gary Story as general manager of Frontier City and sunk about $13 million into improving the park. As the new manager of Frontier City, he would quadruple that park's attendance and revenues. Under his leadership, two new rides and a petting zoo were added to the park along with a new ticket booth, sales office, and improved food service.
In 1988, Tierco shifted its strategic direction from real estate to amusement parks. It sold much of its property during this time, which generated capital to reinvest in Frontier City. Once this reinvestment paid off in terms of increased business and profits, more capital became available, which meant further growth. Tierco opened White Water waterpark in 1991 (the name later being changed to White Water Bay
White Water Bay
White Water Bay is a water park in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma built in 1981. Originally built by the Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation, White Water Bay was picked up by Premier Parks in 1991 and its name was changed from White Water to White Water Bay...
). The company realized the key to boosting a park's attendance was to add new and exciting rides and make it more attractive to families.
Tierco acquired the financially troubled Wild World in Largo, Maryland
Largo, Maryland
Largo is an unincorporated area and census designated place in Prince George's County, Maryland, in the United States. The population was 8,408 at the 2000 census....
, in 1992 and later changed that park's name to Adventure World. With a $500,000 investment, Tierco expanded Wild World's kiddie section and remodeled its buildings to give the park a tropical look and feel. Story was promoted to executive vice-president after the purchase of Wild World. In 1994, he was promoted again to president and chief operating officer (COO). More flat rides and a couple more roller coasters were added to that park.
Since Tierco was on its way to becoming a "premier" regional theme park operator, in 1994 it changed its name to Premier Parks, Inc. Kieran E. Burke, chairman and chief executive officer (CEO), noted that the new name signified the beginning of a new era for the company. At the end of 1994, Premier Parks acquired an agreement to manage Elitch Gardens
Elitch Gardens
Elitch Gardens was a family-owned seasonal amusement park, theater, and botanic garden in the West Highland neighborhood of Denver, Colorado, United States at 38th and Tennyson streets. For more than a century Elitch's was one of the most popular entertainment destinations in Colorado...
in Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
which had just relocated from outside the city.
During the next few years, Premier picked up speed. In 1995, the company acquired parks from Funtime Parks, Inc., namely Geauga Lake near Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, Wyandot Lake
Wyandot Lake
Zoombezi Bay is a water park owned by the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium on Riverside Drive in Columbus, Ohio. The park opened on May 26, 2008, and currently has 11 water rides. The dry park, Jungle Jack's Landing also made its debut in the 2008 season...
in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, Darien Lake, near Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, and Lake Compounce
Lake Compounce
Lake Compounce is an amusement park located in Bristol, Connecticut, United States and a part of the neighboring town of Southington, Connecticut; the lake itself lies completely in Southington. It is the oldest continuously operating amusement park in North America, having operated every year...
near Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
. In 1996, Premier added to its portfolio. It bought Elitch Gardens in Denver, Colorado outright, Waterworld USA waterparks in Sacramento
Sacramento
Sacramento is the capital of the state of California, in the United States of America.Sacramento may also refer to:- United States :*Sacramento County, California*Sacramento, Kentucky*Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta...
and Concord, California
Concord, California
Concord is the largest city in Contra Costa County, California, USA. At the 2010 census, the city had a population of 122,067. Originally founded in 1869 as the community of Todos Santos by Salvio Pacheco, the name was changed to Concord within months...
, Riverside Park, near Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
, and Great Escape and Splashwater Kingdom at Lake George, New York
Lake George (town), New York
Lake George is a town in Warren County, New York, USA. The population was 3,578 at the 2000 census. The town is named after the lake, Lake George. Within the town is a village also named Lake George. The town is part of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :The lake was...
. Premier immediately sold Lake Compounce to Kennywood
Kennywood
Kennywood is an amusement park located in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh. The park first opened in 1898 as a "trolley park" at the end of the Monongahela Street Railway. The park was purchased in 1906 by F. W. Henninger and Andrew McSwigan and thus began the Kennywood...
.
Geauga Lake, Wyandot Lake, and Adventure World had water parks within their amusement parks while Frontier City had one that was adjacent and has separate admission. Riverside added their water park in 1994 just before selling to Premier. Premier Parks also added water parks to Darien Lake, Lake Compounce (right before selling it), Elitch Gardens, and Great Escape in 1995 and 1996.
Premier went public in 1996 and raised nearly $70 million through an initial offering at $18 a share. The company planned to use the money to expand its ten parks and acquire new ones. In 1997, Premier purchased Kentucky Kingdom, in Louisville, Kentucky and Marine World, near San Francisco. A second public offering at $29 a share raised an additional two million dollars. A water park was added to Kentucky Kingdom in 1998. Nearly 8.8 million people visited Premier's parks in 1996. They added amusement park rides and roller coasters to Marine World in 1998 as well. Premier Parks also made plans to acquire more parks and wound up buying a larger corporation late that year.
Acquisition of Six Flags by Premier Parks
Six Flags Elitch Gardens
Elitch Gardens Theme Park, locally known as "Elitch's", is an amusement park in Denver, Colorado. It is owned by CNL Lifestyle Properties and operated by Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation...
, Kentucky Kingdom
Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom
Kentucky Kingdom is an amusement park located in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. The park is located on of land which includes a collection of 27 amusement rides and a water park named Splashwater Kingdom...
and Adventure World
Six Flags America
Six Flags America is a family theme park and water park located in Mitchellville, Prince George's County, Maryland. It is situated east of Washington D.C. and southwest of Baltimore. The park covers , 131 of which is currently used for park operations...
.
In 2000, Premier Parks assumed the Six Flags Theme Parks, Inc. name and continued re-branding its parks, most notably the former Geauga Lake into Six Flags Ohio. Six Flags began vigorously expanding, attempting to branch out internationally, acquiring numerous properties across the country and overseas including the Walibi chain and historic Belgian park Bellewaerde
Bellewaerde
Bellewaerde is a theme park in the West-Flemish countryside near Ypres . Established in 1954 on grounds that were the location of the Battle of Bellewaerde during World War I, named after the old castle that to this day stands near the main entrance of the park. Bellewaerde is the oldest operating...
in Europe, La Ronde
La Ronde (amusement park)
La Ronde is an amusement park in Montreal, owned and operated by Six Flags. It is the largest in the province of Quebec and the second largest in Canada after Canada's Wonderland, with about 2.5 million guests in 2006...
in Canada, and Reino Aventura
Reino Aventura
Reino Aventura was an amusement park located in Tlalpan in the south-western part of Mexico City. It opened to the public in March 1982 as the biggest amusement park in Latin America.-History:...
in Mexico. Three of those parks were re-branded as Six Flags parks—Walibi Flevo became Six Flags Holland, Walibi Wavre became Six Flags Belgium and Reino Aventura became Six Flags Mexico
Six Flags México
Six Flags México is an amusement park owned by Six Flags Inc. and the only Six Flags park operating in Latin America. It is located in the Tlalpan forest and borough, on the southern edge of Mexico City, Mexico. Six Flags México has become one of the most important theme parks in Mexico and the...
.
In 2001, Six Flags acquired the former SeaWorld Ohio from Anheuser-Busch, merged it with the adjacent Six Flags Ohio and re-branded the park again, this time into Six Flags Worlds of Adventure. The park was positioned to compete against northern Ohio's more famous amusement park, Cedar Point
Cedar Point
Cedar Point is a 364 acre amusement park located in Sandusky, Ohio, United States on a narrow peninsula jutting into Lake Erie. Cedar Point is the only amusement park with four roller coasters that are taller than...
.
Asset sales and shareholder revolt
In 2004, Six Flags began to close and sell properties in an effort to help alleviate the company's growing debt. On March 10, Six Flags sold its European parks, with the exception of the Movie World park in Madrid, Spain, to Star Parks Group. The Madrid park was sold back to Time Warner and renamed "Parque Warner MadridParque Warner Madrid
Parque Warner Madrid is a theme park located 25 km southeast of Madrid, Spain, in the municipality of San Martín de la Vega...
". In April that year, Six Flags determined that the investment required to keep Worlds of Adventure
Geauga Lake's Wildwater Kingdom
Wildwater Kingdom is a waterpark located in Aurora, Ohio, United States, originally founded in 1888 as Geauga Lake.Geauga Lake had operated primarily as an amusement park...
competitive with Cedar Point
Cedar Point
Cedar Point is a 364 acre amusement park located in Sandusky, Ohio, United States on a narrow peninsula jutting into Lake Erie. Cedar Point is the only amusement park with four roller coasters that are taller than...
would be too great, and thus the company sold the park to Cedar Fair, the owner of Cedar Point. These sales raised $345 million in an effort to relieve Six Flags' massive debt.
In 2005, Six Flags endured even more turmoil. Some of the company's largest investors, notably Bill Gates
Bill Gates
William Henry "Bill" Gates III is an American business magnate, investor, philanthropist, and author. Gates is the former CEO and current chairman of Microsoft, the software company he founded with Paul Allen...
's Cascade Investments (which owned about 11% of Six Flags at the time) and Daniel Snyder
Daniel Snyder
Daniel M. Snyder is the current owner of the Washington Redskins American football team, owner of the Dick Clark Productions television production company, and primary investor in Red Zebra Broadcasting, which is home to the Redskins Radio Network. Snyder has a net worth of $1.05 billion...
's Red Zone, LLC (which owned 12%), demanded change. Indeed, on August 17, 2005, Red Zone began a proxy battle
Proxy fight
A proxy fight or proxy battle is an event that may occur when a corporation's stockholders develop opposition to some aspect of the corporate governance, often focusing on directorial and management positions. Corporate activists may attempt to persuade shareholders to use their proxy votes A proxy...
to gain control of Six Flags' board of directors. Later that month, Six Flags New Orleans
Six Flags New Orleans
Six Flags New Orleans was an amusement park in New Orleans, Louisiana, which has been closed after Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005.The park was located in Eastern New Orleans, in the Ninth Ward of the city off Interstate 510...
was severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
.
On September 12, 2005, Six Flags Chief Executive Officer Kieran Burke announced that Six Flags Astroworld
Six Flags Astroworld
AstroWorld was a seasonally operated theme park located on approximately of land between Kirby Drive and Fannin Avenue, directly south of Loop 610 in Houston, Texas, USA...
would be closed and demolished at the end of the 2005 season. The company cited issues such as the park's performance, and parking issues involving the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
football team, Reliant Stadium
Reliant Stadium
Reliant Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in Houston, Texas, USA. Reliant Stadium has a seating capacity of 71,500, a total square footage of with of natural grass playing surface....
, and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, also called RodeoHouston, is the world's largest live entertainment and livestock exhibition. It also includes the richest regular-season rodeo event. It has been held at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas, since 2003...
, leveraged with the estimated value of the property upon which the park was located. Company executives were expecting to receive upwards of $150 million for the real estate, but ended up receiving $77 million when the bare property (which cost $20 million to clear) was sold to a development corporation in 2006.
On November 22, 2005, Red Zone announced it had gained control of the board. Kieran Burke was removed on December 14, 2005 and replaced by Mark Shapiro, former Executive Vice President of Programming at ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
. Six Flags then named former Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
Jack Kemp
Jack Kemp
Jack French Kemp was an American politician and a collegiate and professional football player. A Republican, he served as Housing Secretary in the administration of President George H. W. Bush from 1989 to 1993, having previously served nine terms as a congressman for Western New York's 31st...
, entertainment mogul Harvey Weinstein
Harvey Weinstein
Harvey Weinstein, CBE is an American film producer and movie studio chairman. He is best known as co-founder of Miramax Films. He and his brother Bob have been co-chairmen of The Weinstein Company, their film production company, since 2005...
, and Michael Kassan, the former president of the Interpublic Group of Companies Incorporated, to their newly revamped board of directors.
Even with the new management team, the sell-off would continue into 2006. On January 27, Six Flags announced the sale of the Frontier City
Frontier City
Frontier City is a western-themed amusement park in Oklahoma City's Adventure District. It is currently owned by CNL Lifestyle Properties and operated by former Six Flags executives Kieran Burke and Gary Story. The park is the subject of the song "Frontier City" by the Nashville band Kings of...
theme park and White Water Bay
White Water Bay
White Water Bay is a water park in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma built in 1981. Originally built by the Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation, White Water Bay was picked up by Premier Parks in 1991 and its name was changed from White Water to White Water Bay...
water park, both located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
, at the conclusion of the 2006 operating season. At the same time, Six Flags also announced its plan to close corporate offices in Oklahoma City, moving its headquarters to New York City. Six Flags CEO Mark Shapiro said he expected the parks to continue operation after the sale, a lesson the company learned after its public relations debacle with the closure of Astroworld.
In June 2006, Six Flags announced it was considering closing or selling up to six of its parks, including Elitch Gardens, Darien Lake, WaterWorld in Concord, California
Concord, California
Concord is the largest city in Contra Costa County, California, USA. At the 2010 census, the city had a population of 122,067. Originally founded in 1869 as the community of Todos Santos by Salvio Pacheco, the name was changed to Concord within months...
, Wild Waves and Enchanted Village in Federal Way, Washington
Federal Way, Washington
Federal Way is a city in King County, Washington, United States. Federal Way is located between Seattle and Tacoma. Its western boundary is Puget Sound. It is bordered by Des Moines on the north, Kent, unincorporated King County, and Milton on the east and Tacoma and Fife on the south...
, Splashtown
Six Flags Splashtown
SplashTown is a water park located north of Houston in the Spring CDP of unincorporated Harris County, Texas, United States.-History:In the early-1980s, the land that Splashtown now occupies was another theme park known as Hanna-Barbera Land. Splashtown purchased the land and converted it into a...
in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
and, most notably, Six Flags Magic Mountain
Six Flags Magic Mountain
Six Flags Magic Mountain is a theme park located in Valencia, California north of Los Angeles. It opened on Memorial Day weekend on May 30, 1971 as Magic Mountain, by the Newhall Land and Farming Company. In 1979, Six Flags purchased the park and added the name Six Flags to the park's title. In...
. In addition, Six Flags also announced the sale of Wyandot Lake
Wyandot Lake
Zoombezi Bay is a water park owned by the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium on Riverside Drive in Columbus, Ohio. The park opened on May 26, 2008, and currently has 11 water rides. The dry park, Jungle Jack's Landing also made its debut in the 2008 season...
in Powell, Ohio
Powell, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,247 people, 1,975 households, and 1,789 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,057.3 people per square mile . There were 2,032 housing units at an average density of 669.2 per square mile...
to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, which is located next to the park. Ultimately, Six Flags Magic Mountain was spared, with the remaining six parks sold on January 11, 2007 to PARC Management
PARC Management
PARC Management, LLC is an operations company based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. which operates various parks, attractions, recreation and entertainment venues throughout North America.-History:...
for $312 million, $275 million cash and a note for $37 million.
Bankruptcy
The company's cash flow had decreased by over 120 million dollars annually during the Shapiro years and in October 2008, Six Flags was warned its stock value had fallen below the required minimums to remain listed on the New York Stock ExchangeNew York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located at 11 Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City, USA. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies at 13.39 trillion as of Dec 2010...
. With the 2008-2009 global financial crisis weighing both on consumer spending and the ability to access credit facilities, Six Flags was believed to be unable to make a payment to preferred stockholders due in August 2009. Management saw the business as a sound one, noting that attendance across the company's parks increased slightly in 2008 compared to 2007. Six Flags CEO Mark Shapiro said that the company's problem was the declining attendance and cash flow created by his new management initiatives . If not resolved, the company warned in its 2008 annual report that the situation might require a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, with Six Flags already retaining counsel should that occur. The company stated at the time that it expected business to continue as normal in the event of such a filing, although one analyst believed attendance at the company's parks would decrease by six percent, suggesting parents would be leery of letting their children ride a roller coaster operated by a bankrupt company. In April 2009, the New York Stock Exchange announced it would delist Six Flags' stock on April 20, a decision that the company did not intend to appeal. On June 1, 2009, Six Flags announced they would delay their $15 million debt payment further using a 30-day grace period. Less than two weeks later, on June 13, the firm filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection
Chapter 11, Title 11, United States Code
Chapter 11 is a chapter of the United States Bankruptcy Code, which permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Chapter 11 bankruptcy is available to every business, whether organized as a corporation or sole proprietorship, and to individuals, although it is most...
, but issued a statement that the parks would continue to operate normally while the company restructured. On August 21, 2009, Six Flags' Chapter 11 restructuring plan was announced in which lenders would control 92% of the company in exchange for cancelling $1.13 billion in debt. The approval of this plan is pending per the decision of the presiding U.S. Bankruptcy Judge.
One component of the restructuring was negotiating a new lease agreement with the Kentucky State Fair Board, which owned much of the land and attractions for Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom
Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom
Kentucky Kingdom is an amusement park located in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. The park is located on of land which includes a collection of 27 amusement rides and a water park named Splashwater Kingdom...
. Six Flags had asked to forgo rent payments for the remaining nine years of its current lease agreement in exchange for profit-sharing from the park's operations. When it appeared that the offer had been rejected, Six Flags announced in February 2010 that it would not re-open the park. However, the Kentucky State Fair Board stated at the time that they were still open to negotiating a revised lease agreement.
On April 28, 2010, the company's bondholders reached an agreement on a reorganization plan. Junior note holders, including hedge fund
Hedge fund
A hedge fund is a private pool of capital actively managed by an investment adviser. Hedge funds are only open for investment to a limited number of accredited or qualified investors who meet criteria set by regulators. These investors can be institutions, such as pension funds, university...
s Stark Investments and Pentwater Capital Management, assumed control of the company, while senior note holders were paid in cash. Despite objections from some parties who stood to gain nothing, the bankruptcy judge approved the plan on April 30, 2010. As part of the settlement, Chairman of the Board Dan Snyder was removed, while Chief Executive Officer Mark Shapiro briefly remained in his post.
Exit From Bankruptcy & Transition
Six Flags officially emerged from bankruptcy protection on May 3, 2010, and announced plans to issue new stock on the New York Stock Exchange. Amid suspected disagreements regarding the future of the company with the board, Shapiro left the company and Al Weber, Jr. was brought in as interim President and CEO. The company announced their corporate headquarters would move from New York City to Grand Prairie, TexasGrand Prairie, Texas
Grand Prairie is a city in Dallas, Ellis, and Tarrant counties in the U.S. state of Texas and is a part of the Mid-Cities region in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Grand Prairie is a suburb of both Dallas and Fort Worth and had a population of 175,396 at the 2010 census.- History :The city of...
.
Six Flags announced that Jim Reid-Anderson
Jim Reid-Anderson
Jim Reid-Anderson is the Chairman, President & CEO of Six Flags and was previously a healthcare adviser to both Apollo and the managing board of Siemens AG, a worldwide manufacturer and supplier of electronics and electrical engineering in the industrial, energy and healthcare sectors.-Personal:He...
would replace Weber and become Chairman, President and CEO on August 13, 2010.
Marketing efforts
Initially, Six Flags parks would prepare separate marketing campaigns for each park, sometimes with special themes (like the 25th anniversary of Six Flags Great AmericaSix Flags Great America
Six Flags Great America is a Six Flags theme park in the Chicago metropolitan area, located in Gurnee, Illinois. It first opened in 1976 as Marriott's Great America. Six Flags purchased the park from the Marriott Corporation in 1984, making it the seventh park in the chain...
and the 35th anniversary of Six Flags Over Georgia in 2002). In 2004, Six Flags began a series of commercials linking all of the parks. The commercials were notable for a new mascot, "Mr. Six
Mr. Six
Mr. Six is an advertising character, first featured in a 2004–05 advertising campaign by the theme park chain Six Flags. Appearing as a bald, decrepit, wrinkled old man wearing a tuxedo and thick-framed glasses, he invites stressed and over-worked people to Six Flags by performing a frenetic dance...
", an apparently feeble old man in a tuxedo and red bow tie. In many of the commercials, Mr. Six would slowly exit a multi-colored bus, only to start frenetically dancing to the Vengaboys
Vengaboys
Vengaboys are a Eurodance pop group based in Amsterdam. The brainchild of two Dutch producers Wessel van Diepen and Dennis van den Driesschen , they enjoyed commercial success in the late 1990s. They are best known for their two UK number one singles, "Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!!" and "We're Going...
' "We Like to Party
We Like to Party
"We Like to Party" is a popular 1998 electronica dance song by Dutch music group Vengaboys. It is played in A-flat major. The song became their biggest hit in the United States, peaking at #26 in the Top 30 of the Billboard Hot 100 and selling 405,000 copies....
". The commercials were an immediate hit and Mr. Six almost instantly became the official mascot, although he was initially retired after the 2005 season. These ads have become widely parodied on the Internet, with faces from other Internet memes being superimposed over Mr. Six's face.
From 2008-2010, Six Flags' TV ads have a "Fun-O-Meter" in which the beginning of the ad may show something boring or embarrassing and a man's face judges it "One Flag!" or sometimes "Two Flags!" Then roller coasters and attractions of Six Flags are shown and says "Six Flags, More Flags, More Fun!" for Six Flags parks. However, the thick accent of the Asian man in the original commercials had drawn criticism for being an offensive caricature. In 2009, the Mr. Six character came back from retirement and replaced the Asian man in Six Flags' ads, still using the Fun-O-Meter. Since 2011, Six Flags' TV ads got a brand-new slogan "Go Big! Go Six Flags!" for its current Six Flags theme parks.
Six Flags has licensed its name and its theme park creations to other companies, who have used these assets to create licensed products. One such example is the theme park simulation game Roller Coaster Tycoon 2, which featured recreations of Six Flags parks and rides that could be expanded and operated at the player's discretion. Six Flags has also partnered with Brash Entertainment to create a video game called Six Flags Fun Park. It allows the player to explore the themed areas and mini-games representative of a visit to a Six Flags park. In the game, players are tasked with quests that encourage them to explore the park's universe. After creating a unique custom character, Six Flags Fun Park patrons can win prizes, and compete with other players in 40 mini-games. Although the video game is called Six Flags Fun Park, it lacks any major reference of Six Flags. This caused some to speculate that the video game was created then the rights to the name of the game were sold as a way to pay for the game's development.
In recent years, Six Flags has created strategic partnerships with other companies who would feature their products inside the parks. On March 30, 2006, Six Flags announced that it will sell no other pizza besides Papa John's
Papa John's Pizza
Papa John's Pizza is the third largest take-out and delivery pizza restaurant chain in the United States, behind Pizza Hut and Domino's Pizza. It is based in Louisville, Kentucky. Papa John's slogan is "Better Ingredients. Better pizza. Papa John's"...
at its parks. In turn, Six Flags will receive an annual sponsorship and promotional opportunities from Papa John's, though financial details of the deal have not been disclosed. Other recent partners have included Cold Stone Creamery
Cold Stone Creamery
Cold Stone Creamery is an American-based ice cream parlor chain. The company, based in Scottsdale, Arizona, is owned and operated by Kahala Franchising, L.L.C. The company's main product is premium ice cream, or ice cream made with approximately 12-14% butterfat, that is made on location and...
, Johnny Rockets
Johnny Rockets
Johnny Rockets is an American restaurant franchise whose concept is to create a classic American restaurant atmosphere. The theme is the diner-style restaurant that had become a common sight by the 1950s...
, Tyson Foods
Tyson Foods
Tyson Foods, Inc. is a multinational corporation based in Springdale, Arkansas, that operates in the food industry. The company is the world's second largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef, and pork only behind Brazilian JBS S.A., and annually exports the largest percentage of beef out of...
(chicken), Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
, and Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
, which added testing stations in several parks to show off its Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
console.
In late 2010, Six Flags began the process of removing licensed theming from attractions. They terminated licenses with Thomas the Tank Engine
Thomas the Tank Engine
Thomas the Tank Engine is a fictional steam locomotive in The Railway Series books by the Reverend Wilbert Awdry and his son, Christopher. He became the most popular character in the series, and the accompanying television spin-off series, Thomas and Friends.Thomas is a tank engine, painted blue...
, The Wiggles
The Wiggles
The Wiggles are a children's group formed in Sydney, Australia in 1991. Their original members were Anthony Field, Phillip Wilcher, Murray Cook, Greg Page, and Jeff Fatt. Wilcher left the group after their first album...
, Tony Hawk
Tony Hawk
Anthony Frank "Tony" Hawk , nicknamed "The Birdman" is an American retired professional skateboarder and actor. Hawk gained significant fame for completing the first 900 as well as his licensed video game titles distributed by Activision...
, Evel Knievel
Evel Knievel
Evel Knievel , born Robert Craig Knievel, was an American daredevil and entertainer. In his career he attempted over 75 ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps between 1965 and 1980, and in 1974, a failed jump across Snake River Canyon in the Skycycle X-2, a steam-powered rocket...
, and Terminator
Terminator (franchise)
The Terminator series is a science fiction franchise encompassing a series of films and other media concerning battles between Skynet's artificially intelligent machine network, and John Connor's Resistance forces and the rest of the human race....
.
Other assets
On June 19, 2007, Six Flags announced it had purchased 40% of Dick Clark ProductionsDick Clark Productions
Dick Clark Productions is an entertainment production company founded by entertainer Dick Clark...
, which owns rights to American Bandstand
American Bandstand
American Bandstand is an American music-performance show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989 and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as producer...
and other shows and productions.
Current properties
These properties are listed in the order they joined their respective chain, either by construction or by acquisition.| Name | Location | Year Opened | Year Acquired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Six Flags Over Texas Six Flags Over Texas Six Flags Over Texas is a major amusement park located in Arlington, Texas , east of Fort Worth and about west of Dallas. It is the oldest park of the Six Flags chain. The park opened on August 5, 1961 following just a year of construction and an initial investment of US$10 million by real estate... |
Arlington, Texas Arlington, Texas Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. According to the 2010 census results, the city had a population of 365,438, making it the third largest municipality in the Metroplex... |
1961 | N/A | The first Six Flags park. The park is owned by a limited partnership Limited partnership A limited partnership is a form of partnership similar to a general partnership, except that in addition to one or more general partners , there are one or more limited partners . It is a partnership in which only one partner is required to be a general partner.The GPs are, in all major respects,... and is managed by Six Flags. |
| Six Flags Over Georgia Six Flags Over Georgia Six Flags Over Georgia is a theme park located west of Atlanta, in unincorporated Cobb County. Opened in 1967, it is the second park in the Six Flags chain, after the original opening in 1961 in Texas.... |
Austell, Georgia Austell, Georgia Austell is a city in Cobb County in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 6,581.-History:Austell used to be known as Salt Springs, and was frequented by hunters who would trap and hunt game on their way to the salt licks. Some enterprising hunters claimed... |
1967 | N/A | Like Six Flags Over Texas, the park is owned by a limited partnership and is managed by Six Flags. |
| Six Flags St. Louis Six Flags St. Louis Six Flags St. Louis , is an amusement park owned by Six Flags, Inc. It is located in Eureka, Missouri, USA . Opened in 1971 as the third theme park of the Six Flags chain, this was the last park that was built under the Six Flags name... |
Eureka, Missouri Eureka, Missouri Eureka is a city located in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States, between St. Louis and Pacific, Missouri, along Interstate 44. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 10,189. The city is west of the former site of Times Beach, the site of dioxin contamination discovered in... |
1971 | N/A | Last full theme park opened new under Six Flags. Originally opened as Six Flags Over Mid-America (name changed in 1996). Accompanied by Six Flags Hurricane Harbor opened in 1999. |
| Six Flags Great Adventure Six Flags Great Adventure Six Flags Great Adventure is a theme park in Jackson Township, New Jersey, owned by Six Flags Entertainment Corp., the world's largest amusement park corporation... |
Jackson, New Jersey | 1974 | 1977 | Accompanied by Six Flags Wild Safari Six Flags Wild Safari Six Flags Wild Safari is a drive-through safari located in Jackson Township, New Jersey right next to Six Flags Great Adventure and Six Flags Hurricane Harbor. The park currently covers and the main road through the park is long... opened in 1974, and Six Flags Hurricane Harbor opened in 2000. |
| Six Flags Magic Mountain Six Flags Magic Mountain Six Flags Magic Mountain is a theme park located in Valencia, California north of Los Angeles. It opened on Memorial Day weekend on May 30, 1971 as Magic Mountain, by the Newhall Land and Farming Company. In 1979, Six Flags purchased the park and added the name Six Flags to the park's title. In... |
Valencia, California Valencia, California Valencia is an affluent planned community located in the City of Santa Clarita, California and Los Angeles County, California, U.S. in the northwestern corner of the Santa Clarita Valley, adjacent to Interstate 5. In 1987, it was one of the four unincorporated communities that merged to create the... |
1971 | 1979 | Accompanied by Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Six Flags Hurricane Harbor is the name of a chain of water parks that are part of the Six Flags amusement park chain. Although the parks are not identical, common features include a variety of body slides, speed slides, tube slides, wave pools, lazy rivers, and shopping areas.In Prince George's... opened in 1995. |
| Six Flags Great America Six Flags Great America Six Flags Great America is a Six Flags theme park in the Chicago metropolitan area, located in Gurnee, Illinois. It first opened in 1976 as Marriott's Great America. Six Flags purchased the park from the Marriott Corporation in 1984, making it the seventh park in the chain... |
Gurnee, Illinois Gurnee, Illinois Gurnee is a village in Lake County, Illinois, United States. The population was 28,834 at the 2000 census, and estimated to be 30,772 in 2005. The village borders the city of Waukegan and is considered a part of the Chicago metropolitan area. Gurnee is perhaps best known for being the location of... |
1976 | 1984 | Originally opened as Marriott's Great America. Accompanied by Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Six Flags Hurricane Harbor is the name of a chain of water parks that are part of the Six Flags amusement park chain. Although the parks are not identical, common features include a variety of body slides, speed slides, tube slides, wave pools, lazy rivers, and shopping areas.In Prince George's... opened in 2005. |
| Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Six Flags Hurricane Harbor is the name of a chain of water parks that are part of the Six Flags amusement park chain. Although the parks are not identical, common features include a variety of body slides, speed slides, tube slides, wave pools, lazy rivers, and shopping areas.In Prince George's... |
Valencia, California Valencia, California Valencia is an affluent planned community located in the City of Santa Clarita, California and Los Angeles County, California, U.S. in the northwestern corner of the Santa Clarita Valley, adjacent to Interstate 5. In 1987, it was one of the four unincorporated communities that merged to create the... |
1995 | N/A | Separately gated waterpark accompanying Six Flags Magic Mountain Six Flags Magic Mountain Six Flags Magic Mountain is a theme park located in Valencia, California north of Los Angeles. It opened on Memorial Day weekend on May 30, 1971 as Magic Mountain, by the Newhall Land and Farming Company. In 1979, Six Flags purchased the park and added the name Six Flags to the park's title. In... . |
| Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Six Flags Hurricane Harbor is the name of a chain of water parks that are part of the Six Flags amusement park chain. Although the parks are not identical, common features include a variety of body slides, speed slides, tube slides, wave pools, lazy rivers, and shopping areas.In Prince George's... |
Arlington, Texas Arlington, Texas Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. According to the 2010 census results, the city had a population of 365,438, making it the third largest municipality in the Metroplex... |
1983 | 1995 | Originally opened as Wet 'n Wild Wet 'n Wild Wet 'n Wild is a chain of United States water parks founded by Seaworld creator George Millay in Orlando, Florida in 1977. The Wet 'n Wild name is currently branded onto two water parks owned by different companies: Wet 'n Wild Orlando, operated by Universal Parks & Resorts under the Wet 'n Wild... . Separately gated waterpark accompanying Six Flags Over Texas Six Flags Over Texas Six Flags Over Texas is a major amusement park located in Arlington, Texas , east of Fort Worth and about west of Dallas. It is the oldest park of the Six Flags chain. The park opened on August 5, 1961 following just a year of construction and an initial investment of US$10 million by real estate... . |
| Six Flags Fiesta Texas Six Flags Fiesta Texas Six Flags Fiesta Texas is a seasonally operated theme park located on approximately of land in San Antonio, Texas.Six Flags Fiesta Texas is the major entertainment component of USAA's La Cantera, a 1,600 acre master-planned development in northwest San Antonio... |
San Antonio, Texas San Antonio, Texas San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,... |
1992 | 1996 | Originally owned by Gaylord Entertainment. Includes White Water Bay inside park. |
| Six Flags America Six Flags America Six Flags America is a family theme park and water park located in Mitchellville, Prince George's County, Maryland. It is situated east of Washington D.C. and southwest of Baltimore. The park covers , 131 of which is currently used for park operations... |
Largo, Maryland Largo, Maryland Largo is an unincorporated area and census designated place in Prince George's County, Maryland, in the United States. The population was 8,408 at the 2000 census.... |
1973 | 1992 † | Originally opened as The Largo Wildlife Preserve in 1973. Park became Wild World in 1982. Later the park was renamed Adventure World. It was re-branded in 1999. Includes Six Flags Hurricane Harbor water park, which took on that name in 2005. |
| The Great Escape & Splashwater Kingdom The Great Escape & Splashwater Kingdom The Great Escape & Splashwater Kingdom is an amusement and waterpark located in Queensbury, New York. It is advertised as being located in Lake George, New York... |
Queensbury, New York Queensbury, New York Queensbury is a town in and the county seat of Warren County, New York, United States. The town is located in the southeastern part of the county. The population was 25,441 at the 2000 census. The town is named in honor of Queen Charlotte, the consort of George III of Great Britain and Ireland. It... |
1954 | 1996 † | Splashwater Kingdom was added in 1995. The company added a hotel, the Great Escape Lodge and White Water Bay, an indoor water park, in 2006. |
| Six Flags Discovery Kingdom Six Flags Discovery Kingdom Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, formerly Six Flags Marine World, Marine World, The New Marine World Theme Park, and Marine World Africa USA, is an animal theme park located in Vallejo, California. The park includes a variety of roller coasters and other amusement rides, along with a collection of... |
Vallejo, California Vallejo, California Vallejo is the largest city in Solano County, California, United States. The population was 115,942 at the 2010 census. It is located in the San Francisco Bay Area on the northeastern shore of San Pablo Bay... |
1968 | 1997 † | Originally opened as Marine World Africa USA. Initially re-branded as Six Flags Marine World, it received its current name in 2007. |
| Six Flags New England Six Flags New England Six Flags New England , formerly Riverside Amusement Park, is a Six Flags theme park, named for the New England region, in which it is located. Located off of Massachusetts State Route 159, Six Flags New England is located less than from the major City of Springfield, Massachusetts, in the nearby... |
Agawam, Massachusetts Agawam, Massachusetts The Town of Agawam is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 28,438 at the 2010 census. Agawam sits on the western side of the Connecticut River, directly across from the City of Springfield, Massachusetts... |
1840 | 1997 † | The park was re-branded in 2000. Includes Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Water park, which was added in 1998. |
| Six Flags White Water Six Flags White Water Six Flags White Water is a water park located northwest of Atlanta, in unincorporated Cobb County. Originally opening in 1984 as White Water Atlanta, the park became part of the Six Flags family of parks in 1999... |
Marietta, Georgia Marietta, Georgia Marietta is a city located in central Cobb County, Georgia, United States, and is its county seat.As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 56,579, making it one of metro Atlanta's largest suburbs... |
1983 | 1999 | Park is located across town from Six Flags Over Georgia. The same limited partnership owns all the properties in the Atlanta market. |
| Six Flags Mexico Six Flags México Six Flags México is an amusement park owned by Six Flags Inc. and the only Six Flags park operating in Latin America. It is located in the Tlalpan forest and borough, on the southern edge of Mexico City, Mexico. Six Flags México has become one of the most important theme parks in Mexico and the... |
Mexico City Mexico City Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole... , Mexico Mexico The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of... |
1982 | 1999 | Originally opened as Reino Aventura, the park was re-branded in 2000. |
| Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Six Flags Hurricane Harbor is the name of a chain of water parks that are part of the Six Flags amusement park chain. Although the parks are not identical, common features include a variety of body slides, speed slides, tube slides, wave pools, lazy rivers, and shopping areas.In Prince George's... |
Jackson, New Jersey | 2000 | N/A | Located adjacent to Six Flags Great Adventure and wild safari, requires separate admission. |
| La Ronde La Ronde (amusement park) La Ronde is an amusement park in Montreal, owned and operated by Six Flags. It is the largest in the province of Quebec and the second largest in Canada after Canada's Wonderland, with about 2.5 million guests in 2006... |
Montreal, Quebec | 1967 | 2001 | Opened as the midway for Expo '67. |
| Note: Properties marked with a † were owned by Premier Parks prior to their purchase of Six Flags in 1998. | ||||
Former properties
These properties are listed in alphabetical order by the final name of the park while under Six Flags control.| Park | Location | Year Opened | Year Closed/Sold | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Adventures | Marietta, Georgia Marietta, Georgia Marietta is a city located in central Cobb County, Georgia, United States, and is its county seat.As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 56,579, making it one of metro Atlanta's largest suburbs... |
1990 | 2008 | This park is located adjacent to Six Flags White Water, and is marketed to families with young children. It was acquired by Zuma Holdings in May 2008. |
| Bellewaerde Bellewaerde Bellewaerde is a theme park in the West-Flemish countryside near Ypres . Established in 1954 on grounds that were the location of the Battle of Bellewaerde during World War I, named after the old castle that to this day stands near the main entrance of the park. Bellewaerde is the oldest operating... |
Ypres Ypres Ypres is a Belgian municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Ypres and the villages of Boezinge, Brielen, Dikkebus, Elverdinge, Hollebeke, Sint-Jan, Vlamertinge, Voormezele, Zillebeke, and Zuidschote... , Belgium Belgium Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many... |
1954 | 2004 | This park was acquired in 1998. The property was sold and remains in operation under new management. |
| Frontier City Frontier City Frontier City is a western-themed amusement park in Oklahoma City's Adventure District. It is currently owned by CNL Lifestyle Properties and operated by former Six Flags executives Kieran Burke and Gary Story. The park is the subject of the song "Frontier City" by the Nashville band Kings of... |
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma... |
1958 | 2007 | This park was owned by Premier Parks when it purchased the Six Flags chain. It was sold to PARC Management PARC Management PARC Management, LLC is an operations company based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. which operates various parks, attractions, recreation and entertainment venues throughout North America.-History:... in the 2007 property sell-off. |
| Movieland Wax Museum Movieland Wax Museum Movieland Wax Museum, with over 300 wax figures in 150 sets, was the largest wax museum in the United States. Located in Buena Park, California, it was one of the most popular wax museums in United States for decades... |
Buena Park, California Buena Park, California Buena Park is a city in northwestern Orange County, California. As of Census 2010 the population was 80,530. The city is adjacent to the city of Anaheim and is 12 miles northwest of downtown Santa Ana. The Current OMB metropolitan designation for Buena Park and the Orange County Area is "Santa... |
1962 | 1985 | Purchased in 1970, this wax museum Wax museum A wax museum or waxworks consists of a collection of wax sculptures representing famous people from history and contemporary personalities exhibited in lifelike poses.... sold all of its holdings and moved many of the sets and wax figures to California, but sold the original clothing and props to the American Musical Academy of Arts Association. It was eventually closed in 2005. |
| Six Flags Astroworld Six Flags Astroworld AstroWorld was a seasonally operated theme park located on approximately of land between Kirby Drive and Fannin Avenue, directly south of Loop 610 in Houston, Texas, USA... |
Houston, Texas Houston, Texas Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ... |
1968 | 2005 | Astroworld was acquired in 1974. Park was sold and demolished in 2006 for other development. |
| Six Flags Atlantis Six Flags Atlantis Six Flags Atlantis was a Six Flags water park in Hollywood, Florida, that occupied several acres on the southeastern intersection of Stirling Road and I-95.... |
Hollywood, Florida Hollywood, Florida -Demographics:As of 2000, there were 59,673 households out of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.5% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.2% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of... |
1982 | 1989 | This water park was acquired in 1984. Property was sold, but was eventually demolished in 1994. |
| Six Flags AutoWorld AutoWorld AutoWorld was an indoor theme park in Flint, Michigan, USA, built to make the town attractive to tourists. The theme park opened in July 1984 and closed during its first year... |
Flint, Michigan Flint, Michigan Flint is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the 2010 population to be placed at 102,434, making Flint the seventh largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Genesee County which lies in the... |
1984 | 1985 | This indoor entertainment venue was eventually closed and the facility demolished. |
| Six Flags Belgium Walibi Belgium Walibi Belgium, formerly Walibi Wavre and then Six Flags Belgium, is a Belgian theme park located in Wavre, close to Brussels. During the 1998 to 2004 period, it was owned by Six Flags, Inc, an American theme park operator. It was later sold to Palamon Capital Partners... |
Wavre Wavre Wavre is a town and municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant, of which it is the capital.Wavre is located in the Dyle valley. Most of its inhabitants speak French as mother tongue and are called "Wavriens" and "Wavriennes"... , Belgium Belgium Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many... |
1975 | 2004 | The Walibi properties were purchased in 1998. The park remains open today under new management. |
| Six Flags Darien Lake | Corfu, New York Corfu, New York Corfu is a village in Genesee County, New York, United States. The population was 795 at the 2000 census. It is named after the Island of Corfu.... |
1964 | 2007 | This park was purchased by Premier Parks in 1995. It was sold to PARC Management PARC Management PARC Management, LLC is an operations company based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. which operates various parks, attractions, recreation and entertainment venues throughout North America.-History:... in the 2007 property sell-off. |
| Six Flags Elitch Gardens | Denver, Colorado Denver, Colorado The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains... |
1890 | 2007 | This park was owned by Premier Parks when it purchased the Six Flags chain. It was sold to PARC Management PARC Management PARC Management, LLC is an operations company based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. which operates various parks, attractions, recreation and entertainment venues throughout North America.-History:... in the 2007 property sell-off. |
| Six Flags Holland | Biddinghuizen, Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... |
1971 | 2004 | Like the other Walibi properties, the former Walibi Flevo was purchased in 1998. It remains open today under new management. |
| Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom Kentucky Kingdom is an amusement park located in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. The park is located on of land which includes a collection of 27 amusement rides and a water park named Splashwater Kingdom... |
Louisville, Kentucky Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
1987 | 2010 | Initially built by local investors. This park includes Six Flags Splashwater Kingdom water park, which opened in 1992. In February 2010, Six Flags announced it would close the park due to a dispute with the Kentucky State Fair Board Kentucky State Fair The Kentucky State Fair is the official state fair of Kentucky which takes place at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville. More than 600,000 fairgoers fill the of indoor and outdoor exhibits, eat a smorgasbord of food and ride hair-raising, adrenaline-pumping coasters during the 11-day event... , from which Six Flags leased much of the park's land area and attractions. |
| Six Flags New Orleans Six Flags New Orleans Six Flags New Orleans was an amusement park in New Orleans, Louisiana, which has been closed after Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005.The park was located in Eastern New Orleans, in the Ninth Ward of the city off Interstate 510... |
New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population... |
2000 | 2005 | Originally opened as Jazzland, this park was re-branded in 2003. It was closed after severe damage from Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall... in 2005. The city of New Orleans sued Six Flags in 2009 for not making progress to re-open and for not making required lease payments; ultimately, the site was turned over to the city along with a cash payment. In 2011, the city made plans to auction the site and all remaining rides and equipment. |
| Six Flags Power Plant Pratt Street Power Plant Pratt Street Power Plant, also known as the Pier Four Power Plant, The Power Plant, or Pratt Street Station, is a historic power plant located in Baltimore, Maryland, United States... |
Baltimore, Maryland | 1985 | 1989 | Located in the Inner Harbor Inner Harbor The Inner Harbor is a historic seaport, tourist attraction, and iconic landmark of the City of Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Described by the Urban Land Institute in 2009 as “the model for post-industrial waterfront redevelopment around the World.” The Inner Harbor is actually the end of the... district of Baltimore, the site of this indoor amusement park has been redeveloped with Hard Rock Cafe Hard Rock Cafe Hard Rock Cafe is a chain of theme restaurants founded in 1971 by Americans Peter Morton & Isaac Tigrett. In 1979, the cafe began covering its walls with rock and roll memorabilia, a tradition which expanded to others in the chain. In 2006, Hard Rock was sold to the Seminole Tribe of Florida, and... , Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble, Inc. is the largest book retailer in the United States, operating mainly through its Barnes & Noble Booksellers chain of bookstores headquartered at 122 Fifth Avenue in the Flatiron District in Manhattan in New York City. Barnes & Noble also operated the chain of small B. Dalton... , Gold's Gym Gold's Gym Gold's Gym International, Inc. is an international chain of co-ed fitness centers originally started in California by Joe Gold. Each gym features a wide array of exercise equipment, group exercise classes and personal trainers to assist clients... (closed 2010), and the world's first ESPN Zone ESPN Zone ESPN Zone is a Southern California-based chain of two sports-themed restaurants that include arcades, TV studios, and radio studios that are currently franchised, but formally owned by the American cable network ESPN. The first ESPN Zone opened in Baltimore, Maryland, on July 11, 1998, in the Power... location (closed 2010). This was Six Flags' second attempt at an indoor amusement park after the ill-fated AutoWorld. It was a little more successful, but it too closed down eventually. |
| Six Flags SplashTown | Houston, Texas Houston, Texas Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ... |
1984 | 2007 | This water park was sold to PARC Management PARC Management PARC Management, LLC is an operations company based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. which operates various parks, attractions, recreation and entertainment venues throughout North America.-History:... in the 2007 property sell-off. |
| Six Flags Stars Hall of Fame | Orlando, Florida Orlando, Florida Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States... |
1975 | 1984 | This wax museum was located near SeaWorld Orlando SeaWorld Orlando SeaWorld Orlando is a theme park, and marine-life based zoological park, near Orlando, Florida. It is owned and operated by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, a subsidiary of The Blackstone Group... . Like SeaWorld, it was acquired by Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, but it was closed almost immediately after the sale. |
| Six Flags Waterworld | Concord, California Concord, California Concord is the largest city in Contra Costa County, California, USA. At the 2010 census, the city had a population of 122,067. Originally founded in 1869 as the community of Todos Santos by Salvio Pacheco, the name was changed to Concord within months... |
1995 | 2007 | This water park was acquired by Premier Parks prior to its purchase of Six Flags. It was sold to PARC Management PARC Management PARC Management, LLC is an operations company based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. which operates various parks, attractions, recreation and entertainment venues throughout North America.-History:... in the 2007 property sell-off. |
| Six Flags Waterworld | Houston, Texas Houston, Texas Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ... |
1983 | 2005 | This water park was adjacent to Six Flags Astroworld. Park was sold and demolished for other development. |
| Six Flags Waterworld | Sacramento, California Sacramento, California Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,... |
1986 | 2007 | This water park was acquired by Premier Parks prior to its purchase of Six Flags. Six Flags announced that they would not renew the parks lease with Cal Expo at the end of the 2006 season. Raging Waters Raging Waters Raging Waters is the name of three water theme parks located in Sacramento, San Dimas, and San Jose, California. They are the largest water parks in the state of California. The three parks are owned by Palace Entertainment but each contains different attractions... took over operation prior to the 2007 season. |
| Six Flags Worlds of Adventure Geauga Lake & Wildwater Kingdom Wildwater Kingdom is a waterpark located in Aurora, Ohio, United States, originally founded in 1888 as Geauga Lake.Geauga Lake had operated primarily as an amusement park... |
Aurora, Ohio | 1887 | 2004 | Geauga Lake park was purchased by Premier Parks in 1995 prior to its purchase of the entire Six Flags chain. Branded as Six Flags Ohio for its opening season, it was then renamed Six Flags Worlds of Adventure when Six Flags annexed the adjacent SeaWorld of Ohio marine park in 2001. After a few years, the entire property was sold to competing amusement park operator Cedar Fair. |
| Warner Bros. Movie World Germany Movie Park Germany thumb|Movie Park Germanythumb|[[Bermuda Triangle]] - Alien Encounterthumb|The Old Westthumb|[[Hollywood]] FilmmuseumThe Movie Park Germany is a theme park with real movie studios in Bottrop-Kirchhellen. It consists of 6 areas based on the topic "fascination film".The park was opened in June 1996 as... |
Bottrop, Germany | 1967 | 2004 | This park was purchased in 1998. It was sold, with most of the other European parks, in the same transaction in 2004. |
| Warner Bros. Park Madrid Parque Warner Madrid Parque Warner Madrid is a theme park located 25 km southeast of Madrid, Spain, in the municipality of San Martín de la Vega... |
Madrid, Spain | 2001 | 2004 | This park was built in a joint venture, to be managed by Six Flags. It was sold back to Warner Bros. apart from the other European Six Flags parks. |
| Walibi Aquitaine | Bordeaux, France | 1992 | 2004 | The Walibi properties were purchased in 1998. The park remains open today under new management. |
| Walibi Lorraine | Metz, France | 1989 | 2004 | The Walibi properties were purchased in 1998. The park remains open today under new management. |
| Walibi Rhône-Alpes | Lyon, France | 1979 | 2004 | The Walibi properties were purchased in 1998. The park remains open today under new management. |
| White Water Bay White Water Bay White Water Bay is a water park in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma built in 1981. Originally built by the Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation, White Water Bay was picked up by Premier Parks in 1991 and its name was changed from White Water to White Water Bay... |
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma... |
1981 | 2007 | This water park was sold to PARC Management PARC Management PARC Management, LLC is an operations company based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. which operates various parks, attractions, recreation and entertainment venues throughout North America.-History:... in the 2007 property sell-off. |
| Wild Waves and Enchanted Village | Federal Way, Washington Federal Way, Washington Federal Way is a city in King County, Washington, United States. Federal Way is located between Seattle and Tacoma. Its western boundary is Puget Sound. It is bordered by Des Moines on the north, Kent, unincorporated King County, and Milton on the east and Tacoma and Fife on the south... |
1977 | 2007 | This combination water park and amusement park was sold in 2007, and remains open to this day. |
| Wyandot Lake | Columbus, Ohio Columbus, Ohio Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city... |
1896 | 2006 | The property was sold to the adjacent Columbus Zoo Columbus Zoo The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is a non-profit zoo located in Powell, Ohio , just north of Columbus. The land lies along the eastern banks of the O'Shaughnessy Reservoir on the Scioto River, at the intersection of Riverside Drive and Powell Road... in 2006. The park reopened under zoo management on May 26, 2008 as Zoombezi Bay. |