Six Flags America closed permanently on 2 November 2025 after 51 years in Bowie, Maryland. In April 2026 Six Flags sold the 515-acre site to Kevin Durant’s 35V and Atlanta developer TPA Group for an undisclosed sum. The project was still in planning in late September 2026.
Why Did Six Flags Close a Park That Was Still Open?
Six Flags decided the Maryland park had no place in its future. Announcing the closure on 1 May 2025, president and chief executive Richard Zimmerman said the park was “not a strategic fit with the company’s long-term growth plan.”
The decision came out of a portfolio review that followed the company’s 2024 merger with Cedar Fair, which created one of the largest amusement park operators in North America. Reporting at the time of the closure put the merged company’s debt at roughly $5 billion, and its own executives had placed the Maryland park very low in the chain on operating margins.
Six Flags said from the outset that it wanted the land rather than the park. The property was to be “marketed for redevelopment” as part of what the company called portfolio optimisation, and the commercial real estate firm CBRE was hired to find a buyer.
When Did Six Flags America Actually Close?
The last operating day was Sunday 2 November 2025. Hurricane Harbor, the water park sharing the site, closed for the season in early September 2025 and never reopened.
The property employed 70 full-time staff, all of whom Six Flags said were eligible for severance and benefits, plus several hundred seasonal workers. The park had run continuously since 1974 under five different names.
Who Owns the Former Six Flags America Site Now?
The land belongs to a joint venture between 35V and TPA Group. 35V is the investment firm co-founded by the NBA player Kevin Durant, who grew up in Prince George’s County, and his business partner Rich Kleiman; TPA Group is a private real estate developer based in Atlanta.
Six Flags announced the sale in April 2026 and did not disclose the price. The sale was reported as part of the company’s effort to pay down corporate debt.
What Is Planned for the 515 Acres?
The buyers have described a mixed-use district rather than a single building project. They have set out five pillars for the site, covering entertainment, education, health and wellness, housing and innovation, with retail, dining, sports facilities, trails and green space all raised as possibilities.
Roughly 80 acres cannot be built on at all. Adam Rashid of TPA Group told a public meeting that woodlands and wetlands rule out about that much of the property, though the firm might run walking trails through them.
Officials have described a phased build-out over roughly a decade. No anchor tenant, arena or replacement attraction has been confirmed, and nothing about the plan commits the site to entertainment use.
Where Does the Redevelopment Stand in September 2026?
It is still at the consultation stage. County Executive Aisha Braveboy hosted a town hall on 25 June 2026 at which the development team gave residents their first look at its thinking; more than 1,000 people took part, the venue needed an overflow room, and a public survey stayed open afterwards.
As of late September 2026 there is no approved site plan for the property and no announced construction start. The most recent verified reporting, from late August 2026, still described the plans as under development.
Why Conservation Groups Are Watching Belt Woods
The site’s boundary runs along one of the rarest forests on the United States east coast. Belt Woods Natural Environment Area covers 624 acres in Prince George’s County and has held National Natural Landmark status for more than 50 years, protecting one of the last old-growth stands on the Atlantic Coastal Plain.
The developers have not proposed building inside Belt Woods. Conservationists say that alone is not enough. Janet Gingold of the Prince George’s County Sierra Club has said “there needs to be a substantial buffer between any new development and the old-growth forest area,” and local naturalists have warned that bird populations could be displaced if the forest edge is left exposed.
No buffer width has been settled in any public document, because no site plan exists yet. That makes the forest boundary the most likely point of friction when a formal application does arrive.
Which Rides Survived the Closure?
Some of the smaller attractions were moved to other Six Flags parks; none of the roller coasters were. The Ragin’ Cajun coaster was dismantled in February 2026 and reopened at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey as Barrels O’ Fun on 8 July 2026.
Several flat rides went to the same New Jersey park under new names: the Flying Carousel became Wave Swinger, the French Quarter Flyers became Flying Scooters, and SteamWhirler became Hypno Twister.
Six Flags has never announced a fate for the larger coasters. The Wild One, a wooden coaster built in 1917 for Paragon Park in Massachusetts and rebuilt in Maryland in 1986, is the one enthusiasts have campaigned hardest to preserve, and no relocation for it has been confirmed. Firebird, Roar, Batwing, Joker’s Jinx and Superman: Ride of Steel are in the same position.
The Park Carried Five Names in 51 Years
Six Flags America spent more of its life under other brands than its own. It opened in 1974 as a drive-through animal attraction and only became a conventional amusement park in the 1980s.
| Name | Years |
|---|---|
| The Wildlife Preserve | 1974 to 1978 |
| Wild Country | 1978 to 1981 |
| Wild World | 1982 to 1992 |
| Adventure World | 1993 to 1998 |
| Six Flags America | 1999 to 2025 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Will Six Flags America Ever Reopen?
No. Six Flags sold the land in April 2026 and no longer controls it, and the buyers are planning housing, retail and entertainment rather than a theme park.
What Was the Final Day the Park Was Open?
Sunday 2 November 2025, which Six Flags had set as the closing date when it announced the decision six months earlier.
Where Was Six Flags America Located?
In Prince George’s County, Maryland, east of Washington, DC, with a Bowie mailing address. The property runs to 515 acres, of which about 131 acres were used for the park itself.
Is the Wild One Roller Coaster Being Saved?
Nothing has been confirmed. The 1917 wooden coaster was not among the rides moved to other Six Flags parks, and neither the company nor the new owners have announced a plan for it.
