$310 Million Land Deal Kills a 50-Year-Old Theme Park

A nine-figure Silicon Valley real estate transaction just placed an expiration date on a half-century of California amusement park history.

To finalize a corporate land exit, one major operator is pulling the plug on a Northern California institution.

Six Flags confirmed that California’s Great America will close its gates on September 6, 2027.

The Santa Clara amusement park will execute one final operating season before developers take over the 112-acre footprint.

Six Flags Sets Sept. 6, 2027, Shutdown for 1976 Santa Clara Park

Six Flags has confirmed that California’s Great America will permanently close after its 2027 operating season, ending more than 50 years of operations in Santa Clara.

The company announced that the upcoming season will be a Farewell Season, with the park scheduled to reopen in March 2027 and operate through Monday, September 6, Labor Day.

California’s Great America opened in 1976 as Marriott’s Great America and has welcomed tens of millions of visitors since. Its attractions include nine roller coasters, including Gold Striker, Flight Deck and RailBlazer, alongside family rides, the Planet Snoopy children’s area and South Bay Shores water park.

The farewell announcement ends years of uncertainty surrounding the attraction’s future. Santa Clara Councilmember and Mayor-elect Karen Hardy expressed frustration about the decision in an interview with KQED.

“I’m a grandmother. I love to take my grandkids there and took my own kids there,” Hardy said, describing the park as the South Bay and Peninsula area’s major amusement park.

2027 Gold and Prestige Passes Include Discovery Kingdom Access

Visitors will have one last season to experience the park’s rides, attractions and traditions.

Six Flags says its 2027 Gold and Prestige passes will include unlimited visits to California’s Great America throughout the farewell season.

Both pass categories will also provide access to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, allowing passholders to continue visiting another Northern California Six Flags destination after Great America’s closure.

The company has also confirmed that group outings, corporate events, student visits and youth group programs will continue throughout 2027.

Visitors can check the park’s official season pass page for available options. Additional information about daily operating schedules, special farewell activities and other arrangements will be released later.

Six Flags has indicated that guests should expect the usual park experience throughout the final season, although individual attractions remain subject to normal operating conditions.

2022 $310M Prologis Land Sale Ends 112-Acre Cedar Fair Lease

The closure stems from a property arrangement established several years ago.

In June 2022, California’s Great America’s former owner, Cedar Fair, sold the 112-acre property beneath the park to real estate company Prologis for $310 million.

Cedar Fair retained the right to operate the amusement park through a leaseback agreement. The original agreement provided a six-year lease, with an option for an additional five years, according to the company’s filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The current lease expires in June 2028. Following its 2024 merger with Cedar Fair, Six Flags decided not to renew the arrangement, bringing the park’s final operating season forward to 2027.

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This story was originally published by TravelHost on Nov 14, 2026, where it first appeared in the Theme Parks section. Add TravelHost as a Preferred Source by clicking here.