Great America will permanently close its gates in Santa Clara following the 2027 operational season, according to an announcement from Six Flags Entertainment Corporation.
The theme park’s final day of operation is scheduled for Labor Day on September 6, 2027, Inside the Magic reported. The company plans to host a Farewell Season
beginning in March 2027 to honor the park’s history.
The park’s official statement noted that this final season will serve as an opportunity for generations of guests from the Bay Area to visit the attractions and traditions that made the Santa Clara location a meaningful part of the community. As guests gather for the final season, the park intends to celebrate its legacy through stories shared on its digital and social media channels.
Lease expiration drives closure
The decision to shut down the 50-year-old attraction follows the company’s choice not to extend a land lease that is set to expire in June 2028, CBS News reported.
The park’s current ownership group has been operating on borrowed time since 2022, when former owner Cedar Fair sold the 112-acre footprint beneath the park to the San Francisco-based logistics real estate company Prologis for approximately $310 million, Los Angeles Times reported.
The sale to Prologis represented a significant gain from when the previous owner purchased the land from the city’s redevelopment agency for $150 million three years earlier, The Derrick reported.
Under the agreement reached with Prologis, the theme park was permitted to remain on the site for up to 11 years. While the lease was set to end in mid-2028, it included an option to extend the term through mid-2033.
Legacy and local reaction
The park originally opened in 1976 as Great America to celebrate the United States bicentennial, Laughingplace reported.
Throughout its history, the park introduced several notable attractions. These include the 200-foot Sky Tower which debuted in 1979, the Grizzly wooden coaster in 1985, and the Top Gun coaster—now known as Flight Deck—in 1993.
Other significant rides include the 224-foot Intamin drop tower, originally named Drop Zone Stunt Tower, which opened on March 16, 1996, as the tallest of its kind in the world. The park also features Gold Striker, a wooden coaster manufactured by Great Coasters International (GCI) that debuted in 2013, and Railblazer, a single-rail coaster from Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) that opened in 2018.
Gold Striker, which is ranked among the top 20 wooden coasters globally by Amusement Today, faced challenges in 2013 when it received noise complaints from nearby businesses. The park also gained Hollywood recognition when it served as the fictional Wonderworld amusement park in the 1994 film Beverly Hills Cop III, featuring the park’s Triple Wheel attraction, which was portrayed as “The Spider.”
Dave Vosejpka, the park manager, addressed the emotional impact of the closure on the community.
For more than five decades, this Santa Clara theme park has brought people together, created family traditions and served as the backdrop for unforgettable memories.
Dave Vosejpka, park manager
KQED reported that Santa Clara Councilmember and Mayor-elect Karen Hardy said, I am beyond frustrated.
I’m a grandmother. I love to take my grandkids there and took my own kids there. And it is the only big park in the South Bay and Peninsula area, that’s it. This is the big amusement park. So of course we’re all frustrated.
Karen Hardy, Santa Clara Councilmember and Mayor-elect
Hardy also noted that during the 1980s, she lived near enough to the park to hear the bells and train whistles while at home, adding that when the gates finally close, she will need a Kleenex box.
Financial context and future assets
The closure comes as the parent company, Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, manages the aftermath of its merger with Cedar Fair. In a third-quarter earnings call, the corporation reported a net loss of $366 million on net revenues of $1.17 billion, KQED reported.
Signs of a potential shutdown had been visible in recent years. Last year, Great America canceled most of its seasonal Christmas and Halloween events, as well as much of its live entertainment.
The park's vice president and general manager, Barbara-Lea Granter, departed the company as Six Flags restructured to a regional operating model. This restructuring included the closure of a Six Flags park near Washington, D.C., and the sale of seven additional parks earlier this year.
While the park’s physical location will cease operations, the future of its rides and attractions remains undecided. SFGATE reported that Six Flags is considering options such as relocating equipment to other parks or selling attractions to different operators. However, no specific plan for the disposition of rides like RailBlazer or Gold Striker has been released.
Six Flags is currently promoting 2027 Gold and Prestige passes, which provide unlimited access to Great America during its final season along with admission to Discovery Kingdom. Moving forward, Discovery Kingdom will serve as the company’s primary destination for guests in Northern California.
Land and lease history
class=”wp-block-table”>
| Event | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Park Opening | 1976 | Opened as Great America |
| Land Purchase | 2019 | Cedar Fair purchased 112 acres from the city for approximately $150 million |
| Land Sale | 2022 | Cedar Fair sold land to Prologis for approximately $310 million |
| Lease Expiration | 2028 | Current land lease term ends in June |
Six Flags will maintain its Northern California presence through Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, Inside the Magic reported.