In a move that has left families stunned and local teens facing a summer without work, Six Flags announced it will permanently close its Maryland park, Six Flags America, and its water park, Hurricane Harbor, at the end of the 2025 season.
The decision is part of what Six Flags’ leadership calls a “strategic reshaping” of its portfolio — but to many, it feels more like corporate abandonment. CEO Richard A. Zimmerman delivered the news Thursday, saying the park “is not a strategic fit with the company’s long-term growth plan.” Translation? The historic park and its surrounding community no longer align with Six Flags’ profit margins.
Sitting on 500 acres just 19 miles from Washington, D.C., Six Flags America has been a family staple and economic lifeline for nearby Prince George’s County. The land will now be sold off for redevelopment — though the company offered no real insight into what that might look like or who might benefit.
“This was a difficult decision,” Zimmerman said, while offering boilerplate thanks to the park’s employees. The company plans to provide severance to 70 full-time workers. But hundreds of seasonal workers — many of them local high schoolers and college students — are now out of luck.
The park has a rich American story. Originally developed as a wildlife preserve by Ross Perot in the 1970s, it became an amusement park in 1992 and was eventually purchased by Six Flags in 1997. Since then, generations of families have made memories there — from thrill rides like Superman: Ride of Steel to water attractions like RipQurl Blaster.
Even the park’s coasters tell a story. The Wild One, originally built in 1912, is the third-oldest wooden roller coaster in the world. After surviving the closure of its original home in Massachusetts, it was transported and rebuilt at Six Flags America in the 1980s. That same spirit of American preservation now seems to be tossed aside for vague corporate “growth.”
Locals are rightfully upset.
“It is deeply disappointing to hear that Six Flags America, a long-standing fixture in our community, will be closing its doors,” said Councilmember Wala Belgay. “This amusement park has not only provided entertainment and memories for countless families, but it has also been a critical community partner.”
Council chair Edward Burroughs tried to put a positive spin on it, calling the closure a “real opportunity” for redevelopment. But others see it for what it is: another example of big corporations walking away from American communities they no longer find useful.
At a time when American families crave tradition, stability, and connection, the closure of Six Flags America is more than just the end of a theme park — it’s the latest reminder that when decisions are made in corporate boardrooms, small-town values are often the first to go.
The final rides will roll on November 2, 2025. After that, it’s lights out. And with them, a little more of Americana fades into memory.
