Six Flags Entertainment Corporation announced on Friday, November 6, that California's Great America in Santa Clara will celebrate its final year of operation in 2027, closing its gates for good on Labor Day, September 6, 2027, after more than 50 years as one of the Bay Area's best-known family attractions.
The park will reopen in March 2027 for a "Farewell Season," giving guests one last chance to ride its roller coasters and revisit the traditions built up over five decades. "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, the park's manager, said in a statement.
California's Great America opened in 1976 as Marriott's Great America, built to celebrate the United States Bicentennial. The company says it has welcomed tens of millions of guests since then, from thrill-seekers riding its coasters to families spending the day at Planet Snoopy and the South Bay Shores water park.
The closure comes down to the land beneath the park. In June 2022, Cedar Fair, the park's former owner, sold the 112-acre property to developer Prologis for $310 million and secured a lease to keep operating through 2028. After Cedar Fair merged with Six Flags in 2024, the combined company decided not to extend the lease. "As previously announced, the park's land lease expires in June 2028 and will not be renewed. After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision that 2027 will be the park's final season," the company said in a frequently asked questions notice.
Six Flags has put 2027 Gold and Prestige season passes on sale for the farewell year, and the park stretched its 50th season to November 1, 2026, before closing for the winter. What happens to the site after the final day is now up to Prologis and local officials, and the company has said plans for relocating or auctioning its iconic rides will be disclosed as the farewell season approaches.
The closure does not end Six Flags' presence in California. The company still operates Knott's Berry Farm and Knott's Soak City in Buena Park, Six Flags Magic Mountain and Hurricane Harbor Los Angeles in Valencia, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo and Hurricane Harbor Concord. After September 2027, Discovery Kingdom will be the company's only Bay Area park.
