Six Flags Closing Big Theme Park in Maryland, What About NJ’s Great Adventure?

Six Flags has announced that it will be closing two theme parks in the near future, including a huge 500-acre facility in Maryland. So, what does that mean for Great Adventure here in New Jersey?

Six Flags America and Hurricane Harbor to Shut Down

According to the company, Six Flags America and Hurricane Harbor in Bowie, MD (just outside of Washington, DC) will be shutting down at the end of the 2025 operating season.

That 51-year-old property, which contains 28 rides, will be marketed for redevelopment as part of "Six Flags' ongoing portfolio optimization program."

Six Flags Explains the Decision

Six Flags President & CEO Richard A. Zimmerman said in a press release that if was a difficult decision, however, they "determined that Six Flags America and Hurricane Harbor [is] not a strategic fit with the company’s long-term growth plan."

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Six Flags America's final day will be Sunday, November 2nd.

California's Great America Will Also Close

Meanwhile, according to a report in USA Today, Six Flags has also announced that its California's Great America park in Santa Clara, California, would also be closing sometime in 2027.

That park has been a fixture in the greater San Francisco area for over half a century and contains over 40 different rides and attractions.

What Does This Mean for Great Adventure?

So, as Six Flags makes changes to its theme park portfolio, what does that mean for Great Adventure?

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Best we can tell, that park is on solid ground, especially after the legendary Kingda Ka rollercoaster closed -- which might be an odd thing to say, however, the company is investing in new and exciting rides to replace that one.

Great Adventure Attendance Remains Strong

Attendance at Great Adventure has remained pretty consistent. According to quene-times.com, which tracks the amusement park industry, over 2.5 million people made the trip to that park in 2023.

• 2023 - 2,500,000
• 2022 - 2,153,000
• 2021 - 2,913,000
• 2020 - 598,000 (impacted by COVID)
• 2019 - 3,451,000

And we should point out that Six Flags has in no way even suggested that Great Adventure is in any level of danger of closing. One would assume that not only can the 9.5 million people in New Jersey support the park, but its location right between Philadelphia and New York City makes it attractive to investors and tourists.