While theme park behemoths like Disney and Universal are seeing fairly strong visitor numbers, many smaller parks or even chains have struggled amid lower consumer sentiment and uncertain economy.
After posting a net loss of more than $1.2 billion at the end of 2025, Six Flags expressed plans to close or sell more “underperforming” locations in its portfolio of amusement and water parks across North America. A Six Flags park in Maryland had closed down in November 2025 while another location in California had been shuttered a few months earlier.
On March 5, the regional amusement park parent company named seven properties across North America that it will sell to Kansas City-based real estate firm EPR Properties for $342 million. These include beloved regional parks like La Ronde in Montreal and Michigan’s Adventure in Grand Rapids.
Six Flags to sell seven amusement parks in Midwest, Montreal to real estate firm
Six Flags St. Louis, Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Texas’s Galveston, Six Flags Great Escape in New York’s Queensbury, Worlds of Fun in Kansas City and Valleyfair in Minneapolis are the other parks that are expected to run as before for now but may be in for some changes once the new owners take them over.
A beloved city sight overlooking Montreal from Saint Helen’s Island, La Ronde was opened for the 1967 World’s Fair and purchased by Six Flags in 2001.
Related: Another troubled theme park files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
In a press release, Six Flags positioned the sale as its effort to “concentrate on the Six Flags parks with the greatest potential for innovation, expansion, and elevated guest experiences.”
“Consistent with our strategy, this divestiture enables us to concentrate our capital, leadership and operational focus on the properties that we believe generate the strongest returns and offer the greatest long-term upside,” Six Flags CEO John Reilly said further.
Image Source: Shutterstock
What is going to happen to the Six Flags amusement parks that are being sold
EPR Properties CEO Gregory K. Silvers described the parks as “delivering stable, long-term cash flows, strong drive-to accessibility, multi-generational appeal, and significant underlying land value.”
Together, they span more than 1,600 acres and have 418 rides visited by an average of 4.5 million parkgoers annually.
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With the exception of La Ronde and Six Flags Great Escape in New York, five out of the seven parks being sold are within a weekend trip of each other in the Midwest. They were also marketed as parks one could visit through an Midwest Regional Pass that Six Flags launched.
The parent company confirmed that season passes “will be recognized through the 2026 operating season” including access between parks that will no longer be under Six Flags.
After the transition to EPR Properties, the six amusement parks in the U.S. will be leased to and operated by Enchanted Parks while La Ronde in Canada will be leased to La Ronde Operations.
Both are companies established for the sole purpose of running the parks under the new owners; after filing to register the trademarks for several of the U.S. parks above at the start of 2026, the website currently states that it is “actively seeking to acquire high-performing water and amusement parks to expand its portfolio and enhance its market presence.”
Related: Disneyland, Disney World closing iconic rides
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