EPR Properties facts for kids
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Formerly
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Entertainment Properties Trust (1997–2012) |
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| Public company | |
| Traded as | NYSE: EPR S&P 400 component |
| Founded | August 22, 1997 |
| Headquarters | Kansas City, Missouri |
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Key people
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| Revenue | $532 million (2021) |
| $99 million (2021) | |
| Total assets | $5.8 billion (2021) |
| Total equity | $2.6 billion (2021) |
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Number of employees
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53 (2021) |
EPR Properties, which used to be called Entertainment Properties Trust, is a company based in Kansas City, Missouri. It's a special kind of business called a real estate investment trust, which means it owns many different types of buildings and land. EPR Properties focuses on fun places like amusement parks, movie theaters, and ski resorts. As of 2022, the company owns 353 properties across different categories.
Contents
About EPR Properties
EPR Properties is a company that invests in and owns many exciting places where people go for entertainment and fun. Think of it like a landlord for big attractions! They make money by renting out these properties to other companies that operate them. This business model allows them to focus on owning and managing the real estate itself.
How EPR Properties Started
The company began on August 22, 1997. It was created by Peter Brown, an executive from AMC Entertainment, and financial expert David Brain. They noticed that there wasn't a company focused on helping to pay for the construction of large movie theaters, often called megaplexes. So, they decided to start one themselves.
In November 1997, EPR Properties offered shares of its company to the public for the very first time. This process is called an initial public offering (IPO), and it helped them raise $278 million. Soon after, by March 1998, the company had already bought 13 AMC movie theaters. They used a method where they bought the theaters and then rented them back to AMC.
Growing and Changing
Over the years, EPR Properties explored different types of investments. In 2005, they started a part of their company called VinREIT, which focused on vineyards – places where grapes are grown for making wine. They even bought several vineyards and wineries in 2008. However, after some challenges in the wine industry, they decided to sell all these properties by 2014.
The company also began investing in charter schools in 2007. These are public schools that operate with more freedom than traditional public schools. By 2012, EPR Properties owned 41 schools.
Because the company was investing in more than just entertainment properties, they changed their name in 2012 from Entertainment Properties Trust to EPR Properties. This new name better reflected their wider range of investments, which included recreation and education.
In 2017, EPR Properties expanded its portfolio significantly. They bought many new properties from another company for $456 million. These included the Northstar California ski resort, 15 water parks and amusement parks, and 5 smaller family entertainment centers.
In November 2019, the company sold all its charter school properties for $454 million. This allowed them to focus more on their entertainment and recreation investments.
More recently, in March 2026, EPR Properties acquired seven properties from Six Flags, a well-known amusement park company. This deal included six amusement parks and one water park, costing $331 million. By April 6, 2026, the sales for the parks located in the United States were completed. The sale of the La Ronde park in Canada is still being completed.
Fun Places They Own
As of 2022, EPR Properties owns a total of 353 properties. These include 175 movie theaters, 74 education properties (though they sold most of these in 2019), 56 places to eat and play, 18 amusement parks and water parks, 11 ski resorts, and 8 hotels. Here are some of the notable properties they own:
Amusement and Water Parks
EPR Properties owns many exciting amusement and water parks where families and friends can have a great time.
- Calypso Park — Limoges, Ontario
- Camelbeach Waterpark — Tannersville, Pennsylvania
- Frontier City — Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Hawaiian Falls Garland — Garland, Texas
- Hawaiian Falls The Colony — The Colony, Texas
- Magic Springs — Hot Springs, Arkansas
- Michigan's Adventure and WildWater Adventure — Muskegon, Michigan
- Pacific Park — Santa Monica, California
- Rapids Water Park — Riviera Beach, Florida
- Six Flags Darien Lake — Darien, New York
- Schlitterbahn Galveston — Galveston, Texas
- Six Flags Great Escape and Hurricane Harbor — Queensbury, New York
- Six Flags Great Escape Lodge & Indoor Waterpark — Queensbury, New York
- Six Flags St. Louis and Hurricane Harbor St. Louis — Eureka, Missouri
- Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Concord — Concord, California
- Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Oklahoma City — Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Phoenix — Glendale, Arizona
- Six Flags Hurricane Harbor SplashTown — Spring, Texas
- Valleyfair and Soak City — Shakopee, Minnesota
- Village vacances Valcartier — Québec City, Québec
- Valcartier Indoor Bora Parc — Québec City, Québec
- Wet'n'Wild Hawaii — Kapolei, Hawaii
- Wild Waves Theme Park — Federal Way, Washington
- Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun — Kansas City, Missouri
Places to Eat and Play
The company also owns properties that combine dining with fun activities.
- Entertainment Centrum — 4 locations in Ontario
- New Roc City — New Rochelle, New York
- Ninkasi Brewing Tasting Room — Eugene, Oregon
- Topgolf — 36 locations
Ski Resorts
For those who love winter sports, EPR Properties owns several popular ski resorts.
- Alpine Valley Ski Area
- Alyeska Resort
- Boston Mills/Brandywine Ski Resort
- Camelback Mountain Resort
- Hunter Mountain
- Jack Frost Ski Resort / Big Boulder Mountain
- Mad River Mountain
- Mount Snow
- Northstar California
- Village Vacances Valcartier (sliding only)
Interesting Museums
EPR Properties also owns some unique museum properties.
- City Museum — St. Louis, Missouri
- Titanic Museum — Branson, Missouri
- Titanic Museum — Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
