Six Flags facts for kids

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This page is about the current company following the 2024 merger of Six Flags and Cedar Fair. For the prior history, see Six Flags (1961–2024). For Cedar Fair's history, see Cedar Fair.

Quick facts for kids
Six Flags Entertainment Corporation
Logo used since 2024
Type	Public
Traded as	NYSE: FUN S&P 600 component
ISIN	[https://isin.toolforge.org/?language=en&isin=US83001C1080 US83001C1080]
Industry	Theme parks
Predecessors	Cedar Fair Six Flags
Founded	July 2, 2024; 17 months ago (2024-07-02)
Headquarters	Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.
Number of locations	51
Area served	United States Mexico Canada Saudi Arabia
Key people	Selim Bassoul (executive chairman) John Reilly (president and CEO)
Revenue	US$2.71 billion (2024)
Operating income	US$311 million (2024)
Net income	US$207 million (2024)
Total assets	US$9.13 billion (2024)
Number of employees	5,000 full-time, 93,000 seasonal and part-time (2024)

Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, often just called Six Flags, is a big American company that runs amusement parks. Its main office is in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. Six Flags owns and operates 50 fun places across North America. These include 26 amusement parks, 15 water parks, and nine resorts. You can also find a Six Flags park, Six Flags Qiddiya City, in Saudi Arabia.

Six Flags is the largest company of its kind in North America. In 2024, over 50 million people visited Six Flags parks. This made it the fifth most popular theme park company globally.

This company was created on July 2, 2024. It was formed when two big rivals, Cedar Fair and the original Six Flags company, joined together. This big merger was worth about $8 billion. After they combined, the former Cedar Fair owners held a slightly larger share of the new company. The new company kept the Six Flags name and the stock market symbol "FUN" from Cedar Fair.

The History of Six Flags and Cedar Fair
- How Six Flags Began
- The Story of Cedar Fair
The Big Merger
- How Six Flags and Cedar Fair Joined Forces
- After the Merger
Where are the Parks?
Parks That Are No Longer Part of Six Flags
Faster Lines: Fast Lane and The Flash Pass
- Fast Lane
- The Flash Pass
More Fun Things to Know

The History of Six Flags and Cedar Fair

How Six Flags Began

The original Six Flags company started with Angus G. Wynne and other investors. They opened the very first park, Six Flags Over Texas, in August 1961. Over the years, more parks were built and bought. In 1984, Six Flags got the rights to use Warner Bros.' famous Looney Tunes characters in their parks. Later, Time Warner (now Warner Bros. Discovery) owned Six Flags for a few years.

In 1998, a company called Premier Parks bought Six Flags. Premier Parks then started changing the names of its own parks to Six Flags. By 2000, all their parks were under the Six Flags brand.

During the 2000s, the company faced some financial challenges. They sold off some parks, including their European locations. In 2009, Six Flags had to reorganize its finances but kept its parks running. The company became Six Flags Entertainment Corp. again in 2010.

Later, Six Flags tried to build new parks in other countries, like Dubai and China. However, these plans did not work out. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic caused many Six Flags parks to close for a while. In 2021, Selim Bassoul became the CEO. He tried a new plan to make the park experience better by raising prices and reducing crowds. This plan was stopped in 2022 after fewer people visited the parks.

The Story of Cedar Fair

Cedar Fair began in 1983. It was formed after the Cedar Point park bought Valleyfair in 1978. The name "Cedar Fair" comes from these two parks. Over the years, Cedar Fair grew by buying many other popular amusement parks across the United States. These included Dorney Park (1992), Worlds of Fun (1995), and Knott's Berry Farm (1997). When they bought Knott's Berry Farm, Cedar Fair also gained the rights to use the beloved Peanuts characters in their parks.

In 2006, Cedar Fair bought Paramount Parks, adding even more parks to its collection. They later decided not to use the Paramount-themed rides. Cedar Fair also sold California's Great America in 2022 to help with its finances. Before the big merger, both the original Six Flags company and SeaWorld Entertainment tried to buy Cedar Fair, but these offers were turned down.

The Big Merger

How Six Flags and Cedar Fair Joined Forces

On November 2, 2023, Six Flags and Cedar Fair, who had been rivals for a long time, announced they would merge. They decided to combine to become stronger financially, save money, and better compete with other big theme park companies. This merger created a huge company worth $8 billion. It brought together 27 amusement parks, 15 water parks, and 9 resorts, making it the biggest amusement park operator in North America.

This was called a "merger of equals". The owners of Cedar Fair ended up owning a bit more of the new company (51.2%). The owners of the original Six Flags company owned about 48.8%. Both companies' leaders approved the merger.

The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) reviewed the merger to make sure it was fair. After getting more information, the DOJ approved the merger on June 26, 2024. The merger was officially completed on July 1, 2024.

After the Merger

Many important business operations for Six Flags are handled at Cedar Fair's former headquarters in Sandusky, Ohio, located inside Cedar Point.

After the merger, Richard Zimmerman, who was the CEO of Cedar Fair, became the CEO of the new combined company. Selim Bassoul, the former CEO of the original Six Flags, became the executive chairman. The main office for the new company moved to Charlotte, North Carolina. However, many important business and money operations are still done at Cedar Fair's old headquarters in Sandusky, Ohio.

Six Flags announced that they did not plan to make big changes to the parks themselves. All parks kept their original names. The new company started trading on the New York Stock Exchange on July 2, 2024, using the Six Flags name and Cedar Fair's stock symbol, "FUN."

In late 2024, Six Flags shared plans to improve its park collection. This might include closing or selling some locations. On February 10, 2025, Six Flags announced an agreement to operate the new Six Flags Qiddiya City theme park in Riyadh Province, Saudi Arabia. This park opened on December 31, 2025.

On May 1, 2025, the company announced that Six Flags America and its water park, Hurricane Harbor Maryland, in Woodmore, Maryland, would close permanently. The company explained that these parks did not fit their long-term plans. Hurricane Harbor Maryland closed on September 6, 2025, and Six Flags America closed on November 2, 2025.

Later in 2025, some company leaders changed roles. Richard Zimmerman stepped down as CEO and president on August 6, 2025. Selim Bassoul also stepped down as executive chairman by the end of 2025. John Reilly became the new president and CEO on December 8, 2025.

Where are the Parks?

Amusement Parks

Ex-Cedar Fair properties Ex–Six Flags (1961–2024) properties

Name	Location	Year opened	Notes
California's Great America	Santa Clara, California	1976	Cedar Fair acquired this park in 2006. It is planned to close by 2033 after its land was sold in 2022.
Canada's Wonderland	Vaughan, Ontario	1981	Cedar Fair acquired this park in 2006.
Carowinds	Charlotte, North Carolina	1973	Cedar Fair acquired this park in 2006.
Cedar Point	Sandusky, Ohio	1870	This is the oldest park in the company.
Dorney Park	Allentown, Pennsylvania	1884	Cedar Fair acquired this park in 1992.
Frontier City	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma	1958	The original Six Flags company began operating this park in 2018.
Kings Dominion	Doswell, Virginia	1975	Cedar Fair acquired this park in 2006.
Kings Island	Mason, Ohio	1972	Cedar Fair acquired this park in 2006.
Knott's Berry Farm	Buena Park, California	1920	Cedar Fair acquired this park from the Knott Family in 1997.
La Ronde	Montréal, Quebec	1967	The original Six Flags company began operating this park in 2001.
Michigan's Adventure	Muskegon, Michigan	1956	Cedar Fair acquired this park in 2001.
Six Flags Darien Lake	Darien, New York	1981	The original Six Flags company began operating this park in 2018.
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom	Vallejo, California	1968	The original Six Flags company acquired this park in 2007.
Six Flags Fiesta Texas	San Antonio, Texas	1992	The original Six Flags company acquired this park in 1998.
Six Flags Great Adventure	Jackson, New Jersey	1974	This park is part of Six Flags Great Adventure Resort. The original Six Flags company acquired it in 1977.
Six Flags Great America	Gurnee, Illinois	1976	The original Six Flags company acquired this park in 1984.
Six Flags Great Escape	Queensbury, New York	1954	The original Six Flags company acquired this park in 1996.
Six Flags Magic Mountain	Valencia, California	1971	The original Six Flags company acquired this park in 1979.
Six Flags México	Mexico City, Mexico	1982	The original Six Flags company acquired this park in 1999.
Six Flags New England	Agawam, Massachusetts	1870	This is one of the oldest parks in the chain. The original Six Flags company acquired it in 1996.
Six Flags Over Georgia	Austell, Georgia	1967	Six Flags manages and operates this park. They will fully own it by January 2027.
Six Flags Over Texas	Arlington, Texas	1961	This was the first theme park built by the original Six Flags company. Six Flags manages and operates this park.
Six Flags Qiddiya City	Riyadh Province, Saudi Arabia	2025	This park opened on December 31, 2025. It is the first Six Flags park outside North America since 2004.
Six Flags St. Louis	Eureka, Missouri	1971	This park was formerly known as Six Flags Over Mid-America.
Valleyfair	Shakopee, Minnesota	1976	Cedar Point acquired this park in 1978, which led to the creation of Cedar Fair in 1983.
Worlds of Fun	Kansas City, Missouri	1973	Cedar Fair acquired this park in 1995.

Water Parks

Outdoor Water Parks

Name	Location	Year opened	Notes
Located inside or next to amusement parks
Carolina Harbor	Charlotte, North Carolina	1982	This water park is part of Carowinds. Cedar Fair acquired it in 2006.
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor	Queensbury, New York	1995	This water park is part of Six Flags Great Escape. The original Six Flags company acquired it in 1996.
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor	Austell, Georgia	2014	This water park is part of Six Flags Over Georgia.
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor	Eureka, Missouri	1999	This water park is next to Six Flags St. Louis.
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Darien Lake	Darien, New York	1990	This water park is part of Six Flags Darien Lake. The original Six Flags company began operating it in 2018.
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor New England	Agawam, Massachusetts	1997	This water park is part of Six Flags New England.
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor San Antonio	San Antonio, Texas	1992	This water park is next to Six Flags Fiesta Texas.
Oceans of Fun	Kansas City, Missouri	1982	This water park is next to Worlds of Fun. Cedar Fair acquired it in 1995.
Soak City	Doswell, Virginia	1992	This water park is part of Kings Dominion. Cedar Fair acquired it in 2006.
Soak City	Mason, Ohio	1989	This water park is next to Kings Island. Cedar Fair acquired it in 2006.
Soak City	Shakopee, Minnesota	1983	This water park is part of Valleyfair.
South Bay Shores	Santa Clara, California	2004	This water park is part of California's Great America. Cedar Fair acquired it in 2006.
Splash Works	Vaughan, Ontario	1992	This water park is next to Canada's Wonderland. Cedar Fair acquired it in 2006.
WildWater Adventure	Muskegon, Michigan	1991	This water park is next to Michigan's Adventure. Cedar Fair acquired it in 2001.
Wildwater Kingdom	Allentown, Pennsylvania	1985	This water park is part of Dorney Park. Cedar Fair acquired it in 1992.
Wild West Water Works	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma	2017	This water park is part of Frontier City. The original Six Flags company acquired it in 2018.
Separate admission or property
Cedar Point Shores	Sandusky, Ohio	1988	This water park is next to Cedar Point.
Knott's Soak City	Buena Park, California	2000	This water park is next to Knott's Berry Farm.
Schlitterbahn Galveston	Galveston, Texas	2006	Cedar Fair purchased this park in 2019.
Schlitterbahn New Braunfels	New Braunfels, Texas	1979	Cedar Fair purchased this park in 2019.
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Arlington	Arlington, Texas	1983	This water park is across the highway from Six Flags Over Texas.
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Concord	Concord, California	1995	The original Six Flags company began operating this park in 2017. It is about 15 miles from Six Flags Discovery Kingdom.
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Chicago	Gurnee, Illinois	2005	This water park is next to Six Flags Great America.
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Los Angeles	Valencia, California	1995	This water park is next to Six Flags Magic Mountain.
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor New Jersey	Jackson, New Jersey	2000	This water park is part of the Six Flags Great Adventure Resort.
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Oaxtepec	Oaxtepec, Mexico	2017	The original Six Flags company purchased this park in 2017.
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Oklahoma City	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma	1981	The original Six Flags company operates this park. It is about 15 miles from Frontier City.
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Phoenix	Phoenix, Arizona	2009	The original Six Flags company operates this park.
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Rockford	Cherry Valley, Illinois	1984	Six Flags operates this park under a lease agreement that started in 2019.
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Splashtown	Spring, Texas	1984	The original Six Flags company began operating this park in 2017.
Six Flags White Water	Marietta, Georgia	1983	This water park is about 15 miles from Six Flags Over Georgia. Six Flags will fully own it starting in 2027.

Indoor Water Parks

Name	Location	Year opened	Notes
Castaway Bay	Sandusky, Ohio	2004	This water park is inside the resort of the same name.
White Water Bay	Queensbury, New York	2006	This water park is inside Six Flags Great Escape Lodge.

Safari Parks

Name	Location	Year opened	Notes
Six Flags Wild Safari Adventure	Jackson, New Jersey	1974	This safari park is part of the Six Flags Great Adventure Resort.

Resorts

Name	Location	Year opened	Notes
Castaway Bay	Sandusky, Ohio	2004	This resort is about a mile from Cedar Point. It has an indoor water park.
Six Flags Darien Lake Hotel & Campground	Darien, New York	1954	This resort is across from Six Flags Darien Lake. It includes a hotel, campground, and other entertainment areas.
Six Flags Great Escape Lodge	Queensbury, New York	2006	This lodge is across from Six Flags Great Escape. It has the White Water Bay Waterpark inside.
Six Flags Savannah Sunset Resort & Spa	Jackson, New Jersey	2024	This resort is located within the Six Flags Great Adventure Resort.

Parks That Are No Longer Part of Six Flags

Name	Location	Year opened	Year closed/sold	Notes
Six Flags America	Woodmore, Maryland	1974	2025	The original Six Flags company acquired this park in 1992. It closed on November 2, 2025.
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Maryland	Woodmore, Maryland	1982	2025	This water park was part of Six Flags America. It closed on September 6, 2025.

Faster Lines: Fast Lane and The Flash Pass

Six Flags offers two systems to help guests get on rides faster: Fast Lane and The Flash Pass. Fast Lane was originally used at parks that were part of Cedar Fair. The Flash Pass was used at parks that were part of the original Six Flags company. The Flash Pass will be replaced by Fast Lane starting in January 2026.

Fast Lane

Fast Lane is a system that lets you wait in a shorter line for many rides at Six Flags parks. It was first tested at Kings Island in 2011. For an extra cost, visitors get a wristband that allows them to use a special, shorter line. This system became available at all Cedar Fair parks in 2012. There is also Fright Lane, which is a Fast Lane for haunted attractions during Halloween events.

All parks that were part of the original Six Flags company will switch to the Fast Lane system in 2026. This means The Flash Pass system will no longer be used.

The Flash Pass

The Flash Pass is an optional system that lets you reserve your spot in line for rides. It was used at Six Flags parks before the merger. This system is named after the DC Comics character The Flash. Guests could use handheld devices to make reservations and get alerts when it was their turn to ride. Later, guests could also scan a QR code using a mobile app to reserve their spot.

A version for water parks, called Q-band, was tested in 2011. Guests wore waterproof RFID wristbands to use at water park rides.

The Flash Pass system is expected to be removed by the end of the 2025 season. All parks that used it will switch to the Fast Lane system in 2026.

More Fun Things to Know

Holiday in the Park
Incidents at Six Flags parks
Six Flags Fright Fest

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