Six Flags America Closing in 2025

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Kel Varnsen

Kel Varnsen

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I wanted to start a thread on this. Six Flags America in Bowie will be closing after this season. I know for me and my family, this park was a big part of our childhood and teenage years. We lived just a mile away and we would go every day in the summer when it was Wild World and mostly a water park. We'd spend all day at the wave pool. Then when they opened the lazy river, we would spend all day there looking for change on the bottom of the river. It was the 80s, so we thought we were rich when we found a quarter, even though we'd run to the arcade and immediately spend it playing a game. I remember what a big deal it was to get a roller coaster when the Wild One was built. When I got into high school, I worked there a couple of summers. That was an interesting time, but I learned a lot about life, a lot about work, and a lot about people. I even walked to work a few times when I didn't have a ride. Looking back, it's amazing I survived walking on Central avenue. There was no shoulder or any leeway as it was just one lane each way with woods on one side and tall grass on the other. Since moving to NC in my adult years, I've probably only been there 2 or 3 times when I've been visiting family. But my parents go all the time. My mom is upset about all of this as she still goes and will go this summer as well. She said today she has been going there for 45 years.

www.nbcwashington.com

Six Flags America, Hurricane Harbor closing after 2025 season

The parent company of Six Flags plans to close Six Flags America and Hurricane Harbor in Prince George’s County, Maryland, after the 2025 season. The property, which is about 500 acres, will be marketed for redevelopment as part of Six Flags’ ongoing portfolio optimization program, Six Flags...
www.nbcwashington.com www.nbcwashington.com

What are your memories of this park? Feel free to share your memories of the park formerly known as The Wildlife Preserve, Wild Word, Adventure World, and for a few more months, Six Flags America.
 
I don’t have any memories of that Six Flags which is strange because I’ve always been an amusement park kid. Still am. I do have vague memories of Glen Echo though as a child. Once I was old enough to drive Kings Dominion (mostly) and Busch Gardens Williamsburg (some) became my destinations.
 
Yeah, Kings Dominion and Busch Gardens were always better as kids because of what they offered. It was just they were hours away instead of minutes. So a trip there was special. They had more roller coasters and thrill rides. Wild World was almost exclusively a water park in the early 80s before slowly expanding to include the typical theme park rides. And even then, it was way behind the bigger parks. From my few trips there in recent years, Six Flags ownership really kicked the expansion into high gear when they purchased at the end of the last century. But I still think it was seen as a lesser amusement park compared to Busch Gardens and Kings Dominion.
 
It's funny, but I don't remember there being many 'amusement parks' around growing up in NoVa in the 60's and 70's. King's Dominion didn't open until I was almost in High School.

Our idea of a major ride was going to the 'Super Slide' near the Springfield Giant grocery and riding burlap sacks down over and over again :ROFLMAO:
 
Grew up in Fairfax County but never did any local amusement parks until Kings Dominion opened in 1975. None of my friends ever talked about Six Flags either. Not sure why that is since it was closer than Kings Dominion.
 
Yeah, KD was always our family destination.
But Six Flags here in GA is still awesome. Come on down, y'all!!!
 
Something Dan Snyder touched died? Say it isn't so.
 
They need to send wild one back to Massachusetts where it belongs.
We already have a six flags so it should be easy.
 
Spent many a summer at wild world and adventure world. Yeah it didn't compare to KD and BG and Hershey but it was close and cheap. Always nostalgic for the Big John Studd commercials. It's been time, park was getting worn down when I moved to Ohio in 96 and last time I went in 02 , new rides but definitely not a family experience anymore.
 
Loved the park when it was Wild World. My dad worked for Pepco and they had a company picnic for them in the 80’s there. Not long after the Wild One was built.

Didn’t go much when it became Six Flags and hadn’t been there at all since the very early 2000’s. Didn’t enjoy the experience at all the last time I was there and never went back.
 
Was Wild World later named Six Flags or was that another park?

I grew up near Glen Echo so went there as a young kid before it closed. Not too many years ago I learned of Enchanted Forest in Ellicott City. The original sign is still there but I didn't really pay much attention to it until I learned there was an amusement park back in the woods in the 80's. My wife and I snuck in through a cut down fence around the corner from Route 40 and it was very interesting. Most all of the stuff was removed but some structures and the path along with a small pond for water rides was still there.
 
It was Wild World for the 80s and early 90s. 1994 they opened as Adventure World a little after it was sold to a new company. I was working there in 93 and 94 and it was Wild World in 93 and Adventure World in 94. Then in 1999, it was rebranded as Six Flags about a year after they took over. The name changes generally coincided with the park being sold to new ownership.

Wikipedia has a pretty good history breakdown, although the timelines may be a little off and based more on ownership change rather than the name changes.


en.m.wikipedia.org

Six Flags America - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org en.m.wikipedia.org
 
Story Book Land was the Six Flags of my generation.

Remembering Story Book Land...

storybook.jpg
 
I went there in middle school.

Half the rides were broken.

We were scared to get on the other half.

It was fun anyway, but 20+ years later I outloud wondered what took so long.
 
I think it was off Route 1. I remember driving past it in the 90’s and pulling over and it was abandoned and overgrown but all of the stuff was still there. It was pretty creepy for some reason.
 
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