It’s been rumored for some time, but it’s now official, California’s Great America will close forever at the end of 2027. After 50+ years of operation, Six Flags was unable to come to agreement on a new lease with the landowners of the Santa Clara property where the park resides. That lease ends in June of 2028, necessitating a 2027 closure. The final day will be Labor Day of 2027, September 6th. To their credit Six Flags is being very transparent with the lease situation and also giving guests a whole season to say goodbye. No doubt many theme park fans will make a pilgrimage out to visit for the first time or one last time. I had a chance to do this last year with Six Flags America and it was a very worthwhile experience.

This park sits on valuable land adjacent to Levi’s Stadium, home to the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers, so the math on a lease may not have made sense for a seasonal theme park. Thankfully theme park fans in the bay area will still have Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, CA just up the road just an hour north, Discovery Kingdom is a year round park and it always struck me as strange the California’s Great America wasn’t as well. Regardless of having a substitute nearby, there’s no doubt California’s Great America will be missed. It will live on in memories though and hopefully a few of the rides find new homes too.