Anyone who’s spent time in the Bay Area will be acquainted with California’s Great America, a massively popular theme park in Santa Clara with over 50 attractions and a history dating back to 1976. Now may be the time to get your adrenaline rush, because the beloved park is expected to close within the next 11 years as a result of the land changing hands.
Park owner and operator Cedar Fair announced June 27 that it sold the 112-acre property to real estate developer Prologis, Inc. for $310 million. As a result the park will close at an unspecified time in the next 11 years, until which it will continue to operate as normal.
Cedar Fair itself leased the land from the City of Santa Clara for over 40 years before purchasing it in 2019. The land sale will “maximize the value of [Cedar Fair’s] extensive asset portfolio,” working to reduce the company’s debt, upgrade resort properties around the country, and more.
The park will continue to bring smiles to enthusiastic Bay Area crowds in the meantime. Check out these events happening through the rest of 2022:
- Friday Nights (select Fridays through November) – Pop-up live bands, food, and drink throughout the park.
- Carnivale at Orleans Place (July 20 – Aug 7) – New Orleans festival with Cajun food, fireworks, music and entertainment.
- Tricks and Treats (Sept 23 – Oct 30) – Halloween celebrations take over the park with spooky decorations and games.
- WinterFest (Nov 25 – Jan 1) – The park transforms into an immersive winter wonderland.
California’s Great America opened in 1976 and soon became world-famous. The park has made some groundbreaking achievements over the years including the world’s tallest roller coaster (Tidal Wave/Greased Lightnin’, closed in 2002), California’s first IMAX theater (IMAX Pictorium), North America’s tallest observation tower (Star Tower), one of the largest wooden roller coasters in NorCal (The Grizzly), North America’s first-ever suspended, inverted boomerang coaster (Invertigo, closed in 2011), NorCal’s tallest and fastest wooden roller coaster (Gold Striker), and the west coast’s first single rail roller coaster (RailBlazer).
The legendary park leaves behind a legacy of incredible theme park innovations, and will be sorely missed. Consider paying a visit to experience California’s Great America before it closes at an undetermined time in the near future.
Featured image: The RailBlazer roller coaster. Courtesy of California’s Great America.