Six Flags Sells Seven Parks to EPR Properties
The parks to be divested are Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Galveston, as well as Valleyfair, Worlds of Fun, Michigan’s Adventure, Six Flags St. Louis, Six Flags Great Escape and La Ronde.
(eap) The North American amusement park operator group Six Flags Entertainment Corporation has announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell seven of its parks to EPR Properties. The transaction value amounts to a total of 331 million US dollars (approx. 285 million euros) in cash, subject to customary purchase price adjustments. With the transaction, Six Flags aims to sharpen its operational focus while simultaneously strengthening its liquidity position.
The divested properties include Valleyfair (Minneapolis, Minnesota), Worlds of Fun (Kansas City, Missouri), Michigan’s Adventure (Grand Rapids, Michigan), Schlitterbahn Waterpark Galveston (Galveston, Texas), Six Flags St. Louis (St. Louis, Missouri), Six Flags Great Escape (Queensbury, New York) and La Ronde (Montreal, Québec). Together, the parks recorded around 4.5 million visitors in the 2025 financial year and generated approximately 260 million US dollars (around 224 million euros) in net revenue as well as around 45 million US dollars (equivalent to some 39 million euros) in adjusted EBITDA. The net proceeds from the sale – after taxes and transaction costs – are to be used to reduce the company’s debt. According to the company, the proceeds are expected to have a slightly positive impact on the leverage ratio.
“Consistent with our strategy, this divestiture enables us to concentrate our capital, leadership and operational focus on the properties that we believe generate the strongest returns and offer the greatest long-term upside,” said Six Flags President and CEO John Reilly. “This transaction will simplify our portfolio, strengthen our balance sheet and position us to execute with greater clarity and discipline.”
EPR plans to partner with Enchanted Parks to operate the six U.S. parks. The Canadian park La Ronde is to be operated in the future by La Ronde Operations Inc., a company owned by Kieran Burke (Chairman, CEO and founder of Premier Parks). EPR will also retain the right to use the Six Flags brand until the end of 2026. During the transition phase, the regular operation of the parks is expected to continue without significant changes.
“We know how much these parks mean to our guests and to the incredible teams who bring them to life every day. Decisions like this are never taken lightly. We’re confident the parks will be in good hands with EPR and its partners, who have strong experience operating parks of this quality and scale. Our goal is to continue creating amazing experiences for all our guests, and this agreement helps us stay focused on that commitment,” Reilly concluded.
The transaction is expected to close by the end of the first quarter / the beginning of the second quarter 2026, subject to customary closing conditions and the receipt of required third-party approvals. ■
