Six Flags Corporation has announced plans to sell seven of its regional amusement parks, including Six Flags St. Louis, to the Kansas City-based real estate investment trust EPR Properties in a deal valued at about $331 million.
Even after the sale, the parks will continue operating under the Six Flags name through the end of the year. Guests who already purchased season passes will still be able to use them through the 2026 season. The St. Louis park is scheduled to begin its season on April 25.
Along with the Missouri park, the sale also includes Valleyfair near Minneapolis, Worlds of Fun in Kansas City, Michigan’s Adventure close to Grand Rapids, Schlitterbahn Waterpark Galveston in Galveston, Six Flags Great Escape in Queensbury, and La Ronde in Montreal.
Who will run the parks?
Six of the parks in the United States will be leased to and managed by Enchanted Parks, an Orlando-based company previously called Innovative Attraction Management. The Canadian property, La Ronde, will be leased and run by La Ronde Operations
Six Flags spokesperson Gary Rhodes said employees at the parks are expected to keep their jobs but will transition to the new operator once the agreement is finalized.
Rhodes added that the company recognizes the importance of the St. Louis park to both visitors and staff and believes the new ownership group has the experience to operate parks of this size.
Local leaders
Leaders in Eureka, where the park is located, say the change could benefit the community. Mayor Sean Flower pointed out that the amusement park brings in the most sales tax revenue for the city.
Flower said park officials indicated that the new owners intend to invest additional money into improvements and possibly new rides. Because the park will represent a major property within the new company’s portfolio, he believes it could receive more attention than it did previously.
Additional investment, he said, could help attract more visitors who might also spend money at nearby restaurants and hotels.
Real estate firm with entertainment properties
EPR Properties owns more than 300 properties across the United States and Canada, many tied to entertainment and recreation. Its portfolio includes movie theaters, Topgolf venues, indoor skydiving locations, ski resorts, casinos, hotels, and other attractions.
In St. Louis, the company owns the building that houses the well-known City Museum downtown, which operates under a long-term lease. The museum itself is managed by Premier Parks.
EPR already owns several properties connected to Six Flags, including Six Flags Darien Lake in New York and Frontier City in Oklahoma City, along with multiple Hurricane Harbor water parks.
Together, the seven parks included in the sale cover more than 1,600 acres, feature over 400 attractions, and draw roughly 4.5 million visitors each year.
Industry reaction
Theme park consultant Dennis Speigel from International Theme Park Services believes visitors likely won’t notice major changes immediately. However, he said the new ownership could eventually lead to additional improvements and investment in the parks.
Another theme park analyst, Martin Lewison of State University of New York at Farmingdale, suggested the decision likely came after the company reviewed which parks produced the strongest returns. He noted that large investments like building a new roller coaster may not generate the same financial return in smaller markets as they would in larger destinations such as California or Texas.
Company restructuring
The transaction is expected to be completed either late in the first quarter or early in the second quarter of the year.
Six Flags Entertainment Corporation was created after the 2024 merger between Six Flags and Cedar Fair. Since then, the company has been restructuring parts of its portfolio, including closing a Maryland park and announcing plans to shut down California’s Great America.The 316-acre St. Louis park, located about 40 miles west of the city along Interstate 44, features 10 roller coasters and dozens of other rides and attractions. Originally known as Six Flags Over Mid-America, the park opened in 1971 and was one of the first parks developed by Six Flags founder Angus G. Wynn
