Six Flags fans in the Mohawk Valley will have a longer ride to ride and slide under the iconic amusement banner beginning 2027, as Six Flags Great Escape and Hurricane Harbor (“Great Escape”) in Lake George-adjacent Queensbury, NY has been sold to EPR Properties (“EPR”), according to a statement from the Charlotte North Carolina-based Six Flags Entertainment Corporation.
The nearest Six Flags brand amusement park venue to the Mohawk Valley, upon the completion of the sale and the expiration of EPR’s right to continue to use the Six Flags brand through Dec. 31, 2026, would be Six Flags Darien Lake, located outside of Buffalo and almost three hours by car.
Great Escape among 7 Six Flags properties sold for $331M
Great Escape was among seven Six Flags amusement park properties sold to EPR for total cash consideration of $331 million, with the other 6 parks including Valleyfair (Minneapolis, Minn.), Worlds of Fun (Kansas City, Mo.), Michigan’s Adventure (Grand Rapids, Mich.), Schlitterbahn Waterpark Galveston (Galveston, Texas), Six Flags St. Louis (St. Louis, Mo.), Six Flags Great Escape (Queensbury, N.Y.) and Six Flags La Ronde (Montreal, QC).
Collectively, the parks entertained approximately 4.5 million guests for the full year ended Dec. 31, 2025, the statement advanced, generating approximately $260 million in net revenue. The statement advised that cash proceeds, after taxes and transaction expenses, will be used to pay down debt.
“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 in the statement.
“Since joining the Company, I have been clear that Six Flags’ earnings power has been under-realized. This transaction will simplify our portfolio, strengthen our balance sheet and position us to execute with greater clarity and discipline.”
Kansas City, Missouri-based EPR Properties, formerly known as Entertainment Properties Trust, identifies as a real estate investment trust that invests in amusement parks, movie theaters, ski resorts, and other similar “experiential properties.” According to their website, they currently have $7B invested in 333 locations, with 49 operators in 43 U.S. states and Canada.
Six Flags confirmed in the statement that it plans to operate its remaining collection of 34 parks across 23 locations in North America for the 2026 season. They offered no comment about the future of those parks beyond that time.
EPR plans to partner with Enchanted Parks to run the six domestic properties following completion of the transaction, according to the statement.
All seven parks involved in the transaction will retain the rights to operate under the Six Flags brand through end 2026 and continue their regular operating schedules. The statement assures that all season passes sold will be recognized through the 2026 operating season, including multi-park pass privileges at other parks within the Six Flags portfolio.
This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Six Flags sells Great Escape in Queensbury, NY; just 1 park left in NY.
Reporting by Cara Dolan Berry, Utica Observer Dispatch / Observer-Dispatch
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