Recent from talks
California's Great America
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
California's Great America
California's Great America is an amusement park located in Santa Clara, California, United States, within the San Francisco Bay Area. Owned and operated by Six Flags, the park features more than 40 attractions, including nine roller coasters and a water park named South Bay Shores. The park opened on March 20, 1976, as one of two near-identical Americana-themed parks developed by the Marriott Corporation; the other park being Six Flags Great America in Illinois. The park's land is owned by Prologis and leased back to Six Flags, and California's Great America is expected to close after the 2027 season if its lease is not extended.
Spanning 112 acres (45 ha), California's Great America is divided into six themed sections, including areas based on Americana and a children's area themed around the Peanuts character Snoopy. The park operates seasonally from March to November, but has not hosted a Halloween- or Holiday-themed annual event since 2024. Featured attractions within the park include Gold Striker, which has ranked as a top wooden roller coaster in the world by Amusement Today and RailBlazer, a unique single-rail roller coaster. It has been featured in popular culture such as the films Beverly Hills Cop III and Getting Even with Dad.
Following its opening, its ownership has transitioned multiple times, beginning with Marriott's sale of the park's land to the city of Santa Clara in 1985, with Kings Entertainment Company operating the park in 1989. Paramount Parks acquired the park in 1992, and Cedar Fair later took ownership of it in 2006, acquiring the park's land in 2019. This land was sold to Prologis in 2022 and leased back to Cedar Fair (now merged into Six Flags) for six years through June 2028 or 2033 if extended.
The hotel and restaurant operator Marriott Corporation completed Marriott's Great America on the site of what had been a pear orchard and opened it to the public on March 20, 1976. Admission was US$7.95 (equivalent to $45 in 2025) for adults (12 and up) and US$6.95 (equivalent to $39 in 2025) for children (4–11). There were 1,500 employees.
Less than two months later, on May 29, the company opened a second Marriott's Great America – later known as Six Flags Great America – north of Chicago in Gurnee, Illinois. A third park was initially planned for the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area, but the idea was later abandoned after several failed attempts to sway local opposition.
The park, though profitable, was still an earnings disappointment for Marriott, leading the company in 1983 to explore options to sell. An interested party, Caz Development Co., appraised the land value at US$800,000 to $1 million per 1-acre (4,000 m2). Marriott also involved the city of Santa Clara in negotiations, which was already leasing 55 acres (22 ha) of parking space for the amusement park. Fearing homebuilding on the land by Caz Development would lower home values of existing homeowners, the city council approved a $101 million purchasing agreement on January 31, 1984, by a 4–3 vote that also had to be approved by city residents. The citywide vote passed, approving the sale by a margin of 3 to 1. Caz Development then sued the city and Marriott in the Superior Court of Santa Clara County to block the transaction. The court nullified the sale, forcing the city to attempt to salvage the deal through negotiations with the other parties.
Unable to broker a timely agreement, the city council voted 6–1 to scuttle the sale on February 5, 1985, though the city was still interested in owning the park. After Marriott refunded a $20 million down payment back to the city, negotiations were restarted. All parties were able to agree on a compromise, which was signed in marathon sessions taking place in early June 1985. The city acquired the park for $93.5 million from Marriott, which retained 20 acres (8.1 ha) from the sale for development. Caz Development settled and was allowed to build a hotel and office near the park, which the city renamed Great America.
Kings Entertainment Company, who owned and operated other amusement parks, was hired in 1985 to manage Great America for the city. In 1989, the city sold the park to Kings Entertainment, while retaining ownership of the land that the park occupied. In the agreement, the city would earn 5% of all revenue that exceeds $56 million.
Hub AI
California's Great America AI simulator
(@California's Great America_simulator)
California's Great America
California's Great America is an amusement park located in Santa Clara, California, United States, within the San Francisco Bay Area. Owned and operated by Six Flags, the park features more than 40 attractions, including nine roller coasters and a water park named South Bay Shores. The park opened on March 20, 1976, as one of two near-identical Americana-themed parks developed by the Marriott Corporation; the other park being Six Flags Great America in Illinois. The park's land is owned by Prologis and leased back to Six Flags, and California's Great America is expected to close after the 2027 season if its lease is not extended.
Spanning 112 acres (45 ha), California's Great America is divided into six themed sections, including areas based on Americana and a children's area themed around the Peanuts character Snoopy. The park operates seasonally from March to November, but has not hosted a Halloween- or Holiday-themed annual event since 2024. Featured attractions within the park include Gold Striker, which has ranked as a top wooden roller coaster in the world by Amusement Today and RailBlazer, a unique single-rail roller coaster. It has been featured in popular culture such as the films Beverly Hills Cop III and Getting Even with Dad.
Following its opening, its ownership has transitioned multiple times, beginning with Marriott's sale of the park's land to the city of Santa Clara in 1985, with Kings Entertainment Company operating the park in 1989. Paramount Parks acquired the park in 1992, and Cedar Fair later took ownership of it in 2006, acquiring the park's land in 2019. This land was sold to Prologis in 2022 and leased back to Cedar Fair (now merged into Six Flags) for six years through June 2028 or 2033 if extended.
The hotel and restaurant operator Marriott Corporation completed Marriott's Great America on the site of what had been a pear orchard and opened it to the public on March 20, 1976. Admission was US$7.95 (equivalent to $45 in 2025) for adults (12 and up) and US$6.95 (equivalent to $39 in 2025) for children (4–11). There were 1,500 employees.
Less than two months later, on May 29, the company opened a second Marriott's Great America – later known as Six Flags Great America – north of Chicago in Gurnee, Illinois. A third park was initially planned for the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area, but the idea was later abandoned after several failed attempts to sway local opposition.
The park, though profitable, was still an earnings disappointment for Marriott, leading the company in 1983 to explore options to sell. An interested party, Caz Development Co., appraised the land value at US$800,000 to $1 million per 1-acre (4,000 m2). Marriott also involved the city of Santa Clara in negotiations, which was already leasing 55 acres (22 ha) of parking space for the amusement park. Fearing homebuilding on the land by Caz Development would lower home values of existing homeowners, the city council approved a $101 million purchasing agreement on January 31, 1984, by a 4–3 vote that also had to be approved by city residents. The citywide vote passed, approving the sale by a margin of 3 to 1. Caz Development then sued the city and Marriott in the Superior Court of Santa Clara County to block the transaction. The court nullified the sale, forcing the city to attempt to salvage the deal through negotiations with the other parties.
Unable to broker a timely agreement, the city council voted 6–1 to scuttle the sale on February 5, 1985, though the city was still interested in owning the park. After Marriott refunded a $20 million down payment back to the city, negotiations were restarted. All parties were able to agree on a compromise, which was signed in marathon sessions taking place in early June 1985. The city acquired the park for $93.5 million from Marriott, which retained 20 acres (8.1 ha) from the sale for development. Caz Development settled and was allowed to build a hotel and office near the park, which the city renamed Great America.
Kings Entertainment Company, who owned and operated other amusement parks, was hired in 1985 to manage Great America for the city. In 1989, the city sold the park to Kings Entertainment, while retaining ownership of the land that the park occupied. In the agreement, the city would earn 5% of all revenue that exceeds $56 million.
Recent media