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The amusement park closed its doors for the final time since opening in 1999 under the Six Flags brand.
BOWIE, Md. — It was a bittersweet Sunday night in Bowie as Six Flags of America ended its final season, and Bowie residents Kalah Bailey and Danae Diggs say it’s not the rides that’ll be missed.
“Family, a lot of memories,” Diggs said. “When I was younger, my Mom and Dad would drop me off here, me and my friends would meet up here and have a good time.”
“It’s in our neighborhood where you could come together and meet up with your family and friends and let your hair down,” said Bailey. “We don’t have a lot of places anymore to do that; this was our one place.”
Originally built in 1974 as Wild World, the amusement park was acquired by Premier Parks in 1992 and rebranded as Six Flags of America in 1999.
The amusement park’s shutdown comes at a hard time for Prince George’s County.
The county is also preparing for the Commanders to move back to DC, and earlier this year, President Trump announced the FBI would remain in DC, despite approved plans to build a new headquarters for the agency in Greenbelt.
Now, some are wondering what comes next for the park, but Bailey and Diggs say they hope it remains a place where memories are made.
“The turnout today should show that people still have faith in the park; it just needs a couple of tweaks,” Bailey said.
So far, a new owner for the 523-acre site hasn’t been announced, but county leaders say they will work hand-in-hand with whoever takes over to make sure it benefits County residents.
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