Cedar Fair was an American regional amusement park operator headquartered in Sandusky, Ohio, formed in 1983 when the management of Cedar Point combined the historic lakefront park with Valleyfair, which it had acquired in 1978. The company traced its lineage to Cedar Point’s 1870 opening and traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker FUN after going public as a limited partnership in 1987.
Over four decades, Cedar Fair expanded from a single Ohio park into one of North America’s largest amusement park companies, eventually operating 11 amusement parks and 4 separately gated water parks. In 2023, its final full year as an independent company, Cedar Fair drew about 26.7 million guests and generated roughly $1.80 billion in revenue before merging with Six Flags in 2024 and disappearing as a standalone brand.
Stats at a Glance
- Headquarters: Sandusky, Ohio
- Founded: 1983
- Flagship park: Cedar Point (opened 1870)
- Parks operated (2023): 11 amusement parks, 4 water parks
- Stock ticker: NYSE: FUN
- 2023 attendance: about 26.7 million guests
- 2023 revenue: about $1.80 billion
- Ceased independent operation: July 1, 2024 (merged into Six Flags Entertainment Corporation)
From One Lakefront Park to a Regional Powerhouse
Cedar Fair grew almost entirely through acquisition. After forming around Cedar Point and Valleyfair, the company added Dorney Park in 1992, Worlds of Fun in 1995, Knott’s Berry Farm in 1997, Michigan’s Adventure in 2001, and the former Six Flags Worlds of Adventure in Geauga Lake, Ohio, in 2004. In 2019, Cedar Fair expanded into water parks by acquiring the two Schlitterbahn properties in New Braunfels and Galveston, Texas, for about $259 million; the deal also gave Cedar Fair an option to buy the shuttered Schlitterbahn water park in Kansas City, Kansas, which it let lapse later that year without acquiring the property.
By the early 2020s, the company’s portfolio spanned the United States and Canada, including Kings Island near Cincinnati and Canada’s Wonderland outside Toronto, making Cedar Fair a fixture of the North American regional theme park market alongside larger rivals like Six Flags.
The Six Flags Merger and the End of an Era
In November 2023, Cedar Fair and Six Flags announced plans to merge in an all-stock deal intended to combine two regional park operators into a stronger competitor against larger destination resorts. The merger closed on July 1, 2024, with former Cedar Fair unitholders taking a 51.2% majority stake in the new Six Flags Entertainment Corporation.
The combined company retained Cedar Fair’s NYSE ticker, FUN, and became the largest amusement park operator in North America, with 42 properties. Cedar Fair’s own name and corporate identity, after 41 years as an independent public company, ended with the merger.
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Cedar Fair FAQs
What happened to Cedar Fair?
Cedar Fair merged with Six Flags in an all-stock deal that closed on July 1, 2024, forming Six Flags Entertainment Corporation and ending Cedar Fair’s existence as an independent company.
What parks did Cedar Fair own?
Cedar Fair’s portfolio included Cedar Point, Knott’s Berry Farm, Kings Island, Canada’s Wonderland, Dorney Park, Worlds of Fun, Valleyfair, Michigan’s Adventure, and the Schlitterbahn water parks in New Braunfels and Galveston, Texas, among others.
Does the Cedar Fair stock ticker still exist?
Yes. The merged company, Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, kept trading under Cedar Fair’s former NYSE ticker, FUN.
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Photo: Gregory Varnum / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.