California’s Great America opened on March 20, 1976, as Marriott’s Great America, one of two nearly identical Americana-themed parks Marriott built that year (the other became Six Flags Great America in Illinois). Sitting on 112 acres in Santa Clara, right in the heart of Silicon Valley, the park has cycled through ownership and names over the decades, from Marriott to Kings Entertainment to Paramount to Cedar Fair, before landing with Six Flags following the 2024 Six Flags-Cedar Fair merger.
Today the park runs about 42 attractions, anchored by nine roller coasters that range from the original 1976 Arrow Dynamics looper Demon to RailBlazer, a Rocky Mountain Construction single-rail coaster that opened in 2018. The park’s future is uncertain: Cedar Fair sold the land under the park to real estate firm Prologis in 2022 for $310 million, and Six Flags has said the park could close after the 2027 season unless its lease is extended past its June 2028 expiration.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Santa Clara, California
- Opened: March 20, 1976
- Owner: Six Flags Entertainment
- Size: About 112 acres
- Roller coasters: 9 operating
- Signature coaster: RailBlazer (Rocky Mountain Construction, 2018)
- Tallest wooden coaster: Gold Striker, about 108 ft, opened 2013
- Lease status: Set to expire June 2028
The Ride Experience
The park’s coaster lineup spans five decades of design. Demon, a steel looper from Arrow Dynamics, has run since 1976, while Flight Deck (Bolliger & Mabillard) and Patriot (also B&M) add inverted and floorless looping layouts. The two wooden coasters, Grizzly and Gold Striker, take different approaches: Grizzly is a classic out-and-back twister, while Gold Striker, built by Great Coasters International in 2013, features a tunneled first drop reaching about 53.7 mph over roughly 3,200 feet of track.
RailBlazer, which opened in 2018, is the park’s newest headliner. Built by Rocky Mountain Construction on its single-rail ‘Raptor’ platform, it reaches about 106 feet, hits roughly 52 mph, and includes three inversions across about 1,800 feet of track.
History and What’s Next
California’s Great America has changed hands and names repeatedly: Marriott’s Great America (1976-1985), Great America (1985-1992), Paramount’s Great America (1993-2006), and California’s Great America (2008-present). It briefly appeared on screen in 1994’s Beverly Hills Cop III as the fictional ‘Wonder World.’
The park’s next chapter is unresolved. After Cedar Fair sold the underlying land to Prologis in 2022, Six Flags has indicated the site could close for redevelopment once the current lease runs out in mid-2028, unless a lease extension option is exercised. As of this writing, no final closure date has been confirmed.
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California’s Great America FAQs
Is California’s Great America still open?
Yes, as of now the park remains open and operating under Six Flags, though its future beyond the 2027-2028 seasons is uncertain due to a land lease set to expire in June 2028.
How many roller coasters does California’s Great America have?
The park has 9 operating roller coasters, including Demon, Grizzly, Gold Striker, Flight Deck, Patriot, and RailBlazer.
What is the newest roller coaster at California’s Great America?
RailBlazer, a Rocky Mountain Construction single-rail coaster, opened in 2018 and is the park’s most recent major coaster addition.
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Photo: Jeremy Thompson / CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.