Six Flags America was a theme park in Woodmore, Maryland, about 15 miles east of Washington, D.C. It opened on July 15, 1974, and went through several identities over the decades, starting life as The Wildlife Preserve before becoming Wild World, then Adventure World, and finally Six Flags America in 1999.
At the time of its closure, the park covered roughly 131 acres of active operations on a larger 515-acre property and offered eight roller coasters alongside the adjacent Hurricane Harbor Maryland water park. Six Flags announced in May 2025 that the park did not fit the company’s long-term plans, and Six Flags America permanently shut its gates on November 2, 2025, after 51 years of operation.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Woodmore, Maryland (Prince George’s County)
- Opened: July 15, 1974 (as The Wildlife Preserve)
- Renamed Six Flags America: 1999
- Closed: November 2, 2025
- Property size: About 131 acres active (515-acre total property)
- Roller coasters at closing: 8
- Notable coaster: The Wild One, a wooden coaster dating to 1917
- Water park: Hurricane Harbor Maryland
A Park Built on Decades of History
Few American theme parks carried as much layered history as Six Flags America. Its oldest ride, The Wild One, began life in 1917 as The Giant Coaster at Paragon Park in Nantasket Beach, Massachusetts, designed by John A. Miller and built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. When Paragon Park closed in 1984, the coaster was purchased at auction and relocated to what was then Wild World in Maryland, reopening as The Wild One in 1986 and earning American Coaster Enthusiasts’ Coaster Landmark award in 2018.
The park’s other headline attractions included Superman: Ride of Steel, an Intamin hypercoaster that opened in 2000 reaching 208 feet and 73 mph, the wooden coaster Roar from Great Coasters International, and Firebird, a Bolliger & Mabillard floorless coaster added in 2019.
Closure and Redevelopment
Following the 2024 merger of Six Flags and Cedar Fair, the combined company began a portfolio optimization effort that targeted underperforming locations. Six Flags America and Hurricane Harbor Maryland were named for closure in May 2025, with the water park shutting on September 6, 2025, and the main park following on November 2, 2025. In April 2026, the property was reported to have been acquired for mixed-use redevelopment, ending its run as a Six Flags destination.
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Six Flags America FAQs
When did Six Flags America close?
The park permanently closed on November 2, 2025, after 51 years of operation; its Hurricane Harbor Maryland water park had already closed that September.
What was Six Flags America called before it had that name?
It opened in 1974 as The Wildlife Preserve, then became Wild World in 1982 and Adventure World in 1993, before being renamed Six Flags America in 1999.
What happened to The Wild One roller coaster?
The Wild One originally opened in 1917 as The Giant Coaster at Paragon Park in Massachusetts and was relocated to the Maryland park in 1986 after Paragon Park closed.
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Photo by ROBERT MORROW on Pexels.