Could Six Flags New England Be In Danger Of Closing?

The days are getting longer. Spring is within reach. Could it be that time spent at Horseneck Beach, Fenway Park and Six Flags New England is just around the corner?

Perhaps I'm overly optimistic, but summer will be here before we know it.

Horseneck is Horseneck. Not much changes there. However, the harsh winter weather caused damage along East Beach Road. I suspect things will be back to normal by the time beachgoers arrive to seek relief from the summer heat.

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Fenway Park is Fenway Park. Certainly, there have been physical changes to the ballpark since it opened in 1912, but, by and large, Fenway Park is still Fenway Park. The footprint remains virtually the same, and though there have been a few rule changes, baseball is still baseball, even though players seem to go quickly these days.

Six Flags New England may be another story altogether.

Known as Gallup's Grove from 1870 to 1886, Riverside Grove from 1887 to 1911, Riverside Park from 1912 to 1995, and Riverside: The Great Escape from 1996 to 2000, Six Flags New England in Agawam, Massachusetts, is undergoing some changes.

The park was acquired by Premiere Parks in 1996 and rebranded Six Flags New England in 2000.

The Arlington, Texas-based Six Flags and the Ohio-based Cedar Fair Entertainment Company are merging. CBS News Boston reports, "The combined company, worth more than $3.5 billion, will boast 27 amusement parks, 15 water parks and nine resort properties in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico."

It doesn't look likely that Six Flags New England see major changes.

There may be a problem, however. The station says since the pandemic, amusement parks have "struggled to get people through the gates." Six Flags did report higher attendance numbers in the third quarter of last year, so that is good.

New pricing and attendance policies have reportedly not been popular with Six Flags New England's guests.

According to Theme Park Insider, the merger of Cedar Fair and Six Flags should be complete this year. The site says, "It is not a given that any parks will have to close once the merger is complete."

Editor Robert Niles says, "This is a share swap deal that should not burden the company with excess debt that would need to be repaid."

When mergers occur, sometimes underperforming entities are sold off or phased out. Let's hope that doesn't happen to Six Flags New England.