RIP Franchises of our youths

[Drunk Monk]

Like with Vallco Fashion Mall, I remember when ground was firsts broke for this, and when the new rides like the Tidal Wave and the Edge were launched. I saw the Monkees play there, and Starship (with Greg if memory serves) - maybe a few others. We went back years ago with Tara when she was a kid and was sad to see how dilapidated it had become. 

Great America cuts back as timeline for permanent closure drags on
By Katie Dowd, Managing editorJan 5, 2025
[/url][url=https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sfgate.com%2Flocal%2Farticle%2Fgreat-america-cuts-permanent-closure-20016421.php%3Futm_campaign%3DCMS%2520Sharing%2520Tools%2520(Premium)%26utm_source%3Dt.co%26utm_medium%3Dreferral&text=Great%20America%20cuts%20back%20as%20timeline%20for%20permanent%20closure%20drags%20on&via=SFGate]


FILE: Entrance area of California's Great America in Santa Clara.
Andrei Stanescu/Getty Images
The nebulous timeline for the closure of Great America, one of the Bay Area’s biggest theme parks, may be coming into focus: In 2025, the park will close at the end of October, instead of its usual January closure date, the Los Angeles Times reported.
In 2022, Cedar Fair, the amusement park giant that owns and operates Great America, announced it sold the Santa Clara property to developer Prologis for $310 million. As part of the deal, Cedar Fair had 11 years to wind down operations and shut down the park, but no concrete timeline has been publicized. The 112-acre property shares a parking lot with Levi’s Stadium and has been in operation since the 1970s. 
Great America shuts down seasonally — its last day of operation for the winter season is Sunday — but this year’s calendar is substantially curtailed. The Times reported a message to passholders sent in December indicated the 2025 calendar will run from April 5 to late October. That means WinterFest, an annual holiday event with ice skating, sparkling lights and live entertainment, won’t happen in 2025. The last day with opening hours on Great America’s 2025 calendar is Oct. 25, seemingly indicating it won’t be open for Halloween either. According to the message to passholders, Great America won't be holding any special seasonal events in 2025.
WinterFest at California’s Great America featured light displays and holiday activities on various dates in November, December and January. 
WinterFest
When SFGATE inquired about the future of the park in November, Prologis referred us to Cedar Fair. A spokesperson for Six Flags, which merged with Cedar Fair in 2023, told SFGATE that there was “nothing new to report regarding a future plan.”
As the Times notes, Great America has closed for the season in October before. But seasonal cutbacks at least indicate that park operations are winding down. Prologis has yet to announce what will be built on the property someday. 
For now, Bay Area residents with happy childhood memories of running wild at Great America might want to grab tickets while they can — and an all-day dining plan, if they dare.