Six Flags Great Adventure was once rumored to close – What happened?

It's not as though we didn't see this coming. It was more a question of, will my home park be on the chopping block?

That was one of the first things on everyone's minds when Cedar Fair and Six Flags merged last year. The newly formed company said it would conduct a full review of all properties.

And now, Six Flags has announced the closure of one of its theme and water parks. After November 2, Six Flags America in Maryland will close its gates forever.

And no doubt people will be traveling from all over to pay one last visit to the park before that final date arrives. I myself have been to this park, but I'll admit it's been over 20 years, so I don't know how much has changed since my last visit there.

I do remember that it's a much smaller park when compared to its New Jersey counterpart. That doesn't mean it's not a great park, but clearly it's not part of the overall future of Six Flags as a whole.

The good news here is that New Jersey's home park, Great Adventure, isn't going anywhere. In fact, the park has already seen investments under its new ownership, with promising additions in the near future that will take the place of the former king of coasters, Kingda Ka.

With that said, it's still sad to see any theme park close. And although some of us will miss Six Flags America, its closure could mean a brighter future for Great Adventure. With fewer parks operating across the chain, that no doubt should help the bottom line at the New Jersey property.

No Great Adventure?

Speaking of park closures, did you know that Six Flags Great Adventure was once rumored to also be on the chopping block? For those born in the late 80s or later, you might be too young to know about this.

The 1980s as a whole were not very good to our home park in Jackson, NJ. The first major setback was the Haunted Castle fire that occurred in May 1984, where multiple guests died.

Afterward, more incidents continued to occur at the park that negatively affected attendance. According to Wikipedia, by "the end of 1988, the park was about to lose its license to sell food, and attendance was so low that park management realized a big new addition was necessary."

That big addition eventually arrived in 1989, which ultimately helped save Great Adventure from the ashes. That huge investment, by the way, was none other than The Great American Scream Machine.

The Great American Investment

From that point on, things have never gone back to the dark days of the late 1980s. Sure, the park has seen its ups and downs, but ultimately it has always received the investments it deserved.

So, for those who are still upset that Kingda Ka, Green Lantern, The Sky Ride, and numerous other rides closed for good, feel confident that the park is getting the attention it deserves. Yes, it might suck those rides are gone, but the park itself isn't going anywhere.

It certainly beats the alternative, which is what's happening right now at Six Flags America. At least we know that Great Adventure has a bright future ahead of it.

The above post reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 Sunday morning host & content contributor Mike Brant. Any opinions expressed are his own.