SSix Flags Entertainment Corporation runs a network of regional theme parks and waterparks across North America. It earns money by selling tickets and memberships, as well as food, beverages, merchandise, and special events at its parks. Its attractions include roller coasters, water slides, and themed shows designed to appeal to families, thrill-seekers, and travelers. Visitors access rides and entertainment by buying entry passes, using memberships for benefits, and purchasing food and souvenirs inside the parks. The company distinguishes itself through its large park network, recognizable brand, and emphasis on high-adrenaline experiences paired with family-friendly activities, aiming to encourage repeat visits throughout the year via seasonal events and memberships. Its goal is to provide engaging, reliable entertainment that drives repeat attendance and steady revenue growth by leveraging scale and brand strength.
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Industries
Company Size
5,001-10,000
Company Stage
IPO
Headquarters
Grand Prairie, Texas
Founded
1971
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$2.9B
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Six Flags guests suffered concussions, broken bones before deadly coaster fall: records. by ALEXX ALTMAN-DEVILBISS | The National News Desk Thu, October 15, 2026 at 10:59 AM Updated Thu, October 15, 2026 at 11:05 AM Attractions are seen at Six Flags Over Georgia, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) northwest of Atlanta, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) (TNND) - Public records and court filings show that Six Flags faced allegations of failing to maintain its parks amid hundreds of reports of injuries and ride malfunctions in the years before a man fell to his death from the Goliath roller coaster Monday, according to a CNN analysis. Six Flags temporarily closed nine similar roller coasters at six parks after 42-year-old Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem was ejected from the ride and several other riders were injured on Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia. Six Flags Over Georgia plans to reopen Friday, but Goliath will remain temporarily closed, the park said. A spokesperson told ABC News on Wednesday that the park had no anticipated reopening date for the ride. Preliminary interviews with witnesses and park employees indicated Kariem was ejected, Cobb County police said. Investigators have not said what caused it or described the other guests' injuries. The department's Major Crimes Unit is investigating. Safety records covering more than a dozen parks in California, New Jersey and Texas documented maintenance problems and guest injuries over the past five years. They included a train derailment, faulty restraint bars, dislocated joints, concussions and broken bones. California regulators have received nearly 300 accident reports from Six Flags parks since 2021, CNN reported. The records provide limited details, and some incidents may have involved other factors, such as heat or underlying medical conditions. New Jersey records showed repeated reports of lap bars opening mid-ride at Six Flags Great Adventure, sometimes because of broken bolts. A 2024 train derailment caused minor injuries, and riders had to be evacuated from the park's log ride on seven occasions because of problems including jammed or colliding boats. The park's El Toro coaster was also the subject of repeated safety reports and lawsuits. More than a dozen riders were injured after a violent jolt in August 2022, according to court filings and state records reviewed by CNN. The state deemed the ride "structurally compromised" the following month; it remained closed until June 2023. Separately, two investor lawsuits filed last year alleged that, before its 2024 merger with Cedar Fair, Six Flags put off basic maintenance, infrastructure repairs and ride updates while cutting staff. The company has not responded to those claims in court, CNN reported. In September, three riders sued Six Flags Magic Mountain, alleging longstanding design flaws on the X2 roller coaster. One plaintiff, Pamela Guillen, said her family visited the park in July for her daughter's 16th birthday. After riding X2, she said she felt confused and disoriented. Her next memory, she said, was waking up in a hospital two weeks later after emergency brain surgery. Six Flags told CNN it was "committed to rigorous ride inspection, maintenance and safety procedures that meet or exceed industry standards." The company said reported injuries are taken seriously and reviewed, while cautioning that the incidents in the records span different parks, rides, years and circumstances. SPONSORED CONTENT MORE TO EXPLORE
Roller coaster rider's death puts spotlight on the safety of ever more thrilling rides. The horrific death of a man who was ejected from a Six Flags roller coaster in Georgia is drawing attention to the safety of amusement park rides that have become increasingly faster and steeper in their quest for the biggest thrill. Even so, deaths on roller coasters are still extremely rare, and Georgia officials have said little about what happened Monday when Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, 42, was thrown from his seat while riding the Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia before striking other patrons and then landing below the ride. Goliath uses a sheer drop from 200 feet (61 meters) to reach top speeds of 70 mph (112 kph) and focuses on velocity and downhill plunges rather than turning riders upside down through loops or corkscrews. It has operated at the park for two decades. Six Flags temporarily closed nine similar coasters across North America following the death, saying it was doing so out of an abundance of caution. Ride manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard said it is "actively investigating the incident and will not comment further until we have a better understanding of what happened." In the U.S., roller coasters and other rides at major amusement parks such as Six Flags are not regulated by the federal government. That responsibility falls to states. Some say this has led to an inconsistent patchwork of rules where some states have strict regulations and others have little to no oversight. U.S. Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts has repeatedly introduced legislation to close what he calls a "loophole" in federal law that allows U.S. safety officials to regulate mobile rides, but prevents the Consumer Product Safety Commission from overseeing stationary rides like those at major amusement parks. Brian Avery, a University of Florida professor and amusement ride safety expert, agrees that more federal regulations are needed. "Who's watching those in these organizations to ensure that they are adequately trained, that they are compliant, that they are monitoring these rides to the level in which the standards have established?" Avery said. Georgia's Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner, which oversees annual ride inspections in the state, is "conducting an in-depth and comprehensive review" of what happened Monday at Six Flags, said Garrison Bennett, a spokesperson. Amusement park operators worldwide generally adhere to what are known as ASTM standards set by industry experts, which cover everything from ride design and construction to how much acceleration and force each rider is allowed to experience. The industry has multiple layers of inspection, said Dennis Speigel, a theme park consultant and past president of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, a trade group. Park operators are under pressure from insurance carriers that could face a hefty payout if something goes wrong. "With the checks and balances that are put in place, theme parks are really one of the safest places to be on the planet," he said in a phone interview Tuesday. The trade group said the chance of being seriously injured on a U.S. amusement park ride is 1 in 15.5 million rides taken. Martin Lewinson, a roller coaster expert and a professor at Farmingdale State College, said it was difficult to imagine there being a mechanical malfunction on a roller coaster such as Goliath because of its design. The ride features a pull-down lap restraint, called a "clamshell," that works with a ratchet mechanism that makes clicking sounds as you press it down over your hips. These have multiple disks to ensure redundancy if one fails, Lewinson said. "They're dependable. They're not so technically advanced that theme parks have difficulty with operations," Lewinson said. The operator then has a safety system that displays a green "go" light for every seat on the train before it can be dispatched. The train should theoretically not be allowed to proceed unless all restraints are locked, Lewinson said. But few things are 100% safe. In 2022, a 14-year-old Missouri boy fell to his death from an Orlando amusement park ride when the harness didn't lock properly due to his size. In 2013, a 52-year-old Dallas woman was killed when she slipped out of her seat on the Texas Giant ride at Six Flags Over Texas. Six Flags has since added redesigned restraint-bar pads, seat belts and a coaster seat at the ride's entrance so guests can check before they get on whether they fit safely into the cars. Nick Mendenhall, who has been on the Goliath more than a dozen times in recent weeks, said he saw Six Flags staff check the restraints each time he rode it. "There are two employees, one on either side of the train, and with their hands they push down and they make sure it locks every time. I've never seen them not do it," Mendenhall said. In California, the state Department of Industrial Relations approves new rides and rides that have been modified. State officials either directly inspect them and how they are being operated each year or rely on an annual inspection by the owner, according to the department's website. Florida's largest theme parks, on the other hand, are exempt from state safety inspections, unlike smaller venues and fairs. Instead, the largest theme parks like Walt Disney World and Universal conduct their own inspections and have their own protocols, but they must report to the state any injury or death. Texas, similarly, relies on inspections carried out by private inspectors hired by park operators or their insurance companies. Arizona, where Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Phoenix is located, does not have a state-level agency that regulates amusement park rides or conducts safety inspections at all. The law requires an annual private inspection, with enforcement largely by local government.
Six Flags retreats 17% as fatal Georgia coaster incident closes rides across its parks; United Parks & Resorts slips. A fatal roller coaster accident at a Six Flags park has triggered closures across multiple locations, and the timing could not be worse for a company that depends on the next few weeks to salvage its year. Six Flags Entertainment (NYSE:FUN) stock is trading at $9.91, down 17% this afternoon. Behind the drop is a fatal accident on a Georgia roller coaster that led the company to close similar rides across its parks. This decline compounds a painful run that has left Six Flags stock down 50% over the past year. Meanwhile, United Parks & Resorts (NYSE:PRKS) stock is at $33.57, down 0.6%, a far smaller decline than its theme park rival is suffering. Also, Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE:LYV | LYV Price Prediction) stock trades at $172.99, up 2%, moving in the opposite direction from Six Flags stock. For a sector sentiment gauge, the Invesco Leisure and Entertainment ETF (NYSEARCA:PEJ) is up 0.7%. At the same time, the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSEARCA:SPY) is down 0.1%, indicating a slight slip for the broad market. With the PEJ ETF higher and the closest peer barely changed, the decline points to a setback specific to Six Flags. Fatal Goliath accident forces ride closures. A park visitor died and several others were injured Monday in an incident involving the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia, in Austell in Cobb County. Police said detectives from the Major Crimes Unit are investigating. Authorities haven't given a cause, and the victim hasn't been identified. In a statement, a Six Flags spokesperson said, "We are deeply saddened by the guest incident at our park today," adding that the company is cooperating fully with local authorities as they complete their investigation. Separately, the company stated, "Out of an abundance of caution, we have temporarily closed similar attractions across our parks." No timeline for reopening those rides has been announced. Halloween season raises the stakes for Six Flags. Key data−. Previous Close Market Cap Day's Range 52wk Range Dividend Yield Six Flags operates regional amusement parks and depends on ride availability, single-day admissions and season pass renewals. Major roller coasters are what sell those tickets and passes through October, when the company's Halloween events run, and management has described that season as its largest fourth-quarter opportunity. An extended closing of headline attractions would land directly in the most valuable stretch of the year, right when guests decide whether a pass is worth renewing. Free Report, Just Released Why Didn't FUN Make The Top 10 List? 24/7 Wall St has helped investors make money for over two decades, and our top analysts just finished ranking the definitive Top 10 Stocks To Buy Now. Not the ten biggest companies. Not the ten everyone is arguing about. The ten best stocks to buy right now. And FUN didn't make the cut! The report is free, and you can see why we think each stock is a top investment today. Ride safety was already a live issue for the company before Monday. In September, Six Flags Magic Mountain in California said it would retire its X2 roller coaster following lawsuits alleging serious brain injuries. More recently, the company settled a wrongful-death lawsuit brought by the family of a man who died after riding X2, and three further lawsuits alleging traumatic brain injuries were filed in the week before the Georgia incident. The Invesco fund holds no shares of Six Flags or United Parks. Its largest weights sit in travel booking, lodging, cruise and restaurant names, so its move reads as a gauge of discretionary out-of-home spending across a much wider slice of the leisure economy. What to watch next. Six Flags options already reflect heavy defensive positioning, with a put/call ratio of 4.37 across the full chain, a sign that bearish contracts far outnumber bullish ones. Two questions remain open: what caused the accident and when the closed coasters can reopen. The focus will be on whether Six Flags restores the affected rides before its Halloween events wrap up, since every lost October weekend cuts into the season management has singled out. In the bullish view, the closings are precautionary, so reopening the rides during Halloween could restore the quarter's key revenue window. The bearish case is that an open-ended closings of major attractions compounds a long slide in Six Flags stock, with no cause established and separate ride litigation underway. Until the cause is known, keeping your position sizes modest could help to limit your risk. Got $1,000? Before you buy FUN, read this. If you have cash sitting in your account right now, give this two minutes. After more than two decades of helping investors beat the market, our top analysts at 24/7 Wall St. put together a definitive report on the Top 10 Stocks To Buy Today. And FUN wasn't one of them. They combed the entire market. It's not 10 ideas, not 10 stocks everyone is talking about, it's what their research points to as the 10 best stocks to buy right now, and it's free. Read more here and see which stocks made the list ->> David Moadel David Moadel is financial writer specializing in stocks, ETFs, options, precious metals, and Bitcoin. David has written well over 1,000 articles for leading online publications, helping investors understand markets, income strategies, and risk.His work has appeared in The Motley Fool, InvestorPlace, U.S. News & World Report, TipRanks, ValueWalk, Benzinga, Market Realist, TalkMarkets, Finmasters, 24/7 Wall St., and others.With a master's degree in education, David has taught at the elementary, high school, and college levels. That teaching background shapes his writing style: clear, educational, and practical. David has also built a loyal social-media audience by providing trustworthy financial content on YouTube, X/Twitter, and StockTwits.
Six Flags closes multiple roller coasters similar to one linked to Georgia park death. * Michael Loria USA Today * Oct 13, 2026 Updated 3 hrs ago * 0 The company says it's closing the additional rollercoasters "out of an abundance of caution," but did not provide more details on the death. Six Flags is closing several rides nationwide after a man fell to his death from a roller coaster in Georgia on Tuesday, according to reporting by The New York Times and The Associated Press. People are also reading... Contributing: James Powel, USA Today Be the first to know. Related to this story. The company says it's closing the additional rollercoasters "out of an abundance of caution," but did not provide more details on the death.
Why Bay Area roller coasters remain open following freak death in Georgia. Updated October 13, 2026 6:33 AM PDT Published October 13, 2026 6:24 AM PDT One person died and several people suffered injuries Monday afternoon during a roller coaster incident at Six Flags Over Georgia in Mableton. Witnesses describe their horror. The brief. * * One person died and four were injured on a Six Flags' Goliath roller coaster near Atlanta, which stands at 200 feet. * The two Six Flags amusement parks in Santa Clara and Vallejo have roller coasters that are shorter than that and will not close down. * Six Flags is temporarily closing nine similar rides in North America, including the Goliath ride in Valencia, Calif. VALLEJO, Calif. - Following a freak death on a roller coaster at Six Flags in Georgia, Bay Area amusement parks will not see any changes, park officials said. Six Flags closing similar tall roller coasters after freak death. Why you should care: Six Flags on Monday announced it is temporarily shuttering nine similar rides at other North American parks "out of an abundance of caution," after a mechanical failure on the "Goliath" roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia, located just outside Atlanta, resulted in the death of one man and injured at least four others earlier that day. Among the affected attractions is the 281-foot tall Goliath ride at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, Southern California. The closure comes roughly two weeks after Magic Mountain announced the permanent retirement of its "X2" roller coaster following exposed injury reports and lawsuits alleging severe brain damage. First responders and park officials worked to evacuate stranded riders on Monday after a serious incident occurred at Six Flags Over Georgia in Austell. Santa Clara, Vallejo remain open. Local perspective: But neither Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo nor California's Great America in Santa Clara operate hyper coasters, which feature drops of 200 feet or more. And neither park has announced any closures of any rides. The tallest roller coasters in the Bay Area are less than that. For example, the Gold Striker in Santa Clara is 108 feet. The Medusa and Superman in Vallejo are 150 feet, according to the Six Flags website. Witness describes horror. The backstory: SkyFox in Atlanta flew over the Goliath roller coaster where one person died and four were injured. Oct. 12, 2026 Back in Georgia, witnesses described seeing the victim fall from the hyper coaster - the park's tallest and fastest ride, which features a 200-foot drop and reaches speeds up to 70 mph. It remains unclear how the other four people sustained their injuries. "I just see someone fly out and fly into the woods," Brittany Landry told Fox 5 Atlanta. "You ride roller coasters to get the adrenaline rush, but you always expect to get back. You don't expect to not come home. It could've been any of us." Addressing safety concerns, Six Flags stated on its website that "safety is at the center of everything we do," adding that every attraction undergoes extensive inspection and maintenance protocols. According to the company, rides are subjected to daily inspections by park staff, independent third-party firms, state regulators, insurance inspectors, and engineering experts. The Source: Information for this story comes from Six Flags website, Fox 5 reporting, witness Brittany Landry.
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Industries
Company Size
5,001-10,000
Company Stage
IPO
Headquarters
Grand Prairie, Texas
Founded
1971
Find jobs on Simplify and start your career today