Premier Parks, LLC
Company typeLimited liability company
IndustryAmusement park operator
Founded2009
FoundersKieran Burke and Gary Story
HeadquartersOklahoma City,
United States
Area served
United States, Canada
Key people
Kieran Burke, CEO
Susan Hughes, CFO
Websitepremierparks.com

Premier Parks, LLC (formerly Rapids Holdings, LLC and Premier Attractions Management, LLC) is a limited liability company based in the United States. The company owns and operates several amusement parks and water parks across the country and one in Canada.

History

Kieran Burke and Gary Story previously held the positions of chief executive officer and chief operating officer at Six Flags for more than 10 years. In November 2009, the pair purchased Nashville Shores, consisting of a marina, RV park and water park. They redeveloped the water park for the 2010 season. In early 2011, it was announced the pair had purchased the Ocean Breeze Waterpark in Virginia with plans to renovate it for the 2011 season.[1]

In 2011, the newly founded Premier Attractions Management began operating three properties owned by CNL Lifestyle Properties: Frontier City, SplashTown Houston, and White Water Bay[2] CNL Lifestyle Properties had terminated its lease agreements with PARC Management for eight parks in late 2010.[3] Burke and Story have since gained operational control of additional parks owned by CNL Lifestyle Properties.[4][5] In 2013, the company changed its name to Premier Parks, LLC taking the former corporate name of the company that had acquired and took the name of Six Flags.[6]

In late 2016, CNL Lifestyle Properties sold their attractions portfolio to EPR Properties.[7] Upon this transaction, EPR transferred management of these parks to Premier Parks, LLC, including ones previously operated by different groups.[8]

In May 2017, operations of Waterworld California were transferred to Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, which had previously owned the park and also own the nearby Six Flags Discovery Kingdom.[9] In May 2018, Six Flags announced that they had entered into a purchase agreement with Premier Parks to acquire the lease rights to operate 5 additional parks: Darien Lake, Frontier City, Wet'n'Wild Phoenix, Wet'n'Wild SplashTown, and White Water Bay.[10]

Properties

Full Ownership

Operated for EPR Properties

Operated for Kroenke Entertainment

Former properties

Full Ownership

Operated for EPR Properties

References

  1. ^ a b c "Former Six Flags executives Breeze into Virginia". Park World Magazine. January 20, 2011. Archived from the original on December 2, 2013. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
  2. ^ "CNL announces new management for eight parks". Park World Magazine. January 25, 2011. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
  3. ^ "CNL Lifestyle Properties and PARC Management End Lease Relationship" (PDF) (Press release). CNL Lifestyle Properties. November 24, 2010. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
  4. ^ a b Silverstein, Stephanie (November 21, 2013). "Premier Parks to take over operation of Wet 'n' Wild Hawaii". Pacific Business News. Retrieved November 23, 2013.
  5. ^ a b "CNL Lifestyle Properties acquires one of south Florida's largest water parks" (PDF) (Press release). CNL Lifestyle Properties. July 2, 2012. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
  6. ^ a b "Wet'n'Wild Phoenix, Hawaii to Add accesso eCommerce, Mobile Ticketing" (Press release). Premier Parks LLC. January 20, 2014. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  7. ^ "EPR Acquisition of CNL Portfolio" (PDF). Retrieved January 21, 2017 – via EPR Properties.
  8. ^ "EPR Acquisition of CNL Portfolio" (PDF).
  9. ^ "Waterworld California Becomes Six Flags' 20th Property". Six Flags Entertainment Corp. April 27, 2017. Retrieved April 28, 2017.
  10. ^ "Six Flags Adds Five More Parks to US Portfolio" (Press release). Six Flags Entertainment Corporation. Business Wire. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  11. ^ "Premier parks acquires wild water kingdom water park near Toronto « Amusement Today". amusementtoday.com. July 22, 2016. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
  12. ^ "EPR Acquisition of CNL Portfolio" (PDF).
  13. ^ "Premier Parks Named New Operator of Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier - Premier Parks, LLC".
  14. ^ "EPR Acquisition of CNL Portfolio" (PDF).
  15. ^ "Indiana park operator buys Clementon Park for $2.3 million". www.inquirer.com. Archived from the original on March 25, 2021.
  16. ^ "Wet N' Wild Palm Springs sold; will be closed for 2019 season - KESQ". www.kesq.com. Archived from the original on January 12, 2019.
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