Cedar Fair Entertainment Company

Overview

Cedar Fair Entertainment Company currently owns and operates 11 large-scale amusement parks across North America, with 10 in the United States and one in Ontario, Canada. In addition, it owns and operates two separately gated outdoor water parks, one indoor water park and several park-adjacent hotels.

Cedar Fair also operates Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park, which is owned by the City of Gilroy in California, United States. In June 2022, Cedar Fair sold the land beneath California’s Great America, with plans to close the park within 11 years. The company will use the funds on its existing destinations, including updating the resorts.

Cedar Fair’s licensing of third-party intellectual property is limited. The most notable example is the Peanuts characters – via Camp Snoopy – featured at Knott’s Berry Farm. It also licensed the Mass Effect IP from Electronic Arts (EA) for its rides at California’s Great America and Carowinds.

Key facts:

  • 11
    theme parks owned
  • 12
    theme parks operated

Product type

Regional theme parks

Market locations

United States

Canada

Investment

USD 500 million+/-

Strategy

  • Maximize revenue from its existing parks by upgrade and expansions
  • Improvement of guest experience and operations at existing park
  • Targeted marketing and development of adjacent lands

Theme Park Locations

Existing locations

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Existing Theme Parks

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Licensed Theme Parks

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Pipeline Projects

Current Theme Parks

Cedar Point

  • Location

    Sandusky, Ohio, USA

  • Opening Year

    1870

  • Peak Price

    USD 80

     

Dorney Park

  • Location

    Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA

  • Opening Year

    1884

  • Peak Price

    USD 70

Knott’s Berry Farm

  • Location

    Buena Park, California, USA

  • Opening Year

    1940

  • Peak Price

    USD 100

Michigan’s Adventure

  • Location

    Muskegon, Michigan, USA

  • Opening Year

    1956

  • Peak Price

    USD 60

Kings Island

  • Location

    Mason, Ohio, USA

  • Opening Year

    1972

  • Peak Price

    USD 85

Carowinds

  • Location

    Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

  • Opening Year

    1973

  • Peak Price

    USD 75

Worlds of Fun

  • Location

    Kansas City, Missouri, USA

  • Opening Year

    1973

  • Peak Price

    USD 65

Kings Dominion

  • Location

    Doswell, Virginia, USA

  • Opening Year

    1975

  • Peak Price

    USD 75

California’s Great America

  • Location

    Santa Clara, California, USA

  • Opening Year

    1976

  • Peak Price

    USD 70

Valleyfair

  • Location

    Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

  • Opening Year

    1976

  • Peak Price

    USD 60

Canada’s Wonderland

  • Location

    Toronto, Ontario, Canada

  • Opening Year

    1981

  • Peak Price

    CAD 80

Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park

  • Location

    Gilroy, California, USA

  • Opening Year

    2001

  • Peak Price

    USD 50

Notable Intellectual Property