Although I have not been there in 5 years, I grew up with it. I am actually surprised a theme park of this size, in a largely populated region, would get sold.
I do believe Astroworld was still profitable, although Six Flags has a lot of debt. The reason I believe is the new Reliant Center, built next to the old Astrodome, plus The Reliant (formerly Astro-) arens and Reliant hall, but primarily the new Football and rodeo arena (shit, even Monster trucks don’t want the Dome)…I digress. There have been parking disputes, but I still blame Six Flags. Astroworld was at the edge of town south of Houston, which in the 90’s was a pretty undeveloped side of town. Six Flags should have been snatching property to the south for this. Even with the old Dome, parking could get tight.
They gotta do what they gotta do, But I think they fucked up.
I have not been in years but the idea that it’s closing sure does suck…man did we have some times there growing up. Everybody would get a season pass and it seems like we would spend weeks there.
No more Texas Cyclone??? That is really fucking sad.
That’s a real shame. I haven’t been there in several years, and theme parks aren’t really my style anymore, but I have a lot of great memories of the old place.
Damn! I haven’t been there in years-hell, I haven’t lived in the Houston area for years-but it was still something that felt like it had always been there and always would. Where will junior high kids too young to drive while away summer afternoons?
Looney Tunes theme. Before Six Flags bought it, IIRC, it didn’t really have a theme. Just named after the Astrodome-Astros. I think the owner had to name it that to get city funding. I may be wrong, been a while since I lived there. And, of course, the Astro naming got started because of the Houston Space Program.
I thought the Cyclone was removed a few years ago…or was that the Tornado.
Let’s see, San Antonio is over 3 hours away, and Arlington is over 4 hours away from Houston. Houston, of course, is the largest city in Texas. Yeah, they’re still “serving the market.” Fuckers.
It’s kind of amusing to hear someone gripe about them not serving the market when no one has said that they’ve gone recently and several have said that they haven’t been in years.
Well, hell, should we tear down the Alamo next? When was the last time you visited there?
Seriously, though, I live in New England now, so it’s not exactly close. Every time we fly down to visit family, though, we go there.
Also, from what I can tell, attendance is down at Astroworld no more than any other of Six Flags’ parks. Apparently the problems there include parking issues, which has also caused them to restrict the hours they are open. Also, Six Flags is saddled with a lot of debt, and they are apparently trying to market the prime location of the property (just off the South Loop) to real estate developers.
They’re still a bunch of assholes. How dare they tear down part of my childhood? :wally
Six Flags just lot a pile of money since they bought the former Jazzland park in New Orleans a couple years ago and sunk beacoup de bucks into it to upgrade it. And now it’s a few skeleton girders sticking out of a deep pool of water, from what I hear.
I can see them wanting to retrench. But why do it with Astroworld?
As an adult, I don’t go to amusement parks much. I hav’nt been to the on here in Denver at all. Perhaps as we get older we become less part of the market, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t one.
I’m very sad to read this. I grew up in the Houston area, and Astroworld was one of my favorite places to visit. We used to go a few times every year. I rode the Texas Cyclone over and over and over, not to mention The Viper, The Joustabout, XCELR8. . . Oh dear God, where is my childhood going?
