California's Great America
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California's Great America, often shortened to Great America, is a
amusement park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...
located in
Santa Clara, California Santa Clara (; Spanish for " Saint Clare") is a city in Santa Clara County, California. The city's population was 127,647 at the 2020 census, making it the eighth-most populous city in the Bay Area. Located in the southern Bay Area, the cit ...
. Owned and operated by
Cedar Fair Cedar Fair, L.P., formally Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, is a publicly traded master limited partnership headquartered at its Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio. The company owns and operates eleven amusement parks, nine included-w ...
, it originally opened in 1976 as one of two parks built by the
Marriott Corporation Marriott Corporation was a hospitality company that operated from 1927 until 1993, founded by J. Willard Marriott and Frank J. Kimball as Hot Shoppes, Inc. In 1957, Marriott Corporation opened its first hotel in Arlington County, Virginia, Ar ...
. California's Great America features over 40 rides and attractions, and one of its most notable is Gold Striker, which has been featured as a top-ranked wooden roller coaster in '' Amusement Today's'' annual Golden Ticket Awards publication. Other notable rides include RailBlazer, a single-rail coaster from
Rocky Mountain Construction Rocky Mountain Construction, often abbreviated as RMC, is a manufacturing and construction company based in Hayden, Idaho, United States. The company is best known for its I-Box track and Topper Track for wooden roller coasters. History In 200 ...
, and
Flight Deck The flight deck of an aircraft carrier is the surface from which its aircraft take off and land, essentially a miniature airfield at sea. On smaller naval ships which do not have aviation as a primary mission, the landing area for helicopters ...
, an inverted coaster from
Bolliger & Mabillard Bolliger & Mabillard, officially Bolliger & Mabillard Consulting Engineers, Inc. and often abbreviated B&M, is a roller coaster design consultancy based in Monthey, Switzerland. The company was founded in 1988 by Walter Bolliger and Claude Mabil ...
. The park appeared in the 1994 films ''
Beverly Hills Cop III ''Beverly Hills Cop III'' is a 1994 American action comedy film starring Eddie Murphy and directed by John Landis, who had previously worked with Murphy on ''Trading Places'' and ''Coming to America''. It is the third film in the ''Beverly Hill ...
'' and ''
Getting Even with Dad ''Getting Even with Dad'' is a 1994 American comedy film starring Macaulay Culkin and Ted Danson. Plot Timmy Gleason is the estranged son of ex-con Ray Gleason and has been living with his aunt Kitty and her fiancée Wayne since the death of his ...
''. Ownership of the park transitioned several times, beginning with the city of Santa Clara's acquisition from Marriott in 1985. It was then sold to
Kings Entertainment Company Kings Entertainment Company (KECO) owned and/or operated six theme parks around the world. The company was originally owned by Taft Broadcasting and in 1984 was purchased for $167.5 million by senior executives and general managers of Taft's Amus ...
in 1989 while Santa Clara retained ownership of the land.
Paramount Parks Paramount Parks was the operator of Paramount's Kings Island, Paramount's Kings Dominion, Paramount's Great America, Paramount's Carowinds, and Paramount Canada's Wonderland, which annually attracted about 13 million patrons. National Amuseme ...
acquired the park in 1992, followed by Cedar Fair in 2006. Santa Clara eventually sold the land occupied by the park to Cedar Fair in 2019, who then sold it to
Prologis Prologis, Inc. is a real estate investment trust headquartered in San Francisco, California that invests in logistics facilities. The company was formed through the merger of AMB Property Corporation and Prologis in June 2011, which made Prologi ...
in 2022. While Cedar Fair plans to eventually close the park by 2033, the land rental agreement is a six-year lease through 2028 that gives Prologis the option of extending it another five years.


History


Marriott & KECO era (1976–1992)

The hotel and restaurant operator
Marriott Corporation Marriott Corporation was a hospitality company that operated from 1927 until 1993, founded by J. Willard Marriott and Frank J. Kimball as Hot Shoppes, Inc. In 1957, Marriott Corporation opened its first hotel in Arlington County, Virginia, Ar ...
completed Marriott's Great America on the site of what had been a pear orchard and opened it to the public on March 20, 1976. Admission was for adults (12 and up) and for children (4–11). There were 1,500 employees. Less than two months later, on May 29, the company opened a second Marriott's Great America – later known as
Six Flags Great America Six Flags Great America is a amusement park located in Gurnee, Illinois, within the northern Chicago metropolitan area. The amusement park originally opened as Marriott's Great America on May 29, 1976, as one of two theme parks built by the Ma ...
 – north of
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
in
Gurnee, Illinois Gurnee ( ) is a village in Lake County, Illinois, United States. Its population was 30,706 as of the 2020 census. It borders the city of Waukegan, and is a popular tourist attraction within the Chicago metropolitan area. Best known for being th ...
. A third park was initially planned for the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area, but the idea was later abandoned after several failed attempts to sway local opposition. The park, though profitable, was still an earnings disappointment for Marriott, leading the company in 1983 to explore options to sell. An interested party, Caz Development Co., appraised the land value at US$800,000 to $1 million per acre. Marriott also involved the city of Santa Clara in negotiations, which was already leasing of parking space for the amusement park. Fearing homebuilding on the land by Caz Development would lower home values of existing homeowners, the city council approved a $101 million purchasing agreement on January 31, 1984, by a 4–3 vote that also had to be approved by city residents. The citywide vote passed, approving the sale by a margin of 3 to 1. Caz Development then sued the city and Marriott in the
Superior Court of Santa Clara County The Superior Court of California for and in the County of Santa Clara is the state trial court in and for Santa Clara County, California. The Santa Clara Superior Court serves the public by providing equal justice for all in a fair, accessible, ...
to block the transaction. The court nullified the sale, forcing the city to attempt to salvage the deal through negotiations with the other parties. Unable to broker a timely agreement, the city council voted 6–1 to scuttle the sale on February 5, 1985, though the city was still interested in owning the park. After Marriott refunded a $20 million down payment back to the city, negotiations were restarted. All parties were able to agree on a compromise, which was signed in marathon sessions taking place in early June 1985. The city acquired the park for $93.5 million from Marriott, which retained from the sale for development. Caz Development settled and was allowed to build a hotel and office near the park, which the city renamed Great America.
Kings Entertainment Company Kings Entertainment Company (KECO) owned and/or operated six theme parks around the world. The company was originally owned by Taft Broadcasting and in 1984 was purchased for $167.5 million by senior executives and general managers of Taft's Amus ...
, who owned and operated other amusement parks, was hired in 1985 to manage Great America for the city. In 1989, the city sold the park to Kings Entertainment, while retaining ownership of the land that the park occupied. In the agreement, the city would earn 5% of all revenue that exceeds $56 million.


Paramount Parks era (1992–2006)

Three years later, Paramount Communications (formerly
Gulf+Western Gulf and Western Industries, Inc. (stylized as Gulf+Western) was an American conglomerate. Originally, the company focused on manufacturing and resource extraction. Beginning in 1966, and continuing throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the company ...
), the owners of
Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...
, sought to join other entertainment companies as a theme park owner. The company acquired Kings Entertainment for $400 million on July 31, 1992, and created
Paramount Parks Paramount Parks was the operator of Paramount's Kings Island, Paramount's Kings Dominion, Paramount's Great America, Paramount's Carowinds, and Paramount Canada's Wonderland, which annually attracted about 13 million patrons. National Amuseme ...
. As part of the acquisition, Paramount purchased the parks owned by Kings: Great America,
Kings Dominion Kings Dominion is an amusement park located in Doswell, Virginia, north of Richmond, Virginia, Richmond and south of Washington, D.C. Owned and operated by Cedar Fair, the park opened to the public on May 3, 1975, and features more than 60 ri ...
, Carowinds, and a 20% stake in
Canada's Wonderland Canada's Wonderland, formerly known as Paramount Canada's Wonderland, is a amusement park located in Vaughan, Ontario, a municipality within the Greater Toronto Area. Opened in 1981 by the Taft Broadcasting Company and the Great-West Life As ...
; in addition, Paramount would acquire
Kings Island Kings Island is a amusement park located northeast of Cincinnati in Mason, Ohio, United States. Owned and operated by Cedar Fair, the park first opened in 1972 by the Taft Broadcasting Company. It was part of a larger effort to move and expan ...
, which was operated by Kings for its owner,
American Financial Corporation American Financial Group, Inc. is an American financial services holding company based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Its primary businesses are insurance and investments. Lines of business American Financial Group's major insurance division operates ...
.
Viacom Viacom, an abbreviation of Video and Audio Communications, may refer to: * Viacom (1952–2006), a former American media conglomerate * Viacom (2005–2019), a former company spun off from the original Viacom * Viacom18, a joint venture between Par ...
, the parent of
MTV Networks Paramount Media Networks (formerly known as Warner Cable Communications, Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, MTV Networks, Viacom Media Networks, and ViacomCBS Domestic Media Networks) is an American mass media division of Paramount Global tha ...
(including
Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...
), then assumed control of Paramount in 1994 by purchasing a controlling interest, allowing Nickelodeon theming and merchandise into the park as well. During the Paramount era, attractions from the Action FX Theatre, Nickelodeon Splat City (later Nickelodeon Central), Drop Zone Stunt Tower, Invertigo, and many more modern thrill ride attractions were added in. Because the park is constrained from further expansion by its location in the center of
Silicon Valley Silicon Valley is a region in Northern California that serves as a global center for high technology and innovation. Located in the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area, it corresponds roughly to the geographical areas San Mateo County ...
, several rides including the classic train ride and the
Sky Whirl Sky Whirl was the name of two amusement rides which featured triple Ferris wheels. Both debuted in 1976 at the California's Great America (in Santa Clara, California) and Six Flags Great America (in Gurnee, Illinois) amusement parks. The ride i ...
, a Marriott's Great America signature attraction, were removed to make way for newer attractions. Viacom went on to acquire
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
in 1999, which made the combined Viacom/CBS the parent company of Great America and several broadcasting affiliates in the Bay Area, including
KPIX-TV KPIX-TV (channel 5) is a television station licensed to San Francisco, California, United States, serving as the San Francisco Bay Area's CBS network outlet. It is owned and operated by the network's CBS News and Stations division alongside CW ...
(CBS) and KBCW (
UPN The United Paramount Network (UPN) was an American broadcast television network that launched on January 16, 1995. It was originally owned by Chris-Craft Industries' United Television. Viacom (through its Paramount Television unit, which pr ...
). Viacom/CBS split in 2005, with the re-formed CBS Corporation assuming control of Paramount Parks, until CBS sold that unit to Cedar Fair in 2006.


Cedar Fair era (2006–present)

After Viacom and
CBS Corporation The second incarnation of CBS Corporation (the first being a short-lived rename of the Westinghouse Electric Corporation) was an American multinational media conglomerate with interests primarily in commercial broadcasting, publishing, and t ...
split, Paramount Parks became a subsidiary of CBS. The theme park division was promptly put up for sale by CBS. In May 2006,
Cedar Fair Cedar Fair, L.P., formally Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, is a publicly traded master limited partnership headquartered at its Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio. The company owns and operates eleven amusement parks, nine included-w ...
announced its acquisition of Paramount Parks. Despite having a license agreement in place to retain Nickelodeon and Paramount branding for several years, Cedar Fair opted to remove them sooner. For the 2007 season, Paramount was dropped from the park's name, reducing it to Great America. The following season, Cedar Fair renamed it California's Great America in recognition of the park's original name. A
Huss Rides HUSS Park Attractions ( legal name: Huss Park Attractions GmbH) is a company that specializes in developing and manufacturing amusement rides at a factory in Budapest, Hungary. History of the original Huss Company HUSS Maschinenfabrik was a G ...
top spin ride called FireFall was added that year, along with a new ice show in the Great America Theatre that was formerly called Paramount Theatre. Halloween Haunt, a Halloween-themed event held every weekend through the fall, also debuted at the park in 2008. The remaining Nickelodeon themes were replaced with characters and themes from ''
Peanuts ''Peanuts'' is a print syndication, syndicated daily strip, daily and Sunday strip, Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz. The strip's original run extended from 1950 to 2000, continuing in reruns afterward. ' ...
'', a syndicated comic strip by
Charles M. Schulz Charles Monroe "Sparky" Schulz (; November 26, 1922 – February 12, 2000) was an American cartoonist and the creator of the comic strip ''Peanuts'', featuring what are probably his two best-known characters, Charlie Brown and Snoopy. He is wi ...
, for the 2010 season. The children's area was renamed
Planet Snoopy Planet Snoopy is a ''Peanuts'' themed area for children at several Cedar Fair amusement parks. Locations Current Planet Snoopy at Kings Island was awarded the "Best Kids Area" Golden Ticket Awards from 2001–2018 by ''Amusement Today''. It was ...
. Similar changes were made at other Cedar Fair properties around the country. On September 19, 2011, Cedar Fair confirmed reports that California's Great America would be sold to JMA Ventures, LLC for $70 million in cash. The sale required approval by the City of Santa Clara, and its city council was scheduled to vote on the matter on December 6, 2011. Cedar Fair, which purchased the park in 2006, expected to use the cash proceeds from the sale to reduce its senior secured debt. However, on December 6, 2011, JMA Ventures cancelled its plans to purchase the amusement park. In the same announcement, Cedar Fair also verified that a long-term agreement was reached with the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
regarding parking and construction of a new stadium adjacent to Great America. Cedar Fair purchased the land beneath Great America from the city of Santa Clara in March 2019. The city retained the main parking lot in sale. California's Great America did not operate in 2020 due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. It reopened on May 22, 2021, initially in a limited capacity, where face masks and social distancing were required. Also in 2021, the Boomerang Bay water park reopened as South Bay Shores, featuring new water slides in several areas of the park. In June 2022, Cedar Fair announced the sale of the land occupied by California's Great America for $310 million to
Prologis Prologis, Inc. is a real estate investment trust headquartered in San Francisco, California that invests in logistics facilities. The company was formed through the merger of AMB Property Corporation and Prologis in June 2011, which made Prologi ...
, a Bay Area logistics real estate company. Cedar Fair stated that the sale will help them lower the company's corporate debt to $2 billion, adding that they intended to close the park by 2033. The terms of the agreement involve Prologis leasing the land for an initial period of six years with the option to renew the lease for an additional five years, although Prologis could terminate Cedar Fair's lease with as little as two years' notice. The mayor of Santa Clara, Lisa M. Gilmor, released a statement saying that the city only found out about the sale when the public did, that city officials planned to speak with Prologis to learn more details, and that the land is zoned for "theme park" use only.


Mascots

At the park's opening in 1976, the park featured appearances from
Looney Tunes ''Looney Tunes'' is an American Animated cartoon, animated comedy short film series produced by Warner Bros. starting from 1930 to 1969, concurrently with its partner series ''Merrie Melodies'', during the golden age of American animation.
characters, including
Bugs Bunny Bugs Bunny is an animated cartoon character created in the late 1930s by Leon Schlesinger Productions (later Warner Bros. Cartoons) and voiced originally by Mel Blanc. Bugs is best known for his starring roles in the '' Looney Tunes'' and '' ...
. After Marriott sold the Gurnee park to the
Six Flags Six Flags Entertainment Corporation is an American amusement park corporation, headquartered in Arlington, Texas. It has properties in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Six Flags owns the most theme parks and waterparks combined of any amu ...
corporation, the rights to the Looney Tunes characters passed along to them, and the 1984 season was their final one. The park began using
Hanna-Barbera Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ) was an American animation studio and production company which was active from 1957 to 2001. It was founded on July 7, 1957, by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera following the decision of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to c ...
properties in 1985, including
The Smurfs ''The Smurfs'' (french: Les Schtroumpfs; nl, De Smurfen) is a Belgian comic franchise centered on a fictional colony of small, blue, humanoid creatures who live in mushroom-shaped houses in the forest. ''The Smurfs'' was first created and in ...
,
Scooby-Doo ''Scooby-Doo'' is an American animation, animated media franchise based on an animated television series launched in 1969 and continued through several derivative List of Scooby-Doo media, media. Writers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears created the orig ...
, and
Yogi Bear Yogi Bear is an anthropomorphic animal character who has appeared in numerous comic books, animated television shows and films. He made his debut in 1958 as a supporting character in ''The Huckleberry Hound Show''. Yogi Bear was the first ...
. After the park was acquired by Cedar Fair, who held a license for
Peanuts ''Peanuts'' is a print syndication, syndicated daily strip, daily and Sunday strip, Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz. The strip's original run extended from 1950 to 2000, continuing in reruns afterward. ' ...
characters, the child-themed area was rethemed as ''Planet Snoopy''.


Attractions by type

''Note: Number ratings assigned per California's Great America, while the colors are unique to Wikipedia. For more details, refer to the California's Great America Guest Assistance Guide.''


Roller coasters


Thrill rides


Park areas

The park is divided into several themed areas, laid out along an oval pathway nicknamed the "Duell Loop", which the park's designer,
Randall Duell Randall Duell (July 14, 1903 – November 28, 1992) was an American architect and motion picture art director. He designed Magic Mountain theme park in Santa Clarita, California, the original Universal Studio Tours in California, Six Fla ...
, had incorporated into several theme parks, including the Six Flags Great America sister park in Gurnee. This allows all areas of the park to be serviced from a central corridor, while visitors can experience the entire park by completing a single lap around it. In aerial photographs, the central service corridor in the Santa Clara park is visible as a straight road running almost directly north–south, terminating under the Patriot roller coaster. At the park's opening in 1976, there were five themed areas: * ''Orleans Place'', representing the old South * ''Yankee Harbor'', representing an early 19th-century Eastern seaboard village * ''Yukon Territory'', representing the Klondike Gold Rush * ''The Great Midwest Livestock Exposition and County Fair'', representing the early 20th century * ''Hometown Square'', representing a small American town in the 1920s From the main entrance, visitors enter ''Celebration Plaza'' (originally ''Carousel Plaza''); proceeding clockwise (turning left after passing Carousel Columbia), the themed areas are: * ''Orleans Place'' (restoring the original name; an interim name was ''Pavilion Plaza'') * ''All American Corners'' (consolidating the original ''Yankee Harbor'' and ''Yukon Territory''; previously known as ''All American Plaza'') * ''Planet Snoopy'' (originally ''Fort Fun''; intermediate brands included ''Kids Kingdom'', ''Smurf Woods'', ''KidZville'', and ''Nickelodeon Central'') * ''Action Zone'' (originally ''The Great Midwest Livestock Exposition and County Fair'', later abbreviated to simply ''County Fair'') * ''County Fair'' (restoring the original name; a portion had been split off and designated ''Festival Plaza'') * ''Hometown Square'' (restoring the original name; it had been incorporated into ''Celebration Plaza'') The entrance to the '' South Bay Shores'' water park is in ''All American Corners'', near the bridge to ''Planet Snoopy''. Typical visitor guide maps show the main entrance, which is in the northwest corner of the park, at the bottom of the map.


Action Zone

The ''Action Zone'' was divided from ''The Great Midwest Livestock Exposition and County Fair''.


All American Corners

''All American Plaza'' was formed by consolidating ''Yankee Harbor'', ''Yukon Territory'', and the southern portion of ''Orleans Place''. These areas were delineated by covered bridges: ''Yankee Harbor'' was between the covered bridges leading to ''Orleans Place'' to the north and ''Fort Fun'' on the south, while ''Yukon Territory'' was separated from ''Yankee Harbor'' by a boardwalk next to The Revolution (later H.M.B. Endeavor)
Looping Starship The Looping Starship is an amusement ride manufactured by Intamin of Switzerland. The ride is a swinging ship that can spin a complete 360-degree revolution. The ride has been modified with custom theming to resemble a number of different vehi ...
ride and lighthouse; another covered bridge led from ''Yukon Territory'' to ''County Fair'', which is now part of ''Action Zone''). The signature rides in ''Yankee Harbor'' and ''Yukon Territory'' were the interlocking log flumes, which shared the same space on the east side of the park and had an entrance in each areas, flanking The Revolution and lighthouse. Much of what was ''Yukon Territory'' was renamed ''Nickelodeon Central'' by 2003, which was an extension of the ''Fort Fun''/''KidZville'' children's area. This area was renamed ''All American Corners'' by 2009. The expansion of South Bay Shores in 2019–20 annexed a portion of ''All American Corners'', including the lighthouse replica that was next to The Revolution/HMB Endeavor.


Celebration Plaza

''Celebration Plaza'' is the park's entrance plaza, with often-photographed features including the reflecting pool, Carousel Columbia, and the park's name in flowers. By 1988, the area had been renamed ''Carousel Plaza'' and was separated from the adjoining ''Hometown Square'' by the park's perimeter railroad, which ran on an elevated track immediately behind the giant carousel. After the railroad and trolley were removed in 2000, the ''Hometown Square'' area was consolidated and renamed ''Celebration Plaza'', although the area briefly bore the name ''Hollywood Plaza'' as well. The ''Hometown Square'' area was re-separated in 2021.


County Fair

''County Fair'' was originally named ''The Great Midwest Livestock Exposition and County Fair''; portions of it were split off to form ''Action Zone'' and ''Festival Plaza'', but the latter was re-annexed into ''County Fair'' later. The original area, named ''The Great Midwest Livestock Exposition and County Fair'', occupied most of the park's southern area, extending from a covered bridge into ''Yukon Territory'' (near the Centrifuge ride) to another bridge into ''Hometown Square'' (next to Whitewater Falls). Passenger service was provided by the park's perimeter railroad from ''Hometown Square'', which stopped at the Fairground Junction station next to the picnic grounds and The Edge ride, and the Eagle's Flight station on the park's
Von Roll Von Roll Holding AG is a Swiss industrial group that operates worldwide. It was founded in 1803. As one of Switzerland’s longest-established industrial companies, Von Roll focuses today on products and systems for electrical applications such ...
gondola from ''Orleans Place''. By 2003, the area had been divided in two, with ''County Fair'' remaining in the southern part next to ''Nickelodeon Central'' (formed from the former ''Yukon Territory'') while the western arm had been renamed ''Festival Plaza''; the dividing line was the semi-circular Games Gallery, which hosted typical carnival games. By 2009, the former ''County Fair'' at the park's southern end was renamed the ''Action Zone'', while ''Festival Plaza'' assumed the ''County Fair'' name. In early 2011, the park made the decision to relocate Invertigo to another Cedar Fair property,
Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom is an American amusement and water park located between Allentown and Emmaus, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. The park features 64 rides, including six roller coasters, other adul ...
, stating that it was necessary to make room for a future attraction. RailBlazer, a single-rail roller coaster, eventually opened in its place in 2018.


Hometown Square

''Hometown Square'' was annexed into ''Celebration Plaza'', but was restored to a separate area later. Transportation within the park was provided by the perimeter railroad, which had one station in Hometown Square adjacent to Carousel Columbia connecting to a second station in ''County Fair'' where the Psycho Mouse roller coaster is today, and also by the trolley system, which ran in a square loop around the eponymous square in front of the Great America Theater, routed via ''Carousel Plaza'' through ''Orleans Place'', where it terminated in another loop near where the Flying Eagles ride is today. After the park's perimeter railroad and trolley were removed, the ''Hometown Square'' area was combined with ''Celebration Plaza'' by 2003; the areas were divided again by 2021.


Orleans Place

''Orleans Place'' was renamed ''Pavilion Plaza'' at one point, reflecting its entrance to the picnic area named Great America Pavilion. Originally, ''Orleans Place'' extended from ''Celebration/Carousel Plaza'' to a covered bridge leading to ''Yankee Harbor'' and was divided in half by the perimeter railroad; the portion south of the railroad (including the trolley station/loop and the Orleans Orbit and Rip Roaring Rapids rides, approximately where Pizza Orleans is today) was annexed into ''All American Plaza'' when that area was formed by consolidating ''Yankee Village'' and ''Yukon Territory'' by 2003. The site of the trolley station/loop is now marked by the "1950s gazebo" in ''All American Corners''.


Planet Snoopy

Planet Snoopy is California's Great America's kids area, which opened in 2010. The area was originally named ''Fort Fun'' and has seen the most name changes as brand licenses were updated following multiple ownership changes, including ''Kids Kingdom'', ''Smurf Woods'', ''Nickelodeon Central'', and ''KidZville''. The original ''Fort Fun'' was a area for children located in the center of the park, accessible only by footbridges over water from ''Yukon Territory''. ''Smurf Woods'' opened in 1987 and was physically separated from ''Fort Fun'' by ''Yukon Territory''. By 1999, the water physically separating ''Fort Fun'' from ''Yukon Territory'' had been filled and by 2003, ''Smurf Woods'' had been replaced by ''Nickelodeon Central'', which had annexed much of the former ''Yukon Territory'' and was adjoining ''Fort Fun'', which had been renamed ''KidZville''. The ''Nickelodeon Central'' area was renamed ''Planet Snoopy'' in 2010 and by 2016, the ''Planet Snoopy'' area had expanded to its present size by annexing the former ''KidZville''/''Fort Fun'' children's area.


South Bay Shores

South Bay Shores is a water park located within California's Great America that opened in 2004 as ''Crocodile Dundee's Boomerang Bay''. The name was later shortened to just ''Boomerang Bay'' in 2007. In August 2019, it was announced that ''Boomerang Bay'' would be expanded and renamed ''South Bay Shores''. Access to the water park is included with the price of admission to California's Great America.


Time Capsule

A time capsule was buried at then Paramount's Great America in the former KidZville area of the park on March 29, 2002. The time capsule is set to open on March 29, 2152. The time capsule reads, "At this site is buried a time capsule with essays by students in second through twelfth grades in the Santa Clara Unified School District and other local schools. What will the next 150 years in Santa Clara be like? In honor of the City of Santa Clara's sesquicentennial 1852-2002."


Defunct attractions

Past rides and attractions include:


Fast Lane

Fast Lane, first introduced at a Cedar Fair park in July 2011, is a secondary queue system that offers shorter wait times on the park's most popular rides. FastLane is a system where in addition to a standard admission charge, visitors can purchase a wrist band. The band grants access to the Fast Lane queue. In theory, a limited number of wrist bands are available each day.


Former Halloween Haunt event

Halloween Haunt was a seasonal event at California's Great America, that began in the fall after the park has transitioned to weekend-only operation. It debuted in 2008 and last ran in 2021, and typically ran from mid-September through late October to coincide with
Halloween Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observanc ...
, featuring haunted houses, mazes, live shows, and scare actors roaming throughout the park. Most rides and attractions remained in operation during this time, and the park's hours of operation were extended on Fridays and Saturdays. The event last operated on October 31, 2021. On February 25, 2022, California's Great America announced that Halloween Haunt is being replaced for the 2022 season with a family-friendly, scare-free Halloween event called "Tricks and Treats". There will not be an adult, nighttime Halloween event at California’s Great America in 2022, although the Halloween Haunt event continues to run at several other Cedar Fair parks.


Haunt attractions

The last year of Halloween Haunt in 2021 featured five mazes, one scare zone, two party zones, and three live shows.


Park timeline

*2023: Park opens year round, return of Carnivale at Orleans Place and new PEANUTS Celebration. * 2022: Scrambler ride Liberty Twirler debuts along with revamped All American Corners area of park, A family-friendly event called Tricks and Treats permanently takes the place of Halloween Haunt. * 2021: Renovated South Bay Shores waterpark debuts. * 2020: Boomerang Bay expanded and renamed South Bay Shores, park remains closed for the entire season due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. * 2019: Drop Tower receives new paint scheme depicting a
redwood tree Sequoioideae, popularly known as redwoods, is a subfamily of coniferous trees within the family Cupressaceae. It includes the largest and tallest trees in the world. Description The three redwood subfamily genera are '' Sequoia'' from co ...
, Pre-K pass is introduced. * 2018: Single-rail coaster RailBlazer debuts, Halloween Haunt and WinterFest are expanded. * 2017: Patriot is converted to floorless, Vortex is repainted and re-themed, Halloween Haunt and Winterfest expanded. FireFall, Logger's Run, H.M.B Endeavour, Snoopy's Splash Dance, and other structures are removed. * 2016: 4D holographic attraction themed to the video game
Mass Effect ''Mass Effect'' is a military science fiction media franchise created by Casey Hudson, Drew Karpyshyn and Preston Watamaniuk. The franchise depicts a distant future where humanity and several alien civilizations have colonized the known univers ...
debuts in newly-renovated Action Theater, Winterfest event added, Halloween Haunt expansion. * 2015: Planet Snoopy replaces KidZville * 2014: Flight Deck repainted red and white, Grizzly retracked and has its loading area painted red and white, Fun TV monitors added to ride line queues, and new flooring in Carousel Columbia. * 2013: New wooden coaster " Gold Striker" opens and ''Happy Feet: Mumble's Wild Ride'' debuts in the Action Theater. * 2012: Demon and Flight Deck repainted, elevator lift entrance for Loggers Run and Vortex, The Grizzly is retracked, Fast Lane added. * 2011: Invertigo removed and relocated to
Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom is an American amusement and water park located between Allentown and Emmaus, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. The park features 64 rides, including six roller coasters, other adul ...
* 2010: Planet Snoopy replaces Nickelodeon Central, Hanna Barbera references removed in KidZville * 2009: All Wheels Extreme Stunt show; Chipper Lowell Experience show * 2008: Park renamed California's Great America; FireFall; Dora's Sing-Along Adventure; Endless Summer On Ice show; Halloween Haunt debuts * 2007: Paramount dropped from the name, renamed Great America; Great Barrier Reef Wavepool added to Boomerang Bay;
Ed Alonzo Ed Alonzo (born July 26, 1968) is an American comedian, actor, and professional magician. Acting career Alonzo had roles on ''Saved by the Bell'' (20 episodes between 1989–1990), ''Head of the Class'' and '' Totally Hidden Video''. He also ...
Misfit of Magic; Twistin' to the '60s Show * 2006: Tiki Twirl (Formerly Survivor: The Ride); Park is sold to Cedar Fair * 2005: Boomerang Bay expansion to include lazy river, two other waterslides and a large swimming pool. * 2004: Boomerang Bay is added including a complex of children's water slides/play area, a 4-person adult raft/tube ride, a two-person inner-tube water slide and a fully enclosed two-person inner-tube water slide. Triple Play is removed * 2003: SpongeBob SquarePants 3-D in the Action Theater;
Nickelodeon Central Since the 1990s, ''Nickelodeon'', a worldwide children's television network and franchise, owned by Paramount Global, has had an involvement in the creation and theming of amusement parks rides. Several amusement parks have featured themed are ...
(expansion of Splat City); Stealth (flying steel coaster) is removed and sent to Carowinds as Nighthawk * 2002: Delirium; Flying Eagles; Greased Lightning (shuttle loop coaster) is removed; Time Capsule buried * 2001: Psycho Mouse; Celebration Swings; Thunder Raceway; Stan Lee's seventh Portal 3D/ Smash Factory in Action Theater * 2000: Stealth (flying steel coaster) opens to the public; Scenic Railroad and Skyhawk are removed * 1999: KidZVille; Tidal Wave renamed Greased Lightnin'; Stealth is constructed and tested all season; Logger's Run modified to allow construction of Stealth * 1998: Invertigo; James Bond: License to Thrill; in the Paramount Action F/X Theater Yankee Clipper is removed * 1997: Xtreme Skyflyer; Triple Wheel (originally Sky Whirl) is removed * 1996: Drop Tower Scream Zone (Formerly Drop Zone Stunt Tower) * 1995:
Nickelodeon Splat City {{Unreferenced, date=October 2016 Nickelodeon Splat City was a themed area inside of California's Great America (1995–2002), Kings Island (1995–2000), and Kings Dominion (1995–1999). It was based on many Nickelodeon shows, such as Double Dar ...
; The Edge and Ameri- Go Round are removed. * 1994: Action Theater featuring Days of Thunder * 1993: Park is renamed Paramount's Great America; Flight Deck (Formerly Top Gun); Lobster is removed * 1992: KECO is acquired by Paramount, and renamed Paramount Parks; IMAX Pictorium Theater received a $1.5 million upgrade allowing it to screen 3-D films. * 1991: Vortex (March 9); Saskatchewan Scrambler is removed. * 1990: Whitewater Falls (March 31) * 1989: Skyhawk (March 11); KECO purchases buildings, rides, and equipment from the City of Santa Clara (June 2); Dolphin and Seal show and Cajun Carpet are removed. * 1988: Rip Roaring Rapids (March 12). Whizzer and Bottom's Up are removed * 1987: Woodstock Express (Formerly Blue Streak/ Green Slime Mine Car Coaster/ Runaway Reptar); Smurf Woods (March 21); Fort Fun (March 21); HMB Endeavor (Formerly known as The Revolution, March 21) * 1986: The Grizzly (March 15); Redwood Amphitheater with the ''Miami Sound Machine'' (June 14) * 1985: Park is renamed Great America. * 1985: Park is sold by Marriott corporation to the City of Santa Clara (June 5); management transfers to Kings Entertainment Company (KECO) * 1984: Hilltopper is removed. * 1983: The Edge (June 18); Red Baron and Ladybugs are removed. * 1982: Atari Video Adventure * 1980: The Demon (remodeled from Turn of the Century, March 15); Gulf coaster is removed * 1979: Star Tower (formerly Sky Tower, March 31) * 1978: IMAX Pictorium Theater, with film ''Man Belongs to the Earth'' (June 3) * 1977: Tidal Wave (July 8) * 1976: Marriott's Great America opens (March 20)


In film and television


''Beverly Hills Cop III''

Though appearing under the name "Wonder World", Paramount's Great America was used for exterior scenes of the theme park in the 1994 film ''
Beverly Hills Cop III ''Beverly Hills Cop III'' is a 1994 American action comedy film starring Eddie Murphy and directed by John Landis, who had previously worked with Murphy on ''Trading Places'' and ''Coming to America''. It is the third film in the ''Beverly Hill ...
'' (itself released by Paramount Pictures) after
Knott's Berry Farm Knott's Berry Farm is a theme park located in Buena Park, California, owned and operated by Cedar Fair. In 2015, it was the twelfth-most-visited theme park in North America and averages approximately 4 million visitors per year. It features 40 ...
declined filming rights. Writer Steven E. de Souza originally wrote the story as more "Die Hard in a theme park". He was told that each of the rides he had designed would cost about $10 million to build and the whole film would cost about $70 million. When box office results for ''
The Distinguished Gentleman ''The Distinguished Gentleman'' is a 1992 American political comedy film starring Eddie Murphy. The film was directed by Jonathan Lynn. In addition to Murphy, the film stars Lane Smith, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Joe Don Baker, James Garner, Victoria Row ...
'' came in, Paramount ordered the budget to be cut to $55 million. Some modifications were made to the Columbia Carousel and Vortex roller coaster. Most of the Sky Whirl/Triple Wheel stunts (renamed "The Spider" for the film) were filmed in a studio. To film the exterior scenes, the motors of the Triple Wheel were left unpowered; instead, to ensure the ride did not move too quickly, some cages were loaded with sandbags to unbalance the mechanism. In this scene,
George Lucas George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker. Lucas is best known for creating the ''Star Wars'' and ''Indiana Jones'' franchises and founding Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic and THX. He served as chairm ...
has a small part as the man Axel cuts in front of to get on the ride, also known as 'disappointed man' (this can be seen in the credits).
John Singleton John Daniel Singleton (January 6, 1968 April 28, 2019) was an American director, screenwriter, and producer. He made his feature film debut writing and directing ''Boyz n the Hood'' (1991), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for B ...
and
Martha Coolidge Martha Coolidge (born August 17, 1946) is an American film director and former President of the Directors Guild of America. She has directed such films as ''Valley Girl'', ''Real Genius'' and '' Rambling Rose''. Early life Coolidge was born in N ...
also made cameo appearances in the film. Many rides that were seen in the movie including Triple Play/Sky Whirl have since been removed. Also, the carousel at the back of the park (the Ameri-Go-Round, not the Columbia Carousel) was altered. The Ameri-Go-Round carousel has since been removed and Drop Zone is now in its place. The tunnels that supposedly ran under the park are a myth as well. No tunnels run under the park, as many thought after this was released. The Alien Attack ride featured in the Wonder World theme park was in fact the " Earthquake: The Big One" attraction from the
Universal Studios Florida Universal Studios Florida (also known as Universal Studios or USF) is a theme park located in Orlando, Florida. Primarily themed to movies, television and other aspects of the entertainment industry, the park opened to the public on June 7, 1990 ...
theme park in
Orlando, Florida Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County, Florida, Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Greater Orlando, Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, acco ...
. The "aliens" featured in the ride are suited actors (and not animatronic as suggested in the film) that closely resembled the Cylons from the original Battlestar Galactica.


Other appearances

* Paramount's Great America was also used as the theme park
Macaulay Culkin Macaulay Macaulay Culkin Culkin (born Macaulay Carson Culkin; ) is an American actor. Often regarded as one of the most successful child actors of the 1990s, he was placed 2nd on VH1's list of the "100 Greatest Kid-Stars". Culkin rose to prom ...
visits in the 1994 film ''
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'' (which was released not by Paramount Pictures, but rather by
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by amazon (company), Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded o ...
). * The park's inverted steel coaster "Top Gun" (later renamed "Flight Deck") was featured in a 2007
Excedrin Aspirin(acetylsalicylic acid) / paracetamol(acetaminophen) / caffeine is a combination drug for the treatment of pain, especially tension headache and migraine. It is sold in the US under the trade names Goody's Powder and Excedrin, although no ...
commercial with music from The Stremes. * Marriott's Great America was used in the 1983 George Lucas and
John Korty John Korty (June 22, 1936 – March 9, 2022) was an American film director and animator, best known for the television film '' The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman'' and the documentary '' Who Are the DeBolts? And Where Did They Get Nineteen ...
animated feature ''Twice Upon A Time''. It was used both as a background for animated scenes and for a short live-action shot at the end of the film.


Incidents

* In 1980, a 13-year-old boy was killed and several others injured on the Willard's Whizzer roller coaster. * In 1989, two boys intentionally jumped out of the Loggers' Run ride. One was killed and the other fell onto a platform and was injured. * In 1998, after riding
Flight Deck The flight deck of an aircraft carrier is the surface from which its aircraft take off and land, essentially a miniature airfield at sea. On smaller naval ships which do not have aviation as a primary mission, the landing area for helicopters ...
, a 24-year-old Spanish-speaking man, who could not read the English-language warning signs, entered a locked, gated area underneath the ride to retrieve his hat. He was hit by the foot of a passenger on the Flight Deck train and later died. The passenger suffered a broken leg. * In 1999, a 12-year-old boy fell to his death on
Drop Tower A drop tower or big drop is a type of amusement ride incorporating a central structure or tower. Drop towers vary in height, passenger capacity, lift type, and brake type. Many are custom-made, although there are some mass-produced designs. Th ...
after slipping from the ride's restraints, which were still locked at the end of the ride. * On July 12, 2007, a 4-year-old boy drowned in the Boomerang Bay's "Great Barrier Reef" (now known as South Bay Shores' "Breakers Bay")
wave pool A wave pool is a swimming pool in which there are artificially generated, large waves, similar to those of the ocean. Wave pools are often a major feature of water parks, both indoors and outdoors, as well as some leisure centres. History T ...
. * On June 12, 2015, a maintenance worker was critically injured after being struck in the head by a moving train on
Flight Deck The flight deck of an aircraft carrier is the surface from which its aircraft take off and land, essentially a miniature airfield at sea. On smaller naval ships which do not have aviation as a primary mission, the landing area for helicopters ...
. A passenger sustained serious hand and leg injuries in the incident. * On July 4, 2019, the Santa Clara PD were called near the entrance of the park where a woman was shot during the evening of the fireworks show. The victim was struck on the arm by a handgun. She did not suffer any serious injuries and was also treated at the scene. It was ruled as an altercation between two family groups. * On October 26, 2019, a group of teenagers sparked some firecrackers in the front gate causing guests to scramble, thinking it was a shooting. It was later determined to be due to a robbery. Concession stands within the park were also robbed by fleeing guests.


References


Notes

* Michelson, Herb. (June 7, 1984). "City will purchase Marriott's". ''The Sacramento Bee'', p. A. * "Santa Clara drops Great America pact". (February 7, 1985). ''San Francisco Chronicle'', p. 4. * Ewell, Miranda. (June 6, 1985). "Santa Clara assumes ownership of Great America". ''San Jose Mercury News'' (CA), p. 8B. * Kava, Brad. (March 15, 1989). "Great America reopens". ''San Jose Mercury News'', p. 1. * Eng, Sherri. (August 1, 1992). "Paramount to buy Great America owner". ''San Jose Mercury News'', p. 1E.


External links

* {{Use mdy dates, date=March 2012 Cedar Fair amusement parks Amusement parks in California 1976 establishments in California San Francisco Bay Area amusement parks Economy of Santa Clara, California Tourist attractions in Santa Clara, California Amusement parks opened in 1976