--- title: "Former SeaWorld and Six Flags site in Aurora, Ohio, reopens as a 48-acre public park after 10 years" url: https://badiyaa.com/geauga-lake-aurora-park-former-seaworld-six-flags-reopens/ published: 2026-10-30T01:56:00+00:00 modified: 2026-10-30T01:56:00+00:00 section: Lifestyle publisher: Badiyaa --- # Former SeaWorld and Six Flags site in Aurora, Ohio, reopens as a 48-acre public park after 10 years Aurora Park at Geauga Lake opened on Sunday, October 25, reusing the old SeaWorld ticket pavilions, with a pool, beach and kayak rentals planned for later phases. The gates that once led families to Shamu and the Six Flags coasters are open again in Aurora, Ohio, but the old ticket booths now front a lakeside public park instead of a thrill ride. Aurora Park at Geauga Lake held its grand opening on Sunday, October 25, almost exactly a decade after the last attraction on the land, the Wildwater Kingdom water park, shut in September 2016. ## A $5.3 million bet on an old theme park Aurora City Council voted unanimously on September 17, 2024 to buy the land and lake from developer Industrial Commercial Properties for $5.3 million, with $1.3 million of that coming from federal pandemic stimulus money. Divide $5.3 million by 48 acres and the city paid about $110,000 an acre, while the rest of the old park grounds have gone to new homes and a Meijer supercenter that opened in May 2026. For comparison, that $5.3 million is less than 4% of the $145 million Cedar Fair paid for the whole property in 2004. ## From picnic grove to the biggest theme park on Earth The site has reinvented itself many times. Geauga Lake started as a picnic and swimming spot, became an amusement park in 1887 and installed a steam-powered carousel in 1889. SeaWorld built its Ohio marine park across the water in 1970, its first location outside California. In 2000 the ride park was rebranded Six Flags Ohio. The following year Six Flags paid $110 million in cash for SeaWorld Ohio and merged the two into Six Flags Worlds of Adventure, a 700-acre complex billed at the time as the largest theme park in the world. Combined attendance hit an estimated 2.7 million in 2001, then slid to roughly 700,000 by 2004. Cedar Fair bought the property in March 2004 for $145 million, removed the marine animals and turned the SeaWorld side into Wildwater Kingdom in 2005. The ride park closed for good after its September 16, 2007 Oktoberfest weekend, and its coasters were sold off to parks in Virginia, North Carolina, Michigan, Pennsylvania and even France. The water park hung on until 2016. The city of Aurora, a suburb southeast of Cleveland, owns the 48 acres and the lake beside them. Crews broke ground on the first phase on October 23, 2025, and the ribbon was cut at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday at 1100 Squires Road. ## What is open, and what is still coming Phase one is deliberately modest. There is a new welcome plaza, lawns, and a rebuilt Sunset Pier over the water. The former SeaWorld ticket and gatehouse pavilions were restored rather than torn down and now serve as an open-air gathering space, so returning visitors walk through the same entrance buildings they remember. Still to come, according to the city’s plans: - A rental kiosk for kayaks and stand-up paddleboards - An accessible play area featuring a Wildwater Kingdom ride, which the mayor expects in 2027 - The old wave pool rebuilt as a regular swimming pool - A public beach, rock climbing area, amphitheater and sports courts None of the bigger items were ready for opening day. > “Following years of decline and abandonment, this beautiful property will again be open for public enjoyment, thanks to everyone who worked so hard to make this happen!” That was Mayor Ann Womer Benjamin in the city’s October 12 announcement of the opening date. The next item on the calendar is the play area, which she has penciled in for 2027. ## Further reading - [Wikipedia: Geauga Lake](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geauga_Lake) *Image: rollercoasterphilosophy (Flickr), CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons* *This article was produced with AI assistance and reviewed by our Editorial Desk. [How we work](https://badiyaa.com/editorial-policy/).*