A day after Six Flags announced its park in Prince George’s County will close this fall, a couple stopped by to take a photo together in front of its sign.
Jelani and Amirah Lattimore said they started to fall in love at Six Flags America as teenagers.
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WATCH HERE“Me and my wife pretty much had our first date as, I guess you could say, as young kids. We started falling in love,” Jelani Lattimore said.
Years after their teen romance, they’re still together and visit Six Flags with their kids.
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SIGN UP “We’ve been married 17 years,” Jelani Lattimore said.
News of the park’s closure sparked nostalgia, memories about first jobs and concern about what’s next for the site, especially as it comes days after the Commanders announced they would leave the county for D.C.
With roller coasters, wave pools and the annual Halloween Fright Fest, Six Flags America has been part of the memories and lives of generations of Prince George’s County residents.
“I feel so sad. I remember when it was Wild World and then Six Flags. It’s been a staple in the community for so many years. I’ve been there my whole life. My kids went there. And now it’s just like, what is it going to be?” Keami Harris asked.
“I grew up down the street, so, it’s kinda crazy that they’re closing it. On top of that, I take my kids there every year. So, when I saw that it was going to close on November 2nd, I was like, what are we going to do? Where are we going to go?” Olivia Robinson asked.
“It’s kinda sad because that’s my favorite place to be,” a child, Brooklyn Brown, said.
‘What are these kids going to do?’
The amusement park has been a big employer, giving many local teens their first job. Some worry about the void its absence will leave.
“What are these kids going to do?” Charmaine Wynn asked.
The prospect of the county having both an empty amusement park and an empty NFL stadium has some worried.
“The stadium is leaving and Six Flags is leaving. What kind of opportunities are you going to have in PG County? What are you going to bring in place of it?” resident Cynthia Mattews asked. “Are you just going to leave empty lots like they did with Landover Mall? That left what, 20, 30 years ago, and you didn’t put anything in its place, and now you’re going to have the stadium, another big empty space, and now Six Flags an empty space?”
“I’m very sorry. I hope that something will come along and that someone will buy it and keep it,” resident Earline Goodwin said about Six Flags.
Fans of the park will have some time to say goodbye; Six Flags will close at the end of the season, which is Nov. 2.
Prince George's County Councilmember Wala Blegay said community members will have a chance to weigh in on what's next for the park property in the coming weeks and months.
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