Financially struggling Six Flags Entertainment Corp. plans to relocate its corporate headquarters from Charlotte back to Arlington, Texas, next year. The surprise move means the amusement park chain that is Carowinds’ parent company will only have had its headquarters in Charlotte for less than three years by the time it relocates.
The change will centralize corporate leadership at Choctaw Stadium in suburban Dallas, where a portion of the company’s workforce has been based since 2020, Six Flags said Tuesday. The transition is expected to be completed by March.
Six Flags has about 155 workers at the Charlotte office and Carowinds about 2,700 total employees at peak season, with the majority of those jobs being seasonal.
Six Flags Entertainment Corp. will move its headquarters from Charlotte to Arlington, Texas, near year, the company announced Tuesday. Courtesy Carowinds
Company executives cited operational efficiency and proximity to its five Texas properties as key reasons for the consolidation.
“After an extensive review, we determined that concentrating our personnel, processes, and decision-making in our Arlington office is the best path forward for the company,” Six Flags President and CEO John Reilly said in a statement.
Six Flags says it is still committed to Charlotte, even after HQ move
Following the $8-billion merger between Six Flags and Cedar Fair in July 2024, the combined company established its new headquarters at 8701 Red Oak Blvd. in Charlotte, about five miles northeast of Carowinds.
At the time of the merger, Cedar Fair was headquartered in Sandusky, Ohio, with about 4,400 full-time and 48,800 seasonal workers, while Arlington, Texas-based Six Flags had a workforce of 1,450 full-time and 41,000 seasonal employees.
Following the consolidation, layoffs at several properties, including Carowinds, occurred ahead of its seasonal opening last year.
Despite the corporate headquarters move back to Texas, Six Flags emphasized its commitment to the Charlotte region.
The amusement park operator remains a major employer and economic contributor in the area through its investments in Carowinds and the Carolina Harbor water park, the company said. Those investments include Carowinds’ upcoming attraction, Rip Roarin’ Falls, opening next year.
The Fury 325 roller coaster at Carowinds can reach speeds of up to 95 mph during its 81-degree plunge. Carowinds’ parent company just announced it was relocating its corporate headquarters from Charlotte to Texas. Charlotte Observer file photo About Six Flags
Six Flags, North America’s largest regional amusement park operator, oversees 34 parks and nine resorts across the continent. The company will also maintain an office in Sandusky, Ohio.
In the second quarter of this year, Six Flags reported a net loss of nearly $203 million, more than double the loss during the same period in 2025.
The downturn was driven by several factors, including a year-over-year revenue decline of 7%, nearly $65.5 million across Six Flags parks, resulting in total quarterly revenue of $865 million.
The company also reported an attendance drop of 13.1 million visitors across its parks, a decrease of 7% compared to the same time last year.
In March, Six Flags sold seven of its amusement parks for $331 million. The sale to real estate investment firm EPR Properties was part of Six Flags’ strategy to simplify what the company owns, strengthen its operations on parks with growth potential and pay down debt.
Six Flags has made leadership changes
Six Flags also has undergone significant leadership restructuring as part of its efforts to improve financial performance.
Six Flags CEO Reilly replaced Richard Zimmerman in December. Zimmerman was Cedar Fair’s CEO at the time. Reilly previously served as CEO of Palace Entertainment and COO of Parques Reunidos.
In April, Bridgette Bywater was named Carowinds amusement park president, one of 10 across the company. Each president is responsible for overseeing park performance, operations and overall guest experience. The decentralization was aimed at a more agile organization capable of responding to market demands and visitor feedback more effectively, Six Flags said at the time.
In the second quarter, the company named Mark Paul as chief operating officer, Amy Martin Zigenfoss as chief marketing officer, and Ash Walia as chief financial officer.
Six Flags officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.
This story was originally published August 25, 2026 at 9:50 AM.
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Catherine Muccigrosso covers retail, banking and other business news for The Charlotte Observer. An award-winning journalist, she has worked for multiple newspapers in the Carolinas, Missouri and New York.