HOUSTON – Schlitterbahn’s New Braunfels and Galveston parks and its New Braunfels resort are being sold to an Ohio company for $261 million, according to a statement from the Ohio company.
A separate statement, provided by the Henry family -- current owners of the parks -- reads in part, “For the past 50 years, the Schlitterbahn family has focused all its resources, talent, and energy into building Schlitterbahn Waterparks and Resorts into an iconic Texas brand. It is now time for the company to enter a new and brighter stage of development and growth.”
The Henry family cited “several challenging years” as part of its decision to sell.
Cedar Fair, the Sandusky, Ohio, company, according to the statement, “will have an opportunity to grow and expand (the Schlitterbahn brand) like the early days when the sky was the limit. While it’s a difficult decision, after several challenging years, we believe that our team, communities, guests, and fans are going to enjoy what lies ahead. We believe Cedar Fair, with their approach to embracing parks that have a unique footprint, will be a phenomenal owner, and with the talented people that are the Schlitterbahn Family, will take Schlitterbahn Waterparks and Resorts to the next level of world-class family entertainment.”
The statement noted that the Schlitterbahn waterpark and resort will continue to be owned by one of the Henry families and will be rebranded. The Corpus Christi park will remain a Diamond Beach property, but there have been rumblings about that property being renovated and rebranded as well.
The Henry family concluded its statement with this: “Rest assured, the future of Schlitterbahn Waterparks and Resorts is as bright as a July day in Texas. We will always be your hottest, coolest time in Texas!”
In addition to the two Texas properties, Cedar Fair has the right to acquire a third park, located on approximately 40 acres in Kansas City, Kansas, which previously operated as a Schlitterbahn water park, for a cash purchase price of $6 million. That third park was where a child was decapitated on a giant slide in 2016.