In the battle to build bigger, better amusement park rides and attractions, some parks are inevitably going to fall by the wayside. Parks like the mystical Efteling in the Netherlands are outré and fantastical enough to have lasted for decades, while colossal chains like Six Flags now stand at 27 locations across the U.S. In between such offerings sit places like the quaint and retro Oaks Amusement Park in Portland, Oregon, and the much-loved, family-owned-and-operated ZDT's Amusement Park in Seguin,
Texas, less than 45 minutes northeast from San Antonio. However, the latter recently announced that summer 2025 will be its last season. On August 17, ZDT's will be switching off its rides for good.
The ZDT's Amusement Park website doesn't go into details about why the park is closing down, but merely expresses gratitude to park-goers for having visited the park over the last 18 years. Speaking to the Seguin Gazette, however, co-owner Sarah Donhauser cites the culprits we could have all guessed: rising costs and reduced attendance. Plus, nearby San Antonio is already known as the "Theme Park Capital of Texas." It has tons of amusement park options within and just outside its borders, including Six Flags Fiesta Texas, SeaWorld San Antonio, Morgan's Wonderland, Schlitterbahn Waterpark & Resort, and many more. This competition couldn't have helped ZDT's very much.
Holders of ZDT's gift cards or day tickets still have time to visit the park before it shutters. The park has a great array of family-focused attractions, including a rock wall, go karts, arcade games, and a bungee trampoline. With prices as low $29.99 for an unlimited, all-day wristband pass (at the time or writing), and opening hours every day of the week except Tuesday, it's a no-brainer steal and deal for the whole family.
Read more: 14 Disney World Rides That Aren't Actually Worth Waiting In A Long Line For, According To Visitors
ZDT's Family-Focused Past, Present, And Limited Future
Part of ZDT's Amusement Park's beloved status comes from its family-owned roots and relatively small scale. The "Z," D", and "T" in the name come from Zac, Danielle, and Tiffany, the three children of owners Danny and Sarah Donhauser. When they opened their amusement park in 2007, they wanted it to be accessible to everyone, from toddlers to adults, and also an homage to the homier amusement parks of America's past. The Donhausers still man ZDT's to this day, operating rides, floating from spot to spot within the park, greeting guests -- you name it.
ZDT's rides and attractions illustrate how they thought of guests of all ages when designing their park. For the very young there's attractions like Jungle Playland, a multi-level, ramp-filled play space. For folks a bit older (and taller), they built their biggest attraction, the wooden coaster Switchback, which sends guests along the same track forwards and backwards. And for kids of all ages (and adults -- let's be honest), they've got offerings like an unlimited play arcade.
Unfortunately, all such goodness will be gone come August 17, 2025. But, that's just more of an incentive to get out there while the getting's good. You can not only support a local, family-owned operation instead of a monolithic chain, you can be there at the end of the park's ultimately short-lived, but much-loved, history.
Ready to discover more hidden gems and expert travel tips? Subscribe to our free newsletter for access to the world's best-kept travel secrets.
Read the original article on Islands.
