Industry Theme Park Operator Headquarters Oklahoma City, OK | Founded 2011 Area served United States, Canada | |
Type Limited liability company Founder Kieran Burke and Gary Story | ||
Premier Parks, LLC (formerly Rapids Holdings, LLC and Premier Attractions Management, LLC) is a limited liability company based in the United States. The company owns and operates several amusement parks and water parks across the country.
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History
Kieran Burke and Gary Story previously held the positions of chief executive officer and chief operating officer at Six Flags for more than 10 years. In 2009, the pair purchased Nashville Shores, consisting of a marina, RV park and water park. They redeveloped the water park for the 2010 season. In early 2011, it was announced the pair had purchased the Ocean Breeze Waterpark in Virginia with plans to renovate it for the 2011 season.
In 2011, the newly founded Premier Attractions Management began operating three properties owned by CNL Lifestyle Properties: Frontier City, SplashTown Houston, and White Water Bay CNL Lifestyle Properties had terminated its lease agreements with PARC Management for eight parks in late 2010. Burke and Story have since gained operational control of additional parks owned by CNL Lifestyle Properties. In 2013, the company changed its name to Premier Parks, LLC taking the former corporate name of the company that had bought out Six Flags .
In late 2016, CNL Lifestyle Properties agreed to sell their attractions portfolio to EPR Properties. Upon this transaction, EPR directed Premier Parks, LLC to take control of the operation of these parks previously owned by CNL, however, operated by different groups.