Palace Entertainment to Close Raging Waters San Jose

Raging Waters San Jose will rage no more.

Palace Entertainment, the Pittsburgh-based owner of the 23-acre amusement park, has announced its closure after 38 years of splashy rides at 2333 South White Road, the San Jose Mercury News reported.

Raging Waters opened in 1985 on city property at Lake Cunningham Regional Park in East San Jose.

A spokeswoman for Palace Entertainment said the company decided to end its lease.

“Overall, it seemed like the best path forward from a business perspective to focus on our other properties,” said Lynsey Winters, who declined to disclose attendance or revenue numbers.

Raging Waters San Jose, with a 350,000-gallon wave pool and 14 water slides, was the largest water park in Northern California in terms of acreage. Palace Entertainment, a unit of Madrid-based Parques Reunidos, acquired it in 2002.

The park’s lease was set to expire in March 2025, according to San Jose City Councilmember Domingo Candelas, whose district includes Raging Waters,

“Fortunately, the City of San Jose was already beginning the process of soliciting new ideas and programs at the facility,” he said in a statement.

The news follows last year’s closure of Raging Waters Sacramento after the company ended its lease. Last month, a new company said it would take over the Sacramento location and renovate the site. Raging Waters’ only other California location is in Los Angeles.

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan said there’s interest in the site from investors, though a spokesperson declined to name them.

“While I’m sad to see them go, I’m also excited to re-imagine what Lake Cunningham can be for our community,” Mahan said in a statement. “We’ve already heard from potential investors who are exploring new recreational uses and business models that might draw even greater interest from residents.”

Last year, San Francisco-based Prologis bought California’s Great America theme park in Santa Clara for $310 million. The seller, Ohio-based Cedar Fair will operate the 112-acre park until as late as 2033, when it will close for good.

— Dana Bartholomew