As seasons come and go, so do the places we hold dear. On June 28, Great America announced that it was closing in the next two to eleven years. The land that Great America is located on has been bought up by Prologis, a real estate company based in San Francisco, for $310 million. 

The excitement of driving to San Jose with friends, ready for the thrill of the ride, followed by a hot dog and the sweet taste of funnel cakes will all just be memories soon. 

Fiona Mulderrig ’25 lamented, “It’s taking away from so many people’s experiences for just another corporate company to have more land. That place is so special for a lot of people. It’s where families go for summer… it’s just.. special.”

Teachers, not just students, have also been dismayed by the loss of a legendary institution. 

Jack Reardon, a biology teacher reflected, “I think the more uniform everything becomes, it becomes a little more sterile and not as special. Maybe that difference is arbitrary, I’m a little bit sketched by it, but maybe it’s fine.” 

When things are all the same in an environment, they lose what makes them different, just as places such as Great America being bought up by large companies contribute to making everything “sterile.” 

The closing of Great America is a sentimental topic for many people as it holds a lot of memories and is surely nostalgic knowing it won’t be around soon.