California's Nostalgic Amusement Park Just Outside San Bernardino Is Permanently Closing In 2026
Add another name to the growing list of amusement parks shuttering for good in 2026. After more than five decades in operation, Fiesta Village Family Fun Park in Colton, California, seven miles south of San Bernardino, is closing this summer.
Dwindling ticket sales and rising operating costs are reportedly to blame. "The economics of the amusement park industry and what we're doing have changed dramatically," said Michelle O'Brien, one of the park's co-owners, in an interview with SFGATE. The park has received fewer and fewer school visits and company picnics in recent years, she said, even though those group events once helped keep the business afloat. Continuing to operate as usual, O'Brien added, "simply wasn't sustainable." According to Fiesta Village's website, the park's final public operating days are July 10 and 11.
The announcement marks the end of an era for the family-friendly attraction, which opened in 1974 with amusement rides, water-park-style features, go-karts, batting cages, and mini golf. O'Brien and her husband, Patrick O'Brien, took ownership of the park in 2002, adding several amenities to the mix, including new rides, a roller skating rink, and laser tag. Fiesta Village's offerings continued to develop over the years. On recent weekends, per the park's Facebook page, it hosted a carnival, karaoke, a child-oriented KidFest, and performances by a Taylor Swift Tribute group.
It's the end of an era for Fiesta Village Family Fun Park
Like the announcement that Washington's largest theme and water park is permanently closing in 2026, news of Fiesta Village's impending closure elicited a range of reactions on social media. Hundreds of people commented on the park's July 2 Facebook announcement, with some expressing surprise and others hoping the property wouldn't immediately become apartments or warehouses. But most commenters were nostalgic, remembering school trips or first dates at the park. "Fiesta Village, it's been a blessing to get to know you for a long time," wrote one person who first visited the park in 1985. "I want to say thank you, and I will miss you."
Former guests aren't the only ones feeling sentimental. Co-owner Michelle O'Brien said the leadership team and several current employees recently wrote down their favorite memories of Fiesta Village. Along with park-related artifacts, those memories were sealed in a time capsule buried in an undisclosed location in the area, she told SFGATE. Working with high-school- and college-aged kids is "the most fun job in the world," she said. "Getting to watch them grow and develop through the time that they had with us was so incredibly meaningful."
If you're interested in the phenomenon of old-fashioned amusement parks closing, learn more about Lake Dolores, America's "first waterpark," an abandoned attraction in the Mojave Desert. Or read about a classic park struggling to survive against the odds: the revitalized Niagara Amusement Park & Splash World, a once-thriving New York amusement park, was forced to close down, then reopened to visitors, only to pause operations once more in 2026.