(Seguin) — After nearly two decades of twists and turns, and unforgettable memories, the rides and attractions at ZDT’s Amusement Park in Seguin are officially coming to an end.
ZDT’s Amusement Park, a family-owned favorite for 18-plus years, has announced it will permanently close its gates on August 17, 2025.
Over those years, Danny and Sarah Donhauser have solely operated the family-owned business in the heart of Seguin.
But behind the scenes and for at least the past two years, the Donhauser family had already begun contemplating retirement, slowly working on what she says was “an exit strategy.”
However, this summer, she says they quickly realized that all that “talked about time” had finally arrived.
“A couple of years ago, we realized that we needed to start planning on retirement. Within four years was our goal. And we started working on exit strategies. But, this summer, it just became increasingly clear that it’s no longer sustainable. And it’s a lot of factors, but mainly, it boils down to increasing costs and decreasing attendance. And so, it doesn’t make sense for us to be open any longer after this summer season. So, we had to make that decision to go ahead and exit now,” said Sarah.
Sarah acknowledged that changing lifestyles could be a factor in how times have changed.
She says there is only “speculation” that the rise of new entertainment options, like luxury movie theaters and indoor recreation centers, may have shifted the way families spend their leisure time.
“It’s all just speculation on our end but I do believe that we saw a big lifestyle change post-Covid, where a lot more people were going and doing other things during that time. You know, going camping and outdoorsy kinds of stuff, which is wonderful. But I don’t think it ever came back. And so, you know, I think that’s a part of it, but I don’t think that it completely explains it all. I think we’ve been here for a long time, and we’ve entertained lots of people and perhaps maybe they’re ready for something new. There are lots and lots and lots and lots of different types of entertainment type places that have opened up since we’ve been here in different towns. And so, we’ve relied upon people from the whole area, not just Seguin to support us. Seguin is not big enough alone to support us. So when you’ve got Main Event and you’ve got the trampoline parks and the movie theaters, they have it all now, all those things. I think that people have a lot more choices. And so, they’re not necessarily going to travel to Seguin for entertainment when they’ve got it, right there in their backyard. And then, I think that construction has a lot to do with it. I don’t know if you’ve driven on I-10 to San Antonio recently, but, it’s a long drive sometimes because you’re stuck in traffic,” said Sarah.
The closure marks the end of an era for a business that began humbly in a single building with just five attractions and grew into a full-fledged amusement park with 13 features, including go-karts, water rides, and the world-renowned Switchback roller coaster, a one-of-a-kind ride that helped put ZDT and Seguin on the map.
In fact, ZDT has been more than a business, Sarah says it has been a tribute to their family. ZDT’s after all, was named after their children Zac, Danielle, and Tiffany. She says together, the business has unfolded personal journeys for each member.
“Zac has been with us since day one — from the age of 15 when we opened. We were working on this project for five years prior to opening. So even though we’ve been around for 18.5 years — almost five years before that, Danny was remodeling and getting ready to open this place — so really, this is like a part of who they are. Not just through their childhood. Zac has been with us from the start, and he went to college, got a biomedical engineering degree, and he stuck with us full time. And he does a lot of things that we can’t do. So that’s been wonderful. But this does enable him to go out and seek other opportunities. And so, you know, he deserves that. The girls have their own little part of the park (responsibilities). Danielle handles most of our social media. This last year, we just let her run with it and do what she wants. And Tiff comes and helps out on occasion as needed. But, you know, it was very sad for them to hear, but they accepted it,” said Sarah.
Still, the announcement comes as a deep loss for many in the community, and for those who traveled from all over to enjoy big thrills with a bit of small-town charm.
In a statement released to the community, Sarah, writes, “We are so grateful to all of our guests for your smiles, screams, and support and to all of our team members past and present who have contributed immensely to making that happen.
As for the immediate future, Sarah says she is not convinced that the operation will continue as an amusement park.
“I think that’s a 95 percent chance – ‘no’ (that it won’t be purchased as is). There have been some interested people, but it hasn’t worked out. And the one that was our biggest, possibility, is not (moving forward). So that’s a ‘no.’ I don’t think anybody’s going to reach out at this point to buy the park. So now at this point, it’s more of, selling the rights and the equipment and then the building on our property — we will sell some of those and rent out others,” said Sarah.
Again, while the family doesn’t expect the entire park to be purchased as-is, individual rides and surrounding properties will soon be up for sale or lease. Interested buyers are encouraged to contact Danny Donhauser directly at danny@zdtamusement.com.
Meanwhile, the Donhausers say they are excited about offering thrill seekers those final twists and turns and unforgettable memories – memories that will one day be part of the ZDT’s story in Seguin.