Earlier this year, Herschend agreed to buy Palace Entertainment and its 20 U.S. parks across 10 states from European theme park company Parques Reunidos. While Herschend may not be a household name, many theme park enthusiasts know some of its biggest assets, including Dollywood, Silver Dollar City, the Harlem Globetrotters, and Kentucky Kingdom. Credit: Silver Dollar CityThe acquisition gave Herschend some of the country’s best-known theme parks, including Kennywood and Dutch Wonderland in Pennsylvania and Lake Compounce in Connecticut, America’s first theme park. Herschend Parks averages around 20 million visitors annually, putting it on par with United Parks and Resorts, owners of Busch Gardens and SeaWorld, who average around 21 million visitors annually. However, Dollywood is the crown jewel of Herschend’s theme parks. The Dolly Parton creation is routinely voted the best theme park in America, beating out giants like Disney World and the Universal Orlando Resort. Credit: DollywoodDespite the popularity of Dollywood, the merger between Herschend and Palace Entertainment has not been entirely rosy. Earlier this year, Herschend sold three of the 20 properties it acquired to Lucky Strike Entertainment, mostly known for its bowling alleys. The three properties were Raging Waters Los Angeles in San Dimas, Calif., Castle Park in Riverside, Calif., and Wet ‘n Wild Emerald Pointe in Greensboro, North Carolina.And now, just last week, Herschend announced that Malibu Norcross in Gwinnett County, Georgia, just outside of Atlanta, will close its doors after more than 20 years in business. The go-kart amusement center’s final day of operation is today, September 28.