No Six Flags park allows pets inside the gates. Every park policy page we read says the same thing in slightly different words: animals that do not meet the definition of a service animal will not be permitted in the park. What changes from park to park is whether there is somewhere to leave your dog while you ride. A handful of parks run a day kennel at the entrance or in the parking lot. Most do not, and several tell you plainly to leave your pet at home.
This matters more in 2026 than it used to. Six Flags merged with Cedar Fair in 2024, so parks like Cedar Point, Kings Island, Kings Dominion, Carowinds and Knott's Berry Farm now sit under the same company and the same website. Their pet rules did not merge, though. Cedar Point still runs its own Pet Check by the marina, Kings Dominion has a pet care center by the front gate, and Kings Island has nothing at all.
We read each park's own policy and FAQ pages on sixflags.com in October 2026. The main sources are the Six Flags Magic Mountain park policies, the Six Flags Fiesta Texas FAQ, the Cedar Point FAQ, the Kings Dominion FAQ and the Six Flags Great America FAQ. Where a park's pages disagree with each other, we say so.
Which Six Flags parks have a dog kennel?
Here is what each park's own pages say. Parks we could not read cleanly are left out rather than guessed.
| Park | Kennel on site? | What the park says |
|---|---|---|
| Six Flags Magic Mountain (CA) | Yes | Dogs or cats can be boarded; ask a parking attendant for the location; proof of rabies vaccination required |
| Six Flags Fiesta Texas (TX) | Yes | Kennels to the right of the main entrance; no overnight stays; current vaccinations and tags required |
| Cedar Point (OH) | Yes | Pet Check near Bay Harbor restaurant at the marina; per-pet fee; opens 1 hour before the park |
| Kings Dominion (VA) | Yes | Pet Care Center outside the front gate during operating hours; USD 20 fee |
| Six Flags Over Texas (TX) | Unclear | Park policy page mentions a kennel; the FAQ says only that pets are not permitted. Call first |
| Six Flags Over Georgia | No | Says it does not have a kennel to board pets |
| Six Flags Great America (IL) | No | Kennel service unavailable; staff can refer you to a local kennel |
| Six Flags New England, Darien Lake, Frontier City | No | No kennel services; do not leave pets in cars |
| Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (CA) | No | Kennel service is not available |
| Kings Island (OH) | No | No pet care facilities on site |
| Canada's Wonderland (ON) | No | Does not offer kennel services |
| Six Flags Great Adventure (NJ), Carowinds (NC), Knott's Berry Farm (CA) | Not listed | Pets not allowed except service animals; no kennel mentioned on the pages we read |
The general Six Flags pet rule
The wording on most legacy Six Flags parks is identical. The park welcomes guests with service animals, asks that handlers keep control of them with a leash, harness, voice or signal, and then says that animals that do not meet the definition of a service animal will not be permitted in the park. Water parks are covered by the same rule. Great Adventure, for example, says pets are not permitted in the theme park or in Hurricane Harbor.
The former Cedar Fair parks say it more briefly. Kings Island and Kings Dominion both answer "Only service animals are permitted in the park." Carowinds says no pets are allowed except service animals. Knott's Berry Farm says animals are not allowed with the exception of service animals and Snoopy, which is the only park joke we found in any pet policy this year.
Emotional support animals are not service animals under the federal definition the parks use, so they are treated as pets. If your dog's role is comfort rather than a trained task, plan for it to stay outside the gate or at home.
Six Flags Magic Mountain kennel
Magic Mountain in Valencia is the clearest example of a Six Flags park that still boards pets. Its park policy page says guests may board their dogs or cats at the kennel and that Six Flags and its team members are not responsible for pets left there. The FAQ adds the practical details: ask a parking attendant for the kennel location, which is outside the park, and bring proof of rabies vaccination, because Los Angeles County requires it before your pet can be boarded.
The FAQ is also blunt about cars. Do not leave your pet in your car for any length of time. If you do, the park says it will call Animal Services to rescue the pet at your expense, and you may be prosecuted. In the Santa Clarita Valley in summer, a parked car can get dangerous in minutes. Our guide on how hot is too hot for a dog in a car explains how fast the temperature climbs.
Six Flags Fiesta Texas kennel
Fiesta Texas in San Antonio lists kennel facilities to the right of the main entrance. Pets cannot be kept overnight and must have current vaccinations and registration tags. The park's guest services section repeats the same wording under a "Pet Kennel" heading, so this one is consistent across its pages.
Bring your dog's vaccination paperwork, not just the tags on the collar. Kennel staff at parks rarely take a verbal assurance, and a dog turned away at the gate leaves you with no plan B in the Texas heat.
Cedar Point Pet Check
Cedar Point in Sandusky has run a pet kennel for decades, and it is still there. The FAQ says you are welcome to bring your pet onto the property, but pets are not permitted inside the park. That is where Pet Check comes in, located near the Bay Harbor restaurant at the Cedar Point Marina.
Here is how it works, in the park's own terms:
- You pay a per-pet fee, and your pet gets a cage or run with fresh water.
- You can come back during the day to feed your pet.
- Staff do not feed, walk or handle pets, and they do not provide special care.
- There are no reservations. It is first come, first served.
- Pet Check opens one hour before the park opens and closes at park close. All pets must be picked up by closing time.
- There is no overnight lodging for pets.
The park does not publish the fee on the FAQ page, so ask at the gate. If you are staying on site, note the resort rules: pets are allowed for campsite guests at Lighthouse Point, but not inside any cabin, cottage or Cedar Point hotel. The resort FAQ points pet owners back to Pet Check for daytime boarding.
Kings Dominion Pet Care Center
Kings Dominion near Richmond is the only former Cedar Fair park we found with a published price. The FAQ says your pet may be left at the Kings Dominion Pet Care Center outside the front gate during park operating hours for a USD 20 fee, and it lists a direct phone line for kennel questions. That makes it a workable option for a day trip down Interstate 95 with a dog in the car.
Kings Island in Ohio, its sister park, is the opposite. Its FAQ says only service animals are permitted and that the park does not have pet care facilities on site. If you are planning a Midwest coaster trip, do not assume Kings Island works like Cedar Point just because they share an owner.
Parks with no kennel
Most Six Flags parks have no kennel at all. Six Flags Over Georgia says it does not have a kennel to board pets during a visit and asks guests to plan accordingly. Great America in Gurnee says kennel service is unavailable, but staff can refer you to a local kennel, and pets may not be left in or tied to an unattended vehicle. New England, Darien Lake and Frontier City all say they do not provide kennel services and warn that the park will call Animal Services, at your expense, if a pet is found in a car. Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo says simply that kennel service is not available. Canada's Wonderland says it does not offer kennel services for pets.
Six Flags Over Texas is a special case. Its park policy page uses the same sentence as Magic Mountain, saying guests may board their dogs or cats at the kennel. Its FAQ, asked "Is there a place where I can leave my pets?", answers only that pets are not permitted and asks you not to leave them in your vehicle. With two pages saying different things, call Guest Relations before you drive to Arlington with a dog.
Service animals at Six Flags
Trained service animals are welcome at every park we checked. Handlers must keep control of the animal at all times, and relief areas are available at select locations in each park. Six Flags Over Georgia, for example, has a relief area in its Peachtree Square section.
There are limits on rides. Service animals cannot ride most roller coasters and thrill rides, and parks use rider swap or a companion to hold the animal while you ride. Great Adventure adds one hard rule worth knowing: no animals, including service animals, are allowed inside the Wild Safari or on the Safari Off-Road Adventure trucks, because the safari animals can be startled. Our guide to service dog public access rights covers what staff can and cannot ask you at the gate.
Why you should never leave a dog in the car at a theme park
Parking lots at Six Flags parks are big, open and sunny. On a warm day the inside of a car can pass 100 F within half an hour even with the windows cracked, and you will be gone for hours, not minutes. Several Six Flags parks now say outright that they will call animal control and that you may be prosecuted. Many states also have hot car laws that let officers break a window to reach an animal.
If the park you are visiting has no kennel, the only safe choices are to leave your dog at home with a sitter, book a local day care or boarding kennel near the park, or split the day so one adult stays out with the dog.
Boarding your dog near a Six Flags park
For parks without a kennel, a nearby day care is usually the best fit. You drop off on the way in and collect on the way out, and the dog gets supervised play instead of a cage. Most day cares need proof of rabies, distemper and Bordetella vaccines and may ask for a short temperament check first, so book a few days ahead. Our guide to what vaccines a dog needs for boarding lists the usual paperwork, and how to choose a dog boarding facility covers the questions worth asking.
Even where a park kennel exists, it is basic. At Cedar Point staff will not walk your dog, and at most parks you must come back yourself to feed and exercise it. A dog that frets in a cage may do better at a day care down the road, or with a sitter at home.
Tips if you use a park kennel
- Arrive early. Kennels like Cedar Point's are first come, first served, and runs fill on summer weekends.
- Bring vaccination records, a leash, food, a bowl and a familiar blanket.
- Plan a visit every three to four hours to walk your dog and offer water.
- Pick up before closing. Parks do not keep pets overnight.
- In hot weather, check whether the kennel is indoors or covered, and skip it on extreme days.
If a theme park is one stop on a longer drive, our road trip with a dog guide covers planning breaks and finding pet-friendly stays. For Florida trips, the SeaWorld and Busch Gardens pet policy guide lists the kennels at those parks, several of which are among the best theme park kennels in the country.
Questions to ask before you go
Policies change, especially after a merger, so a short call to Guest Relations is worth it. Ask whether the kennel is open on your date, what it costs, whether it is indoors, what vaccine proof it needs, and when you must collect your pet. If the answer is that there is no kennel, ask for the names of local boarding businesses. Great America, for one, says its team will make a referral.
It also helps to have a backup in mind before you leave home. Save the number of a day care or boarding kennel within 20 minutes of the park, so that a full kennel, a missing vaccine record or a hot afternoon does not end your day early. A sitter at home is often the calmest choice of all for older or anxious dogs.