Photo by J. Griffis Smith

The Henry family of New Braunfels has agreed to sell its Schlitterbahn waterparks in New Braunfels and Galveston, more than 50 years after the business started as a small tourist camp on the banks of the Comal River.

The San Antonio Express News and Houston Chronicle report Schlitterbahn Waterparks and Resorts announced Thursday that it will sell the two parks to Cedar Fair Entertainment Co., which is based in Ohio.

“Our South Padre waterpark and resort will be owned by one of the Henry families and in time will be re-branded,” the Henry family said in a news release. “Corpus Christi will remain a Diamond Beach property.”

The new owner says it won’t be any change to ticket prices, reservations, or events, the newspapers reported.

Schlitterbahn waterparks have been a summertime rite of passage for many a Texas child as the park grew from a quirky New Braunfels attraction into a sprawling resort with two more locations on the Texas coast. In 2016, Texas Highways Contributing Editor Heather Brand chronicled Schlitterbahn’s 50th anniversary and and the nostalgic connections the park fostered over generations of visitors.

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