The venerable Toshimaen amusement park will close at the end of August and be turned into another Harry Potter theme park to open in the first half of 2023, its owner said Friday.

Seibu Railway Co. has signed a deal to sell a big chunk of the 22-hectare site to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, which plans to build a municipal park there to be used as an emergency shelter for disasters.

The railway will lease the rest to Itochu Corp., and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. will run the Harry Potter theme park.

Except for its hot spring facility, Toshimaen is scheduled to close for good on Aug. 31.

As for the 94-year-old amusement park's reopening from the coronavirus shutdown, Seibu said it will reopen on Monday, except for the popular swimming area.

Toshimaen, which opened in 1926, is one of the largest amusement parks in Tokyo, with over 30 rides and attractions, including a wooden carousel that was made in Germany in 1907 and brought to the park in 1971.

It is also famous for its various swimming pools, including a 350-meter, doughnut-shaped pool that is said to be the world's first flowing pool.