Children lean back on a spinning ride at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee
Daily Herald file photo July 1976
As winter changes to spring and days become warmer, suburbanites look forward to the thrill of going to amusement parks and riding plunging roller coasters and splashing on water rides.
The suburbs have wonderful parks like Six Flags Great America, Santa's Village AZoosment Park and Pirate's Cove Childrens Theme Park.
Over the years, other amusement parks have come and gone with Hawthorn Mellody Farms, Adventureland and Storyland Park.
Six Flags Great America in Gurnee is a nationally known amusement park that opened on May 29, 1976 as Marriott's Great America. Six Flags purchased the park from the Marriott Corporation in 1984. The 300-acre theme park is 5th in number of roller coasters of any theme park in the world.
Santa's Village AZoosment Park is a theme park in East Dundee with nearly twenty rides and attractions, and hundreds of exotic and farm animals. The park originally opened as Santa's Village from 1959 until 2006 before it closed and then reopened under new ownership in 2011.
Pirate's Cove Children's Theme Park is operated by the Elk Grove Park District opening in 1981. The park is intended for children ages 1-9 years old with attractions that include Pete's Pirate Ship, Barnacle Bay Boats, Captain's Carousel, Safari Express and Castle of Camelot.
Adventureland was a small amusement park operating in Addison from 1961 to 1977. The park included rides such as Dizzy Hofbrauhaus, Scrambler, Crash 'n Splash Torpedo Tubs, Western Round-Up, Bumper Cars, the roller coasters Italian Bobs and Super Italian Bobs.
Hawthorn Mellody Farms & Amusement Park in Libertyville operated in the 1960s and 1970s. The park was one of the largest dairy farms in Lake County functioning both as a dairy farm and a small amusement park. The park included Frontier Village, Club of Champs, a children's petting zoo, steam train and a country store.
Storyland Park in Elk Grove Village was a small park opened on May 1, 1957 as a fairy tale experience for children with a theme based on Mother Goose and Fairyland.
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Hawthorn Mellody Farms & Amusement Park in Libertyville. (1907-1970)
Courtesy of Digital Research Library of Illinois History Journal
The American Eagle under construction in 1981 at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee.
Courtesy of Six Flags Great America
The American Eagle under construction in 1981 at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee.
Courtesy of Six Flags Great America
Children play in a covered wagon at Adventureland in Addison. The amusement park was originally known as "Paul's Grove," and owned by Paul Werner. The grove was later purchased by John and Marie Spiezio in 1952 who owned the park until 1958.
Courtesy of Digital Research Library of Illinois History Journal
The YoYo ride at Santa's Village in East Dundee.
Courtesy of Santa's Village
Adventureland was a small amusement park operating in Addison from 1961 to 1977. It was located at the intersection of Medinah Road and Lake Street.
Courtesy of Digital Research Library of Illinois History Journal
Storyland Park in Elk Grove Village. The small park opened on May 1, 1957 as a fairy tale experience for children with a theme based on Mother Goose and Fairyland. The park operated at Higgins Road and Touhy Avenue and was owned by Durell Everding, Shirley Taylor, George McIlvaine, and Ray Abney. The Storyland owners constructed all of the 22 exhibits themselves using plastic and concrete.
Courtesy of Digital Research Library of Illinois History Journal
Hawthorn Mellody Farms & Amusement Park in Libertyville. (1907-1970)
Courtesy of Digital Research Library of Illinois History Journal
Hawthorn Mellody Farms & Amusement Park in Libertyville. (1907-1970)
Courtesy of Digital Research Library of Illinois History Journal
A construction crew works on the new Typhoon roller coaster at Santa's Village in East Dundee.
Daily Herald file photo, July 1998
Santa's Village and nearby Racing Rapids water park in East Dundee.
Daily Herald file photo by Bob Chwedyk, May 1993
Film star Hopalong Cassidy made an appearance at Hawthorn Mellody Farms in Vernon Hills.
courtesy of the Cuneo Museum and Gardens
The Dundee Zizzler of Santa's Village in East Dundee. A bumper car ride.
Daily Herald file photo, July 1978
Children play on Pete's Pirate Ship at Pirate's Cove Children's Theme Park in Elk Grove Village.
Daily Herald file photo, August 1982
Children ride the bumper boats in Barnacle Bay at Pirate's Cove Children's Theme Park in Elk Grove Village.
Daily Herald file photo, August 1982
Children listen to entertainer Spike Bones at Pirate's Cove Children's Theme Park in Elk Grove Village.
Daily Herald file photo, August 1982
A child rides the zip line at Pirate's Cove Children's Theme Park in Elk Grove Village.
Daily Herald file photo, August 1982
Super Italian Bobs roller coaster featured on an ad for Adventure Land in Addison.
Courtesy of the Bloomingdale Public Library
Postcard image of Cinderella and her coach at Storybook Park inside Adventure Land, circa 1961-1977.
Courtesy of the Bloomingdale Public Library
Maayan Amzaleg, 19, BG, rides down the Riptide slide during Media Day at the opening of Hurricane Harbor Water Park at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee.
Daily Herald file photo by Gilbert R. Boucher II, May 2005
Kids fly down the Vortex and the Typhoon during Media Day at the opening of Hurricane Harbor Water Park at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee.
Daily Herald file photo by Gilbert R. Boucher II, May 2005
The carousel at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee.
Daily Herald file photo, May 1976
Main entrance to Six Flags Great America in Gurnee.
Daily Herald file photo, September 1984