Fun City Adventure Park in Algonquin shut down over safety violations cited in state inspection
Fun City Adventure Park in Algonquin abruptly closed after an Illinois Department of Labor inspection identified multiple violations, citing unsafe equipment and construction, according to state and village records.
The Department of Labor identified numerous defects in many of the attractions at the newly opened indoor amusement park, including improper harness fasteners, metal obstructions that were not padded and multiple frame brackets that appeared to be inadequately welded, according to inspection documents.
After an inspection Feb. 28, the state issued a stop order, the village suspended Fun City’s temporary occupancy permit the next day, and the amusement park closed its doors the day after that on March 1, records show.
The Northwest Herald obtained the state inspection reports and related documents and emails through a Freedom of Information Act request to the village of Algonquin.
The children’s indoor amusement park, at 215 S. Randall Road, abruptly closed two weeks after opening in February. The business, which features attractions such as arcade games, trampolines, a foam pit and a zip line, had opened Feb. 16, according to its Facebook page.
Fun City made no mention of any permitting problems in its most recent Facebook post noting that it “temporarily” had closed and would announce a “grand reopening soon.”
The post read, “As we are in our soft opening phase, we will be taking this time to make enhancements, including a new arcade, to ensure a top-notch experience for all our jumpers.”
A representative of Fun City could not be reached for comment. Department of Labor and village officials said they have not heard any updates from Fun City on a potential reopening.
“At this time, we do not know if they will permanently close or if they will try to meet the state’s requirements for amusement devices,” Algonquin Community Development Director Patrick Knapp said.
Almost all of the attractions had improper padding and containment netting including the dodgeball, basketball, trampoline and soccer areas, Department of Labor inspector Zoel Jones wrote in the report documents.
“The basketball frame base does not appear to meet welding or structural standard(s),” he wrote in the inspection documents.
The zip line attraction appeared to have wire ropes inadequately secured, while harnesses and carabiners for the ropes course appeared to be “substandard” and not meet requirements, with the attraction appearing to be improperly fastened with “multiple bolts coming loose,” according to state inspection reports.
Fun City Adventure Park opened and operated without a permit being issued by the Illinois Department of Labor’s Amusement Ride and Attraction Safety Division, Department of Labor public information officer Paul Cicchini told the Northwest Herald shortly after Fun City shut down.
A sign from the village posted on the door of the business last month read, “Not approved for occupancy.”
Another inspection made by the village’s property maintenance inspector Kory Hintzsche on Feb. 23 found multiple “safety and sanitary concerns” and requested that Fun City address the concerns by the next day, village records show.
“Several areas throughout the facility (have) rubber mat shavings, trimmings and dust that pose a health and safety threat to patrons. Any areas of broken tile need to be replaced,” Hintzsche said in the letter.
Fun City operator Jun Zhang has more than 20 locations in multiple states, including New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maine and Connecticut.