Six Flags Great America, Lake County’s iconic 300-acre amusement park, is marking its 50th anniversary this year and has announced a plethora of new events, merchandise, food and displays to launch this summer in celebration.
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The 50th Anniversary Celebration will run from June 20 through Aug. 9, according to a news release. In a statement, Park Manager Hardeep Lall said the anniversary season will honor Six Flags’ history while offering “new ways for guests to experience the park they’ve loved for decades.”
“Fifty years of Six Flags Great America is a celebration of the millions of memories made in our park,” Lall said.
Six Flags Great America opens for the season on April 25.
Starting this summer, the park will have a new “nighttime spectacular,” with each night featuring a “high-energy” stage show and parade, including new floats and a “dazzling” drone show Friday through Sunday nights.
Guests will be able to tour the Legacy Museum, located in Emporium, which features historic artifacts, archival photography, retired signage, memorabilia from park employees and fans, and displays celebrating key moments from each decade.
They will also be able to purchase personalized bricks in the Anniversary Brick Program online, which will be installed along the Great America Legacy Path in Carousel Plaza, with designs including nods to favorite attractions, family traditions and personal milestones.
The park will be selling anniversary-exclusive merchandise at the Emporium, including clothes, collectibles, souvenirs and “nostalgic throwbacks.”
A historic fan-favorite is also returning, the release said, with a reimagined Ice Cream Parlor in Hometown Square, where guests can get classic scoops, nostalgic flavors, and sweet treats honoring the park’s earliest summers. Other nostalgic-themed foods and beverages will be introduced as well, including a classic root beer and limited-time treats and savory dishes.
Live entertainment offerings throughout the park will pay tribute to Great America’s five decades, blending music, costumes and performances inspired by the last 50 years.
Guests will be able to take photos at themed displays and enjoy anniversary‑themed décor throughout the park, including special touches honoring the original attractions turning 50 this season.
Originally built and operated by the Marriott Corporation, Great America first opened on May 29, 1976. What is now Six Flags Entertainment Corp. bought the park in 1984. In the decades since its opening, the park has transformed with the times, as has the once rural community of Gurnee.