Most think spring began with the vernal equinox last month, or the trill of returning red-winged blackbirds to backyard feeders. But, for many Lake Countians, spring begins with the opening of Six Flags Great America.
This year’s opening on April 25 will mark the 50th year of operation for the Gurnee theme park, which is also the only such entity in Illinois. On May 29, 1976, the then-Marriott’s Great America opened its gates to thrill-seekers at the height of the nation’s bicentennial celebration.
This streak continues following what is believed to have been a record year in 2025, when attendance hit an estimated nearly 3 million visitors at the high-performing park.
Six Flags Great America usually ranks among the top 20 most-visited theme parks in the nation, according to the Themed Entertainment Association, which tracks key metrics in the amusement park industry. If gasoline prices remain sky-high over the summer thanks to the continuing Iran conflict, another record attendance year could be in store for the park.
Close-to-home staycations and affordable day trips may be the standard in this season of economic uncertainty, with family budgets crimped as fuel prices, especially diesel, will affect the cost of living and discretionary incomes for family entertainment. Despite that, the “Thrill Capital of the Midwest,” as Six Flags bills itself, remains an accessible and value destination for Chicagoland.
To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the nearly 300-acre park has a wing-ding summer planned with loads of entertainment and special offerings, including later closing times.
Yet back in the early 1970s, a theme park planned for a key location off Interstate 94, midway between Chicago and Milwaukee, wasn’t a certainty.
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Gurnee, then with just over 3,000 in population and dubbed the “Rural Community of the Future,” was approached by the hotel-minded Marriott Corp. in early 1973 with specs for the regional theme park on former farmland. It was one of three the hospitality firm hoped to build (another one outside San Francisco, the other near Washington, D.C., which never got out of the planning stage). Opposition to the Gurnee plan surfaced immediately.
A battle to win the hearts and minds of village residents was undertaken by Gurnee officials and supporters of the park. An advisory referendum was held, and village voters overwhelmingly endorsed the project, which had the support of then-Mayor Richard Welton. The park was approved by the Village Board in spring 1973.
Ground was broken on June 14, 1974, Flag Day. It took two years for the park to be built. A dozen homes were razed on Pine Drive, now Six Flags Drive, just off Grand Avenue.
Some 700 workers were employed during the construction phase, which cost an estimated $40 million at the time. Since its opening, the park has provided nearly 2,000 seasonal jobs.
The park also provides a sizeable tax slice for Gurnee, one reason the village has no property tax, and area taxing bodies. It has been a good corporate neighbor for the village, and over the years has seen its footprint expanded with new thrill rides and attractions, such as the Hurricane Harbor, a water park on the west side of Six Flags seen from the interstate.
From a small beginning of about a half-dozen roller coasters, Six Flags now boasts 17 roller coasters and about 45 attractions. The roller coaster number includes the Wrath of Rakshasa, which opened last year.
It is said to be the steepest and most-inverted dive roller coaster in the world, with a drop of 171 feet. The huge wooden American Eagle, abutting the park’s south entrance off Washington Street and Route 21, is also a popular ride.
Some may remember Marriott’s Great America had characters dressed as Looney Tunes cartoon figure mascots — Bugs Bunny, Sylvester the Cat, Daffy Duck, Yosemite Sam, among others — roaming the park and greeting visitors when it opened. Six Flags has since reduced its Looney Tunes presence.
When the park opened, it was also split into Americana-themed areas like Yukon Territory, Yankee Harbor, County Fair and Orleans Place.
Since its purchase in 1984 by amusement park operator Six Flags, it dropped the Marriott name in favor of the Six Flags brand. In 2024, Six Flags, which began as an entertainment company in Texas in 1961, merged with its biggest regional competitor, Cedar Fair, in an $8 billion transaction.
For Six Flags, or Marriott as long-time locals sometimes still refer to it, marking 50 years is a milestone and one that deserves celebration. Wonder if they’ll bring back Mr. Six, the dancing guy from the park’s early 2000s television ads?
Charles Selle is a former News-Sun reporter, political editor and editor. [email protected]. X @sellenews.