GREATAMERICAparks.com

imdaman wrote:Steven, have you had any luck finding the pictures?

Not yet. Whenever I find them, I'll let everyone know.

Steven

Jeff, Many people may have moved away or just got out of the habit of visiting the parks. I've heard from people from the original Marriott days who haven't been back since. They want to keep it that way so as to better preserve their memories of the way that it was. Others accept the changes as ine...

I was mostly surprised to see that typo on the Skywhirl/Barney Oldfield/Circus image. "Excitinf Rides"??? It's surprising that they would let that slip. Maybe it was corrected in reprinted version -- perhaps making Tanya's copy all the more rare.

Steven

Santa Cruisin wrote:What is the Fire Station used for these days?

I think it's used as a video game arcade.

Steven

Hi, Jeff,

Yes, the Gurnee Pictorium is still in operation. This season they are showing the NASCAR IMAX film.

Steven

Thanks, Brian, for the news about the Sky Whirl cabins. I wonder if any of them were saved besides the four that remain at the park.

Steven

Hi, Tanya,

That was a great job on doing all those scans and sharing them! Thanks!

Steven

Oops I forgot. The Sky Tower and Pictorium are still there. Hometown Square had the train station and hill removed. it's now a wide open plaza from the Columbia to the Paramount Theater which used to be Grand Music Hall. Whizzer, Triple Play and Bottoms Up and the Fire Station are gone. Yes, the Pi...

Sorry, this is probably a discussion for another board entirely but did you know Marriott also owns the Ritz-Carlton brand name? A lot of changes since they built Great America! Yes, Marriott has changed tremendously since the GREAT AMERICA days. Back then some of the main Marriott businesses other...

JW65 wrote:So does the Santa Clara park just sit idle over the winter months now like Gurnee does?

Yes, it's "idle" as far as park guests are concerned. But it's actually a busy time as lots of refurbishment of rides and other facilities is done during the off season.

Steven

Hey, Joey,

That's a cool story. I never heard of a contest like that with stock certificates, but it sounds like it was a fun idea. After hanging on that stock for so long, if you ever do sell, try not to spend the money all in one place.

Steven

I remember signs for the Lambs Farm and never knowing anything more about it. The main thing that I remember on the long drive up the tollway to the Gurnee park was the first glimpse of the spinning Sky Whirl in the distance as you neared Washington Avenue. That was always exciting.

Steven

Loggers Run, Yankee Clipper, and the dry WILLARD'S WHIZZER used to be the most popular rides in the park. Nowadays in Santa Clara, the Yankee Clipper has been gone for five years and Loggers Run usually has little or no wait. Things have definitely changed a lot since the Marriott days.

Steven

As I recall, they decided to exit the theme park business and looked to sell both parks at the same time. Six Flags was interested only in the Gurnee park back then. Santa Clara faced being turned into an office park. The City of Santa Clara came to the rescue, however, and bought the park. Then the...

Hi, Jeff, I don't recall the exact locations of caricature artists in the parks in the early years. In recent years at Santa Clara, I've seen them usually near Maggie Brown's in what was once Hometown Square. Soon the site should have scrapbook galleries set up for users to create their own albums. ...