GREATAMERICAparks.com

:) The photos are wonderful, and do a great job of illustrating how the two parks have grown apart from each other. I was lucky enough to visit the Santa Clara park in 1996, while it still had many of the charms originally put in place by Marriott. Overall, I feel that the Gurnee park has done bette...

For a few seasons, during the 90's, the former Hot Shoppe in Gurnee was changed to a coffee bar called "Kate's Coffee Shoppe". I believe that changed when the shop, "Collectibles on the Square" changed over to be "Trudy's Sweet Shop". I think this shop space might now b...

"White Water Rampage" was opened in Gurnee for the 1984 season. This was the last attraction ordered and added by Marriott, because the sale to Six Flags took effect on June 1, 1984. It took the place of the car ride, "Traffique Jam" and I believe it was the first rapids ride to ...

The Gurnee Tidal Wave was the ride that made me a coaster enthusiast, way back in 1982. My favorite seat was always row 13 (second from last) because in those days, single riders could not ride alone in the last row. I rode it before 1982 but it scared the living daylights out of me. I always rode w...

I remember that at one time, maybe for a season or two, Pictorium at the Gurnee park was sponsored by American Airlines. I clearly remember seeing the AA logo above the Pictorium logo. I was at the park last week with a friend and commented to her that I remembered seeing that sponsorship. I also re...

Wow! Brian, thank you so much for posting these scans. The clippings bring back wonderful memories of happy times in the early years of Great America! One day I will have to stop by the library myself to see these items in person! Are they readily accessible? Again, many thanks!!!!!!

I remember my first visit to Marriott's Great America in Gurnee, IL. It was on June 21, 1976, and I am sure we bought our tickets at a Jewel food store for $7.95 each. I believe that might have been a $1 or $2 discount over admission at the gate. Hard to believe how prices have changed over the year...

I think one of the major reasons the skyrides were removed was because of a major incident at Six Flags over Mid America (St. Louis) where their skyride cable snapped and there were some casualties. I really don't remember when that happened, but I am sure it did happen. Thus, I believe that because...

Greetings to all! I believe that one of the reasons was to have one of the first 4-inversion roller coasters. Cedar Point had (and still has) the Corkscrew, which has one vertical loop and a double corkscrew. I think Marriott wanted to outdo Cedar Point by developing a coaster with TWO vertical loop...