Chicago is amongst the most famous and populous cities in the United States of America. It is situated on the shores of Lake Michigan and is a Metropolitan area where a plethora of people reside and come to visit every year. Along with the scenic views, mesmerizing buildings, and hustle-bustle of city life, amusement parks in Chicago make it a loveable tourist destination.
Chicago has not one but multiple amusement parks, which children and adults often love to visit and explore. Especially for lovers of a quick adrenaline rush, this place serves as the right spot. So if you intend to move to Chicago and are wondering if it is a good place to live for a family with children, the answer is yes.
Unlike phone games, adventure parks give you real-life experiences of fun. Today, we will talk about the best amusement parks in Chicago, which are a perfect gateway for weekends and special occasions.
Best Theme and Amusement Parks in Chicago
From amazing rides for some light-hearted fun to extremely adventurous roller coasters, the amusement parks of Chicago have it all! Let us talk about some of the most famous amusement parks and theme parks in Chicago and the things you need to know before visiting them.
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Six Flags Great America
Previously known as Marriott’s Great America, Six Flags Great America is one of the top-rated attractions and parks in the whole of North America. It has over 17 roller coasters, along with an adventure-filled water park.
It is situated at a distance of around 45 miles from Central Chicago and falls in the Ilinois state. The adventure park is well known for its famous rides, including- Columbian Carousel, Superman, Batman, American Eagle, etc.
The park is open for visits only on weekends and is open from 4 pm to 9 pm on Saturdays and Sundays. While it is closed for visitors on weekdays, i.e., Monday to Friday, it is open on the weekdays too, only during the holiday or festive season.
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Safari Land
Safari Land is an indoor amusement park in Chicago, which is beneficial to visit during winter. The park is fabricated within a mall and has many rides for children and adults ranging in all ages. It has Tiger Terror- which is the largest indoor roller coaster ever and one of the scariest thrill rides in the world.
This park is well-known for its animal theme, which has many props with which children often love to take photos and play. It also has a bowling alley. The park is situated on W North Avenue in the state of Illinois. The best part is that this park is open for visitors all days of the week, from 11 am to 10 pm.
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Skokie Water Park
For lovers of water rides and adventure activities, Skokie Water Park is an outstanding destination. It is an outdoor water theme park which is situated in Oakton St. Skokie, Illinois. It is an amazing place for children who wish to learn to swim or play in an interactive play area, as it also offers summer camp to children.
The park has 5 different kinds of slides along with a lap pool, children’s pool, and spray features. You can visit the park anytime from 4 pm to 8 pm on weekdays and 12 pm to 6 pm on weekends.
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Fun Times Square
Fun Times Square is an indulging place to have an actually fun time. It has a bundle of activities to offer to the visitors, such as mini-golf, boating, go-karting, paintball, and even a field to play baseball.
It has many rides for children as well as adults, along with other fun things to do, and is just like a carnival that goes on and on. The park even has an arcade zone where people can enjoy playing arcade games. The park is located at Cicero Avenue in Illinois state and is open every day from 11 am to 9 pm.
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Pirates’ Cove Children’s Theme Park
As the name suggests, this park is created to entertain children and is often the place of children’s parties and events. The preferable age group for the park is two to nine years of kids. Every ride or activity in the park is curated to promote creativity amongst kids and get their brains to work.
It is a world of imagination that leaves the kids awe-struck, giving them an unforgettable and delightful experience. The park is situated around 27 miles far from downtown Chicago. Its famous rides, such as Pete’s Pirate Ship, Barnacle Bay Boats, Jolly Roger Jump, Captain’s Carousel, etc., make it a desirable place for children.
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Odyssey Fun World
Odyssey Fun World is another famous amusement park near Chicago, which lies around 30 miles away from downtown Chicago. It is a famous place, especially for birthday parties, family outings, and all kinds of events.
The park has a laser trek, Ferris wheel, zip-lining, bumper boats, gaming arcade, roller-coaster, go-karts, and many other indulging adventure activities. Also, it is an outstanding place to visit for children as well as adults, as its Chipper’s cafe is world famous.
It is an eating outlet with a wide variety of snacks and appetizers, which makes this park even more interesting!
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Putting Edge
Another interesting indoor amusement park in Chicago is Putting Edge. It is a unique and fun place, as here, your clothes glow in the dark! Apart from your clothes, you will witness many other sculptures and paintings inside the park premises, which also glow in the dark.
You can enjoy mini-golfing and other arcade games in the dark with glowing items. Also, you can lay your hands on some motifs that glow in the dark and belong to themes such as fantasy, oceanic, jungle, horror, etc.
The park is open for visitors from 10 am to 9 pm on Monday, 3 pm to 9 pm on Tuesday to Thursday, and 10 am to 12 pm on weekends.
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Mystic Waters Family Aquatic Centre
With large pools and massive slides, Mystic Waters park is another outstanding place to enjoy. People often come here with their families to enjoy and spend some quality time. The park has multiple areas, one of which is the sand area, where you can build sandcastles, and the other is a cliff, from where you can jump into the water. The park also has a river, which has an amazing cafe beside it. You can visit the park any day from 10 am to 7 pm.
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The Marvel Experience
If you are in search of a themed park and coincidentally are also a Marvel-lover, you have got to visit this park. It is undoubtedly one of the best amusement parks in Chicago. With life-sized Marvel action figures and 3D character projections, a park is a place that kids, as well as adults, love.
It has a multiplayer gaming arena with touchscreen gameplay and a very popular Spiderman climbing wall where you and your friends can try to climb the wall. The park gives you the excitement of crushing villains and smashing them just like Hulk!
Final Words
Amusement parks in Chicago come with different setups, backdrops, and purposes. Being an adult, you can choose the type of amusement park that excites you the most. However, you must ensure first whether the park allows children or adults to take specific rides to even enter the park.
Chicago has many amusement parks for all seasons. So go forward with that trip to Chicago, and let us know which amusement park you liked the most in the comments!