Gurnee Things to Do

Six Flags Great America is the Midwest's premier theme park with thrilling rides, spectacular shows, and a variety of attractions. Additionally, there is the Pictorium IMAX Theatre, several water rides, multiple food shops as well as gift shops.
New in 2005 is the Free Water Park with Great America Admission

In 2004 Six Flags Great America introduces 5 new rides, including its 13th coaster as well as a newly themed Mardi Gras Section.

The theme park is a combination of fantasy, adventure and fun in sections like Mardi Gras, Hometown Square, Yankee Harbor, Yukon Territory.

Popular rides include these coasters:

Superman(Soar head-first through tortuously twisted steel track)

Deja vu (looping boomerang coaster)

Vertical Velocity (spiraling impulse coaster)

Raging Bull (1st of its kind in world)

Viper (classic cyclone-style wooden coaster)

Giant Drop (200 foot drop)

American Eagle (high-speed racing wooden coaster)

Batman The Ride (World's 1st inverted,
outside-looping coaster

Iron Wolf (debuted as world's tallest, fastest stand-up looping coaster)

Deomon (high-speed looping coaster)

Ragin' Cajun (new in 2004. Family coaster spins guests 360 degrees through hairpin turns & sudden drops)

Also new in 2004:

King Chaos (rolling adventure that flips you head over heels)

Revolution (Pendulum swing ride which spins round and round)

The Jester's Wild Ride (royal balloon ride)

The park is famous for COLUMBIA CAROUSEL: Signature double-decker grand carousel. Also popular is SKY TREK TOWER where you can view skyline 285 feet in the air)

Water rides are SPLASHWATER FALLS, ICE MOUNTAIN SPLASH, EAST RIVER CRAWLER, LOGGER"S RUN, RIVER ROCKER, & ROARING RAPIDS.

$10.00 parking fee
General admission $41.99
Children under 54" $29.99
Children under 3 years free
Season Pass $84.99

The Bass Pro Shop was founded by John L. Morris in 1971. The first store was in Springfield, Missouri. Orginally operating from the basement of his father's warehouse, John's company has grown into a complex of facilities, employing approximately 6,000 people. There are shops in Baltimore, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Detroit, Ft. Lauderdale, Houston, Islamorada, Memphis, Nashville, Orlando, St. Louis, and, of course, Gurnee, IL.

Bass Pro Shops is not just a shopping place; it's a real experience.

Here you have 133,000 square feet of everything for the active family. There are wildlife dioramas throughout the store; a 30,000-gallon aquarium and waterfall, a mill pond, huge fly fishing shop, a special walleye Angler section, and Tracker Boat displays.

In addition, there is an archery range, a pistol range, camping gear set up for perusing, and
the world's largest selection of name brand hunting gear.

There is a log cabin gift shop with hundreds of unique items related to the outdoor lifestyle.There is an abundance of top-brand golf equipment and gear. You may try the items before you buy them on the driving range and putting green. There is a teaching and touring professional on staff; club repairs, regripping, custom club fittings, swing analysis, and swing trainer are all available here.

Of course, there is a large section for the latest men's, women's, and children's clothing and outdoor footwar.

The first time I visited Bass Pro Shop, I was stunned at the size and all that's available to see and do.

Hours:
Mon-Sat 9am-10 pm
Sunday 10am-7pm

We didn't have very long.... so being the roller coaster fans we are, we coaster hopped the whole time.

The new Superman Ultimate Flight coaster is our favorite roller coaster as of yet. Great! Riders strap in, get turned face down, then fly out head-first.

Six Flags website:
six flags great america

Gurnee is largely a standard shopping and bedroom community, but advantageously placed within an hour of Chicago by car. However, if you happen to be in Gurnee of an evening and need a place to hang out, I suggest the Borders Books and Music store on Grand Avenue, west of Gurnee Mills. They're open until 11PM on weekends, and they have a great selection of media, along with a good cafe. There's also a Caribou Coffee (my favorite java stop), a Starbucks, and a good public library in town.

We used to go here several times a season when we were growing up, back then it was called Marriott's Great America. We'd get there before the park opened and run for the water rides ensuring a full day with soggy clothes. And we'd always be there until the park closed at night. I was a big coaster fan, a couple of the originals are gone-the Tidal Wave and Turn of the Century (retooled as the Demon).

My memory was stirred as I was drinking a can of diet Coke for lunch, you bring a Coke can with the Six Flags offer on it, adult admission is $7 off the $41.99 admission at the park.

Or you can go online at the website below, save $7 per ticket and avoid waiting in line.

Jewel-Osco grocery stores used to sell discount tickets but I can't confirm that on their website.

Gurnee Mills Mall. Shop till you drop! Includes Serpent Safari-the coolest tour-lots of exotic reptiles!(reported as the only zoo anywhere inside a shopping mall) Planet Hollywood, Bass Pro Shop-huge indoor aquarium! Rink Side Sports-Indoor Ice Rink and Arcade....something for everyone at the Mills. Almost always crowded. You can find alot of great deals (outlet mall)
Square Footage: 1.5M sf GLA

Anchors / Majors

Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, Bed Bath & Beyond, Burlington Coat Factory, Home Place, JCPenney Outlet Store, Marcus 20-Screen Cinema, Marshalls, OFF 5TH-Saks Fifth Avenue Outlet, Rainforest Cafe, Rink Side Sports Family Entertainment Center, Spiegel Outlet Store, Syms, The Sports Authority, T.J. Maxx, Value City and VF Factory Outlet.

Specialty Stores

Ann Taylor Factory Store, Bally Outlet Store, Big Dog Sportswear, Children's Place, Gap Outlet, Group USA, Guess Outlet, Levi's Outlet by Designs, Movado, Nautica Clearance Center, 9 West Outlet, Samsonite Company Store and Tahari.

Six Flags Great America theme park
A fun place to go, especially if you love roller-coasters (helter-skelters for my British friends!), or if you have young kids. The coasters are the best I've ever ridden, and they're always building new ones.

Also, they turn the whole park into a giant haunted park for Halloween, known as Fright Fest. The water rides are died red, they turn the lights out on the bumper cars, etc.--it's a great and scary time!