Six Flags Great America Amusement Park

Address: 1 Six Flags Parkway (or 4900 Grand Ave area), Gurnee/Waukegan area - see park website for directions

Website: https://www.sixflags.com/greatamerica

Hours: Seasonal (spring-fall); hours vary by date - check website

Admission: Single-day tickets vary by date; season passes available. Parking/parking passes extra.

Six Flags Great America is a large regional amusement park located in Gurnee, Illinois, near the border with Wisconsin; it originally opened in 1976 and later became part of the Six Flags chain. The park features a broad mix of roller coasters, family rides, and live entertainment across a multi-acre site.

Major roller coasters and seasonal events drive attendance, and the park operates seasonally with extended hours during summer and special Halloween and winter events. The site includes guest services, food and retail concessions, and typical amusement park infrastructure.

The park opened as one of the twin Marriott’s Great America parks in 1976 and has since changed ownership and expanded its attractions. Additions over several decades have focused on new coasters and themed areas to maintain regional appeal.

Six Flags Great America sits in northeastern Illinois, about 45 miles north of downtown Chicago and adjacent to Interstate 94, with Gurnee and Lake County as the nearest municipalities.

• Planning tip: Operating seasons and hours vary by ride and time of year; check the park’s schedule for seasonal events and peak crowd information.

By car: Six Flags Great America is in the Gurnee/Woodstock area north of Chicago and south of Milwaukee, directly off I‑94 (the Tri‑State Tollway / Chicago-Milwaukee corridor). Follow I‑94 to the Gurnee exits and follow local signs to the park; it’s roughly 30-45 miles north of downtown Chicago and about 30-40 miles south of Milwaukee, with large on‑site parking available.

Public transit to the park is limited; check regional bus operators and seasonal park shuttles for service during peak times.

• Arrive at park opening (or close to it) and head straight for the major coasters; buying a Flash Pass (Six Flags' virtual queue) or similar skip-the-line product is the most reliable way to avoid long waits on peak days.
• Use the official Six Flags mobile app for up-to-date ride status and show times so you can reroute around unexpected closures and plan meals during lower-demand windows.
• If you're visiting in hot weather, save Hurricane Harbor (the adjacent water park) for the hottest part of the day when lines for dry rides are longest, then return to dry attractions later when the heat eases.