With so many announcements of New Parks being built around the Country could Chicago Support another Park? Shifting housing trends West, Southwest, NorthWest imagine a park for all the people along the I-88 or I-90 corridor. L.A. supports 5 Major parks Richmond supports 2 soon to be in reach of Hard Rock. Orlando yes, I know destination area but look at how many parks. Think about it with the high gas prices and almost difficult commute North from these area's it's a topic friends and I wonder about. Keep in Mind Great America has Chicago/Milwaukee locked up and an easy commute from any nearby surrounding suburb. But more and more people are moving in the other directions. Let's be clear NO RUMORS just a question pointing out population shifts.

With the changing poplulation of this area, the fact that I-355 extention is being built add that to the expansion of O'hare airport, And the proposal of Chicago hosting an Olympics in 2016. I think it maybe only a matter of time before a larger scale park is built in the Gary/Chicago/Milwaukee area.

The reason is simple, Ohare will handle more and more tourists from around the midwest etc. The I-355 Extention will enable people from the south or north to get to and from where ever the new park would be more quickly.

Who knows what the future will bring.


Excellent Topic BTW

I think the Chicago needs an amusement park indoors. So, yes I think they could support another park. I have found out about that Old Chicago place, and what they were saying is that they didn't have the funds to keep that park open.

The mall was a pathetic mall (It was nothing like Woodfield), and they just didn't have the money. It sounded like Wild West World, but it was open a little longer than that. I really think they should try it again, but with a bigger corporation that has more money.

I don't think there is anyone brave enough to put a brand new amusement park in this area. It just costs a lot of money to put one in from the groundup, and I don't see that happening unless it's like a Wild West World, Wild Adventures Cypress Gardens, or Indiana Beach. I don't see Busch Gardens, Cedar Fair, Disney, or some other company spending all that money into a brand new park.

While the area could support a new amusement park, I don't see anything going up near the city or in the suburbs simply because I don't think the room is there. As for some of the far south areas just outside of the suburbs, I think something could possibly fit there (I only say south because I live about an hour south of Chicago). I just don't see something huge going in though, because as we can all see with Hard Rock Park, it's a lot of money to start a large scale amusement park from scratch.

Unless someone wants to start a collection around here so we can buy Deja Vu, I don't see anything happening soon :P

If I had a few hundred million dollars, I'd buy the car auction that is now on the land that once was Old Chicago, and start a competitive theme park. That would mean at least SF is not alone around the Chicago area.


Too bad i'm not rich :(

^Heh, if I had just a few million dollars I'd be buying Deja Vu

I totally liked Galvan's response...besides from that, the topic kinda.....yeah...nevermind.... :roll:

Now that I think a little more about this, there were 2 parks located about an hour away from each other, Cedar Point and Geauga Lake (which was once an SF park as well). I'm not saying that it's exactly the same issue and other factors contributed to the downsizing of GL, but it does provide an interesting example.

Honestly, I think Chicago already has a 2nd theme park, it's just a bit a ways.

I'm speaking of Monticello, Indiana. Home to Indiana Beach. As of right now, it doesn't trollop SFGAm at all but, it may.

For one, it's got history that dates back forever. Grandparents, parents and teenagers all have memories there and are constantly making new ones.

2. Have you seen steel hawg? If that is as good as it promises to be (TDK I'm staring at you) then they will have a one of a kind coaster to boast about

3. It's pretty centrally located between Indianapolis and Chicago. 2.8 million people in Chicago, 1.5 million in Indianapolis plus all of the suburbs.

4. It can obtain more land if it needs to.

Now if you want to start your own theme park and try to compete with Six Flags, all I can say is good luck. Six flags has a name (yes it's kind of a bad one but it still has more clout then say Uncle Jacks Happy Fun-Time amusement park.

The only foreseeable way it could happen is you would have to start very small. Think a fun center right off of a highway next to a row of hotels or something. Just a few flats and a slide or too. Then, started building from there. Six flags inevitably killed how many parks in this area? Poor Kiddieland may not make it too.

A nice thought, but.........

Too many hurdles to overcome in Illinois:

1. Weather (It's only nice here six months a year tops.)
2. Land Prices (Still much higher than most states.)
3. Taxes (From sales tax to employment taxes, property taxes, Illinois is HIGH!)
4. Bureaucracy (Illinois is well known for this. You can't get anything done here.)

Sweet, i predicted the death of kiddie land!

But now i must update my opinion.

Indiana beach is going to start slowly taking away some market share from SFGAm. Give it 5 years I'd bet my car on it if I didn't need her so badly.

Now, with how the economy is, if Illinois could say "we got a company looking to buy 200 some acres of land to build a new theme park" I'm pretty sure they'd try to push it through as fast as they can. Even if it wasn't in Illinois but say in Indiana along the i-65 corridor, now that would be a huge win for Indiana (although one could argue that indiana beach is along the i-65 corridor.

My best guess would be for an area that picks up the Quad Cities market. There's cheap(er) land there and a bit more stable environment.