Note: The video in the player above is from a previous report.
One of the Chicago area’s most popular attractions will soon open for the 2024 season.
Six Flags Great America in suburban Gurnee will open Saturday, April 20 at 10:30 a.m., according to the park’s website.
The park will operate from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on April 21, on weekends before adding more opening days in May.
Friday, May 10 marks the park’s first weekday of operation, with daily operations beginning the week of Memorial Day.
A complete overview of Six Flags Great America’s early season schedule can be found here.
This year, a new ride will debut at the park, with construction already underway.
The new attraction called “Sky Striker” will swing riders back and forth on a massive pendulum in the sky at a speed of 75 miles per hour, 172 feet above the ground.
“As you swing through the clouds, you will also spin, adding yet another dimension to this thrill-seeking experience,” according to the Six Flags Great America website. “This one-of-a-kind attraction for the park creates a free-fall sensation like no other.”
The new attraction will be located in the “County Fair” section of the park, near the historic American Eagle roller coaster, while replacing the land formerly occupied by “Dare Devil Dive,” a free-fall attraction that required an additional fee to ride .
A spokesperson for Six Flags Great America told NBC Chicago that the ride is expected to open later this spring.
In addition to Sky Striker, Six Flags Great America has 15 roller coasters, the second largest park in the Midwest, behind Cedar Point.
The park, located at 1 Great America Parkway in Gurnee, is about 45 miles north of Chicago.
NBC Chicago
