Santa's Village AZoosment ParkLocation: East Dundee, IL
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In the state of Illinois you will find Bears, Cubs, Sox, Bulls, and Blackhawks, but you'll also find Santa's Village AZooment Park. With a history starting in the 1950's the park has grown up around other smaller parks such as KiddieLand, and even the famed Riverview Park. With a slight departure in 2006, the hopes and memories of many eventually brought the park back, but this time with a twist.
In the 1950's Glenn Holland had an idea for Santa styled amusement parks. He didn't want to keep this type of park in one location, he wanted to franchise out the chain. The first two were built in California, and the third located in Illinois. Of the original three, only the Illinois location still stands. In 1959 the village of East Dundee saw the opening of Santa's Village. With the themed rides, and attractions the park was a huge hit with families. A big blow came to the park on November 28,1966 as powerful winds blew down the Polar Dome. The dome was used for ice skating and hockey events. It was eventually replaced, but the name remained the same. 1972 brought about a name change to Worlds of Fun, but it was soon changed to Three Worlds of Santa's Village because of the three parks with the same name. The 1980's came in with a splash with the opening of Racing Rapids in 1983. The roller coasters at the park throughout the years were generic coasters mostly gearing to small thrill seekers. However in 1998 Typhoon opened to the public for the older thrill riders to experience. With top speeds of 45mph and an inclined loop folks flocked to the village to try it out, but did not come back as the Typhoon was not very impressive. A set back like this was the beginning of the end of this park. The end eventually came in 2006 as everything was auction off, and Santa moved away. On May 27.2011 Santa finally found his way back home to Illinois and brought a few friends along. The park reopened as Santa's Village AZoosment Park. With new rides rides for the family, and various animals brought in, the park once again came to life. This time only occupying one side of the former park, and a paintball battlefield on the other, the park has a chance to take it slow. Park goers are hoping that the WildCat (unfortunately not the Cedar Point WildCat) roller coaster, most likely opening in 2014, will bring thrills back to the village. Come on down and spend some family time at a park that holds a special place in the hearts the Chicagoland area. Oh, and don't forget to touch the famous frozen North Pole! |
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