Hurricane Harbor Chicago
In the late 1990s, interest in building a water park close to Six Flags Great America was proposed; residents of Gurnee opposed these plans. A later water-park plan succeeded in 2004, when Gurnee officials confirmed a water park would be built. In its first year of operation, the park received 1.3 million visitors.
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Chicago has 25 water slides and a themed area named Riptide Bay. The most recent addition, Tsunami Surge, is the world's tallest water coaster, which received accolades from the World Waterpark Association and Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Awards.
Background
Discussions about a water park near Six Flags Great America began in May 1996, when representatives from Six Flags met with officials of Gurnee to obtain permission to build a water park across from Interstate 94. A spokesperson for Six Flags Great America later called the plans "extremely premature" and said the park may not proceed. These plans later became part of a bigger plan called Six Flags Entertainment Village, which was announced on October 29, 1997. The entertainment complex would be built across Interstate 94 and construction was planned to begin in 2000. Gurnee residents opposed the plans, and a group called the Citizens United for a Residential Village of Gurnee campaigned for a referendum about the project's approval to be included in an election ballot on April 13, 1999. Six Flags Entertainment Village was later derailed after more than half of Gurnee residents opposed the project following the referendum.
History
2004–2005: Announcement and opening
On September 10, 2004, Gurnee officials confirmed plans for a water park opening on Six Flags Great America's existing site. Six Flags Great America officially announced the Caribbean-themed water park on September 16, 2004. Plans for the water park included twenty-five water slides, an entrance plaza, and admission separate from the theme park. On January 19, 2005, it was announced admission would be included with a regular ticket. The new water park was expected to compete with others in Wisconsin Dells and the Chicago metropolitan area, and would be the biggest expansion in Six Flags Great America history.
Construction on the US$42 million water park began in November of that year, and the water park opened to the public on May 28, 2005. The park's centerpiece attraction was the Skull Island interactive playground, which was billed as the largest of its kind, and had 500 gadgets and eight water slides. Almost a month following the opening of Hurricane Harbor, a man had a heart attack in Hurricane Bay and died on June 22, 2005. During the water park's first year of operation, it was reported 1.3 million people had attended it, which park officials regarded as a "huge success".
2006–2011: Early incidents and expansion
Following the initial opening of Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, a funnel water slide named Tornado was announced on January 14, 2006, at the American Coaster Enthusiasts "No Coaster Con" convention. It would open later in 2006 and be located above the Castaway Creek lazy river. The ride opened on Memorial Day weekend in 2006. A few weeks later, a girl was slightly injured and required stitches after she fell off of her tube.
On May 26, 2011, a new roller coaster was planned for the adjacent Six Flags Great America amusement park; it was announced at a zoning board of appeals meeting for the site of Space Shuttle America. The planned roller coaster was Chang, which would have been acquired from the former Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom and was to be located near the park's entrance but the new ride was later canceled. Instead, the four-acre (1.6 ha) Riptide Bay area was added to the park, opening on June 3, 2011. Riptide Bay initially included a surf simulator, five water slides, a Caribbean-inspired activity pool, and cabanas. In July 2011, a woman suffered injuries on Wahoo Racer and sued the park for negligently operating the attraction. A court upheld an award of US$1.5 million USD in June 2017.
2019–present: Separation from Six Flags Great America
On August 29, 2019, Six Flags Hurricane Harbor announced a new water coaster named Tsunami Surge, which was built by WhiteWater West. Tsunami Surge was billed as the tallest water coaster in the world, and was expected to open for the 2020 season. Ground was broken for Tsunami Surge in January 2020, but the ride did not open due to the park's closure and construction delays during the COVID-19 pandemic. On July 20, 2020, the park re-opened with safety protocols regarding COVID-19 in place, and its name was changed to "Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Chicago"; attractions at Six Flags Great America stayed closed throughout the season.
Beginning on March 22, 2021, Six Flags Hurricane Harbor was separated from Six Flags Great America, and was officially named Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Chicago. A new entry gate for the water park was built in the parking lot, and a pathway between both parks was no longer accessible to the public. The change was made to allow guests to choose which park to enter. Previously, the park had charged visitors an additional fee to enter the water park. On May 29, 2021, Tsunami Surge officially opened to the public as the tallest water coaster in the world.
List of attractions
| Name | Opened | Manufacturer | Type | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wahoo Racer | May 28, 2005 | ProSlide Technology | Multi-lane racer | |
| Hurricane Bay | May 28, 2005 | Aquatic Development | Wave pool | |
| Castaway Creek | May 28, 2005 | Aquatic Development | Lazy river | |
| Hurricane Mountain | May 28, 2005 | ProSlide | Water slide complex | |
| Paradise Plunge and Riptide | May 28, 2005 | ProSlide | Speed slide | |
| Skull Island and Buccaneer Bay | May 28, 2005 | ProSlide | Interactive playground | |
| Hammerhead and Barracuda | May 28, 2005 | ProSlide | Dual slide complex | |
| Vortex and Typhoon | May 28, 2005 | ProSlide | Twin bowl slides | |
| Bahama Mama and Bubba Tubba | May 28, 2005 | ProSlide | Two family rafting slides | |
| Tornado | May 29, 2006 | ProSlide | Funnel slide | |
| Riptide Bay | ||||
| Surf Rider | June 3, 2011 | Wave Loch | Surf simulator | |
| Wipeout | June 3, 2011 | ProSlide | Double funnel slide | |
| Monsoon Lagoon | June 3, 2011 | — | Swimming pool | |
| Mega Wedgie | June 3, 2011 | ProSlide | Drop-launch capsule | |
| Dive Bomber | June 3, 2011 | ProSlide | Drop-launch capsule | |
| Tsunami Surge | May 29, 2021 | WhiteWater West | Water coaster | |
Awards
In 2006, Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Chicago's water slide Tornado was placed second for the category "Best New Water Slide", and tied with Noah's Ark's Time Warp attraction on Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket Awards. In August 2021, the water park, along with WhiteWater West and architecture firm Ramaker won the 2021 Leading Edge Award from the World Waterpark Association for their work on Tsunami Surge. One month later, Tsunami Surge was placed third place in the category "Best New Water Slide" on Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Awards.
See also
- Incidents at Six Flags parks
- Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Rockford, a Six Flags Hurricane Harbor water park in Rockford, Illinois