Old Chicago - Bolingbrook, Illinois

[Desolate Angel]

The Rotor is basically a giant bucket.  You get inside it and it starts spinning as you're leaning on it's walls.  Eventually when the ride gets fast enough for centrifugal force to hold you in place the floor drops a few feet leaving you suspended there.

I'm not a big fan of the Rotor as I don't handle spinning things the greatest and watching it gave me motion sickness and I ended up hurling down into it making one heck of a mess and ending that trip to Old Chicago.

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Swing rides like the YoYo are something that I can take without getting too sick and are really a lot of fun.  I loved sitting on this and letting go and putting my hands out and just flying.

To the left of the YoYo is the track for the Chicago Loop and behind the yellow and red striped area is where the Old Chicago Circus was.  In the distance is the Old Chicago Screamer in the center with the Trabant and Round-Up to the left of it.

[Desolate Angel]

The Screamer was a ride that is more commonly known as an Enterprise and still can be found at many parks and fairs. It was added in 1977 along with the Old Chicago Fun Factory area as the park's first big addition..

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Like amusement parks all around the world Old Chicago let you have the chance, for a small fee of course to win a stuffed animal or some other sort of novelty from their many games.

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I do happen to really like the Mrs. O'Leary's Cow game as it fits well into the Old Chicago theming.

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Mayor Charlie Brindle, the Chicago Cub and some unnamed squirrel join this family for a go around on Old Chicago's Merry-Go-Round.   

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I'm not sure if that's Mayor Charlie Brindle or some other Old Chicago character joining these boys on this car ride that was made by Hampton.  I really love these rides.  Yeah they're simple but if you pressed the button they had a great honking sound that probably drove the ride operators nuts.

[Desolate Angel]

The Monster of the Midway was the last ride to be added to Old Chicago.

[Desolate Angel]

It's a little hard to see in this photo but the Monster of the Midway was a "Scrambler" type ride that was enclosed.  Lighting effects and loud music was added to give the ride a then unique experience.  What's kind of neat is decades later Six Flags Over Georgia did the same thing with their "Shake Rattle & Roll" ride.

[Desolate Angel]

The Fun Factory was added to Old Chicago in 1977.  Surveys found that Old Chicago did well with teenagers and adults but needed more for kids and the Fun Factory did just that. 

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The Eagle's Nest was a great thing to climb all over when I was a kid.

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The Jelly Belly Bouncer was your standard "moon bounce" attraction where you get to run, roll and most importantly jump on a huge balloon.  I loved these as a kid.  Sadly they don't let adults into these as I know I'd still have fun on it.

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While the Jelly Belly Bouncer is running on a big balloon the Polliwog Pond was a huge waterbed that you could jump on and not get yelled at by your parents..

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If you're going to have a kids play area you've got to have a slide.   

[Desolate Angel]

Most of the play structures in the Fun Factory were upstairs while the rides were downstairs.  I don't remember what the Spider's Den was so if you remember please email me so I can describe it here.