15 Best Things to Do in Gurnee (IL)
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Only west of Waukegan on the North Shore, Gurnee is notable across Chicagoland for its exceptional guest attractions. The greatest of these is Six Flags Great America, one of the most visited carnivals in the country, loaded with record-breaking thrill rides and sitting right next to Hurricane Harbor water park. Additionally huge, Gurnee Mills is a joined shopping center and discount shopping center, near 200 stores, just as two food courts and slew of attractions, from a film to an ice field. There’s a lot of nature as well, at the different Lake County woods safeguards in general, just as Illinois Beach State Park, only 15 minutes away.
1. Six Flags Great America
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One of the nation’s best 20 most-visited entertainment meccas is here in Gurnee. Six Flags Great America was worked by Marriott during the 1970s and was taken over by the Six Flags brand in 1984.
There are nine themed zones at the recreation center, pressing rides, amusement park style games and invigorating shows.
For the people who need an adrenaline surge, the vast majority of the thrill rides can be found in Yankee Harbor, County Fair and Southwest Territory.
Look at Goliath, once in the past the world’s quickest wooden thrill ride (72 mph) and The Joker, an imaginative 4D free-turn napkin.
Yet, in case there’s one ride that should be capable it’s Maxx Force, which fires you from 0-78 mph in only two seconds and breaks the world record for tallest twofold reversal and quickest reversal.
2. Hurricane Harbor Chicago
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For the 2021 season, the water park at Six Flags Great America turned into a different confirmation fascination. In 20 sections of land, Hurricane Harbor has two huge pools, a long languid waterway, a surf test system and an astonishing 25 water slides.
Families are all around obliged, as there are two committed kids’ regions with showers and fun things to get over.
For greater children the recreation center has a lot of fervor, presented by the channel formed Tornado, the twin Superloops at Five Bomber (max speed 40 mph) and the fresh out of the box new Tsunami Surge, authoritatively the tallest water liner on the planet at 86 feet.
3. Great Wolf Lodge
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This monster, independent retreat opened in Gurnee in 2018 and contains a huge water park that can be chatted with day passes.
At in excess of 80,000 square feet it’s difficult to overstate the astounding size of this office, including a few slides, a zero-profundity play region for babies and the breathtaking Fort McKenzie, a staggered, intelligent play fortress with an enormous tipping pail.
The surrounding temperature is kept at 84°F, and will feel like a tropical departure in winter, while open air pools are accessible in summer.
One more fascination at Great Wolf Lodge is the amusement park, containing a ropes course, arcade, climbing divider and significantly more.
4. Gurnee Mills
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Appealing to shoppers from both Chicago and Milwaukee, Gurnee Mills is the third-largest mall in the state, and combines an outlet mall with a full-price shopping mall.
There are close to 200 stores here, with outlets offering up to 70% off. A few of the chains represented here are Kohl’s, Macy’s, Forever 21, Bed Bath & Beyond, Dick’s Sporting Goods, H&M, and Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World.
You’ll find factory stores for the likes of Guess, Gap, Nike, Adidas, Vans, Polo Ralph Lauren, Disney Store and Abercrombie & Fitch. Gurnee Mills has two food courts, as well as a lineup of other attractions, like a movie theater, escape room and newly opened ice arena.
5. Illinois Beach State Park
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With such countless enormous attractions in Gurnee’s patio, it tends to be not difficult to fail to remember that the lake Michigan shore is a couple of miles east.
Shockingly better, 4,160-section of land Illinois Beach State Park shows what the lakeshore resembled 200 years prior. The recreation center is the main site in Illinois saving the ocean side edge coastline, with its rises and swales, bogs and forest.
The ridges are especially significant, containing in excess of 650 plant species, among them many wildflowers that put on a brilliant act in spring and summer.
In summer the recreation center is a well known ocean side objective, and there are numerous miles of trails for climbs and bicycle rides. To broaden your visit, there’s a camping area in the southern unit with 244 Class A locales, just as the 96-room Illinois Beach Resort.
6. Betty Russell Community Park
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Seemingly the champion recreational area in Gurnee can be found simply off N Dilleys Rd close to Great Wolf Lodge.
This is a decent spot to bring kids, as there’s an incredible jungle gym with a slide that breezes down an incline. This is matched with cookout regions and a skate park for greater children.
Different conveniences incorporate baseball/softball fields, ball courts, pickleball, soccer fields, tennis courts and a path framework that interfaces this park with a few others nearby.
In the colder time of year there’s an open air ice skating arena at the recreation center, while in summer you can carry youngsters to local area exercises facilitated by Warren-Newport Public Library.
7. Only Child Brewing Company
Source: Only Child Brewing Company / Facebook
This family-run craft brewery was founded in 2013 and moved into its current, 4,000-square-foot warehouse two years later.
At the taproom, open seven days a week, you can witness firsthand the passion that goes into Only Child’s beers. This space is both child and dog friendly, and has a long list of small-batch beers on tap.
Some of the 12 available at the time of writing were a Mexican lager (Uno Más), German Pils (Rasenmäherbier), Sour Red Ale fermented in Pinot Noir barrels (Rouge), a Hazy IPA (Dad Jokes), a DIPA (The F-Word) and a citrusy Berliner Weisse (Hullabaloo). If you’re not sure what to go for, you can always order a flight.
8. Rollins Savanna Forest Preserve
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One of the largest forest preserves in Lake County is on Gurnee’s west flank, opening out across more than 1,250 acres. Uninterrupted by roads or heavy development, Rollins Savanna consists of open prairie, wetlands and stands of large oaks.
The prairie is particularly valuable, rich with native grasses and wildflowers. A multi-use trail, almost eight miles long, weaves through the preserve, over bridges and boardwalks and through peaceful groves.
In the wetland areas keep an eye out for yellow-headed blackbirds, which can be seen in unusually large numbers here. There’s a special bird observation area with a raised stone platform a short walk from the Drury Lane parking area.
9. Top Shelf Ice Arena
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When we wrote this article, this skating and hockey facility had just opened at Gurnee Mills. Year round, Top Shelf Ice Arena is available to casual skaters, with regular public skate, freestyle and stick & puck sessions.
But if you want to take your skills to the next level there’s a menu of classes and private lessons for all ages, whether you want to improve your puck handling skills or just gain more confidence on the ice.
The facility is also the home ice for the local Warren Township High School team, as well as Vipers Hockey, a Lake County organization. Skate rental for public skate sessions is $5.
10. Launch Trampoline Park
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The Launch brand, which has locations all over the country, has turned a warehouse in Gurnee into a gigantic activity center, loaded with things to do. As the name tells you, the main draw are the trampoline courts, which even have bouncy surfaces on the walls.
These are accompanied by areas for dodgeball and knockout, as well as a foam pit. The Krave restaurant bakes handmade pizza to order, and there’s also an arcade with redemption machines.
At the time of writing this list the park was adding new attractions, like a basketball area, slackline for tight-rope balancing, battle beam, tumble tracks for acrobatics and even a bowling alley.
11. Marcus Gurnee Mills Cinema
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Opened in 1993, this multiplex theater at Gurnee Mills was updated a few years later and now has 20 screens.
Recently, all of these have been fitted with luxury recliners, so you can watch the latest blockbuster in maximum comfort.
Another innovation is one of the first 4DX screens in the country. This immersive experience features motion seats and high-tech lighting, creating all kinds of ambient special effects, like vibrations, wind, mist/rain and scents.
Check the theater’s website for specials, like $5 Tuesdays and $6 admission for students on Thursdays.
12. 60 to Escape
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Also at Gurnee Mill is one of the area’s most popular escape room attractions. All with a time limit of 60 minutes and requiring two to eight players, 60 to Escape has six rooms to choose from.
Each one is an immersive adventure, requiring brain power but also teamwork to tackle an imaginative array of codes, puzzles and clues.
The themed challenges entail disarming a bomb, becoming a jewel thief, restoring power to a secret government facility, lifting a curse at a haunted manor, exploring ancient ruins and solving a mystery at a retro arcade.
60 to Escape is praised for its well planned challenges, high production values and helpful, friendly staff.
13. Extreme Flight Simulation
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In the same development as Only Child Brewing, there’s a unique, high-tech attraction a few doors down.
Extreme Flight Simulation is the only company in Chicagoland to offer state-of-the-art flight simulation experiences to the public. In the 737NG flight-deck you can fly anywhere in the world, visiting any of 25,000 airports around the globe.
This is an experience that will interest gamers, amateur pilots of all levels, and anyone curious to know what it’s like in the cockpit of an airline.
Flights range from 30 minutes to two hours, and the company also runs a virtual reality room and a virtual escape room.
14. Lambs Farm
Source: Lambs Farm / Facebook
A little further away, this remarkable attraction can still be reached within 15 minutes from Gurnee.
Lambs Farm is a non-profit offering employment opportunities, as well as residential services, to people with developmental disabilities.
The organization goes back to the early 1960s, opening a pet shop, and soon switched to this bucolic 70-acre site.
Lambs Farm still has a pet shop and animal shelter, as well as a petting zoo, various amusement rides, a miniature train, a bakery, restaurant, miniature golf course, thrift store, country stand, bakery and restaurant.
15. Gurnee Days
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The big summer event in Gurnee is organized by the Village and the Park District, normally taking place in late July or early August.
Normally centered on Viking Park, Gurnee Days has a schedule filled with fun and often competitive activities for all ages.
Normally on the agenda are amusement rides, lots of food vendors, a petting zoo, face painting, a bike rodeo, 5k run, beer garden, music and dance performances, a police vs fire dept softball game and demonstrations by professionals like the police K9 team.
Perhaps the signature event is the Gurnee Days Parade, setting off at noon along Old Grand Avenue.
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