With unseasonably warm temperatures blanketing the Chicago area this week, many may be wondering when they can start to head outside for some thrills at one of the Midwest's premier amusement parks.
While it may still be more than two months away, Six Flags Great America in Gurnee has announced their opening date for the 2024 season along with a grand new addition.
The park will open for the season on Saturday, April 20 at 10:30 a.m., when the park will introduce "Sky Striker," a new high-flying pendulum ride.
Riders will swing back and forth on its massive pendulum as Sky Striker swings them through the sky at speeds of 75 miles per hour -- while at 172 feet in the air.
"As you swing through the clouds you will also spin, adding even another dimension to this maximum-thrills experience," according to the Six Flags Great America website. "This first-of-its-kind ride for the park creates a freefall sensation like no other."
A video of CraZanity, a clone of Sky Striker operating at Six Flags Magic Mountain
On top of Sky Striker, Six Flags Great America boasts a whopping 15 roller coasters, the second-most of any park in the Midwest, only trailing Cedar Point.
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Hallmark coasters at the park include MaxxForce, which opened in 2019 and features a compressed air launch that propels riders from 0-78 miles per hour in just 1.8 seconds and Raging Bull, the park's flagship 25-year-old hypercoaster that remains the tallest ride of its kind in the park.
The park will operate from 10:30 a.m. - 7 p.m. on April 21, operating on weekends before adding more days of operation in May.
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Friday, May 10 marks the first weekday in operation for the park, with daily operations beginning the week of Memorial Day.
A full look at the early season calendar for Six Flags Great America can be found here.
