Illinois’ Must-Visit Amusement Parks for Thrill Seekers

When you hear the phrase “amusement park,” chances are the first thing that comes to your mind is Disney; however, in 2023, nearly 600 businesses described themselves as amusement parks in the United States. There are places to enjoy thrill rides, view animal shows, swim and play in nearly every state across the country, and one that might be near and dear to your heart may be unfamiliar to someone else, depending on where you live.

People travel from all over the world to visit Disney’s and Universal’s theme parks in California and Florida. If you’re a thrill ride, water park, or roller coaster junkie, Six Flags is another huge name, with 24 parks scattered throughout the U.S. These types of parks truly transport you to another world and are full of their own kind of magic, but the quaint or historic parks like Lake Compounce are just as special—if not more so—to locals.

Stacker compiled a list of the best amusement parks in Illinois using data from Tripadvisor. Tripadvisor ranks businesses using a combination of metrics, including overall rating, reviews, and number of page views. As a result, a business with a 5 out of 5 overall rating might rank lower than one with a 4 out of 5. Data is as of April 2024.

Read on and see how many of these local amusement parks you’ve visited.

Best amusement parks in Illinois 

#11. Go Bananas

• Rating: 3/5 (5 reviews)

#10. Odyssey Fun World

• Rating: 2.5/5 (73 reviews)
• Address: 19111 Oak Park Ave. Tinley Park, Illinois

#9. Competition Grand Prix

• Rating: 4/5 (4 reviews)
• Address: 7215 Cherryvale North Blvd. Cherry Valley, Illinois

#8. Star Worlds Arcade

• Rating: 4/5 (8 reviews)
• Address: 1234 East Lincoln Hwy DeKalb, Illinois

#7. The People’s Choice Family Fun Center

• Rating: 4/5 (25 reviews)
• Address: 2413 Grand Ave. Waukegan, Illinois

#6. Safari Land

• Rating: 4.5/5 (14 reviews)
• Address: 701 West North Ave. Villa Park, Illinois

#5. Knight’s Action Park & Caribbean Water Adventure

• Rating: 3.5/5 (132 reviews)
• Address: 1700 Knights Recreation Drive Springfield, Illinois

#4. Pirate’s Cove Children’s Theme Park

• Rating: 4.5/5 (61 reviews)
• Address: 901 Leicester Road Elk Grove Village, Illinois

#3. Legacy Adventure Park

• Rating: 4.5/5 (31 reviews)
• Address: 2807 Canal St. Lockport, Illinois

#2. Six Flags Great America

• Rating: 4/5 (2,743 reviews)
• Address: 1 Great America Pkwy Gurnee, Illinois

#1. Navy Pier

• Rating: 4/5 (15,170 reviews)
• Address: 600 East Grand Ave. Chicago, Illinois

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