Your kid loves a great adventure, but you’re all done making obstacle courses in the backyard.
Luckily, adventure is the middle name of these four great spots in and around Chicagoland. From high-flying zip lines to big splashes in Lake Michigan, these are the memories that summers are made for.
Six Flags Great America
- Address: 1 Great America Parkway, Gurnee
- Cost: $29.99+ one-day pass
Six Flags is known for its coasters, like Maxx Force, one of the newest rides known to launch passengers from 0 to 78 mph in less than two seconds. But the adventure park is more than that, with live shows and experiences, rides for tots, restaurants and food all around (including a cotton candy factory).
For the water enthusiasts in your family, Hurricane Harbor is a 20-acre water park located right next to Six Flags. Tsunami Surge, the world’s tallest water coaster, can be found there. This year marks the first time ever that Hurricane Harbor will open as a separate attraction with its own entry gate and its own ticket prices. If you hope to do both parks, you’ll want to plan ahead.
The Forge: Lemont Quarries
- Address: 1001 Main St., Lemont
- Cost: $15-$80
The fun is in the trees at The Forge, where families can try everything from ziplining to a ropes course to mountain biking to paddle boats. The Eight Towers Adventure includes more than two miles of zip lines, 300 rope course elements, a rock climbing wall and the largest aerial ropes course in North America.
For smaller kids with big adventure vibes, the Two Towers Adventure is a version set for kids ages 3-13. The fun doesn’t stop when the sun goes down. The Forge also hosts movie nights on the lawn and a summer concert series. Of the two on-site restaurants, one includes Adventure Dining with a rotating menu that changes each week during the summer, and the other is outdoor dining with the ease of a snack stand.
WhoaZone at Whihala Beach
- Address: Whihala Beach, 1561 Park Road, Whiting, Indiana
- Cost: $22.50+
This entire fun playground — perfect for your kids ages 7 and older — is set on the water just off the beach in Whiting, a short drive across the Indiana border. Kids can throw their hands in the air to slide down inflatable water slides, climb inflatable structures and then belly-flop right into Lake Michigan.
All participants wear a life jacket, and there are beach games available for parents who prefer to stay on land. For the families that want to see a little more of Lake Michigan, rent a kayak to check out some amazing views of the Chicago Skyline from 10 miles away.
Urban Air Adventure Park
- Where: 6 locations in Chicagoland
- Cost: $16.99-$36.99
Perfect for rainy days, these adventure parks are sure to thrill while remaining indoors. If your kids loved inflatables as little kids, the bounce of a trampoline will bring the fun and give them some air.
But wait, there’s more. Spin around the track on a go-kart, experience virtual reality, fly through the air on an indoor zip line, zoom up the climbing walls, face heights on a ropes course, spin through bumper cars and more. For younger adventure seekers, there’s an under-7 area with smaller trampolines and a tubes playground.
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