Great Wolf Lodge (Gurnee, Illinois) facts for kids
| Great Wolf Lodge | |
| Hotel facts and statistics | |
|---|---|
| Location | Gurnee, Illinois, United States |
| Coordinates | 42°23′00″N 87°56′41″W / 42.3833°N 87.9447°W |
| Address | |
| Opening date | 2007, 2019 |
| Closing date | 2017 (KeyLime Cove) |
| No. of restaurants | 7 |
| No. of floors | 4 |
Great Wolf Lodge is a super fun resort in Gurnee, Illinois. It has a huge indoor waterpark that's about 30 acres big! That's like 23 football fields! It's close to other cool places like Six Flags Great America and Gurnee Mills. This resort was first known as "KeyLime Cove." It was even called the "Official Resort of Six Flags Great America" for a while. You can find it about an hour away from Chicago and less than an hour from Milwaukee.
The Story of Great Wolf Lodge
From KeyLime Cove to Great Wolf Lodge (2008-2017)
The resort first opened its doors in 2008. Back then, it was called KeyLime Cove. It had a fun tropical theme, making you feel like you were on a sunny island!
After nine years, in 2017, the hotel announced it would close. But don't worry, it wasn't for good! A new company, Great Wolf Lodge, decided to take over. They planned to give the whole hotel a big makeover. This change also meant the hotel was no longer partners with Six Flags Great America.
Great Wolf Lodge Today (2017-Present)
The big renovations for the new Great Wolf Lodge finished in the summer of 2018. The hotel reopened on July 1, 2018. It now has a cool forest and wolf theme, which is what Great Wolf Lodge is famous for!
The water park got even bigger with new water slides. The outside of the building was painted a new brown and peach color. They also added the exciting game called MagiQuest throughout the resort. This game lets you go on quests and use a magic wand!
In 2020, the hotel had to close for a short time because of the COVID-19 pandemic. During April of that year, it was used to help house navy recruits who needed a safe place to stay. The hotel reopened on August 24, 2020. When guests returned, they had temperature checks to help keep everyone safe.
