Old Chicago facts for kids
Old Chicago's logo
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| Location | United States |
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| Coordinates | 41°40′45″N 88°4′16″W / 41.67917°N 88.07111°W |
| Opened | 1975 |
| Closed | 1980 (demolished spring 1986) |
| Owner | Robert Brindle |
Old Chicago was a special place that combined a shopping mall and an indoor amusement park. It was located in Bolingbrook, Illinois, near Chicago. It opened in 1975 and closed in 1980.
Old Chicago was known as "The world's first indoor amusement park." The idea was to create a fun place that could be open all year, no matter the weather. It had big rides like three roller coasters and a Ferris wheel. The shopping area looked like an old-fashioned city from the early 1900s.
When it first opened on June 17, 1975, over 15,000 people visited. But after only six months, Old Chicago started having money problems. A new outdoor amusement park, now called Six Flags Great America, opened nearby and drew visitors away. Also, the mall didn't have big, well-known stores, which meant not enough local people came to shop regularly.
Even with new managers, the center kept losing money. By 1978, the mall started closing on Mondays and Tuesdays. In early 1980, the entire amusement park shut down. Its rides were sold, just five years after it opened. The huge building was eventually torn down in 1986.
Its address was 555 S. Bolingbrook Drive, Bolingbrook, Illinois 60439.
Contents
The Idea Behind Old Chicago
The person who came up with Old Chicago was a designer named Robert Brindle. He got the idea after visiting Knott's Berry Farm amusement park in California. He wanted to put a whole amusement park indoors. This way, rides like roller coasters, Ferris wheels, and log flumes could be enjoyed all year long.
Brindle imagined a place with a 1900s style. The mall would have smaller, unique shops instead of big department stores.
Grand Opening Excitement
It took over two years to build Old Chicago. It finally opened on June 17, 1975. More than 10,000 invited guests came to the grand opening party. This caused huge traffic jams! A TV commercial for Old Chicago even showed a young woman tap-dancing on top of the building's dome.
The mall was still being finished when it opened. But construction crews worked very fast to get it ready. After a final check, it opened on time to another crowd of over 15,000 people. In its first few months, Old Chicago had more than 50,000 visitors every weekend.
Facing Challenges
Soon, problems started because of the rushed construction. In July 1975, the sprinkler system had a problem, which closed the mall for six hours. Later that year, a small fire in a trash compactor made everyone leave the mall.
Just six months after opening, Old Chicago was in serious financial trouble. This was because building costs were much higher than planned. Robert Brindle was replaced as the general manager.
In 1976, the outdoor Six Flags Great America theme park opened. This park attracted many visitors who might have gone to Old Chicago. Also, Old Chicago's unique shops and lack of big anchor stores didn't attract enough local shoppers. People didn't find the stores they wanted for everyday shopping. As fewer people visited, stores inside the mall began to close down.
Closing Down Old Chicago
In early 1977, the investors took full control of the mall. They changed the operating hours and spent over $8 million on new attractions. There were more changes in management, but shops kept closing one by one.
By 1978, Old Chicago started closing on Mondays and Tuesdays. More small fires happened in 1979. One was at the Old Chicago Tobacco Company. Another was during a Fourth of July fireworks display that went off too early, causing minor injuries.
Finally, in March 1980, the entire amusement park closed. All the rides were sold. The last remaining stores left soon after. Managers tried to turn the mall into a discount shopping center, but no one wanted to invest. The mall officially closed in August 1981.
A group of investors bought the building, hoping to turn it into a casino. But the village of Bolingbrook said no to that idea. The building was put up for auction in 1982. The owners wanted to tear it down, but the village stopped them, hoping to find a new buyer. While they waited, the empty building was damaged by roof leaks and vandals.
In 1985, the building was sold again. There were many ideas to save the huge building. People suggested turning it into a trade center, a venue for a World's Fair, or even a Major League Baseball stadium for the Chicago White Sox. But none of these plans worked out. The building was finally torn down in the spring of 1986.
On January 21, 2020, Amazon bought the land where Old Chicago once stood for $50.5 million.
Old Chicago's Legacy
The idea of having an amusement park inside a mall became popular later on. Famous malls like West Edmonton Mall in Canada and Mall of America in Minnesota now have indoor amusement parks. Other examples include Adventuredome at Circus Circus in Las Vegas and Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi.
The street where Old Chicago used to be is still named for the mall. For example, Arena Auto Auction's address is 200 Old Chicago Drive.
The Chicago Loop roller coaster that was inside Old Chicago is still operating today! It's now called the Canobie Corkscrew and is at Canobie Lake Park. It was one of the first four roller coasters in the world to turn riders upside down twice when it opened in 1975.
