Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Chicago facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Chicago
An aerial view of the water park in 2008
Location	Six Flags Great America, Gurnee, Illinois, United States
Coordinates	42°22′06″N 87°56′19″W / 42.36833°N 87.93861°W / 42.36833; -87.93861
Theme	Caribbean island
Owner	Six Flags
Opened	May 28, 2005; 20 years ago (2005-05-28)
Previous names	Six Flags Hurricane Harbor (2005–2021)
Operating season	May to September
Status	Operating
Area	20 acres (8.1 ha)
Pools	2 pools
Water slides	25 water slides
Children's areas	2 children's areas
Website	Official website: https://sixflags.com/hurricaneharborchicago

Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Chicago is a fun water park in Gurnee, Illinois, USA. It covers 20 acres (about 8 hectares) and is located between the cities of Chicago and Milwaukee. You can find it close to Interstate 94. The park is owned and run by Six Flags. It first opened its gates on May 28, 2005.

This water park was built as a big expansion for the nearby Six Flags Great America amusement park. The project cost about $42 million. It was originally part of the Six Flags Hurricane Harbor chain of water parks. Since 2021, it has its own separate entrance, so you can visit just the water park if you want!

Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Chicago has 25 exciting water slides. It also features a huge 500,000-gallon wave pool called Hurricane Bay. One of its newest and most thrilling rides is Tsunami Surge. This is North America's tallest water coaster. When it opened in 2021, it was the tallest water coaster in the world! The park has even won awards from groups like the World Waterpark Association and Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Awards.

How the Park Began

Early Ideas for a Water Park

Talks about building a Six Flags water park near Six Flags Great America started way back in May 1996. Park representatives met with officials from Gurnee, Illinois, to ask for permission. The idea was to build the water park on a separate piece of land owned by Six Flags. This land was west of Six Flags Great America, across Interstate 94. The plan was for the water park to open by 1998. However, a park spokesperson later said these plans were "too early" and might not happen. Also, the land was set aside for offices, so special permission was needed to build a water park there.

Plans for a Big Resort

Later, the idea for a water park became part of a much bigger plan. This plan was called the Six Flags Entertainment Village and was announced in October 1997. This huge resort complex would include the water park, along with shops, a hotel, and a convention center. It would be located west of Six Flags Great America, across Interstate 94. Construction was planned to start in 2000, after Gurnee officials approved the project in December 1998.

However, some local people formed a group called Citizens United for a Residential Village of Gurnee (CURV). They were worried about too much building, traffic, and how it might affect house prices. In April 1999, residents voted on whether to approve the project. More than half of Gurnee residents voted against it. Because of this, the big Six Flags Entertainment Village project was stopped and never built.

Park's Journey Through the Years

How the Park Opened (2004-2005)

On September 10, 2004, officials in Gurnee, Illinois, confirmed that a water park would be built. This time, it would be on Six Flags Great America's existing property. Six Flags Great America officially announced the new water park on September 16, 2004. It would be a 13-acre (about 5.3 hectares) park with a Caribbean theme, named Six Flags Hurricane Harbor. It was set to open for the 2005 season. The park hoped to attract visitors from Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin and the Chicago metropolitan area. This was considered the biggest expansion in Six Flags Great America's history. The water park was built on what used to be the far west side of the parking lot.

Hurricane Bay, a 500,000-gallon wave pool, pictured in 2008.

The water park was designed to open with 25 water slides. It included an interactive water play area called Skull Island, which had 500 water gadgets and eight slides. There was also the 500,000-gallon wave pool. At first, admission to the water park was included with a regular ticket for the theme park. The new water park also created about 700 new jobs.

Construction on the $42 million water park began in November 2004 and took seven months to complete. Six Flags Hurricane Harbor officially opened to the public on May 28, 2005. In its first year, about 1.3 million people visited the water park, which park officials called a "huge success."

New Rides and Expansions (2006-2018)

Tornado in 2006

After the water park first opened, a new funnel water slide called Tornado was announced on January 14, 2006. It opened later that year, during the Memorial Day weekend. This exciting ride was built above the Castaway Creek lazy river.

For the 2011 season, a new roller coaster was planned for the main Six Flags Great America park. However, those plans changed. Instead of the roller coaster, the park decided to build a new 4-acre (about 1.6 hectares) area called Riptide Bay. This new section opened on June 3, 2011. Riptide Bay featured a surf simulator called Surf Rider. It also had the Wipeout funnel raft slide, and a Caribbean-themed activity pool named Monsoon Lagoon. Guests could also rent private cabanas.

Tsunami Surge and Becoming a Separate Park (2019-Present)

Footers for Tsunami Surge during construction in July 2020

On August 29, 2019, Six Flags Hurricane Harbor announced a brand new water coaster named Tsunami Surge. This ride, built by WhiteWater West, was designed to be the tallest water coaster in the world at 86 feet (about 26 meters) tall. It was expected to open for the 2020 season. Construction began in January 2020. However, the ride's opening was delayed because of the worldwide health situation (COVID-19 pandemic) and the park's temporary closure.

On July 20, 2020, the park reopened with new safety rules because of COVID-19. At this time, the water park was called Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Chicago. The rides at Six Flags Great America stayed closed for that entire season.

The front gate for Hurricane Harbor Chicago, seen in 2022.

Starting on March 22, 2021, the water park became completely separate from Six Flags Great America. It was officially named Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Chicago. This made it the 27th park in the Six Flags family. Because of this change, you could no longer enter the water park through the theme park. A new, separate entrance gate was built. Park officials explained that this change allowed visitors to choose whether they wanted to visit the theme park or just the water park.

On May 29, 2021, Tsunami Surge officially opened to the public. It was indeed the tallest water coaster in the world at that time. However, a new ride called Surreal at Beach Park in Brazil opened in March 2025 and became taller. Surreal stands 28 meters (about 92 feet) tall. Even so, Tsunami Surge remains the tallest water coaster in North America!

In 2024, two water slides in the Riptide Bay area, Mega Wedgie and Dive Bomber, closed. They were removed in 2025 before the park opened for the season. The park has shared that these areas will be used for future new attractions.

Exciting Attractions

Current Rides and Pools

Tsunami Surge

Bahama Mama and Bubba Tubba

Rides That Have Moved On

Awards and Recognition

In 2006, the Tornado water slide earned second place for "Best New Water Slide" at Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket Awards. It shared this honor with Time Warp at Noah's Ark Water Park in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin.

In August 2021, the water park, along with the ride maker WhiteWater West and design firm Ramaker, won the 2021 Leading Edge Award. This award came from the World Waterpark Association for their amazing work on Tsunami Surge. Tsunami Surge also took third place in the "Best New Water Slide" category at Amusement Today's 2021 Golden Ticket Awards.

More Fun Facts

• Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Rockford, another Six Flags water park in Illinois.
• Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, the chain of water parks operated by Six Flags.