10 Activities In Gurnee, Illinois Leaving You With Lasting Memories

1. Shout your lungs out at Six Flags Great America

Ready for some thrilling adventures? Pay a visit to Six Flags Great America and experience some heart pounding rides. This adventure theme park fits different sizes and characters, from the little ones to the responsible ones and from the adventure ones to the gentle ones. Therefore you can find all kinds of rides: thrill rides like heart rising roller coasters, free fall and scale spin, family rides like spinning tea cups, floating hot air balloon rides and water log rides, kids rides like family-friendly roller coasters and cartoon themed rides and water park rides.

Apart from rides, the entertaining show in the park will paint vivid memories in your child’s little mind. Besides taking photographs, bring back some collections and souvenirs that will remind you of this amazing adventure you had. Things like apparel of characters from cartoons, comics, movies, and video games, Six Flags souvenirs, baseball caps, flip flops and all kinds of gifts will bring back all the memories one day.

Six Flags Great America

Address: 1 Great America Pkwy, Gurnee, IL 60031

Website: Six Flags Great America

2. Gold Pyramid House, see Egypt in Illinois

This attraction is in Wadsworth, an 8 minute’s drive from Gurnee, Illinois. Why go to Egypt when the entire pyramid is brought to you? This majestic gold pyramid is home to the Onan family built in 1977. Artifacts and furnishings are taken in from Egypt by Onan, some are authentic and some are replicates, to make up this wonderful architecture. What you will find here is a 64-foot-tall (19.5 meter), statue of Ramses II, a three-pyramid three-car garage, a 50-foot (15 meter) statue of King Tut, a driveway lined up by 80 stone sphinxes and a metal palm tree. A tour is available on certain dates between April and November. During your tour, you will enjoy a presentation by Rocko Onan, the son of the owner, who is very well informed with the history of Egypt and everything about the pyramid.

Gold Pyramid House

Address: 37921 N Dilleys Road, Wadsworth, IL 60083

Website: Gold Pyramid House

3. Have a family day at Betty Russell Community Park

Your kids will go cray cray discovering the playground in Betty Russel Community Park. The structure of the playground is interesting with climbing forms, slides and swings which trigger your kids’ imagination. For toddlers, there is a small maze with a soft surface which is safe for them to play on. As for those older kids and adults, they can have some rough fun at the basketball courts, a big sandy volleyball court, tennis courts, the skate park, soccer fields, softball fields or walking on the trails. Bring your picnic baskets as there are covered picnic shelters in the park for you to take a break and fill up your stomach. Rest assured as there are real bathrooms to ease your bladders.

Betty Russell Community Park

Address: 5300 Pinewood Rd, Gurnee, IL 60031

Website: Betty Russell Community Park

4. Van Patten Woods Forest Preserve with different natural scenes

This attraction is located in Wadsworth, an 8 minute drive from Gurnee, Illinois. Van Patten Woods Forest Preserve is Lake County’s first forest preserve made up of an oak forest, Sterling Lake and the Des Plaines River. It has trails that are suitable for all kinds of activities like hiking, biking, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing. To be in line with all kinds of activities, there is a boat ramp at Sterling Lake where you can launch your kayak, car top boat, canoe and small watercraft. Two fishing piers are also available for fish hobblers. For model aircraft fanatics, fly your model aircraft at the Model Aircraft Field with wind stock and a spectator area. On the east of the river, simply taking in the scenery of native oak woodlands and planted pine groves will be a pleasure.

Van Patten Woods Forest Preserve

Address: 15838 West Route 173, Wadsworth, IL 60083

Website: Van Patten Woods Forest Preserve

5. Challenge your mind in Amazing Mirror Maze

Editor’s note: Establishment is permanently closed

Experience finding your way and getting lost in the maze of deceiving and tricky mirrors and glass. Every turn, you will encounter different surprises of limitless mirrors and confusing reflections. It puts your sense of direction and mind to test. The whole maze will take you about 40 minutes. Before you go in, you will be given a pair of gloves to ensure the cleanliness of the mirrors. So are you up for the challenge? It will be a mind-blowing experience for you and your kids.

Amazing Mirror Maze

Address: 6170 W Grand Ave, Gurnee, IL 60031

Website: Amazing Mirror Maze

6. Go as high as you can at Jump America

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

This place is a paradise for jumping. With a ton of trampolines, you are able to jump as crazy as you want in a safe environment. Suitable for kids and adults aged 3 and above, there is a kids zone and a foam jumping pit for both kids and adults. Jumping will never be boring here, as you can play dodge ball and bouncy basketball while jumping. So go crazy and invent all kinds of jumping styles as long as it is safe.

Jump America

Address: 880 Lakeside Dr, Gurnee, IL 60031-4001

Website: Jump America

7. Go on a spree at Only Child Brewing Company

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

Only Child Brewing Company is a family owned brewery that crafts a range of beers for sophisticated palates. Simply take a sip of it and let the flavors disperse into your taste buds, and you will say ‘a hell of a beer’! The laid back atmosphere and cool staffs make it a perfect place to chill and hang out. The tap room is where you can enjoy the beers to the max. The bartenders and brewers are completely knowledgeable and will fill you in with all you want to know about beers. With every sip, you get to taste the passion and enthusiasm of the owners and the brewers.

Only Child Brewing Company

Address: 1350 Tri State Pkwy, Suite 124, Gurnee, IL 60031

Website: Only Child Brewing Company

8. Get ready for some intense, interactive games at 60 to Escape

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

60 means you have to complete the game in 60 minutes while Escape refers to Escape games, which are live interactive puzzle rooms. 60 to Escape challenges you with different clues, puzzles and codes. This game requires you to crack and move your rusty minds and learn to work together with your teammates. Before beginning, the dynamic staff there will guide you through with instructions and answer your questions. The game becomes more and more complicated as you play, so be enduring and have a never-say-die attitude and complete the difficulties, you will get a sense of achievement at the end of the game. One way or another it will train your problem-solving skills and it’s all about having fun.

60 to Escape

Address: 6170 Grand Ave, Store 147, Gurnee, IL 60031-4592

Website: 60 to Escape

9. Go mad shopping at Gurnee Mills

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

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For those shopping addicts, it’s time to go on a shopping spree at the largest outlet and full-price shopping mall in Illinois. You will be spoilt for choice with clothes brands that range from affordable ones to pricey ones including Forever 21, Abercrombie & Fitch, Banana Republic Factory, Rue 21, H&M and more. Besides clothing, you can find books, stationeries, home decor and furnishings, sports goods and apparel, music, toys and hobbies, sunglasses and more. A wide selection of restaurants that satisfy your appetite are waiting for you. There is also a cinema, ice rink, ping pong hall and other activities. Kids will stop being annoying once they are occupied in the activities like the build-a-bear workshop, indoor inflatables, paintball and games like 60 to Escape and Amazing Mirror Maze. After a day of crazy shopping and activities, you are guaranteed to be leaving the mall smiling.

Gurnee Mills

Address: 6170 W Grand Avenue, Gurnee, IL 60031

Website: Gurnee Mills

10. Gurnee Antique Market, a heaven for antiquarian

Editor’s note: Establishment is permanently closed

Pay attention, antique freaks and serious collectors, this is a place merely for you. This store is full of diverse collections and very unpredictable; you will be surprised with the things you are about to see in every corner. Here, you can buy everything from vintage suitcases, a tramp art frame, a period picnic basket to fine jewelry, clothing, and vinyl records. For a decorator or designer who is searching for something special, don’t be shy and give them a call, they will give the dealers a ring to search for what you want. As all antiquarians know, finding an​ antique is like finding a soul mate. So bring an antique home and give it a new life.

Gurnee Antique Market

Address: 5742 Northridge Dr, Gurnee, IL 60031

Website: Gurnee Antique Market

Memories worth remembering

Now you have the key to open the treasure, what follows is a paragraph of memories that last for a lifetime. And if you’re around Chicago, you can spend a quick but efficient vacation there for 36 hours. There’s plenty of things to do and places to discover, such as enjoying skateparks, in the places near Gurnee. Cherish every moment during your trip, enjoy the activities to the fullest, and you will look back one day and say ‘this is a trip worth going on and remembering’.