Vintage Six Flags Great America Footage

Several clips and memories from the park's past 30 years.

[@nickfrieri7025]

pls bring back the themed music that gave great america its charm

[@EarthySmerky]

This!!!

[@jameshartkopf2843]

They have brought back the carousel plaza music in 2024

[@sixflagsgreatamerica]

The music was on the video as we found it. We believe it is the carousel soundtrack, still sometimes heard in the park.

[@smack3347]

Six Flags Great America hi

[@CoasterRica]

It sounds very familiar.

[@sfgam6666]

I miss the gold ole days of Six Flags): back when Fright fest was scary and the place felt like fun

[@jillybean1506]

When JPM stopped running it, that's when Fright Fest started to really go downhill.

[@jen2002nurse]

This looks like Six Flags in Gurnee IL. I grew up 10 min away in the 70s and 80s so I knew that park inside and out back then. My friends and I spent almost every summer day there. The Orbit and the floor drop out, The Cajon Cliffhanger. They also used to have a dolphin show. I was one of the first people to go on the American Eagle when they opened the coaster in 1980. I was 9. I'll never forget that experience. Thank you for sharing!

[@crazybutt6590]

With out the themed music you feel like your having fun in a normal day

[@milincoln]

I miss the Sky Whirl soo much

[@WillWatchAnything]

That was the roler coaster Shockwave. It was at Great America from 1988 until 2003 when it was replaced with Superman Ultimate Flight.

[@XGaming1]

Chris S I thought they removed shockwave in 02 and Superman opened in 2003

[@fierospeeder]

I wish they still had shockwave. And it was always cool to see the coaster at night with spot lights, when leaving the park.

[@holbrooke7]

I am all about the rollercoasters, but the Sky Whirl scared the CRAP out of me when I was a kid and young adult. I never liked how it would sway when stopped up in the air.

[@JaceD4V1S88]

Wow this hits hard. This was my childhood

[@wallyramone5912]

I love Six Flags Great America!

[@effinchad]

Bring back the cable cars. People would SO use them still, especially where they originally were. It relieves walking and crowds and is a great breezy relaxing view of everything. They originally had two different paths, one of which would go from where Southwest Territory is now and shoot over by Roaring Rapids. Perfect!! The other went from where the Condor is to where a food stand is by the Eagle. I seriously think they should try it again.

[@xkee2013]

Agreed

[@YourLockerzPal]

R.I.P orbit 3:52 :(

[@vanessagaglione2362]

One of my all-time favorite rides. I so miss it!!!

[@mitchellries256]

Is there a reason Enterprises are starting to disappear?

[@Nina-fp3jv]

They use to have the ride where it spins you to the wall and the floor would drop. Forgot the name but always liked that one. Good video, miss Shockwave was one of my favorites.

[@abbabeththehamster4320]

That was the Cajun Cliffhanger. It was removed in 2000 following a lawsuit from two injured riders (one of whom had two of her toes crushed with nerve damage) after the floor was raised improperly while the ride was slowing down.

[@mitchellries256]

My mother was here as a kid when this park opened in 1976. Needless to say, she didn't recognize much after coming here for the first time since in 2013.

[@doctordsco]

I wasn’t even born when this video came out, I’m turning 12 on June 😂

[@bruvno18]

Even if they brought back the music, it would be ruined by Maxx forces loud boom every minute

[@tigerrocks503chase8]

They brought back the music this year in Carousel Plaza

[@Predatorocks]

This is a nice video you have. I do remember that lit thing in the middle of Fiddler's Fling, and of course I remember the planes, but there was also the Beetles near the planes, and another ride in which you went around in circles (horse and buggies). All that gone for what? Money making scheme. I definitely enjoy the park today, but if you really look at that stuff at the park, you can tell that the park is NOT being kept up. So, much stuff needs painting, and remodeling it's ridiculous.

[@amusementparknut]

Wow this video is truly awesome!!!!! I have just started to fully appreciate Six Flags I think that it is awesome to actually what amusement parks looked like during their early years!!

[@djs2356]

Today's Pounding-loud audio in the park is horrible.

[@crazybutt6590]

You have to bring back the southwest music and carousel this year please it ruins the feel of fun it makes you feel like it is a normal feel of a normal day

[@pinkhott29]

i miss deja vu and shockwave! :(

[@yazminrubio7696]

Dammn! So Happy It's 2014 Now(:

[@SocramZue]

2018

[@xkee2013]

2020

[@yazminrubio7696]

Sw1zT1m3 crazy

[@justcallmedylan6287]

@pancake7991 The Whizzer is an Ace coaster landmark and it's one of the last two remaining sppedracer coasters left in the world.

[@ernstwhere]

Yay! FIiddler's Fling~ and the Orbit, I so miss my park.

[@milincoln]

I love all the rides you just mentioned.

[@pamperpamper1605]

i love six flags i love amusement parks and being outdoors i visit cedar point and indiana beach resorts every summer 😄😃😀😀😊😊

[@jasonkrause6778]

Shockwave was a Great Landmark those were the Good Days !

[@skinnylittles]

ahhh.. the good old days!!

[@rightwired]

First date was on the 3-wheeled ferris wheel. The ride stopped, suddenly, causing the carriage to swing back and forth. She grabbed my leg. I had no idea what to do. I was in 8th grade. Then we went on the Yukon Yahoo about 400 times. Best day ever.

[@WillWatchAnything]

This footage isn't exactly "vintage" (me being 42 I still remember the Marriott days) but judging on the logo stayle I would place this in the late 1990s up to 2000 since that was the last year for Sky Whirl. The background music is the Original Mariott soundtrack for Carousel Plaza.

[@armybeef68]

This is an entirely different park than the one in Santa Clara.

[@rodriguezlizn]

the should make a ressurection of shockwave tidal wave and skywhirl then this park would be the best in my thoughts

[@youlldietrying]

Welcome To The Columbia, the worlds largest double decker carousel. The animals on the outter ring of the lower level, do not move up or down.... Oh my god, that was so long ago. A ten year employee now in LA.

[@ChrisDeathRider]

Looking back on this, it's pretty funny that they labeled this as "vintage footage". The 1990s Time Warner-era Six Flags logo can be seen in several different places, meaning a lot of this footage was from the mid-to-late 90s. So when this video was uploaded, the footage was only about a decade old. That's like saying something from 2010 is "vintage" in 2020. Pretty strange.

[@xkee2013]

Wow. I thought it was the late 80s early 90s personally.

[@k.c.3022]

Film quality makes it look like this was going to be footage from the late 70s or 80s….but then you see Batman 😂 So all of this is from the mid 90s at the earliest

[@Sam_Romero15]

2015/2020 kids it’s just a footage: 😂🤡🤪😜😛 Our dads 19841993:😶😐😢

[@ILOVEAMERICANEAGLE]

What

[@Ethan33442]

nice

[@mr.snappy2094]

For some reason I think it's fake because in 2:31 how is Batman The Ride there?

[@milincoln]

I wish the sky whirl would comeback.

[@Predatorocks]

@bloodyhands666 Sure, they have some cars left. I don't know how many, but the big structure of it is all scrapped. How do you think they took that down. No, way are they going to keep that whole gigantic thing in the "grave yard". Again, yes they are keeping some cars, but not the whole ride. Big difference.

[@serafinaortiz8367]

Plz telk me if you watch this in 2018 And this comment was posted in: 2018 august 3

[@sfmg]

I am watching in 2018

[@xkee2013]

2020

[@fuelmmma]

Is the bobsled one still around or the hay bailer

[@tigerrocks503chase8]

The bobsled coaster Rolling Thunder is gone. It actually was relocated to Great Escape and operated until 2023. Hay Baler left in 2000

[@fuelmmma]

Great info. Brings up old memories

[@tt55899]

Marriott's great america was vintage

[@UniqueKidsInc.]

2021 Anyone?

[@alexhilario4799]

Yup

[@isaac161000]

The prices back then would have the the equivalent of today. The prices are more today due to inflation

[@Predatorocks]

@XDAreanaXD People liked Deja Vu. You don't know what your talking about. I always had to wait in line for it 40 minutes which was the norm. The reason they took it out is because of maintenance and lower capacity, and NOT because of popularity. SkyWhirl got dumped because of the park having a hard time getting parts for that ride. An older a ride gets, the harder and more expensive it gets. When you have 1 or 2 of some ride in the world, it's going to get hard and harder to fix something.

[@shortstuffsteph2]

is ur username the skool you went to? cuz if it is, then you probally live in my town. lol

[@stephanieblevins8352]

Gurnee???

[@seanlewis1148]

Stephanie Jones Blevins McPeak yup

[@WI_MysticHunterofFunkoPops]

they should bring the sky whirl cause dajavu is gone

[@66_ed_Hawkenson]

Bugs bunny land!

[@Chumpster1981]

Where's the Hay Bayler! Lol

[@storm9685]

Yeah it might look like this again if you people actually cared stop going for quantity over quantity! We need family rides, lifted dining time restrictions and better hours and less memberships so thugs and riff raff can't afford to go I mean It doesn't look like this any more getting ghetto really and that is extremely sad!

[@xkee2013]

You mean quantity over quality. But I agree with you to a point. I wouldn't say its becoming ghetto, a little racist there. But I would say it's become less family orientated, well rounded and safe. Because now Six Flags is a greedy corporation that markets towards the newest thrills, trends and overall profits. Instead of a wholesome atmosphere, secure surroundings and dynamic brand. It will never return to the days of old, especially in the climate in which we live currently. Regardless of the riif raff and thugs that may come or not.

[@storm9685]

@@xkee2013 You're right I did mean quality over quantity! And it is getting ghetto when fights start breaking out like the thug pos that attacked the family at Fright Fest!