Choose wisely. Connect locally.Add your business 
Gurnee is a village of about 30,000 people in Lake County, Illinois, roughly halfway between Chicago and Milwaukee along Interstate 94. Settled in the 1830s along the Des Plaines River and named after Walter S. Gurnee, a former Chicago mayor, it grew from a farming crossroads into one of the Midwest's busiest leisure destinations.
The main reason most visitors come is Six Flags Great America, a large theme park opened in 1976 with record-setting roller coasters such as Raging Bull and Goliath, plus the Hurricane Harbor Chicago water park next door. Year round, Great Wolf Lodge offers an indoor water park resort, and Gurnee Mills is one of the largest outlet and value malls in the region.
For a slower pace, the Mother Rudd Home, a former stagecoach inn and Underground Railroad stop, tells the village's early history, and Lake County forest preserves along the Des Plaines River offer quiet trails. Lake Michigan beaches at Illinois Beach State Park and the Wisconsin border are a short drive away.
A large theme park opened in 1976 with more than a dozen roller coasters, including Raging Bull, Goliath, X-Flight and the classic wooden American Eagle, plus family rides and shows. Arrive at opening, ride the big coasters first, and consider a season pass if you plan to return. Fall brings Fright Fest.
A steel hyper coaster opened in 1999 with a twisting first drop of more than 200 feet into an underground tunnel, followed by fast helixes and airtime hills. It is one of the park's most popular rides, so ride it early or late in the day for shorter lines.
A wooden roller coaster opened in 2014 that set records for its type with a 180-foot drop at an 85-degree angle and speeds of about 72 mph, plus two inversions. Rides are short and intense, and the line builds quickly after opening, so head there first or in the final hour of the day.
The water park beside Six Flags Great America, with a wave pool, a lazy river, tall body slides and splash areas for small children. Entry is included with many park tickets and passes. It is open in summer only, and cabanas and lockers sell out on hot weekends, so book ahead.
An indoor water park resort with slides, a wave pool, a treehouse splash fort and a lazy river kept warm all year. Day passes are limited, so most families book an overnight stay, which includes water park access. Kids also enjoy the MagiQuest game played around the lodge.
One of the largest outlet and value malls in the Midwest, opened in 1991, with around 200 stores, a food court, restaurants and a cinema under one long roof. Plan a few hours, pick up a map at the entrance, and park near the wing with the stores you want, since the building is very long.
A Greek Revival farmhouse built in the 1840s that served as a stagecoach inn and is believed to have been a stop on the Underground Railroad. The Warren Township Historical Society runs it as a museum with period rooms and local history displays. Open limited hours, so check before you go.
No reviews yet. Been to Gurnee? Be the first to share your experience.
Share what you loved, what to skip and tips for other travelers.
Log in to write a reviewBeen to Gurnee? Add your best shots to the gallery.
Log in to add photosPhoto: Feather Better, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Harobouri, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Photo: Kman2005, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Feather Better, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Jordano53, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Plighting Engineerd, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Photo: Éovart Caçeir, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Greg Schechter from San Francisco, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Feather Better, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Feather Better, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Feather Better, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Feather Better, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Feather Better, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Harobouri, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Photo: Martin Lewison, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Harobouri, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Photo: Harobouri, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Wacky Windjammer, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Harobouri, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Wacky Windjammer, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: ThrillZing, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Photo: ThrillZing, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/juggernautco/, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Daniel X. O'Neil from USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Harobouri, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Harobouri, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Interiot at English Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Harobouri, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Photo: Jonrev, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/hendricksphotos/, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Jeremy Thompson from United States of America, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Jeremy Thompson from United States of America, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Jeremy Thompson from United States of America, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Jeremy Thompson from United States of America, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Jeremy Thompson from United States of America, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
