Sky Trek Tower is an observation tower attraction at Six Flags Great America, located in the Carousel Plaza section of the park.
Since it opened in 1977, Sky Trek Tower has been the tallest free-standing structure in Lake County, Illinois, at 330 feet tall (28.5 stories). It was the first attraction to require a variance past Gurnee's height limit of 125 feet.[1]
History[]
After both Marriott's Great America parks in California and Illinois were a success, Marriott began planning more attractions to add to the parks in the coming years. One of these was Sky Trek Tower, an observation tower similar to the Astroneedle at AstroWorld, which has opened a decade earlier.
Marriott partnered with intamin for the attraction, and the ride was transported by ship from West Germany to the United States, at a total weight of 200 tons.
The ride has not operated since late-2019, originally primarily due to maintenance issues, but later due to the result of the COVID-19 pandemic in the 2020s, putting the ride in a SBNO (Standing But Not Operating) status as of 2022.
On May 9, 2023, Marcus Leshock teased the reopening of Sky Trek Tower with a post on Facebook.[2] The ride officially reopened on May 27, 2023.
Trivia[]
- From the tower, Lake Michigan is visible, and on clear days, the Chicago skyline.
- When the ride is not in operation for the season, the vehicle stays at the top of the tower.
Gallery[]
Videos[]
References[]
- ↑ Moran, Dan (June 22, 2015). Great America: Sky Trek Tower didn't drop at high speed. Lake County News-Sun. Chicago Tribune.
- ↑ Leshock, Marcus (May 9, 2023). Hey Six Flags Great America/Hurricane Harbor fans! Can you guess where I am sitting right now?! - via Facebook
See also[]
- Astroneedle, a similar "gyro tower" ride that operated at Six Flags AstroWorld from 1967 to 2000.
External links[]
- Sky Trek Tower - Six Flags Great America at Six Flags
Sky Trek Tower at Coasterpedia
Sky Trek Tower at Wikipedia