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File this under "good ideas, bad execution." Designer Robert Brindle conceived the idea of an indoor amusement park and shopping mall after a visit to Knott's Berry Farm. Brindle's concept was a turn of the century design inside the park, with mom-and-pop stores anchoring the shopping mall instead of the brand name stores normally found in shopping malls.
From the moment Old Chicago opened in Bolingbrook in June 1975 it was plagued by problems. A pre-opening party was held before construction was done and with electrical wiring exposed to the public. A month after opening the mall's sprinkler system malfunctioned, causing a six-hour shutdown. A trapeze artist performing in the amusement park fell to his death. Small fires routinely broke out.
Old Chicago stayed open until 1980, when Illinois Central Railroad (one of the original investors who took over operations after Brindle was removed as general manager) decided to cut their losses. After years of trying to find uses for the space, including a casino, a movie soundstage and a discount outlet mall, the building was eventually demolished. The soundstage might have made a good concept. The YouTube clip above is from a 1978 Brian De Palma film called "The Fury" and provides the best video footage we've seen of Old Chicago. You can also read more about Old Chicago at these two websites dedicated to the place.
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WOW What a heaping load of crap that movie is!
My folks took me to Old Chicago not too long after it opened, and I remember being somewhat unimpressed with it. I was asking to leave within the first hour or so.
When an eight-year-old doesn't enjoy an amusement park, you know it's in trouble.
I remember visiting Old Chicago on a weekday afternoon...right after school when I was about 13 years old. I think there were about 50 people in the whole place. I'd estimate that about half the stores were empty, and the others that were open just sold crap. Even at that young age, it didn't seem like Old Chicago was going to be around much longer...
Does anyone know what is on the site now? I haven't been by there in a long time, but I suspect its just suburban retail sprawl?
Several years later, my parents purchased our family's brand new 1981 Chrysler K car at a "tent sale" in the Old Chicago parking lot! How's that for a great memory?
i LOVED that movie!!!!
omg I am cracking up right now. That clip is hilarious! That movie looks terrible!
long live the record store in the mall where I got my Peter Criss solo 8-track in 1978!
So is that were the urban legend came from about the Old Chicago Roller Coaster breaking, sending a roller coaster car( with people in it) through the window and out into the parking lot???
Yea I remember my moms taking me and my cousins out there when I was a shortie too small to even ride the rides. It was nothing but thugs from Chicago and poor white trash Illinoisans. I guess you could say Old Chicago was the precursor to the Taste of Chicago. Between the indoor rides and the people, I was terrified of the joint!
Spook: we'll get to the precursor to taste of Chicago in a couple of weeks here.
I LOVED Old Chicago as a small child, because it was indoors and you could go in all sorts of weather. It was also cheaper than 6 Flags (which meant we got more goodies to take home).
I think it's a shopping mall now. :(
I recall (possibly incorrectly) bumber cars there that my brothers and I went on. We were the only people in the entire place that was using them and we didn't have to get off until we wanted to. The operator paused the cars at the designated interval and then started them back up again.
In later years once I started to drive (and the place was abandoned) that was a pretty typical end point for a run I would make. I did it many times before I found out I was in the Old Chicago parking lot.
I had been to Old Chicago many, many times. In fact, my older brother used to work there. It was a harmless place and my friends and I always had a great time. You are right about the bumper cars and any ride for that matter. If the place was empty, you could ride again and again and again. It was torn down and yes, I believe there are mostly warehouse buildings and office parks near that area now.