Six Flags Great America will return from a longer-than-usual winter shutdown on April 22 to kick off its 2023 season.
The Gurnee, Illinois park did not issue a press release about its 2023 opening. Instead, it quietly revealed the opening date to fans by updating the calendar on its website. The park will be open at 10:30 a.m. on April 22, gradually expanding operating days with Fridays (starting May 12), followed by Thursdays (May 18) and then beginning daily operations on May 23.
Great America has been closed since two “bonus weekends” were held on Nov. 5-6 and Nov. 12-13, 2022. The regular Holiday in the Park event — which typically saw the park stay partially open until late December — was removed from the park’s schedule in 2022 after being held annually since 2018. The event had even been held in 2020, when Illinois’ COVID-19 safety measures kept the park closed the rest of the year.
Additions to the park for 2023 will be focused on new events, including a first-ever Mardi Gras festival, according to a Six Flags presentation at the American Coaster Enthusiasts’ No Coaster Con held earlier this month.
No new rides are planned or have been announced for Six Flags Great America this year. The park’s last major addition was 2019’s Maxx Force roller coaster. In 2022, the park did promote an “all new” DC Universe section, but the area consisted of existing rides and dining locations that were rethemed to DC Comics character to compliment the unchanged Batman: The Ride and Joker coasters.
As Theme Park Tribune previously reported, Six Flags has been aggressively shopping for new attractions since a November earnings call where the chain reported steep declines in attendance and revenue. The chain has since announced new single-rail family racing coasters built by Orlando-based Skyline Attractions will be added to Six Flags Fiesta Texas and Six Flags Over Georgia for the upcoming season.