Old Chicago

This article is about a defunct shopping mall and amusement park. For the restaurant chain of the same name, seeOld Chicago Pizza & Taproom.

Old Chicago

Old Chicago's logo
Location	United States,555 S Bolingbrook Dr,Bolingbrook, Illinois
Coordinates	41°40′45″N88°4′16″W
Status	Defunct
Opened	June 17, 1975(1975-06-17)
Closed	March 17, 1980(1980-03-17) (demolished spring 1986)
Owner	Robert Brindle
Theme	Turn-of-the-century

Old Chicagowas a combinationshopping malland indooramusement parkthat existed in the southwestChicago suburbofBolingbrook, Illinoisfrom 1975 until 1980. It was billed as "The world's first indoor amusement park", and it was intended to draw visitors all year round, rain or shine. It opened to great fanfare and over 15,000 visitors on June 17, 1975, with an enormous building that housed major rides, such as threeroller coastersand aFerris wheel,as well as aturn-of-the-century-themed shopping mall with design reminiscent of the architecture ofLouis Sullivan,such as his work for the 1893World's Columbian Expositionin Chicago. However, only six months after opening, the complex ran into financial troubles due to construction cost overruns. The opening of a competing amusement park in Chicago's north suburbs (known today asSix Flags Great America) hurt attendance, and the lack of large anchor stores failed to draw enough local and repeat shoppers. Despite management changes, the center continued to lose money. By 1978, the mall began closing on Mondays and Tuesdays, and in early 1980 the entire amusement park shut down and the rides were sold, only five years after opening. Efforts to find alternative uses for the huge building failed, and the structure was demolished in the spring of 1986.

Its address was 555 S. Bolingbrook Drive, Bolingbrook, Illinois 60439.

History

Designer Robert Brindle conceived of the idea behind Old Chicago after a visit toKnott's Berry Farmamusement park inBuena Park, California,and wished to put an entire park - complete withroller coaster,Ferris wheel,andlog flumes- indoors so that it could be open year-round. Brindle's concept featured an early 20th-century decor inside, with the mall featuring smaller local shops and boutiques rather than the traditionaldepartment storesthat anchored most malls.

Over two years in the making, Old Chicago was opened to the public on June 17, 1975, in agrand openingparty that attracted over 10,000 invited guests, causing massive traffic jams. The Old Chicago TV commercial featured an 18-year-old Michelle Mauthe tap-dancing on top of the dome during high winds, while a cameraman filmed from inside a helicopter.

Construction on the mall was not yet complete and much of the electrical wiring was still exposed. When local officials saw the situation, the mall owners were told that they would not be able to open June 26 as scheduled. Construction crews worked around the clock to complete the project, and after a last-minute inspection, the mall opened on time to another crowd of over 15,000. In the mall's first months of operation, it received over 50,000 visitors each weekend.

Soon, problems began developing with the mall's hurried construction. As early as July 1975, a malfunction in the mall's sprinkler system caused a six-hour shutdown of the mall. Later that year, a small fire in a trash compactor forced an evacuation of the mall. In November,acrobatJimmy Troy fell to his death from thetrapezeduring acircusat the mall.

Only six months after opening, the mall was on the verge ofbankruptcydue to millions of dollars in overruns in construction. Brindle was removed as general manager, andIllinois Central Railroad(an investor in the project) installed Clyde Farman.

The outdoorSix Flags Great America(then known as Marriott's Great America) theme park opened in 1976, drawing visitors away from Old Chicago. Unusual stores, boutiques, and a lack of recognizable anchor stores proved to be another of Old Chicago's undoings; the mall was not very successful in attractinglocalresidents week after week because of a lack of stores where they wanted to shop. Late in 1976, as attendance declined, stores in the mall began closing down.

Closing

Illinois Central took full control of the mall's logistics in early 1977, rescheduling the hours of operation and spending over $8 million adding new attractions. A series of management changes occurred, but the shops continued closing one by one.

By 1978, Old Chicago began closing on Mondays and Tuesdays. More fires struck during 1979: The Old ChicagoTobaccoCompany caught fire when a tobacco dryer malfunctioned. There were no sprinklers in the area where the fire started. AFourth of Julyfireworks displayalso ignited prematurely, causing minor injuries to two people. DirectorBrian De Palmafilmed scenes from his1978supernatural thriller filmThe Furyat Old Chicago.

Finally, in March 1980, the entire amusement park shut down and the rides were sold. The last remaining stores left soon afterward, as management pitched the idea of recreating the mall as a discount outlet. The plan didn't attract investors and the mall closed in August 1981. A group of investors purchased the enormous building shortly afterward with plans to convert it into acasino.The village of Bolingbrook nixed the idea and the building was put up forauctionin 1982. Illinois Central expressed their desire to demolish the structure, but the village, in the hopes of finding a buyer, changed its zoning laws to prevent the destruction. While Bolingbrook sought a new buyer for the building, structural damage from roof leaks began damaging the vacant building. In addition,vandalsrepeatedly broke into the building, causing more damage.

In 1985, the building was finally sold to investment banker C.L. Carr, who initially pledged to keep the building open as an entertainment complex, but later attempted to sell parcels of the land beneath it. Last-ditch efforts to salvage the enormous building—as an international trade center for thePeople's Republic of China,as a venue for the cancelled1992 World's Fair,even as aMajor League Baseballstadium for theChicago White Sox—all failed, and the building was demolished in the spring of 1986.

On January 21, 2020, Amazon paid $50.5 million for the former Old Chicago mega mall site.

Old Chicago's legacy

The concept of an amusement park inside a mall emerged years later at two famous malls—West Edmonton MallinEdmonton, Alberta,Canada (Galaxyland), andMall of AmericainBloomington, Minnesota(Nickelodeon Universe), as well asAdventuredomeatCircus Circusin Las Vegas, andFerrari WorldinAbu Dhabi.

The now-expanded street where Old Chicago once stood is still named for the mall. Arena Auto Auction's address is 200 Old Chicago Drive.

The Chicago Loop roller coaster that stood inside the mall's amusement park was renamed theCanobie Corkscrewand operated atCanobie Lake Parkfrom 1987 until 2021. It was among the first four in the world to turn riders upside down twice, along with Corkscrew atKnott's Berry Farm,Wabash Cannonball atOpryland USA,and Corkscrew atMagic Harbor,all four opening in 1975.

See also

• List of defunct amusement parks
• Six Flags Autoworld(another indoor park that flopped)
• Knott's Berry Farm(the park that inspired Old Chicago)

External links

• commercialsatThe Museum of Classic Chicago Television
• "Old Chicago Photos and Information".
• Old Chicago Amusement Park
• Old Chicagoat theRoller Coaster DataBase