Six Flags Great America Makes Little Dipper Its 14th Roller Coaster
Six Flags Great America (Gurnee, IL) is saving Little Dipper, a historic wooden roller coaster from nearby Kiddieland Amusement Park. Kiddieland operated in the Melrose Park area for 80 years until it closed earlier this year. Little Dipper is a Herbert Schmeck designed pint-sized woodie that has operated at Kiddieland since 1950. It has been awarded ACE Coaster Classic status due to its classic design with its curved station, lever dispatching system and old-school trains with single position lap bars.
It’s good to see this addition to Six Flags Great America for two reasons. No coaster enthusiast likes to see history just bull-dozed and destroyed, so the fact that Great America is saving this ride from turning into a pile of scraps is nice to see. Also, family or kiddie wooden roller coasters are somewhat rare. So, this is good addition to Great America’s lineup.
Little Dipper’s stats are tiny at 28′ tall and 700′ long, but it’ll be just the right size for the all of the kids that will have their first roller coaster ride on Little Dipper for many years to come. And, from the pictures, it looks like older riders are welcome too. So, those coaster enthusiasts looking for ride credits will have another potential credit at Great America next year. With the addition of a revamped Chang coming to the park in 2011, and Dark Knight in 2008, Great America will be able to tout 3 new (or new-ish) roller coasters in 4 years. Not bad.
Read the full press release here.
What’s Your Take?
What do you think of the Little Dipper moving to Six Flags Great America? Leave a comment below. Image 1 courtesy of ThemeParkReview. Image 2 courtesy of the DailyHerald.
November 28, 2009 at 05:34
CC, has the addition of Chang been to SFGA been confirmed, beacause i havn`t heard a thing about it.
December 3, 2009 at 16:14
Yep. Chang track has been spotted at Six Flags Great America. ScreamScape has photos.
December 20, 2009 at 03:52
thanks, just wondering(and hoping not).
January 11, 2010 at 16:36
Come Ooon! I was at Six Flags Great America this summer, and now they're adding an ACE coaster classic! But then again, that happens a lot with me. World's of Fun: Patriot the next year. Silver Dollar City: their S&S coaster that I'm blanking on the name.
January 11, 2010 at 16:37
Oops. I forgot that Six Flags Great America is also relocating Chang there. Come Ooon!
January 12, 2010 at 02:59
Come On?
March 8, 2010 at 16:04
Little Dipper? I saw a video of it, and although it isn`t muych for height, its drops go a bit beyond "little"