Video slide show if Santa's Village, East Dundee Illinois, Chicago

This is a video slideshow of the remains of Santa's Village, the last of its kind. It is located in East Dundee, IL. Please share any memories you have of this park as it is quickly being forgotten. The video also includes pictures of Racing Rapids which was connected. thanks!

http://suburbanfood.blogspot.com/2008/07/santas-village-amusement-park-abandoned.html *** Edited 7/29/2008 6:06:31 PM UTC by stevesteve8383***

Link?

^ that's all that's left of the park, O.E.kid. ;)

I jest out of sadness. My daughter's daycare is near there and I pass the park every day. :'(

Sorry about the lack of link! I posted it now. Thanks!

Wow, what a waste!!!

Seems like they would at least auction off what looks like some fairly nice rides.

Water slides.
at least 1 possibly 2 coasters
a parachute drop
a bunch of flat rides
a bunch o kiddy rides

What happened to this place?
Poor management?
Tax issues?
Bad location?

It just burns my butt to see this happen to a park no matter the size!

Dave

Most of those rides should gone, or sold off. This is from 2006. It shouldn't look like this now.

What happened to this park? It was more expensive than Kiddieland. The newer roller coaster that probably cost a fortune to them stunk big time. It didn't stay open that late. Maybe, it closed like 6 pm, 7 pm because they didn't have lights. A couple rides looked rundown.

Once you were a certain age, you didn't feel like you should go to this park because of the name Santa's Village. They got slapped with a lawsuit about people on a cart pulled by horses being injured. For the fire truck, the water didn't even reach the burning house anymore which was horrible.

I don't think advertising was that strong even though they had coupons from Baskin Robbins and Dunkin Donuts. The parking lot wasn't paved in awhile. *** Edited 7/29/2008 7:44:23 PM UTC by Spinout***

After watching the video I can almost certainly say that all those pictures were taken the day of the auction (October 25, 2006).

Here is a link to the thread I created back then that listed all of the auction items and what they sold for.

Everything (other than buildings and structures) is gone from the park other than the Blue waterslide (lot 564) shown (0:41 and 1:02). I guess the person who bought it changed their mind and took the loss (purchasers had to pay the day of the auction and had until mid-November 2006 to move the items). Both slides were sold as the slides ONLY - the pump mechanisms were NOT for sale.

The park died due to poor attendance, which led to poor upkeep, which led to worse attendance, which led to employee shortages, which led to horrible attendance.

When I went there with my 2.5 year old daughter on a perfect weather Sunday in July 2005 to get her Dragon credit I swear I could have fired a shotgun in any direction and not hit anyone...

All the declines there caused the owner to not be able to pay his taxes and local utility bills which led to the town to cut their utilities in the dispute. There were two attempted sales that might have opened the park for the 2006 season...but both fell through to lack of financing. *** Edited 7/29/2008 8:57:58 PM UTC by redman822***

Haleymon:

That slideshow is of the park during the auction which was held in Oct . 2006.

Here is a link to pics of what the park looks like after the ride removals.

Click here.

As a professional Santa, I have maintained online contact with Phillip Wenz who has been associated with this park in the past as Santa Claus and who probably knows more than anyone about the history of this park and its two former sister parks in California.

Wow, looked like a big park too. That's really a shame, you'd think that more people would have gone, some fun stuff there!

Makes you realize how much upkeep there is in an amusement park.