Little Dipper is a wooden roller coaster located at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois. It was built in 1950 at Kiddieland Amusement Park in Melrose Park, Illinois. When the park closed in 2009, Six Flags Great America purchased the ride at an auction. The ride was relocated and reopened on May 27, 2010.
| Little Dipper | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Six Flags Great America | |
| Park section | Yukon Territory |
| Coordinates | 42°22′03″N 87°56′00″W / 42.367521°N 87.933333°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | May 27, 2010 |
| Kiddieland Amusement Park | |
| Coordinates | 41°54′35″N 87°50′12″W / 41.909620°N 87.836600°W |
| Status | Removed |
| Opening date | 1950 |
| Closing date | September 27, 2009 |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Wood |
| Manufacturer | Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters |
| Designer | Herbert Schmeck |
| Model | Junior Coaster |
| Lift/launch system | Chain lift hill |
| Height | 28 ft (8.5 m) |
| Drop | 24 ft (7.3 m) |
| Length | 700 ft (210 m) |
| Speed | 25 mph (40 km/h) |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Duration | 0:50 |
| Trains | Single train with 4 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 16 riders per train. |
 Must transfer from wheelchair | |
| Little Dipper at RCDB | |
History
editIn 1950, Little Dipper was built at Kiddieland Amusement Park in Melrose Park, Illinois. The roller coaster was designed by Herbert Schmeck and built by Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters.[1] The ride consisted of a compact figure-eight layout featuring small hills, dips, and turns. Little Dipper cost nine cents per ride,[2] and stood as the sole roller coaster at Kiddieland until the park's closure.[3]
In 2009, Kiddieland closed due to a dispute with the owners of the land.[4] On November 24, 2009, Kiddieland's rides were auctioned off. Six Flags Great America purchased Little Dipper for $33,000, promising to preserve its history.[5][6] The coaster reopened at Six Flags Great America on May 27, 2010 in the Yukon Territory section of the park.[7][8]
References
edit- ^ Marden, Duane. "Little Dipper (Kiddieland)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- ^ "Gettysburg Times". 15 May 1954. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- ^ Marden, Duane. "Kiddieland". rcdb. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- ^ Spak, Kara (21 May 2009). "Kiddieland amusement park in Melrose Park to close :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Metro & Tri-State". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on 23 May 2009. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- ^ "Kiddieland auctions off rides; carousel sells for $355K - Chicago Breaking News". Chicago Breaking News Center. 24 November 2009. Archived from the original on 27 May 2010. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- ^ Ball, Susan (25 November 2009). "Six Flags Buys Kiddieland Roller Coaster". NBC Chicago. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- ^ Martinez, Natalie (27 May 2010). "Little Dipper Reopens at Six Flags". NBC Chicago. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- ^ "Little Dipper | Kids Ride | Six Flags Great America". Six Flags. Six Flags Great America. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
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