Old Chicago Amusement Park with George Wendt (Commercial, 1978)

Here's a commercial for the Old Chicago amusement park that was located in Bolingbrook, Illinois and was open from 1975 to 1980. "Chicago's Family Fun Capitol", it was billed as "the world's first ever indoor amusement park". "Have an Old Chicago Day!" (sounds similar to Marriot's Great America slogan from the time)

Features local Chicago actor George Wendt as "the dad", best known for playing "Norm" on the long-running 1980s sitcom Cheers.

Jingle sung by ?? Endling voiceover by Jerry Golden, inviting you to "Old Chicago's Oktoberfest Carnival Party".

"At Old Chicago, a family can still afford to be...a family."

This aired on local Chicago TV early Saturday, September 30th 1978 at a couple minutes after 12 midnight.

About The Museum of Classic Chicago Television:

[sosumi_rogue]

My brother took my friend and I there on NYE 1979. The number one song for the year was My Sharona! We were in 8th grade. NICE

[bennyt.]

That brought back so Many Memories Loved Old Chicago

[MattMcIrvin]

The roller coaster seen in a few brief shots eventually ended up at Canobie Lake Park in New Hampshire, where it ran for decades as the Canobie Corkscrew. It was finally torn down last year.

[starmnsixty]

From a LONG ways outside of Chicago, but support your efforts to save these tapes. We had similar amusement parks relatively nearby, but I believe my two favs are gone now 😟 Time does march on...

[gboy]

never made it there but used to go to Kiddieland almost every summer and if we got lucky... Six Flags Great America. Sad my home city is a place I most likely will never see again. But I do have many cherished memories ... and some not so much...lol :) Thanks for all the great classic content!

[sonyaballard]

I remember going to this place as a kid. I loved having an indoor amusement park because even if it rained or snowed in Chicago, you could still go and have fun. I think this concept could work now.

[joandehnert]

We grew up very close to this and my mother would let my brother and I go to the amusement park while she shopped. Once on the coaster it broke on the hill up and my brother and I had to be rescued along with others to get down.

[theylied]

I'm probably one of the few people that don't live in Chicago who remembers Old Chicago. It was the only indoor amusement park.

[jesusnodal]

Back when Chicago had really good places to go still!!! I miss those days!!!

[royalsfan]

I'm too young to remember Old Chicago and had never heard of this park. Reading up on it, this place was a mismanaged money pit. It looked fun on paper; it just never had a chance.

Best of luck to the Amazon warehouse that was recently built on that land.

[darrylh]

Fuzzy: Have you come across yet the final Old Chicago amusement park ad ever featuring Chubby Checker in it from January-Feb. 1980?

[marym]

Interesting that George Wendt was in the commercial.

[nankypooh]

They never should've shut it down!

[LogoMan]

0:01 - That looks like an opening shot from a sitcom.

[chrisw]

The secret to George Wendt’s weight loss is funnel cakes and cotton candy.

[PBryanMcMillin]

I used to be a caricature artist in the amusement park area. I can't remember who was putting on a concert, but they had them performing near the roller coaster. Whoever the artist was, was not happy at all with the constant noise interrupting their show. Old Chicago was a great place but in certain aspects, it wasn't thought-out very well.

[mtgreenwoodbustout]

St. Christina grammar school 8th grade class trip 1977.

[comiskey]

The one time I went to Old Chicago, the rollercoaster had a malfunction and two of the cars slammed into each other. I remember being horrified as a kid exited the ride with a bloody mouth and nose. Needless to say, the ride was shut down and we didn’t get to ride.

[wmbrown]

So I see Shelley Long was not the only "Cheers" co-star with a Chicago connection. Any more?

[rontht]

I was a 10 year old kid leaving park and in hallway entrance a man was having a seizure and someone was yelling hold his tongue down with pencil! He was flopping all over. I was traumatized for years thinking about that damn tongue possibly going down his throat. That place sucked. Fumes of co2 everywhere