Santa's Village AZoosment Park

Santa's Village Amusement & Water Park (formerly known and colloquially referred to as simply Santa's Village) is a theme park in East Dundee, Illinois. It was originally built by Glenn Holland, who also built two other Santa's Villages, in California; one located in San Bernardino County and the other in Santa Cruz County. The Illinois park, the third to be built, was intended to be the flagship of a chain of Santa's Villages across the country. However, parks planned for Richmond, Virginia, and Cherry Hill, New Jersey, were never built, and the park in East Dundee became the last of its kind.

The park operated as Santa's Village from 1959 until 2006, when it closed. Five years later, after extensive rehabilitation, the park reopened under new ownership. Renamed Santa's Village Azoosment Park because of the shared focus on both rides and animals, the Azoosment Park has nearly twenty rides and attractions, and hundreds of exotic and farm animals in an interactive environment. For a short time in 1972 the park was named Worlds of Fun. To avert legal feuds with other parks with similar names, the name was changed again to Three Worlds of Santa's Village. In 2021, the park updated its name to Santa's Village Amusement & Water Park.

About the park

The buildings were modeled on what an average child might imagine Santa's Village would look like. When it opened, it was a very prominent theme park. Over the park's history more than 20 million people passed through the front gates.

Initially, admission to the park was free, and rides were purchased individually with colored coins which allowed riders a specific amount of time on the attractions. This model was eventually abandoned for a one-price admission policy with access to all rides, a model that continued until the end of the park's life.

History

1959–2006

The park opened on May 30, 1959. One addition to the park, opened in 1963, was the "Polar Dome" which provided an ice skating and hockey venue under a forced-air supported dome. On November 28, 1966, a strong wind caused the "Polar Dome" to collapse. The dome was then replaced by a flat cedar roof, although the name of the venue was not changed.

During the 1960s, the park featured short Amphicar rides, which simply drove the riders about to the edge of a small lake, then out about another 100 feet, circled a pier and returned.

Three Worlds (1972–2006)

In 1972, the park was purchased by the Medina Investors, who renamed it ''Worlds of Fun''. However, to preclude involvement in trademark-infringing lawsuits with amusement parks employing the exact name, they renamed it again to the ''Three Worlds of Santa's Village''.

* Santa's World: this was the original area and focal point of the park. It was located north of the Polar Dome. It had attractions such as Santa's House, where visitors could get a picture with Santa, the North Pole, a live theater, Frog Hopper, Balloon Ride, Snowball Ride, Giant Slide, Convoy, Train, and the Dragon Coaster.
* Old McDonald's Farm; this replaced the Reindeer Barn and consolidated all of the roaming animals to one spot in the park. It had attractions such as the Pony Ride, Petting Zoo, and Animal Pens where the animals were stored at night. The animals were sold before the park closed in 2006.
* Coney Island: this was the southern area of the park and last to be developed. It had many attractions such as Tilt-a-whirl, The Yo-yo, Himalaya, Galleon Ship, Bumble bee, and the Magic Show. This area is now occupied by Paintball Explosion.

In 1983, the park owners added ''Racing Rapids Action Park'' to the north end of Santa's Village.

Although the parks were connected, there were separate admission gates to either one. A combination ticket was available at either park that would permit visitors to enter both parks that day. Both parks had separate parking lots.

Water Park (1983–2006, 2021-current)

The water park ''Racing Rapids'' was the water park attached to the north side of Santa's Village AZoosment Park. When it opened, it was one of the first in the Midwest and the largest in Illinois. It was closed with the park in 2006. The water park reopened for its full season in 2021 under the name "Santa Springs".

Closure (2006)

The unsuccessful launch of the "Typhoon" roller coaster, decreased attention to the aesthetics of the park, and a decline of patrons eventually prompted the corporation to sell. The sale did not proceed as smoothly as hoped and, with many setbacks and unmet deadlines, the park had to shut its doors.

In August 2006, the park announced its permanent closure. Most of the rides and fixtures were auctioned in October 2006.

Reopening (2011)

Santa’s Village reopened on one side of the original property, while the other side was leased to Paintball Explosion, which opened on April 30, 2011. Paintball Explosion converted the existing Polar Dome ice rink into an indoor paintball field and built six outdoor fields within the park, reusing many of the existing outdoor structures.

On the other half of the original property, Santa's Village reopened on May 27. It features over 20 mechanical rides, a water park, and a petting zoo.

Polar Dome Reopening (2025)

The Polar Dome, initially used by Paintball Explosion for laser tag, was reopened on January 17, 2025, as an ice rink, alongside the Alpine Room Bar and Restaurant.

Lists of attractions

Roller coasters

Rides and attractions

Water park

Other venues

Food and beverages

List of former attractions

, -
, Xtreme Elevation
, 2015
, 2023
, Drop Tower By ARM

See also

* Santa's Village (Lake Arrowhead)

References

External links

Santa's Village Official SiteSanta's Village Official Site (archive.org, 1998–2006)
*Image of Americas - Santa's Village
*Santa's Village Gone Wild - Tales of Summer Fun, Hijinx, and Debauchery as Told by Those Who Worked There
Santa's Village Gone Wild Book WebsiteSanta's Village Fan Page
*
Paintball Explosion's Official SiteTV commercials
at The Museum of Classic Chicago Television

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Amusement parks in Illinois
1959 establishments in Illinois
2006 disestablishments in Illinois
2011 establishments in Illinois
Buildings and structures in Kane County, Illinois
Amusement parks based on Santa Claus
Tourist attractions in Kane County, Illinois
Amusement parks opened in 1959