Click on any photo to see an expanded version.



Speaking of the Super Round Up here is a better photo of it.  Like the Rotor the Super Round Up would spin with centrifugal force holding riders into their place while the ride tilted up.  This ride caused Old Chicago's only ride fatality when a guest unbuckled his safety strap and tried to move around while the ride was in motion.



The Barnstormer was a late addition to the Old Chicago Fairgrounds.  Guests boarded these biplanes and headed up above the Old Chicago Fairgrounds as they spun around the rides axis.  This was a prototype ride and from my memory it wasn't up and running that often.



The Chicago Loop wasn't the only ride down in the Old Chicago Fairgrounds that sent riders upside down.  The Windy City Screamer was a Enterprise ride designed by the legendary Anton Schwarzkopf that took riders and looped them over and over. 



There were flat rides aplenty at Old Chicago.   There was the Spider ride.  To the right of that was the Scrambler that was eventually enclosed with sound and lighting effects to become the "Monster of the Midway",  In the rear of the photo os Old Chicago's Paratrooper that played a large role in the movie "The Fury".  Finally in the back was the Mansion of Horrors.  The Mansion was a walk through haunted house with mechanical effects as well as costumed actors who would jump out and mess with you.

One of the rides that I wish I had photos of was Old Chicago's Four Seasons ride.  The Four Seasons was a dark ride that took guests on a trip through the four seasons of the year with Santa Claus.  From my recollection you rode in a sleigh and the scenes were really well done.  One of the scenes that has stuck with me was the winter where you went through a snow covered room where there was a frozen lake with elves skating around on.  There is little to no information about this ride but if you happen to have photos, video, or recollections please email me.



Also Old Chicago had plenty of kids rides down in the Fairgrounds.  The Road Hogs was a ride built by Hampton Rides.  These were a staple at parks or carnivals for decades.  No matter if you were riding in a car, motorcycle, fire engine, space ship, or boat they all had buttons that triggered an unmistakable horn.  It's so recognizable I can see a photo like this one and hear the "honk honk honk" repeating endlessly.



The Old Chicago Fairgrounds really had a good mix of rides for all ages.  There are a bunch of rides that I'd like to show here but I don't have any photos of.  Old Chicago had a classic Eli Bridge Ferris Wheel.  There was the appropriately named "Crash of '29" bumper cars.  The Chicago Bobs was an Allen Herschell Flying Bobs that the name was a nice nod to Chicago's Riverview Park with it's Bobs coaster.   Finally is Old Chicago's third coaster which was a Zyclon coaster by Pinfari named the Chicago Cat.



Old or young, big or small, the Old Chicago Fairgrounds was a fun place for all.



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Paul B. Drabek