Little Dipper is a small wooden roller coaster at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois. It is a compact figure-eight ride with gentle hills, dips and turns, and it is built for young riders. It is often a child’s first roller coaster.
The ride has an unusual backstory. It was built in 1950 by Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters and designed by Herbert Schmeck. It first ran at Kiddieland Amusement Park in Melrose Park, Illinois. When Kiddieland closed in 2009, Six Flags Great America bought the coaster at auction for $33,000, moved it, and reopened it in 2010.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Six Flags Great America (Gurnee, Illinois)
- Manufacturer: Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters
- Designer: Herbert Schmeck
- Originally built: 1950 at Kiddieland, Melrose Park, Illinois
- Opened at current park: May 27, 2010
- Height: 28 feet
- Top speed: About 25 mph
- Length: About 700 feet
- Inversions: 0
- Minimum height: 36 inches
The Ride Experience
Little Dipper is a mild wooden coaster. The single train has four cars, and riders sit two across in two rows, so each train holds 16 people. A lap bar holds each rider in place. The track climbs about 28 feet, drops, and then winds through a figure-eight layout of small hills and turns at speeds of about 25 mph.
The coaster is tame, and that is the point. It gives kids who meet the 36-inch height requirement a first taste of wooden-coaster airtime and rumble, and it does so without the intensity of the park’s larger rides. Parents can ride along and see how a child reacts.
From Kiddieland to Gurnee
Kiddieland’s Little Dipper was the park’s only roller coaster. After the amusement park closed in 2009, Six Flags Great America was the high bidder at the auction, at $33,000. The coaster was moved to Gurnee and installed in the park’s Yukon Territory area. Some of its wood was replaced and it was repainted before it reopened on May 27, 2010.
Few working wooden coasters from the 1950s have been moved to a new home and kept running, which gives the ride some historical value. It is a piece of Chicago-area amusement park history that still operates.
Explore more: Explore more roller coasters.
Little Dipper FAQs
How tall is Little Dipper at Six Flags Great America?
The coaster is about 28 feet tall and about 700 feet long, with a top speed of around 25 mph. It has no inversions.
Who built Little Dipper?
Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters built it in 1950, and Herbert Schmeck designed it. It originally ran at Kiddieland Amusement Park in Melrose Park, Illinois.
What is the height requirement for Little Dipper?
Riders must be at least 36 inches tall. It is a gentle family coaster that is a good first wooden coaster for young children.
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