Another visit to Santas Village- by the Shaw and Ingber kids

[rating=4] It is hard to believe, but Santa’s Village ( now called Santa’s Village Azoosment Park) in East Dundee, is now celebrating its 55th season. WOW!. Over the years, this quaint little park, far away from the “maddening crowd” of the big city, grew and gained popularity. I recall taking my kids there and now my grandkids are getting a like experience. Over the years, with the property values soaring , many of these amusement parks left and were never to be heard of again. Santa’s Village, which, like KiddieLand in Melrose Park, was slated to be gone for development, came close to being so, but as the market changed and the Village of East Dundee saw that the people wanted this entertainment playground to be, made some changes and here we are. Not what it was years ago, bot nonetheless, a pleasurable and affordable day of fun for the family.

Unlike the Great America concept, Santa’s Village Azoosment Park is geared for the under 9 age group with most of the larger rides gone. The water park has also been removed, although the land is still there, and who knows, maybe, in the years to come this will also return to its old glory. While some of the larger rides are gone, there is plenty to keep the kids ( and parents) busy all day and for only $19.75 this entertainment value cannot be beat. If you come later in the day ( three hours before the gates close) the rate goes down to $14.75, a little more than a 3D film and a lot more enjoyable.

There is plenty of free parking and there are lots of potential dining experiences on the grounds, but they also have picnic areas, so you can pack your own family lunch and just add the treats that you need. If you ask my grand-daughters ( Sarah,Zoe and Rebecca) you cannot miss the “funnel Cakes”, the perfect treat to eat while in line for face painting and tattoos. Rides are geared for all ages with special emphasis on the little ones ( these are the kids that are neglected at the Larger Theme Parks). Watching the kids run from ride to ride, show to show and hearing their screams of glee and happiness make it a worthwhile experience for the family.

The park is located on Route 25 , just south of Higgins Road/Route 72 in East Dundee. This is very close to Carpentersville and of course, Elgin. It is easy to get there by the highway- as easy from Rockford as it is from downtown. To see the hours and the ride info, visit www.Santasvillagedundee.com.

Kids have enjoyed their experiences for many years, starting with my older Grand kids,  twins, Caitlin and Allison, now turning 18 and then the local, Shaws. Adam, who is nine found the park a little less exciting than when he was younger, but he looked at the new roller coaster ( opening any day now) and said, he would come back to experience that- maybe during their Fall special activity period. The Connecticut kids, twins Cooper and Zoe have never been here and had a blast. They are the perfect age as is cousin Sarah ( who is the expert of Funnel Cakes) and her little sister, Rebecca, who enjoys the animals as well as the rides.

Everyone who visits this fun spot will leave a little tires and a lot happy. Now isn’t that just what Old MacDonald and Santa would want the experience to be? And the parents and grandparents have had a bonding experience with the kids that will last for many years. A perfect day, for one and all is what you can expect at Santa’s Village Azoosment Park in East Dundee Illinois. phone 847-426-6751. You can also visit www.santasvillagedundee.com to order tickets, see the hours and specials and plan your visit.

They also have season passes for individuals $55.55 for the whole Summer and for the family (four) $209.55. Thinking back to 1959 when it all began, it probably wasn’t much lower than that. Enjoy!