Hearing about Santa’s Village in Dundee, Illinois has always made me nostalgic. Santa’s Village was an amusement park for kids that I went to with my mother and brother as a child. The last time I was there, I was probably 10 or 11, so it’s been awhile!
Recently, Santa’s Village contacted me to come visit their park! Immediately turning into an 10-year-old girl, I said that I would love to visit. In the last 20-something years, Santa’s Village has become Santa’s Village Azoosment Park. They are an amusement park for kids in addition to a mini-zoo! So fun!
Last week, I took my two children and our friend Abby to visit and spend the afternoon playing. When we first got there, there was a bit of confusion at the Will Call booth, but they couldn’t have been kinder. Denise apologized and smiled, asking us to wait just a few minutes. It was no big deal on my end (we had to put on our sunscreen anyway!), but it meant a lot that she was so kind.
Upon entering the park, it’s apparent that this is a location for smaller children. I would say that kids 12 and under would love the rides, but would be too small for anyone much older than that. It was perfect for my 4 and 6- 1/2 year old! My kids made a beeline for the Merry-Go-Round and off we went. The most impressive part of being at this park was that we didn’t have to wait more than 10 minutes for any ride we wanted to go on (and most of them, closer to 5 minutes!). The attendants were patient and helped each child buckle into whichever car or cart they were sitting in. If there were no children waiting in line, they also allowed the children already on the rides to go again. It was a lot of fun!
When we got hungry, we looked around for something to eat. There were several places available, one of which seemed to be the location for burgers/chicken/wraps and the like. The others had snackier items like fried Oreos and pretzels. My one complaint about the park was our experience with lunch. The woman who helped me with my order seemed like perhaps she was having a bad day. I had to order several times (she kept totaling my order before I was done and then became frustrated that she had to start over) and we ended up being short a drink, but I didn’t bother going back (my own fault, but I didn’t feel like continuing the discussion. It was hot and I had starving children!).
I highly recommend the Chicken Fingers. Both of my kids and Abby had positive things to say and they looked like pretty good quality – especially for an amusement park! I ordered the Buffalo Chicken wrap, which was alright (the wrap was actually flaking off). If you order the same, I recommend asking them to heat it, as it is served cold.
Our favorite part of Santa’s Village Azoosment Park was the animals. Don’t get me wrong – the rides are great – but my children loved the animals. They have everything from Farm Animals to Lemurs and we even got to pet a baby Wallaby. The animal caretakers are extremely gentle with the animals and really seem to have a relationship with them. That was wonderful to see. If and when you visit, make sure to bring some quarters for the feed machines. Children (or adults) can feed the animals for only $.25. And in the bird house, you can buy a bird-seed covered stick for $1 and feed the birds! They land right on the stick, which was really cool for my kids.
My son says that his favorite part of the park was the pony rides (he loved the pony named “Midnight”) and my daughter loved the roller coaster. Surprising, right?? I would have thought it would have been the other way around! But I agree, both of those were fun.
Overall, I think this is a great park for kids. Parking is always free and general admission will run you $17.75 (children under 3 are free). You can also learn about discounted rates and season passes on their website.
To get everyone into the Azoosment Park groove, two lucky winners will get a Family 4-pack to Santa’s Village Azoosment Park in Dundee, Il!
To enter this giveaway, complete any or all of the options listed below. Giveaway ends 7/22. Good luck!
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Fine Print – I was invited to Santa’s Village Azoosment Park for review purposes and they are giving free tickets to readers. All of the opinions and statements above are my own.
Alli is a Chicago based wife and mother of two children. She has turned money-saving into a game and enjoys searching out the best deals to help you save money! Alli shares her insight, tips and up-to-the-minute deals for local and national retailers and brands. Her hope is that you will play the game and learn to save money at the same time!