Fun City Adventure Park in Algonquin reopens 5 months after safety violations force shutdown

Fun City Adventure Park in Algonquin has reopened after being closed since March because of multiple Illinois Department of Labor and village code violations.

The children’s indoor amusement park, located at 215 S. Randall Road, abruptly closed two weeks after opening in February. The business, which features attractions such as arcade games, trampolines, a foam pit and a zip line, had opened Feb. 16, according to its Facebook page. But an Illinois Department of Labor inspection identified multiple violations, citing unsafe equipment and construction, according to state and village records.

Fun City passed its final inspection on Aug. 22 and fulfilled all the state and local requirements, Algonquin Community Development Director Patrick Knapp said. After passing the inspections, the business opened later that day.

A person who answered the phone at Fun City Wednesday would not give their name but confirmed the amusement park had reopened though they added that the rope course and slide attractions are still closed. It is unknown if those attractions will be opened in the future, but the employee said “hopefully soon.”

In February, the Department of Labor identified numerous defects in many of the attractions, including improper harness fasteners, metal obstructions that were not padded and multiple frame brackets that appeared to be inadequately welded, according to inspection documents.

The ropes attraction was reported to have “multiple bolts coming loose” and appeared to have been “assembled with improper fasteners,” according to Department of Labor inspection documents. Carabiners and harnesses also appeared to not meet the department’s standards, according to the documents.

After an inspection Feb. 28, the state issued a stop order, the village suspended Fun City’s temporary occupancy permit the next day and the amusement park closed its doors the day after that, March 1, records show.

Fun City Adventure Park opened and operated without a permit being issued by the Illinois Department of Labor’s Amusement Ride and Attraction Safety Division, Department of Labor public information officer Paul Cicchini told the Northwest Herald shortly after Fun City shut down.

A sign from the village posted on the door of Fun City after the shutdown read: “Not approved for occupancy.”

Fun City has more than 20 locations in multiple states, including New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maine and Connecticut.