Credit: David B. Gleason, FlickrSix Flags Great America is heading into a huge milestone year, with the Illinois theme park preparing to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2026. But instead of simply leaning into nostalgia, the park appears to be taking a much more aggressive approach to its future.
And it’s already turning heads.
According to reports from WGNTV, aerial footage captured by WGN SkyCam 9 shows that a major section of Six Flags Great America has been completely wiped out, with longtime attractions removed and entire areas stripped down to bare dirt.
For a park that has spent decades building its identity around themed lands and signature family attractions, the scope of this demolition feels massive. And for longtime guests, it’s the kind of change that makes it clear the park is entering a new era.
Camp Cartoon Has Been Completely Cleared Out
The most dramatic changes are happening inside the Yukon Territory section of the park. One of the biggest family areas, Camp Cartoon, appears to have been cleared out almost entirely.
This isn’t a minor refurbishment where a ride closes temporarily behind a construction wall.
The space where Camp Cartoon once stood now looks like it has been scraped clean. The footage shows that much of the area has been torn up, leaving behind nothing but dirt and empty ground where rides and themed elements once stood.
Two remaining flat rides that used to operate in Camp Cartoon—Crazy Bus and Yahoo River—have both been removed. On top of that, the familiar signage and smaller attractions that helped define the area appear to be gone as well.
For families who spent years treating this section as a go-to kids zone, the disappearance is significant. Camp Cartoon wasn’t just a corner of the park. It was one of the most recognizable family areas at Great America.
Now, it’s essentially erased.
Sprocket Rockets Still Stands, But Everything Around It Is Gone
Even though most of Camp Cartoon appears to be demolished, one ride remains in place.
The Sprocket Rockets family roller coaster is still standing, which makes the scene even more striking. With everything else around it removed, the coaster now looks like one of the last surviving pieces of a land that no longer exists.
That detail also raises even more questions about what Six Flags plans to do next. If the park planned to completely wipe the slate clean, Sprocket Rockets likely would have disappeared too. Instead, its presence suggests the park could be planning to build around it.
Either way, the current state of the area makes it obvious that this is not a simple “refresh.” The park has already committed to major demolition.
The Go Kart Track Removal Adds to the Mystery
Camp Cartoon isn’t the only part of Yukon Territory that has been impacted. On the other end of the same section, the Go Kart track was also removed.
That matters because it opens up even more space for expansion.
With both ends of Yukon Territory now seeing major removals, speculation is building that Six Flags may be preparing a much larger project than a single ride replacement. A new family land could potentially take over the entire area, stretching across multiple cleared footprints.
For a park heading into its 50th anniversary, a bold new kids area or themed expansion would make a lot of sense.
But at the moment, Six Flags has not publicly confirmed what exactly will replace the demolished section.
American Eagle Receives Track Work Ahead of the New Season
While the Camp Cartoon demolition is the biggest attention-grabber, it isn’t the only major change happening at Six Flags Great America.
Footage also showed maintenance crews working on the track of American Eagle, one of the park’s most iconic wooden roller coasters.
American Eagle has long been a signature ride at Great America, and even minor track work can be important. Wooden coasters require constant upkeep, and this kind of maintenance could help ensure the ride runs smoothly for the anniversary season.
The park hasn’t announced any major changes to American Eagle, so this likely falls under routine offseason work. Still, seeing crews actively working on the coaster signals that Six Flags is putting serious effort into preparing its most recognizable attractions for 2026.
Raging Bull’s Staircase Is Being Replaced
Another major improvement spotted at the park involves Raging Bull, one of Six Flags Great America’s most popular thrill rides.
The staircase leading up to the ride’s loading station is currently being replaced. As of the latest footage, the old staircase had already been removed, but the new one had not yet been constructed.
This is the kind of change that might sound small on paper, but it actually affects the guest experience in a big way. The staircase is a major part of how visitors move through the queue and reach the platform.
Replacing it could mean Six Flags is focusing on improving guest flow, safety, and accessibility ahead of what will likely be one of the busiest seasons in recent park history.
The staircase replacement also follows a major update from last year, when Raging Bull underwent a full paint job and temporarily closed before reopening during Fright Fest in October.
A Huge Anniversary Year Is Already Reshaping the Park
Fifty years is a major milestone for any theme park, and most parks treat an anniversary season as a celebration of their past.
But at Six Flags Great America, it already looks like the park is using the anniversary as a launchpad for something bigger.
The demolition of Camp Cartoon feels like the kind of move that signals a long-term shift, not just a temporary refresh. Six Flags didn’t just close rides down and wait. Crews removed attractions, tore up the land, and cleared the area in a way that suggests something major is being built.
Even without an official announcement, it’s obvious the park is in the middle of major transformation.
The 2026 season officially kicks off on April 25, and with the park’s 50th anniversary fast approaching, guests likely won’t have to wait much longer to see what Six Flags has planned.
But for now, the message is clear: a familiar part of Six Flags Great America is gone, and the park is already preparing to rewrite its future.