A massive outdoor adventure park launched by Chicago tech entrepreneurs Chris Gladwin and Jeremie Bacon finally has an opening date.
The Forge: Lemont Quarries, which features ziplines, mountain biking, paddlesports and the largest aerial adventure course in North America, is set to open July 17. Based in Lemont, a suburb 22 miles outside of downtown Chicago, The Forge sits on 300 acres of land and offers a range of different outdoor activities, along with tactical laser tag and AR adventure games.
Day passes range from $15 to $70, and annual memberships start at $185 per person. Take look inside the park below:
Gallery
A park of this size and scope is rare in the Midwest; adventure junkies would need to travel to Colorado or Charlotte to find a similar experience, Gladwin previously told Chicago Inno. Gladwin is the founder and CEO of Ocient, a big data processing startup. In 2015, he sold his previous startup Cleversafe to IBM for $1.3 billion.
Opening during a pandemic is no easy task, and The Forge plans to implement multiple safety measures to keep guests healthy at the park. It will implement best practices and safety guidelines adopted by the outdoor recreation industry, as well as guidelines presented by the state of Illinois and the CDC. The park said it will adhere to physical distancing guidelines, using personal protective equipment, and practicing proper hygiene and sanitation. Reservations are required for all activities to ensure social distancing can take place.
The park will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week, though hours of operation will change based on the season, the park says.
