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Fun City in Algonquin sued by 2 customers who say foam pit injured them

Fun City Adventure Park in Algonquin abruptly closed at the end of February 2024, two weeks after it opened. Shown March 1, 2024.

A man jumped into a foam pit on a visit to Fun City Adventure Park in Algonquin with his toddler and says he left with a fractured leg. Another claims his child suffered head, neck and back injuries in the same way, according to separate civil lawsuits filed in McHenry County court.

Both suits seek more than $50,000 from the indoor amusement park that, just two weeks after opening last year, was shut down for five months for safety violations, records show.

Hans Mast, attorney for plaintiff David Zick of Algonquin, said Zick and his family visited the park on April 11. Zick was “badly injured” when he “jumped in the foam pit with his son, unaware that it was very shallow and that it would not protect his legs from impacting the bottom. He fractured his left leg badly, requiring ankle surgery. Bills are over $50,000. He still has some medical issues.”

In his lawsuit, Zick contends the business failed to disclose the depth of the foam pit despite knowing the park’s activities are intended for children. This lawsuit names Fun City and the property manager, River Pointe of Algonquin LLC, as defendants.

The lawsuit claims the facility did not “disclose or notify invitees of the depth of the foam pit, nor were there any restrictions set forth for users of the foam pit based on size and weight etc. to ensure users would not strike the bottom of the pit and become injured.”

The suit also states that defendants “should have known that adults jumping into the foam pit from the raised platform, were unaware of the limited depth of the pit and limited ability of the foam to safely cushion their fall.”

The other lawsuit, filed by Scott Stone of Algonquin on behalf of his child, claims that on a visit to the amusement park May 27, his child jumped into a foam pit and suffered injuries to his neck, back and head because there was “an inadequate amount of foam blocks in the foam pit including in the center of the foam pit.”

The filing accuses the park and its employees of “carelessly and negligently” failing to “provide a good, safe and proper foam pit,” allowing it to be “under-filled” and neglecting to warn guests of potential dangers.

The lawsuits are not the first times the park has been accused of being unsafe. Two weeks after opening in February 2024, Fun City was abruptly shut down because of multiple Illinois Department of Labor and village code violations.

It was shut down after an Illinois Department of Labor inspection found multiple violations, citing unsafe equipment and construction, according to state and village records.

Inspectors 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.

When the department closed down, the business it made no mention of any permitting problems in Facebook posts at the time. The business reported that it had “temporarily” closed and would announce a “grand reopening soon.” Operators also posted at the time: “As we are in our soft opening phase, we will be taking this time to make enhancements, including a new arcade, to ensure a top-notch experience for all our jumpers.”

The village of Algonquin said it is not a party to the lawsuits and “we have no input on these matters at this time,” said Patrick M. Knapp, director of community development department for Algonquin.

Calls to attorneys for Fun City and the Fun City location were not returned. A representative from River Pointe LLC could not immediately be reached.

The amusement park, located at 215 S. Randall Road, features attractions such as arcade games, trampolines, a foam pit and a zip line.

Amanda Marrazzo

Amanda Marrazzo is a staff reporter for Shaw Media who has written stories on just about every topic in the Northwest Suburbs including McHenry County for nearly 20 years.