At its opening in 1976, Great America featured three roller coasters, Willard's Whizzer, Turn of the Century and The Gulf Coaster. The park had also included other flat rides throughout the park.

When Marriott's Great America first opened in 1976 (both the Gurnee, IL and Santa Clara, CA locations), it debuted with a suite of "original" attractions that defined the park's early identity. These included the Columbia Carousel (the world's tallest double-decker carousel), the Willard’s Whizzer (now simply Whizzer) steel coaster, and the Turn of the Century (later transformed into the Demon). Other 1976 originals were the Sky Whirl (a unique triple-arm Ferris wheel), Logger’s Run and Yankee Clipper log flumes, and the Orleans Orbit (an Enterprise-style ride). In 2026, while many original rides like the Whizzer and the Columbia Carousel are still operating and cherished for their nostalgia, others like the Sky Whirl have been retired and replaced by modern hyper-coasters or high-capacity drop towers like the Giant Drop.