This past summer, by chance I visited both Paramount's Great America (Santa Clara, CA) and Six Flags Great America (Gurnee, IL) within two weeks of one another. This gallery features several comparison (and some contrast) shots taken from similar angles in both parks. Other photos compare similar attractions at each park. Both of these theme parks opened as near twins in 1976 as Marriot's Great America. Over the years, both parks have gone their separate ways, but several attributes of each facility remain similar.