I hadn't been here since the 90s. It was still the same great place! The staff is super friendly, informative, and helpful. The runs range from super easy to challenging. The price was just right. All in all a very nice (long) day trip from Chicago. read more

My dad broke his neck 2 years ago so he has trouble balancing. we went on the tubing hill and when we went on the tread lift, my dad fell. the people working there helped my dad get up the hill so he could go down. later he wanted to go back up so they let him sit on the tube and I pulled him up the lift. towards the top I fell myself holding onto him. thanks to the great people working there and even people going up to the hill, my dad could go a second time! he had fun which made me happy. thanks to Jaden, the guy working there, my dad could go down the hill. I owe jaden, and if you see him make sure to say hi and thank you! read more

It was my first time skiing and I had a great experience! Our instructor, Gene, was amazing. He eased us into the sport! There are different slopes for each level which makes it easier to gradually progress. The restaurant is clean and cozy and the staff is super friendly! I'll definitely be going back! read more

Snowstar Winter Park - Ski Resorts Near Me - Andalusia, Illinois

We had a great time tubing. It was a great atmosphere and very nice. All of the staff was nice and we had a great time. The place was very organized and everyone seemed to be having a good time around us. read more

So here's the deal: I started going here for a class at Augustana, and I ended up really liking the place. The terrain isn't too mountainous, but hey, it's the Midwest, right? The up side of this place: PRICE! It's $15 rentals and $15 a day for a pass. Unheard of. At Devil's Head in Baribou, WI, you pay at least double that, and its overcrowded. I'd say, give it a try. It's definitely money well spent. Plus, they're kid friendly. Take the whole family! read more

If you have absolutely no other place to go. This is your spot. It takes about 30 seconds to get to bottom of the hills. Terrain is meh. It's worth taking a little trip up north to Galena. read more

If you get a voucher that says you get French fries and you give us a little bag of chips and tell us we can't have French fries you're giving your customers a giant middle finger. The trip started well but this is ridiculous. read more

I know it's a bit off season to be submitting this review, but I was feeling some nostalgia today for the winter season and thought, "What the heck, why not!" I spent a lot of time at Snowstar this past 2021/2022 season after purchasing a season pass to the ski park along with my kids. This was my first time back into the sport in years, and I have to say I'm extremely glad that I pushed myself into something that had become a bit of a long-lost love for me. This ski resort has a great family friendly atmosphere and provides a good variety of classes to help even the most novice beginner get up and running on the slopes. There are several varieties of runs from beginner to advanced, as well as a decent terrain park for those who want to hit rails, boxes, and jumps. They have ski, snowboard, and helmet rentals available, so if you don't have your own gear, no worries! If you are only coming out for a few times a season, the pricing isn't terribly expensive for 1 or 2 people, but if you plan to be a regular or have a large family you may want to budget in advance. I also would recommend looking into the season pass and a season rental add-on or purchasing your own gear. When it comes to the runs it's all about managing expectations. When you go to Snowstar, you know you're going to a ski park in the Midwest so don't be thinking you're going to be hitting big pow back country mountains and you'll end up having a great time! You can expect all groomers and for intermediate to advance riders you will probably make it down the hills in 30-45 seconds if you're going a normal speed and 20 seconds if you're bombing it. One thing I'm hoping they will improve on for the 2022/2023 season is opening their second 4-man lift. They have 2, but only 1 was running this past season. Getting that second 4-man lift line open would make a world of difference for wait times on the weekends and certainly make up for the shorter runs. I know Chestnut and Sundown are within 1 to 2 hours of Snowstar, and do have some longer runs, but who really wants to drive that far when you have a great QCA ski resort in your own back yard? They have a decent reasonably priced menu when it comes to food in the ski lodge and their bar has a good selection for the adults. Also, their staff is extremely nice and friendly, and I can't say enough about the great people they have volunteering on their ski patrol! If you're looking to get out of the house in the winter or get ready for a trip out west this is your spot! 10/10 would recommend with expectation management. read more

My 6 year old son (who never skied before) and myself went to Ski Snowstar on Tuesday, December 22, 2009. Based on Ski Snowstar calendar it was considered regular weekday. It was my first time skiing in the US, so I can't compare it to other ski resorts. Parking lot is next to rental/ticket office so if you don't want to pay 75 cents for the lockers, your car is just outside. 1 hour group ski lesson for my son cost $45 which included ski rental and lift pass for all lifts for the rest of the day. My ski rental cost $17 + $10 for lifts with food pantry donation (it is $17 without). Since nobody else was taking kids group lesson, Wendy started a lesson around 11:30 am and ended it at past 1pm. So, as you can see, my son got individual lesson for the price of group lesson and Wendy was very generous with her time (Thanks Wendy!). Afterwards my son stayed mostly in "magic carpet" area practicing his new earned skills I was able to do around 20-25 runs down during our time @ Ski Snowstar. All but 1 lifts were open (I do not think they needed it since it was not crowded) and longest line during our trip was about 1 minute long. The runs are pretty short (in my subjective view, it took up to a 1 minute to go down on any of the runs). Employees were very friendly and took their time to stop lift when my son struggled to sit on the lift during his first trip up. 70%-80% of the crowd were teenagers on their winter break, remainder consisting of families with kids. Food and drink: we had hot dog, chili soup, nachos, chips, cookies and the rest of the food was similar fast food fare. I guess it is OK for one day trip. They had domestic beers on tap which was just what I needed after few hours of skiing. Total food and beer bill was around $14 for both of us. First floor of cafeteria had fireplace going which added cozy feel to it. Over all it was fun day trip and I would recommend it for the beginners. I would go again, this time for both skiing and snow tubing (it was supposed to open during Christmas). I think you can pay additional $8 and exchange your skiing lift ticket to tubing ticket for the rest of the day. Can't comment on a nightlife since we went back to Chicago same night. Can't comment on freestyle terrain park either (it was there), since it is not my thing. read more

Snowstar is a place for family and friends. It is a great place to have fun with a safe environment for kids. They have other activities that make it a more interesting place to have great family time! Every time I go there with my family I have great experiences with the friendly staff and great recourses they provide. read more

Terrible experience sadly. I knew this would not be Colorado or even Chestnut Mountain or Spirit Mountain, or the Pocanos. But it was just not good. Terrible terrain. Poor service inside. Runs were fair at best, and lasted about 20-30 seconds. Family friendly yes, but to have to wait till your child is 7 to start lessons, ridiculous. Would not recommend, will not return. Drive 45 minutes to Chestnut, it would be worth it read more

This is a family-friendly small but excellent low cost option to learn to ski or polish your skills. Very friendly staff and well kept facilities. Easy access off of I-280. I'd recommend Snowstar to anyone! read more

Super place. I took my 4 small kids and they loved it. Very friendly staff . Kids friendly. Prices are very good. We are definitely going back for more snow fun. They have snow tubing and little area for kids to learn how to ski and more hills for more advanced skiers. read more

I felt that the staff was not very helpful nor accommodating. The boards and bindings that they use for rentals are useless. Also the terrain and snow is hardly rideable. You pay for what you get so maybe I shouldn't be complaining. They have a great terrain park if your into that. My main problem with the place is how much work it takes to get anywhere. The lifts don't take you to your destination and you are constantly working to get a good run. This mainly affects boarders but I am sure it is annoying to everyone. Overall this place is great for beginners but not that exciting for a novice/advance. read more

Went here and mentioned the coupon they had for buy one lift tickets me get one free. They did not honor it. Also they are allowing minors in the bar. The fee went up $20 from last year and not worth it. Take a little extra time and go somewhere else read more