| Previously known asParamount's Kings Dominion, 1993–2006 | |
 | |
 Interactive map of Kings Dominion | |
| Location | Doswell,Virginia, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 37°50′24″N77°26′42″W / 37.840°N 77.445°W /37.840; -77.445 |
| Status | Operating |
| Opened | May 3, 1975; 50 years ago (1975-05-03)[1] |
| Owner | Six Flags |
| General manager | Jennifer Schofield |
| Operating season | March through Early November |
| Area | 280 acres (1.1 km2) |
| Attractions | |
| Total | 44 |
| Roller coasters | 13 |
| Water rides | 2 |
| Website | sixflags.com/kingsdominion |
Kings Dominion is anamusement park inDoswell, Virginia, United States, twenty miles (30 km) north ofRichmond and 75 miles (120 km) south ofWashington, D.C. Owned and operated bySix Flags, the 280-acre (1.1 km2) park opened to the public on May 3, 1975,[1] featuring over 60 rides, shows and attractions including 13 roller coasters and a 20-acre (8.1 ha) water park. Its name is derived from its sister park,Kings Island nearCincinnati, and the nickname for the Commonwealth ofVirginia, "Old Dominion."
Following the success ofKings Island inMason, Ohio, Family Leisure Centers (a partnership formed between Taft Broadcasting Company and Top Value Enterprises, owned by supermarket chainKroger) decided to expand into a new region of the country by opening a second park. A 740-acre (3.0 km2) site was chosen inDoswell, Virginia, with construction beginning on October 1, 1972.[2][3] The new park was designed with similar themes, rides, and activities as sister park Kings Island.
Following a limited preview of the park's Lion Country Safari, a drive-through animal zoo with 230 species of animals, and the Scooby-Doo rollercoaster in 1974,[4] Kings Dominion officially opened on May 3, 1975,[1][5] offering fifteen attractions including the Rebel Yell (later renamedRacer 75), the Lion Country Safari Monorail,Galaxie, and a junior wooden roller coaster known asScooby-Doo. Also present at the opening was alog flume,steam train, a collection offlat rides and a cable-car sky ride that transported visitors between Old Virginia andThe Happy Land of Hanna-Barbera.[3] In addition, Kings Dominion's1/3-scale replica of theEiffel Tower and the International Street Fountain greet visitors near the main entrance to the park. Original themed areas included The Happy Land of Hanna-Barbera, International Street, Lion Country Safari, Old Virginia, and Coney Island.[6] Daily admission price in 1975 was $7.50, and a dollar for parking.[1] Opening day of the park saw 50,000 guests, with an additional 50,000-60,000 guests waiting to enter.[7]
Kings Dominion added its fourth roller coaster, aSchwarzkopfshuttle loop known as the King Kobra, in 1977. The King Kobra featured a 50-ton counterweight drop launch and was the park's first launched roller coaster. It was in the park for nine seasons before being relocated toJolly Roger Amusement Park inOcean City, Maryland,Alton Towers inEngland, and later toHopi Hari inBrazil where it exists today asKatapul.[8] Also in 1977, Kings Dominion was one of several amusement parks serving as location for the filmRollercoaster.
A campground was completed in time for the 1978 season and the park's well-known Lost World mountain debuted in 1979. Originally, the Lost World featured three rides: a flume ride calledVoyage to Atlantis, a children's attraction mine ride known asLand of the Dooz, and arotor calledTime Shaft. Only a year later in 1980, the flume ride was rethemedHaunted River. Kings Dominion later expanded Old Virginia with the addition of the park's third wooden roller coaster,Grizzly, in 1982 and a river rapids ride calledWhite Water Canyon in 1983.
Kings Dominion was also active inpolitical lobbying. They and other entertainment businesses convinced Virginia to make it illegal for schools to start classes before theLabor Day holiday in early September.[9] They thought that if students were not able to attend school in August, then more families would spend money at Kings Dominion, and more teenagers would be able to provide a low-cost workforce to the amusement park.[9][10] This law, known as theKings Dominion Law after the amusement park, stayed in force until 2019.[9]
Taft Broadcasting Company sold its theme park division in late 1983 for $167.5 million toKings Entertainment Company (KECO), a new company formed by senior executives and general managers of Taft's Amusement Park Group.[11] Three parks were involved in the sale – Kings Island, Kings Dominion, andCarowinds – along with a 20-percent stake inCanada's Wonderland.American Financial Group later purchased KECO in 1987 but allowed KECO to continue to manage operations at the amusement parks.[12]
One of the first additions under the new management group was Berserker – alooping starship ride added to International Street in 1984. Also that year,Smurf Mountain replaced the mine ride Land of the Dooz, transforming the Lost World intoThe Smurfs theme. Kings Dominion unveiled aTOGOstand-up roller coaster in 1986 calledShockwave, the first of three roller coasters to be added under KECO. Shockwave had one loop, similar to the older King Kobra but added a helix. King Kobra was removed at the end of the season. A water slide complex known as Racing Rivers opened in 1987, andAvalanche, which remains the only Mackbobsled roller coaster in the United States, debuted the following year in 1988.[13] The trains of Avalanche now known as “Reptilian” were themed after bobsleds from various countries including the United States, France, Germany, Canada and Switzerland creating the experience of a bobsled race in theWinter Olympics.[14]
Kings Dominion continued to expand over the next few seasons starting with Hanna-Barbera Land in 1990 with the addition of more children's flat rides. A new, looping roller coaster fromArrow Dynamics calledAnaconda was introduced the following year in 1991 featuring the world's first underwater tunnel which travels under part of Lake Charles. Anaconda was also originally billed as having six loops,[15] but unlike Arrow's six-inversion coasterDrachen Fire that opened atBusch Gardens Williamsburg the following year, Anaconda actually only featured four inversions: avertical loop, a sidewinder, and two consecutivecorkscrews.[16]
A new 20-acre (81,000 m2) water park addition called Hurricane Reef opened in 1992. To build the water park, Kings Dominion filled in two-thirds of Lake Charles near the Candy Apple Grove region of the park. Originally it featured the Monsoon Chutes (two pairs of free-fall body slides, at 70 and 50 feet (15 m) high, respectively), the Torrential Twist (two enclosed body slides that wrapped around each other), the Pipeline (four open body slides), Cyclone (three enclosed body slides, the center of which was a free-fall), Tidal Wave (two open slides, which riders rode oninner tubes), Splash Island (an area for children with five water slides), and alazy river.[17]
Kings Dominion continued its growth when it became part ofParamount Parks in 1993 and switched its name to Paramount's Kings Dominion. New attractions and areas of the park themed to Paramount's television shows and films appeared at the park almost every season that they were under Paramount's ownership. In 1993, they added amotion simulator attraction, originally featuring theDays of Thunder film, and Lion County Safari was removed at the end of the season. Also in 1993,Smurf Mountain was removed, leaving only the Time Shaft and Haunted River remaining in The Lost World Mountain until 1995 when both rides were removed. The 1994 season saw the addition of a new area of the park themed to the 1992 Paramount motion pictureWayne's World, which featured its third full-size wooden roller coaster,Hurler, a shop called the Rock Shop, and a Stan Mikita's restaurant similar to the one featured in the film. Since then, the Wayne's World section has been merged into Candy Apple Grove; Stan Mikita's was converted to the Juke Box Diner, and the Hurler was converted into Twisted Timbers in 2018. In the next year, another children's area, known as Nickelodeon Splat City, opened near the Shockwave roller coaster, this was a product ofViacom purchasing Paramount in 1994. This was later converted into Nick Central. In the 1995 season, the Skyride and The Singing Mushrooms were removed.
In 1996, Kings Dominion introduced its second launched roller coaster, and firstLIM-launched roller coaster,The Outer Limits: Flight of Fear. The Outer Limits has a 54 miles per hour (87 km/h) launch, four inversions, and an identical "spaghetti bowl" layout to its sister coaster atKings Island. Almost as notable as the launch of The Outer Limits was the fact that the entire ride was in semi-darkness; the riders could not see where they were going. Five years after The Outer Limits opened, Paramount Parks' licensing agreement to use theming fromthe television show after which the ride was named expired; theOuter Limits theming in the ride and its queue was removed, and the ride was renamed Flight of Fear. Also after the 2000 season, Flight of Fear's trains received lap bars instead of shoulder restraints.[18]
1997 featured the debut of KidZville, a re-theming of the Hanna-Barbera section. The park added the new Taxi Jam roller coaster, and Scooby's Playpark became a construction-themed playpen called Kidz Construction Company. Yogi's Cave was rethemed to Treasure Cave and many rides in KidZville, such asScooby-Doo's Ghoster Coaster, George Jetson's Spaceport, and Huck's Hot Rods, continued to bear the names of Hanna-Barbera characters.
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Kings Dominion added another launched roller coaster in 1998,Volcano: The Blast Coaster, in the former Lost World mountain. The mountain's previous rides had all been removed several years previously, and Volcano gave the mountain a major transformation. Volcano, which was manufactured byIntamin, was the world's first LIM-launched inverted roller coaster. The ride featured two separate launch sections, a roll-out inversion on the top of the mountain, and threeheartline rolls on the way back down. Volcano was themed to the 1997 filmVolcano; the other Paramount Parks addedinverted orsuspended roller coasters themed toTop Gun around the same time. During the next two seasons, Kings Dominion expanded Hurricane Reef behind the Rebel Yell and renamed itWaterWorks. The new portion of WaterWorks includes Pipeline Peak, a set of four enclosed water slides, one of which (the Night Slider) is the world's tallest dark free-fall slide. In 2000, Nick Central opened, replacing Nick Splat City and part of Kidzville.[19]
The park added its third launched roller coaster,Hypersonic XLC, in 2001. Hypersonic XLC, aThrust Air 2000 air-launched coaster made byS&S Power, launched riders from 0 to 80 miles per hour (130 km/h) in 1.5 seconds, taking them up an 87-degree incline and down an 87-degree drop.[20] The entire ride's duration was about 25 seconds. Hypersonic XLC broke down frequently and was closed for the first three months of its second season; no other Paramount Parks installed a similar ride.[21] Nevertheless, Hypersonic XLC helped establish Kings Dominion's reputation as "the launched coaster capital of the world".[22] Hypersonic XLC was removed after the 2007 season.
The early 2000s saw Kings Dominion opening new rides similar to existing rides at other Paramount Parks. In 2002, the park opened its newwild mouse roller coaster,Ricochet (now known as Apple Zapple),Carowinds also installed itsRicochet in 2002. Diamond Falls, theShoot the Chute ride closed that season. The 2003 season saw Kings Dominion become the final of several of the Paramount Parks to open a Drop Zone: Stunt Tower, now Drop Tower: Scream Zone. The 305-foot-high (93 m) Drop Zone at Kings Dominion was the tallest freefall ride in the world at the time it opened. In 2004, Kings Dominion addedScooby-Doo! And the Haunted Mansion; similar Scooby-Doo-themeddark rides had opened at three other Paramount Parks during the three previous seasons. In the next season, Kings Dominion added a Huss Top Spin calledTomb Raider: Firefall, and was named The Crypt, which was a standard size and outdoor version of a similar, but larger, ride namedTomb Raider: The Ride, also now The Crypt, atKings Island. The differences between the two were that at Kings Dominion riders' feet dangled freely while Kings Island's version was a Giant Top Spin which featured a floor. In the 2006 season, Kings Dominion opened theItalian Job Turbo Coaster, its fourth launched roller coaster. Unlike the previously built launched coasters at Kings Dominion, each of which was faster than its predecessor, the Italian Job Turbo Coaster was designed more like a family ride and features multiple launches at 40 miles per hour (64 km/h). The coaster was later renamed theBacklot Stunt Coaster in 2008. It is identical to theBacklot Stunt Coaster rides atKings Island andCanada's Wonderland, which both opened in 2005.
On January 27, 2006, it was reported thatCBS Corporation (successor ofthe original Viacom), and owner of Paramount Parks, was interested in selling all of its theme parks, including Paramount's Kings Dominion. CBS stated that amusement parks did not fit the company's new strategy. On May 14, 2006,Cedar Fair announced it was interested in acquiring the fiveParamount theme parks from CBS Corporation. The acquisition was completed on June 30, 2006.[23][24]
Although Cedar Fair continued to use the Paramount's Kings Dominion name through the remainder of the 2006 season, and had a ten-year option to continue using the Paramount pre-fix,[25] it began to phase out the Paramount name in press releases, the park website, and signage within the park.
Kings Dominion expanded WaterWorks for the 2007 season, adding a second wave pool called Tidal Wave Bay, a four-person family raft slide called Zoom Flume, and aProSlide Tornado.[26]
During the Cedar Fair era, the park introducedHalloween Haunt. While the park had always had a Halloween event, the new HAUNT event has been received very well.
In December 2006, Kings Dominion put Hypersonic XLC up for sale.[27] The park announced plans to keep it running until a buyer was found. It remained in operation during the 2007 season and was closed and dismantled several weeks before the 2008 season started. Also during the 2007–2008 off-season, Cedar Fair renamed the park's last rides to open with Paramount theming. Drop Zone Stunt Tower became Drop Tower Scream Zone and The Italian Job: Turbo Coaster became Backlot Stunt Coaster. Tomb Raider: Firefall also received the name The Crypt. The Paramount Theater also changed its name to Kings Dominion Theater.[28]
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The 2008 and 2009 seasons saw Kings Dominion receive three rides that had operated atGeauga Lake during its dry amusement park's final season. On October 23, 2007, Kings Dominion announced thatDominator, afloorless roller coaster, would be added to the International Street section.[29] Dominator opened on May 24, 2008, becoming Kings Dominion's first roller coaster with five inversions. For the 2009 season, two flat rides once located at Geauga Lake were opened. Located near Rebel Yell, Americana became Kings Dominion's first Ferris wheel.[30]
For the 2010 season, Kings Dominion openedIntimidator 305, a 305-foot-tall (93 m)giga coaster byIntamin. The ride features a cable lift hill, an 85° first drop and a maximum speed of 90 mph (140 km/h). The ride, which is themed toNASCAR driverDale Earnhardt, was announced on August 20, 2009, and represents the park's largest-ever capital investment. It was opened to the public in April 2010.[31] Also for the 2010 season, the Kidzville and Nickelodeon Universe areas of the park began being re-themed to Planet Snoopy, as were the children's areas atCanada's Wonderland andKings Island. The park has renamed the Hanna-Barbera-themed rides in Kidzville to match the Planet Snoopy theme, ending the park's 35-year run with Scooby-Doo and other Hanna-Barbera characters.
For the 2012 season, Kings Dominion installedWindSeeker in the Grove section of the park next to the Juke Box Diner. There are other versions of the ride in Cedar Fair parks such as Canada's Wonderland, Cedar Point, Kings Island, Knott's Berry Farm, and Carowinds. The ride stands 301 feet (92 m) and gives riders a view of the surrounding area.[32] Kings Dominion also addedDinosaurs Alive!, an upcharge dinosaur walkthrough exhibit, located in the Old Virginia section of the park. This attraction also appeared at Kings Island, Dorney Park, Cedar Point, and Canada's Wonderland.[32]
For the 2013 season,Planet Snoopy merged with KidZville during a 7-acre (2.8 ha) expansion to form the largest Planet Snoopy in the Cedar Fair chain. There are now 18 attractions covering 14 acres (5.7 ha).[33]
For the 2014 season, Kings Dominion commemorated the 40th anniversary of Lion Country Safari and the preview-opening of Kings Dominion by returning park icons from past eras. These icons included the return of the classic singing mushrooms, the repainting of Anaconda, an improved queue line for Volcano: The Blast Coaster, the return of classic blue ice cream, among other additions. They also restored Rebel Yell to its original red and blue colors. The 2014 season also saw the return of the iconic floral clock, the popular clown band, and the renaming of Johnny's and Trail's End Grill restaurants to their original respective names, Dinner Bell and Hungry Hippo. New lighting packages were added to the International Street fountains and Rebel Yell. The Congo and Grove sections of the park were returned to the original themes, Safari Village and Candy Apple Grove, respectively.
For the 2015 season, Kings Dominion continued in celebration of its 40th anniversary with a major expansion to WaterWorks. The expansion included a new 65-foot tall slide complex featuring three different attractions called Paradise Plunge, Aqua Blast, and Thunder Falls; a new children's area called Splash Island; expanded cabana areas, updated bathhouses, and other improvements to the area. As part of the major water park expansion, the area was renamed Soak City.[34] On August 9, 2015, Shockwave closed in Candy Apple Grove permanently, and a swinging pendulum ride titled "Delirium" was built in its place.[35]Hurler closed permanently at the end of the season on November 1, 2015.[36] In 2017, Planet Snoopy was expanded with the addition of three new children's rides in the former Nickelodeon Central side of the area. On October 15, 2016, Kings Dominion announced that the Hurler wooden coaster would be permanently closed.[36]
For the 2018 season, Kings Dominion openedTwisted Timbers on March 24, 2018, three years after Hurler operated for the last time, converting the track from wood to steel. It was built byRocky Mountain Construction utilizing many of the original wooden supports from Hurler. 2018 also marked the debut of WinterFest, a Christmas-themed holiday event, during the winter season. The Rebel Yell and Ricochet coasters were renamed Racer 75 and Apple Zapple, respectively. Tornado, Dinosaurs Alive, and Volcano: The Blast Coaster were all removed before the 2019 season.
In August 2019, Kings Dominion announced that Soak City would be expanded in 2020 to include a new sub-area called Coconut Shores, featuring a multi-level water play structure and a children's wave pool.[37] In January 2020, the park also announced the removal of The Crypt to make room for future development in the Safari Village section of the park.
Kings Dominion did not open for its normal operating schedule in 2020 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic. After restrictions were partially lifted by Virginia governorRalph Northam in November 2020, the park opened for a limited capacity winter event titled "Taste of the Season" that operated for three weeks the following month in December.[38] The event featured specialty food trucks, seasonal decorations, a small selection of rides.[39][40][41]
Normal operation resumed for the 2021 season, and in August of that year, the park announced that Safari Village would receive a makeover for 2022. The upgraded section of the park, Jungle X-Pedition, is themed to an archeological research facility and dig site. The area received similarly themed restaurants and retail shops, as well as a new roller coaster namedTumbili, a 4D Free Spin model manufactured byS&S – Sansei Technologies.[42][43]
On July 1, 2024, a merger of equals betweenCedar Fair andSix Flags was completed, creating Six Flags Entertainment Corporation.[44]
In 2025, the park openedRapterra, a launchedwing coaster.
Candy Apple Grove was known as Coney Island when the park first opened in 1975. It was renamed Candy Apple Grove in 1976. The area is Kings Dominion's largest section in the park, and in its early years, it featured anorchard theme that included three apple-themed rides: Apple Turnover,[45] Bad Apple, and Adam's Apple. Much of the apple-related themes were removed over the years, and the area became known as simplyThe Grove when it merged with the former Wayne's World area in 2001.[citation needed]
As part of Kings Dominion's 40th-anniversary celebration in 2014, The Grove was restored to its original orchard theme, and the name was changed back to Candy Apple Grove. Theanimatronic Singing Mushrooms, popular decades ago, was redeveloped with newer technology and placed back on display.[46] Other features that made a return to the area include a fully restored floral clock near the Carousel, oversized candy apples, and the popular blue ice cream that existed in the park for decades.[47]
The westernmost corner of Candy Apple Grove, distinct from the rest of the area, is themed to the 1950s.
Some of the area's more notable rides includeWindSeeker, a 301-foot-tall (92 m) swing ride that opened in 2012, and Delirium, a type ofpendulum amusement ride that opened in place of stand-up roller coasterShockwave in 2016. Candy Apple Grove's newest ride, steel coasterTwisted Timbers, opened in 2018 replacing Hurler and reusing some of the previous support structure. In addition to rides, the area features an arcade, carnival games, counter-service restaurants, and a gift shop.
| Ride | Opening year | Manufacturer | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Americana | 2009 | Aferris wheel that previously operated atGeauga Lake from 1999 until 2007. | |
| Apple Zapple | 2002 | Mack Rides | Awild mouse roller coaster. Formerly namedRicochet from (2002–2017). |
| Bad Apple | 2002 | HUSS | HUSS Troika. Formerly known asTriple Spin from (2002–2013). |
| Candy Apple Grove Stage | 2018 | An outdoor performance stage. | |
| Carousel | 1975 | Philadelphia Toboggan Company | A historic 1917 woodencarousel, PTC #44. Originally fromRoger Williams Park inProvidence, Rhode Island.[48] |
| Delirium | 2016 | Mondial | A 115-foot-tall (35 m) spinning pendulum flat ride. |
| Dodgem | 1975 | A classicbumper cars ride. | |
| Drop Tower | 2003 | Intamin | AGyro drop tower. Formerly namedDrop Zone: Stunt Tower from (2003–2007). |
| Racer 75 | 1975 | Philadelphia Toboggan Company | Aracing dual-tracked wooden roller coaster. Formerly namedRebel Yell from (1975–2017). |
| Twisted Timbers | 2018 | Rocky Mountain Construction | A steel hybrid coaster; replacedHurler which operated from 1994 to 2015. |
| Wave Swinger | 1975 | Zierer | A suspendedswing ride that rotates with a wave motion lifting riders more than 30 feet (9.1 m) in the air. |
| WindSeeker | 2012 | Mondial | Atower swinger ride featuring two-person swings that slowly rotate and ascend the 301-foot (92 m) tower until reaching the top where speeds increase up to 30 miles per hour (48 km/h). |
| Xtreme Skyflyer | 1996 | Skycoaster | Pay-per-ride doubleskycoaster |
International Street is the park's main entry area, featuring a 320-foot-long (98 m) rectangular fountain pool in the center of the walkway,[49] which leads up to a 1/3 scale replica of theEiffel Tower. Guests can ascend the tower by elevator up to the 315-foot-tall (96 m) observation deck. International Street is designed to showcase a variety of European architecture, with buildings representing France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, and Italy. The buildings contain an assortment of gift shops, specialty shops, cafés and eateries. The International Street section of the park, which originally included the walkway, buildings, and Eiffel Tower,[50] was expanded under Paramount ownership to include the formerAction Theater.[51]
| Ride | Opening year | Manufacturer | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dominator | 2008 | Bolliger & Mabillard | A steelfloorless roller coaster. Originally fromGeauga Lake inOhio from 2000 to 2007. Dominator is the world's longest floorless coaster at 4,210 feet (1,280 m), and it has one of the tallest vertical loops in the world at 135 ft (41 m). |
| Eiffel Tower | 1975 | Intamin | An approximately one-third scale replica of theEiffel Tower inParis at 315 feet (96 m) and 450 tons. There is an exact replica of this tower atKings Island,Mason, Ohio (the original). |
| Grande Bandstand | 1975 | A performance stage beneath the Eiffel Tower. |
Jungle X-Pedition is themed to an archeological base camp in a mysterious jungle. The area's fictional backstory centers around an explorer who discovered the uncharted land in 1935, naming the location "Site X."[52] Initially, the area was part of one of the park's original attractions, Lion Country Safari, which contained amonorail train through a nature preserve until its closure in the 1990s. The area's name changed from Lion Country Safari to Safari Village in the mid-1980s and was changed again by Paramount to Congo in the 1990s. In 2014, the area's name reverted to Safari Village to commemorate the park's 40th anniversary. For the 2022 season, the area was rethemed to Jungle X-Pedition, which includes new immersive theming elements, dining, shopping, and a new roller coaster,Tumbili.[53]
The area is home to many of the park's thrill rides and roller coasters. From 1979 until 2019, the area was anchored by a large artificial mountain, originally home to the Lost World ride complex and later toVolcano: The Blast Coaster; the structure was demolished with the coaster in spring 2019.
| Ride | Opening year | Manufacturer | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arachnidia | 1976 | Eli Bridge Company | A classicscrambler ride. Formerly known asWitch Doctor, and laterScrambler (?-2021). Originally located at Candy Apple Grove before moving to Jungle X-Pedition to make room forDrop Tower. |
| Backlot Stunt Coaster | 2006 | Premier Rides | A familyLIM-launched roller coaster based on the chase sequence of the 2003 remake ofThe Italian Job. Riders launch into a parking garage, dodge police cars, and are attacked by a helicopter, which ignites fire near the riders before hitting a second launch section, sending riders into pitch-black darkness. Formerly known asThe Italian Job: Turbo Coaster (2006–2007). |
| Flight of Fear | 1996 | Premier Rides | ALIM-launched roller coaster prototype. Over-the-Shoulder harnesses were removed and replaced with lap bars after the 2000 season. Formerly known asOuter Limits: Flight of Fear (1996–2000). |
| Pantherian | 2010 | Intamin | Agiga coaster that is one of the tallest in the world. Originally opened asIntimidator 305 in reference to the nickname of former NASCAR driverDale Earnhardt, "The Intimidator", and the coaster's 305-foot (93 m) lift hill.[54] It was temporarily renamedProject 305 for the 2024 season. |
| Rapterra | 2025 | Bolliger & Mabillard | A steelwing roller coaster. Rapterra is the world's tallest and longest launched wing coaster at 145 feet (44.2 m) and 3,086 feet (940.6 m), respectively.[55] |
| Reptilian | 1988 | Mack Rides | Abobsled roller coaster that is the only Mack bobsled coaster currently operating in the United States. Formerly known asAvalanche (1988–2021). |
| Tumbili | 2022 | S&S – Sansei Technologies | A 4D Free Spin roller coaster; replacedThe Crypt which operated from 2005 to 2019. |
Along with International Street, Old Virginia is the only original section of Kings Dominion that has kept its same name throughout the park's history. Set in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the area has a vintage, rustic theme marked by its wooded architecture and country-style decor. AnIntamin Flying Dutchman flat ride called Jamestown Landing operated in Old Virginia through the 1970s, and was removed in 1980.[50] A steam train ride called Old Dominion Line operated nearby in the same park section.[56] It has since been removed.
| Ride | Opening year | Manufacturer | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Ridge Tollway | 1975 | Arrow Development | Passenger-driven cars that ride along on a guide rail. |
| Flying Eagles | 1975 | Bisch-Rocco | AFlying Scooters type ride. |
| Grizzly | 1982 | Curtis D. Summers/Taft Broadcasting | A wooden roller coaster similar toWilde Beast atCanada's Wonderland |
| Kings Dominion Theater | 1975 | An indoor performance theater. Originally namedThe Mason-Dixon Music Hall, and later namedThe Paramount Theatre during the Paramount era, the venue has shown a variety of 3-D, comedy, musical, and animated shows, as well as live bands, over the years. | |
| Shenandoah Lumber Company | 1975 | Arrow Development | A classiclog flume ride. |
| White Water Canyon | 1983 | Intamin | ARiver rafting ride. |
While under Paramount ownership,Nickelodeon Splat City debuted in 1995, which was later renamedNickelodeon Central in 2000. After Cedar Fair acquired the park, the area was redesigned in 2010 using aPeanuts theme, one of Cedar Fair's (now Six Flags) predominantI.P.s, withSnoopy serving as one of the central characters. In 2013, Kings Dominion merged the KidZville section of the park, introducing new attractions and retheming others.[33] Another expansion in 2017 updated the former Nickelodeon Central area ofPlanet Snoopy with three new attractions and a covered pavilion area.
| Ride | Height Requirement | Manufacture | Opening year | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boo Blasters on Boo Hill | Over 42" or with adult | Sally Corporation | 2010 | An interactive dark ride; replacedScooby-Doo and the Haunted Mansion |
| Charlie Brown's Wind Up | Over 36" or with adult | Zamperla | 2013 | A small-scale swing ride. ReplacedBoo Boo's Tree Swing (1975–2009) andSwing A Round (2010–2012) |
| Flying Ace | Over 48" or 44" with adult | Chance Rides | 2000 | An Aviator swing ride; formerlyNickelodeon Space Surfer |
| Flying Ace Balloon Race | Over 42" or with adult | Zamperla | 2013 | An aerialteacups ride. |
| Great Pumpkin Coaster | Over 36" | E.F. Miler | 1997 | A 200-foot-long (61 m) children's coaster. FormerlyTaxi Jam. |
| Kite-Eating Tree | Between 36" and 54" | Zamperla | 2017 | A minidrop tower. |
| Linus Launcher | Over 42" or 36" with adult | Zamperla | 2013 | A circular flat ride on which riders lay face down and swing in a circle. |
| Lucy's Crabbie Cabbies | Under 54" | 1975 | Children'sbumper cars; FormerlyBoulder Bumpers. | |
| Lucy's Tugboat | Over 42" or with adult | Zamperla | 2013 | A rock-n-tug ride. |
| Peanuts 500 | Over 36" or with adult | Zamperla | 2017 | A minitaturewhip ride. |
| Peanuts Turnpike | Under 54" | 1978 | A rail-guided car ride. FormerlyTop Cat's Turnpike andJunior Turnpike. | |
| Sally's Sea Plane | Over 36" or with adult | Zamperla | 2017 | Crazy Bus ride. |
| Snoopy's Junction | Over 36" or with adult | Zamperla | 2013 | Atrain ride. |
| Snoopy vs. Red Baron | Between 36" and 54" | 1990 | A flat ride where miniature airplanes fly in a circle. FormallySnagglepuss’ Seaplanes, Dick Dastardly's Airfield, andRed Baron | |
| Snoopy's Rocket Express | Over 42" or with adult | Zamperla | 2013 | A slow-moving monorail ride over the area. |
| Snoopy's Space Buggies | Over 36" or with adult | Zamperla | 2013 | A circular flat ride on which vehicles attached to a central console bounce up and down. |
| Woodstock Express | Over 46" or 40" with adult | Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters | 1974 | A small wooden roller coaster. Formerly namedScooby-Doo (1974–1996),Scooby-Doo's Ghoster Coaster (1997–2009), andGhoster Coaster (2010–2012). Opened a year before the rest of the park. |
| Woodstock Whirlybirds | Over 36" or with adult | Zamperla | 2013 | Ateacups ride. |
Soak City, formerly known as WaterWorks, is Kings Dominion's water park. It opened in 1992 as Hurricane Reef and is included with admission to Kings Dominion. In 2015, the water park was expanded and re-branded as Soak City.[34]
Fast Lane is Kings Dominion'svirtual queue system. For an increased cost, visitors get a wristband enabling them to get to the front of the line on 17 of the most popular attractions without queueing.
Halloween Haunt is an annualHalloween event at Kings Dominion on weekends during the months of September and October. It debuted in 2001 asFearFest,[57] but following Cedar Fair's acquisition of the park, the event was renamedHalloween Haunt in 2007. In 2017, Kings Dominion's Halloween Haunt was voted the second-best theme park Halloween event by USA Today.[58] Kings Dominion cancelled the event in 2020 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[59]
In 2013, Halloween Haunt featured a walk-through maze called Miner's Revenge. Advertisements for the attraction characterized it as "the worst coal mine accident in history," and the attraction featured depictions of dead miners' bodies that had been mangled by a mining disaster.[60] The attraction drew criticism in the press due to the region's experience with mining disasters.Washington Post writer Peter Galuszka (author of a book on theUpper Big Branch Mine disaster)[61] said the attraction "hits a little too close to home for me" since "the idea of abandonment is a difficult topic for miners". He added, "At Kings Dominion, the suggestion of living miners left to die is meant to inject some enjoyable dramatic tension".[62] Kathleen Geier ofWashington Monthly decried, "agonizing deaths are being served up for fun and profit to the gawking, peanut-crunching masses" and asked, "What next – a thrill ride based on theRana Plaza factory disaster in Bangladesh?Auschwitz: The Theme Park?".[63] Following the controversy, Kings Dominion dropped Miner's Revenge from its Halloween maze lineup the following season.[64]
As of October 20, 2024[update]:[65]
| Attraction | Type |
|---|---|
| F.E.A.R. | Maze |
| Blood on the Bayou | Maze |
| Cleaver Brothers Carnival | Scare zone |
| CornStalkers: Blood Harvest | Maze |
| Grimm Woods | Maze |
| Masquerade | Scare zone |
| Monstercon | Maze |
| Pumpkin Eater | Scare zone |
| Site X | Scare zone |
| Trick Or Treat | Maze |
| The Catacombs | Scare zone |
| Roller coasters | Manufacturer | Type | Opening year | Closing year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Galaxi[69] | SDC | Steel | 1975 | 1983 |
| King Cobra | Schwarzkopf | Steel -Shuttle Loop | 1977 | 1986 |
| Hypersonic XLC | S&S Power | Steel-Launched | 2001 | 2007 |
| Shockwave | TOGO | Steel –Stand-up | 1986 | 2015 |
| Hurler | International Coasters, Inc. | Wooden | 1994 | 2015 |
| Volcano: The Blast Coaster | Intamin | Steel-Inverted-Launched | 1998 | 2018 |
| Anaconda | Arrow Dynamics | Custom Looping Coaster | 1991 | 2024 |
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Parts of the 1977 movieRollercoaster were filmed at Kings Dominion, and the park was involved in a major part of the film's plot.
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