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Kings Dominion is an
amusement park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...
located in Doswell, Virginia, north of
Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, Californi ...
and south of Washington, D.C. Owned and operated by
Cedar Fair Cedar Fair, L.P., formally Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, is a publicly traded master limited partnership headquartered at its Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio. The company owns and operates eleven amusement parks, nine included- ...
, the park opened to the public on May 3, 1975, and features more than 60 rides, shows and attractions including 13 roller coasters and a water park. Its name is derived from the name of its sister park, Kings Island, and the nickname for the state of
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...
, "Old Dominion."


History


Early history as Kings Dominion (1972–83)

Following the success of Kings Island in
Mason, Ohio Mason is a city in southwestern Warren County, Ohio, United States, approximately north of downtown Cincinnati. As of the 2020 census, Mason's population was 34,792. Mason is home to Kings Island amusement park and one of the largest tennis st ...
, Family Leisure Centers (a partnership formed between Taft Broadcasting Company and Top Value Enterprises) decided to expand into a new region of the country by opening a second park. A site was chosen in Doswell, Virginia, with construction beginning on October 1, 1972. 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, Kings Dominion officially opened on May 3, 1975, offering fifteen attractions including the Rebel Yell (later renamed
Racer 75 Racer 75 is a wooden racing roller coaster at Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia. Designed by John C. Allen, the ride opened with the park in 1975 as Rebel Yell. It features a similar track layout to The Racer (1972) at Kings Island and the now ...
), the Lion Country Safari Monorail, Galaxie, and a junior wooden roller coaster known as
Scooby-Doo ''Scooby-Doo'' is an American animated media franchise based on an animated television series launched in 1969 and continued through several derivative media. Writers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears created the original series, ''Scooby-Doo, Where Are ...
. Also present at the opening was a
log flume A log flume is a watertight flume constructed to transport lumber and logs down mountainous terrain using flowing water. Flumes replaced horse- or oxen-drawn carriages on dangerous mountain trails in the late 19th century. Logging operations pr ...
, steam train, a collection of flat rides and a cable-car sky ride that transported visitors between Old Virginia and The Happy Land of Hanna-Barbera. In addition, Kings Dominion's 1/3-scale replica of the
Eiffel Tower The Eiffel Tower ( ; french: links=yes, tour Eiffel ) is a wrought-iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower. Locally nicknamed ...
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. Daily admission price in 1975 was $7.50, and a dollar for parking. Opening day of the park saw 50,000 guests, with an additional 50,000-60,000 guests waiting to enter. Kings Dominion added its fourth roller coaster, a Schwarzkopf
shuttle loop Shuttle Loop is a type of steel launched shuttle roller coaster designed by Reinhold Spieldiener of Intamin and manufactured by Anton Schwarzkopf. A total of 12 installations were produced between 1977 and 1982. These 12 installations have been ...
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 to
Jolly Roger Amusement Park Jolly Roger Amusement Park is an amusement park located in Ocean City, Maryland. The park features two locations in Ocean City: one at the pier on the Ocean City boardwalk and one further uptown at 30th Street. Both locations feature numerous thri ...
in
Ocean City, Maryland Ocean City, officially the Town of Ocean City, is an Atlantic resort town in Worcester County, Maryland along the East Coast of the United States. The population was 6,844 at the 2020 U.S. census, although during summer weekends the city hosts b ...
,
Alton Towers Alton Towers Resort ( ) (often referred to as Alton Towers) is a theme park and resort complex in Staffordshire, England, near the village of Alton. The park is operated by Merlin Entertainments Group and incorporates a theme park, water pa ...
in
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
, and later to Hopi Hari in
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
where it exists today as ''Katapul''. Also in 1977, Kings Dominion was one of several amusement parks serving as location for the film ''
Rollercoaster A roller coaster, or rollercoaster, is a type of amusement ride that employs a form of elevated railroad track designed with tight turns, steep slopes, and sometimes inversions. Passengers ride along the track in open cars, and the rides are ...
''. 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 called ''Voyage to Atlantis'', a children's attraction mine ride known as ''Land of the Dooz'', and a
rotor Rotor may refer to: Science and technology Engineering * Rotor (electric), the non-stationary part of an alternator or electric motor, operating with a stationary element so called the stator *Helicopter rotor, the rotary wing(s) of a rotorcraft ...
called ''Time Shaft''. Only a year later in 1980, the flume ride was rethemed ''Haunted River''. Kings Dominion later expanded Old Virginia with the addition of the park's third wooden roller coaster, the Grizzly, in 1982 and a river rapids ride called
White Water Canyon White Water Canyon is a river rapids ride in the Cedar Fair parks of Canada's Wonderland, Kings Dominion, and Kings Island. The attraction features six seat raft-styled boats. It is the one of the three rides at Canada's Wonderland manufactur ...
in 1983. Kings Dominion was also active in political lobbying. They and other entertainment businesses convinced Virginia to make it illegal for schools to start classes before the
Labor Day Labor Day is a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday in September to honor and recognize the American labor movement and the works and contributions of laborers to the development and achievements of the United St ...
holiday in early September. 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. This law, known as the ''Kings Dominion Law'' after the amusement park, stayed in force until 2019.


Growth under KECO management (1983–92)

Taft Broadcasting Company sold its theme park division in late 1983 for $167.5 million to
Kings Entertainment Company Kings Entertainment Company (KECO) owned and/or operated six theme parks around the world. The company was originally owned by Taft Broadcasting and in 1984 was purchased for $167.5 million by senior executives and general managers of Taft's Amus ...
(KECO), a new company formed by senior executives and general managers of Taft's Amusement Park Group. Three parks were involved in the sale – Kings Island, Kings Dominion, and
Carowinds Carowinds is a amusement park located adjacent to Interstate 77 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The park straddles the North Carolina-South Carolina state line, with a portion of the park located in Fort Mill, South Carolina. However, it has an of ...
 – along with a 20-percent stake in Canada's Wonderland.
American Financial Group American Financial Group, Inc. is an American financial services holding company based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Its primary businesses are insurance and investments. Lines of business American Financial Group's major insurance division operates a ...
later purchased KECO in 1987 but allowed KECO to continue to manage operations at the amusement parks. One of the first additions under the new management group was Berserker – a
looping starship The Looping Starship is an amusement ride manufactured by Intamin of Switzerland. The ride is a swinging ship that can spin a complete 360-degree revolution. The ride has been modified with custom theming to resemble a number of different vehicl ...
ride added to International Street in 1984. Also that year,
Smurf Mountain Smurf Mountain was a powered mine train ride through a mountain past several animated scenes at Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia, United States. History In 1979, "The Lost World" opened, 4 years after Kings Dominion's opening. With 17 million ...
replaced the mine ride Land of the Dooz, transforming the Lost World into
The Smurfs ''The Smurfs'' (french: Les Schtroumpfs; nl, De Smurfen) is a Belgian comic franchise centered on a fictional colony of small, blue, humanoid creatures who live in mushroom-shaped houses in the forest. ''The Smurfs'' was first created and in ...
theme. Kings Dominion unveiled a
TOGO Togo (), officially the Togolese Republic (french: République togolaise), is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, where its c ...
stand-up roller coaster A stand-up roller coaster is a roller coaster designed to have the passengers stand through the course of the ride. History The first stand-up roller coasters in the world were originally built as sit-down roller coasters. Japanese manufacturer ...
in 1986 called
Shockwave In physics, a shock wave (also spelled shockwave), or shock, is a type of propagating disturbance that moves faster than the local speed of sound in the medium. Like an ordinary wave, a shock wave carries energy and can propagate through a med ...
, 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, and
Avalanche An avalanche is a rapid flow of snow down a slope, such as a hill or mountain. Avalanches can be set off spontaneously, by such factors as increased precipitation or snowpack weakening, or by external means such as humans, animals, and ea ...
, which remains the only Mack
bobsled roller coaster A bobsled roller coaster is a roller coaster that uses a track design that is essentially a "pipe" with the top half removed and has cars that are sent down this pipe in a freewheeling mode. The name derives from the great similarity to the track ...
in the United States, debuted the following year in 1988. 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 the
Winter Olympics The Winter Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'hiver) is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were h ...
. 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 from Arrow Dynamics called
Anaconda Anacondas or water boas are a group of large snakes of the genus '' Eunectes''. They are found in tropical South America. Four species are currently recognized. Description Although the name applies to a group of snakes, it is often used t ...
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, but unlike Arrow's six-inversion coaster
Drachen Fire Drachen Fire was a steel roller coaster located at Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Virginia. Manufactured by Arrow Dynamics, the ride opened to the public in 1992. Drachen Fire featured a lift hill, six inversions, and a zero-gravit ...
that opened at
Busch Gardens Williamsburg Busch Gardens Williamsburg (formerly known as Busch Gardens Europe and Busch Gardens: The Old Country) is a amusement park located in James City County near Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. Located approximately northwest of Virginia ...
the following year, the Anaconda actually has only four inversions: a
vertical loop The generic roller coaster vertical loop, where a section of track causes the riders to complete a 360 degree turn, is the most basic of roller coaster inversions. At the top of the loop, riders are completely inverted. History The vertical ...
, a sidewinder, and two consecutive corkscrews. A new 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 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 on inner tubes), Splash Island (an area for children with five water slides), and a
lazy river A lazy river is a water ride found in water park A water park (or waterpark, water world) is an amusement park that features water play areas such as swimming pools, water slides, splash pads, water playgrounds, and lazy rivers, as well a ...
.


Paramount era (1993–2006)

Kings Dominion continued its growth when it became part of
Paramount Parks Paramount Parks was the operator of Paramount's Kings Island, Paramount's Kings Dominion, Paramount's Great America, Paramount's Carowinds, and Paramount Canada's Wonderland, which annually attracted about 13 million patrons. National Amusemen ...
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 Paramount's Kings Dominion almost every season that they were under Paramount's ownership. In 1993, they added a motion simulator attraction, originally featuring the ''
Days of Thunder ''Days of Thunder'' is a 1990 American sports action drama film released by Paramount Pictures, produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Tony Scott. The cast includes Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Robert Duvall, Randy Quaid, Ca ...
'' film, and Lion County Safari was removed at the end of the season. Also in 1993,
Smurf Mountain Smurf Mountain was a powered mine train ride through a mountain past several animated scenes at Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia, United States. History In 1979, "The Lost World" opened, 4 years after Kings Dominion's opening. With 17 million ...
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 picture ''
Wayne's World "Wayne's World" was originally a recurring sketch from the NBC television series ''Saturday Night Live''. It evolved from a segment titled "Wayne's Power Minute" (1987) on the CBC Television series '' It's Only Rock & Roll'', as the main charact ...
'', 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 the Candy Apple Grove; the Stan Mikita's was converted to the Juke Box Diner, and the Hurler was converted into Twisted Timbers, the park's newest roller coaster, 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 of Viacom 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 first LIM-launched roller coaster, The Outer Limits: Flight of Fear. The Outer Limits has a launch, four inversions, and an identical "spaghetti bowl" layout to Flight of Fear at Kings 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 from the television show after which the ride was named expired; the ''Outer Limits'' theming in the ride and its queue was removed, and the ride was renamed Flight of Fear. After the 2000 season, Flight of Fear's trains received lap bars instead of shoulder restraints. 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 as Scooby-Doo's Ghoster Coaster, George Jetson's Spaceport, and Huck's Hot Rods, continued to bear the names of Hanna-Barbera characters. 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 by
Intamin Intamin Amusement Rides is a design and manufacturing company in Schaan, Liechtenstein. It is best known for creating thrill rides and roller coasters worldwide. The Intamin brand name is a syllabic abbreviation for "international amusement ins ...
, 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 three heartline rolls on the way back down. Volcano was themed to the 1997 film ''
Volcano A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most often found where tectonic plates ...
''; the other Paramount Parks added inverted or suspended roller coasters themed to ''
Top Gun ''Top Gun'' is a 1986 American action drama film directed by Tony Scott, produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, with distribution by Paramount Pictures. The screenplay was written by Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr., and was inspired by an ...
'' around the same time. During the next two seasons, Kings Dominion expanded Hurricane Reef behind the Rebel Yell and renamed it
WaterWorks Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavors or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes. Public water supply systems are crucial to properly functioning societies. Th ...
. 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. The park added its third launched roller coaster, Hypersonic XLC, in 2001. Hypersonic XLC, a Thrust Air 2000 air-launched coaster made by
S&S Power S&S may refer to: *''Sense and Sensibility'', a novel by Jane Austen *''Salt and Sanctuary'', a video game *Sword and sorcery, a subgenre of fantasy and historical fantasy *Simon & Schuster, a publisher *S&S Cycle, a manufacturer of aftermarket engi ...
, launched riders from 0 to in 1.5 seconds, taking them up an 87-degree incline and down an 87-degree drop. 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. Nevertheless, Hypersonic XLC helped establish Kings Dominion's reputation as "the launched coaster capital of the world". 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 new wild mouse roller coaster, Ricochet (Now known as Apple Zapple),
Carowinds Carowinds is a amusement park located adjacent to Interstate 77 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The park straddles the North Carolina-South Carolina state line, with a portion of the park located in Fort Mill, South Carolina. However, it has an of ...
also installed its Ricochet in 2002. Diamond Falls, the Shoot 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 Drop Zone at Kings Dominion was the tallest freefall ride in the world at the time it opened. In 2004, Kings Dominion added Scooby-Doo! And the Haunted Mansion; similar Scooby-Doo-themed
dark ride A dark ride or ghost train is an indoor amusement ride on which passengers aboard guided vehicles travel through specially lit scenes that typically contain animation, sound, music and special effects. Appearing as early as the 19th century, su ...
s had opened at three other Paramount Parks during the three previous seasons. In the next season, Kings Dominion added a Huss Top Spin called Tomb Raider: Firefall, and was named The Crypt, which was a standard size and outdoor version of a similar, but larger, ride named Tomb Raider: The Ride, also now The Crypt, at Kings Island. The differences between the two were that at Kings Dominion riders' feet dangle freely and at Kings Island, which installed a Giant Top Spin, there was a floor. In the 2006 season, Kings Dominion opened the Italian 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 is designed more like a family ride and features multiple launches at . The coaster was later be renamed the ''Backlot Stunt Coaster'' in 2008. It is similar to the ''Backlot Stunt Coaster'' rides at Kings Island and Canada's Wonderland, which both opened in 2005. On May 22, 2006,
Cedar Fair Cedar Fair, L.P., formally Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, is a publicly traded master limited partnership headquartered at its Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio. The company owns and operates eleven amusement parks, nine included- ...
announced the purchase of all five Paramount Parks. The sale was finalized on June 30, 2006 for $1.24 billion. The park continued to operate as Paramount's Kings Dominion until the beginning of the 2007 season when Paramount was dropped from the title.


Cedar Fair era (2007–present)

Control of Paramount Parks had been transferred from Viacom to
CBS Corporation The second incarnation of CBS Corporation (the first being a short-lived rename of the Westinghouse Electric Corporation) was an American multinational media conglomerate with interests primarily in commercial broadcasting, publishing, an ...
in 2007. 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 a
ProSlide ProSlide Technology, Inc. is a Canadian designer and manufacturer of water rides and water park resorts. They design and manufacture both traditional slides and innovative rides such as water coasters, funnel-shaped Tornado slides, and Bowl sli ...
Tornado. During the Cedar Fair era, the park introduced Halloween 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. 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 offseason, Cedar Fair renamed the park's last two 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 received the name The Crypt. The Paramount Theater also changed its name to Kings Dominion Theater. The 2008 and 2009 seasons saw Kings Dominion receive three rides that had operated at
Geauga Lake Geauga Lake was an amusement park in Bainbridge Township and Aurora, Ohio. It was established in 1887, in what had been a local recreation area adjacent to a lake of the same name. The first amusement ride was added in 1889, and the park's f ...
during its dry amusement park's final season. On October 23, 2007, Kings Dominion announced that Dominator, a
floorless roller coaster A Floorless Coaster is a type of steel roller coaster manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard where riders sit with no floor underneath them, allowing their feet to swing freely just above the track. Development of the Floorless Coaster model bega ...
, would be moved to Kings Dominion and located in the International Street section.Kings Dominion , Virginia's Premier Themed Amusement Park (Richmond)
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, like Dominator, opened in 2008. Located near Rebel Yell, Americana became Kings Dominion's first Ferris wheel. For the 2010 season, Kings Dominion opened Intimidator 305, a
giga coaster A roller coaster, or rollercoaster, is a type of amusement ride that employs a form of elevated railroad track designed with tight turns, steep slopes, and sometimes inversions. Passengers ride along the track in open cars, and the rides are o ...
by
Intamin Intamin Amusement Rides is a design and manufacturing company in Schaan, Liechtenstein. It is best known for creating thrill rides and roller coasters worldwide. The Intamin brand name is a syllabic abbreviation for "international amusement ins ...
. The ride features a cable lift hill, an 85° first drop and a maximum speed of . The ride, which is themed to
NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and ...
driver
Dale Earnhardt Ralph Dale Earnhardt Sr. (; April 29, 1951February 18, 2001) was an American professional stock car driver and team owner, who raced from 1975 to 2001 in the former NASCAR Winston Cup Series (now called the NASCAR Cup Series), most notably dri ...
, was announced on August 20, 2009, and represents the park's largest-ever capital investment. It was opened to the public in May 2010. 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 at Canada's Wonderland and Kings 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 installed WindSeeker 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 and gives riders a view of the surrounding area. Kings Dominion also added
Dinosaurs Alive! ''Dinosaurs Alive!'' is a 2007 IMAX documentary produced by Giant Screen Films about various dinosaurs that inhabited the Earth between 251 and 65 Ma. The documentary features animals from the Triassic period of New Mexico to the Cretaceous ...
, 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. For the 2013 season,
Planet Snoopy Planet Snoopy is a ''Peanuts'' themed area for children at several Cedar Fair amusement parks. Locations Current Planet Snoopy at Kings Island was awarded the "Best Kids Area" Golden Ticket Awards from 2001–2018 by ''Amusement Today''. It was ...
merged with KidZville during a expansion to form the largest Planet Snoopy in the Cedar Fair chain. There are now 18 attractions covering . 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 returned the Rebel Yell roller coaster 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 the original names, Dinner Bell and Hungry Hippo, respectively. 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. On August 9, 2015, Shockwave closed in Candy Apple Grove permanently, and a swinging pendulum ride titled "Delirium" was built in its place. Hurler closed permanently at the end of the season on November 1, 2015. 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. For the 2018 season, Kings Dominion opened
Twisted Timbers Twisted Timbers is a steel roller coaster located at Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia. It originally opened as a wooden coaster named Hurler in 1994, designed and manufactured by International Coasters, Inc., with a name and layout that matc ...
on March 24, 2018, three years after Hurler operated for the last time, converting the track from wood to steel. It was built by Rocky 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. 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 the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
. After restrictions were partially lifted by Virginia governor Ralph 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. The event featured specialty food trucks, seasonal decorations, a small selection of rides. 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 named Tumbili, a 4D Free Spin model manufactured by S&S – Sansei Technologies.


Areas and attractions


Candy Apple Grove

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 an
orchard An orchard is an intentional plantation of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit- or nut-producing trees which are generally grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of ...
theme that included three apple-themed rides: Apple Turnover, Bad Apple, and Adam's Apple. Much of the apple-related themes were removed over the years, and the area became known as simply ''The Grove'' when it merged with the former Wayne's World area in 2001. 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. The animatronic Singing Mushrooms, popular decades ago, was redeveloped with newer technology and placed back on display. 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. 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 include WindSeeker, a swing ride that opened in 2012, and Delirium, a type of
pendulum A pendulum is a weight suspended from a pivot so that it can swing freely. When a pendulum is displaced sideways from its resting, equilibrium position, it is subject to a restoring force due to gravity that will accelerate it back toward th ...
amusement ride that opened in place of stand-up roller coaster
Shockwave In physics, a shock wave (also spelled shockwave), or shock, is a type of propagating disturbance that moves faster than the local speed of sound in the medium. Like an ordinary wave, a shock wave carries energy and can propagate through a med ...
in 2016. Candy Apple Grove's newest ride, steel coaster
Twisted Timbers Twisted Timbers is a steel roller coaster located at Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia. It originally opened as a wooden coaster named Hurler in 1994, designed and manufactured by International Coasters, Inc., with a name and layout that matc ...
, 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.


Jungle X-Pedition

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." Initially, the area was part of one of the park's original attractions, Lion Country Safari, which contained a
monorail A monorail (from "mono", meaning "one", and " rail") is a railway in which the track consists of a single rail or a beam. Colloquially, the term "monorail" is often used to describe any form of elevated rail or people mover. More accurat ...
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. 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 to Volcano: The Blast Coaster; the structure was demolished with the coaster in spring 2019.


International Street

International Street is the park's main entry area, featuring a fountain pool in the center of the walkway leading up to the 1/3 scale replica of the Eiffel Tower at the end of the street. The area is themed to a showcase of various European cultures, with buildings representing France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, and Italy. Originally, only the walkway and its shops were considered part of the International Street area; during the park's Paramount seasons, the boundaries of International Street expanded to include the Action Theater.


Old Virginia

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. An
Intamin Intamin Amusement Rides is a design and manufacturing company in Schaan, Liechtenstein. It is best known for creating thrill rides and roller coasters worldwide. The Intamin brand name is a syllabic abbreviation for "international amusement ins ...
Flying Dutchman flat ride called Jamestown Landing operated in Old Virginia through the 1970s, and was removed in 1980. A steam train ride called Old Dominion Line operated nearby in the same park section. It has since been removed.


Planet Snoopy

The section originally opened as Nickelodeon Splat City in 1995, and was later renamed Nickelodeon Central in 2000. It was re-themed to the
Peanuts ''Peanuts'' is a syndicated daily and Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz. The strip's original run extended from 1950 to 2000, continuing in reruns afterward. ''Peanuts'' is among the most popular and inf ...
for the 2010 season. In 2013, Cedar Fair merged the KidZville section of the park and introduced 12 new and re-themed attractions. Another expansion in 2017 updated the former Nickelodeon Central area of
Planet Snoopy Planet Snoopy is a ''Peanuts'' themed area for children at several Cedar Fair amusement parks. Locations Current Planet Snoopy at Kings Island was awarded the "Best Kids Area" Golden Ticket Awards from 2001–2018 by ''Amusement Today''. It was ...
with three new attractions and a covered pavilion area.


Soak City

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.


Fast Lane

Fast Lane is Kings Dominion's
virtual queue Virtual queue is a concept used in inbound call centers. Call centers use an Automatic Call Distributor (ACD) to distribute incoming calls to specific resources (agents) in the center. ACDs hold queued calls in First In, First Out order until agen ...
system. For $60, visitors get a wristband enabling them to get to the front of the line on 11 of the most popular attractions without queueing. They also offer “Fast Lane Plus”, which covers the same rides as Fast Lane, but also includes: Dominator, Intimidator 305, Tumbili, and Twisted Timbers. Fast Lane Plus at Kings Dominion is converted into regular Fast Lane during Winterfest due to a decrease in operating rides.


Halloween Haunt

Halloween Haunt is an annual
Halloween Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observan ...
event at Kings Dominion on weekends during the months of September and October. It debuted in 2001 as ''FearFest,'' but following Cedar Fair's acquisition of the park, the event was renamed ''Halloween Haunt'' in 2007. In 2017, Kings Dominion's Halloween Haunt was voted the second-best theme park Halloween event by USA Today. Kings Dominion cancelled the event in 2020 due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
. 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. The attraction drew criticism in the press due to the region's experience with mining disasters. ''
Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large na ...
'' writer Peter Galuszka (author of a book on the Upper Big Branch Mine disaster) 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". Kathleen Geier of ''
Washington Monthly ''Washington Monthly'' is a bimonthly, nonprofit magazine of United States politics and government that is based in Washington, D.C. The magazine is known for its annual ranking of American colleges and universities, which serves as an alternat ...
'' 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 the Rana Plaza factory disaster in Bangladesh?
Auschwitz Auschwitz concentration camp ( (); also or ) was a complex of over 40 Nazi concentration camps, concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany, occupied Poland (in a portion annexed int ...
: The Theme Park?". Following the controversy, Kings Dominion dropped Miner's Revenge from its Halloween maze lineup the following season.


Attractions

':


Timeline

* 1974: Preview event featuring a film theater, Scooby-Doo (now called Woodstock Express), and Lion Country Safari. * 1975: Grand opening, Eiffel Tower, Rebel Yell (wooden coaster), and Galaxie (steel coaster) * 1976: Apple Turnover (Enterprise flat ride) * 1977: King Kobra (Steel coaster) * 1978: Kings Dominion Campground * 1979: Lost World (Themed area) featuring Journey to Atlantis, Land of the Dooz and Time Shaft * 1980: Haunted River replaced Journey to Atlantis * 1982: Grizzly and Amphitheater * 1983: White Water Canyon; Galaxie coaster closed * 1984: Berserker; Smurf Mountain replaced Land of the Dooz * 1985: Diamond Falls and Scooby's Play Park * 1986:
Shockwave In physics, a shock wave (also spelled shockwave), or shock, is a type of propagating disturbance that moves faster than the local speed of sound in the medium. Like an ordinary wave, a shock wave carries energy and can propagate through a med ...
; King Kobra removed * 1987: Racing Rivers * 1988:
Avalanche An avalanche is a rapid flow of snow down a slope, such as a hill or mountain. Avalanches can be set off spontaneously, by such factors as increased precipitation or snowpack weakening, or by external means such as humans, animals, and ea ...
* 1989: Sky Pilot (replaced Monster) * 1990: Hanna-Barbera Land expansion * 1991:
Anaconda Anacondas or water boas are a group of large snakes of the genus '' Eunectes''. They are found in tropical South America. Four species are currently recognized. Description Although the name applies to a group of snakes, it is often used t ...
* 1992: Hurricane Reef (Water park) * 1993: Days of Thunder; Smurf Mountain removed * 1994: Hurler; Old Dominion Line steam train removed * 1995: Nickelodeon Splat City; The Time Shaft and The Haunted River are removed, leaving The Lost World completely empty * 1996: Flight of Fear and Xtreme SkyFlyer * 1997: Taxi Jam; Hanna-Barbera Land renamed KidZville * 1998:
Volcano A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most often found where tectonic plates ...
; Action Theater replaces Days of Thunder * 1999: Expansion of Hurricane Reef to WaterWorks * 2000: Nickelodeon Central; Pipeline Peak added to WaterWorks * 2001: HyperSonic XLC (Xtreme Launch Coaster); Stan Lee's 7th Portal 3D (feature in Action Theater); Shockwave and Anaconda repainted with new colors * 2002: Ricochet and Triple Spin; Meteor Attack (feature in Action Theater); ''Diamond Falls'' closes * 2003: Drop Tower and SpongeBob SquarePants 3-D (feature in Action Theater) * 2004: Scooby-Doo & The Haunted Mansion * 2005: Tomb Raider Firefall (later known as The Crypt) * 2006:
Backlot Stunt Coaster Backlot Stunt Coaster is a launched roller coaster located at three Cedar Fair amusement parks. The first two installations opened at Kings Island and Canada's Wonderland in 2005 under the name Italian Job: Stunt Track, while the third opened at ...
and Thunder Raceway Go-Karts * 2007: Tidal Wave Bay, Tornado and Zoom Flume added to WaterWorks; FearFest becomes Halloween Haunt * 2008: Dominator (Originally from the now-closed amusement park
Geauga Lake Geauga Lake was an amusement park in Bainbridge Township and Aurora, Ohio. It was established in 1887, in what had been a local recreation area adjacent to a lake of the same name. The first amusement ride was added in 1889, and the park's f ...
); Hypersonic XLC removed * 2009: El Dorado and Americana (both relocated from Geauga Lake); Grizzly retracked * 2010: Intimidator 305 (
Intamin Intamin Amusement Rides is a design and manufacturing company in Schaan, Liechtenstein. It is best known for creating thrill rides and roller coasters worldwide. The Intamin brand name is a syllabic abbreviation for "international amusement ins ...
Giga Coaster A roller coaster, or rollercoaster, is a type of amusement ride that employs a form of elevated railroad track designed with tight turns, steep slopes, and sometimes inversions. Passengers ride along the track in open cars, and the rides are o ...
); Nickelodeon Central becomes Planet Snoopy; Boo Blasters on Boo Hill replaces Scooby-Doo & The Haunted Mansion; Rebel Yell retracked * 2011: Snoopy's Starlight Spectular; Shockwave repainted a new color; Grizzly retracked; El Dorado closes * 2012: WindSeeker and
Dinosaurs Alive! ''Dinosaurs Alive!'' is a 2007 IMAX documentary produced by Giant Screen Films about various dinosaurs that inhabited the Earth between 251 and 65 Ma. The documentary features animals from the Triassic period of New Mexico to the Cretaceous ...
; Fast Lane debuts; Dinosaur 3D replaces SpongeBob SquarePants 3-D ( motion seats removed), this was the final year for Snoopy's Splash Dance, Yogi's Cave and 5 other Kidzville rides. * 2013: Planet Snoopy expansion and merges with KidZville; 8 new rides were added. * 2014: 40th Anniversary celebration; International Street fountain restored, Candy Apple Grove and Safari Village return; Volcano: The Blast Coaster and Anaconda retrofitted. * 2015: 40th Anniversary celebration continues; WaterWorks expands and is renamed to Soak City with new attractions including Aqua Blast, Paradise Plunge, Splash Island and Thunder Falls; Shockwave and Hurler close * 2016: Delirium opens in place of Shockwave * 2017: Planet Snoopy expansion with the addition of Kite Eating Tree, Sally's Sea Plane, and Peanuts 500; Tornado closes * 2018:
Twisted Timbers Twisted Timbers is a steel roller coaster located at Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia. It originally opened as a wooden coaster named Hurler in 1994, designed and manufactured by International Coasters, Inc., with a name and layout that matc ...
and WinterFest. Rebel Yell renamed Racer 75 and Ricochet renamed Apple Zapple. * 2019: Big Wave Bay, Dinosaurs Alive, and Volcano: The Blast Coaster close * 2020: The Crypt is removed; park closed until December due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
* 2021: Coconut Shores area opens in Soak City with Lighthouse Landing and Sand Dune Lagoon, replacing Big Wave Bay and Soak City Splash House * 2022: Tumbili coaster replaces The Crypt. Avalanche renamed Reptilian and Scrambler renamed Arachnidia. *2023: Year Round operations start.


Retired rides and attractions


Former roller coasters


Other rides

* 1974-1993: Lion Country Safari * 1975–1983: Adam's Apple/Vertigo (Himalaya ride) * 1975–1984: Flying Carpets * 1975–1995: Old Dominion Line (steam train) * 1975–1995: Sky Ride (two entrances, one next to the Racer 75 and one in (Planet Snoopy)Hanna-Barbera Land; one entrance still stands) * 1975–1988: Bad Apple (Monster) * 1975–2011: Yogi's Cave (renamed and rethemed later, did not open in 2012 and was demolished after the season was over, replaced by Snoopy's Junction) * 1976–1993: Apple Turnover (Enterprise ride next to Lake Charles) * 1976–1990: Mt. Kilimanjaro (
Bayern Kurve The Bayern Kurve is roller coaster like amusement ride that moves a train around a banked circular track, gaining speed as the ride progresses. It is made in both a portable and park model and originally debuted in 1965. It was invented by German ...
) * 1976–1983: Flying Bobs * 1979–1980: Lost World Mountain: Journey to Atlantis (replaced by Haunted River) * 1979–1995: Lost World Mountain: The Time Shaft * 1979–1983: Lost World Mountain: Journey to the Land of Dooz * 1980–1995: Lost World Mountain: The Haunted River * 1984–1993:
Smurf Mountain Smurf Mountain was a powered mine train ride through a mountain past several animated scenes at Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia, United States. History In 1979, "The Lost World" opened, 4 years after Kings Dominion's opening. With 17 million ...
* 1985–2002: Diamond Falls (shoot the chute) (located where Backlot Stunt Coaster sits) * 1986–1996: Fred's Jungle Gym (children's play area) * 1987–1996: Racing Rivers (waterslide complex) * 1989–1998: Sky Pilot (Located near Racer 75 in Candy Apple Grove) * 1992–2004: Kiddie Cove (children's area of WaterWorks(Soak City)) * 1992–2007: Spiral Chute (two, body waterslides next to the Anaconda roller coaster) * 1992–2014: Shoot-The-Curl (water slide, demolished to make room for a food stand) * 1995–2012: Snoopy's Splash Dance (formerly Nickelodeon Green Slime Zone) * 1997–2012: KidZville (This section became part of Planet Snoopy in 2013.) * 1998-2019: Soak City Splash House (children's water play area; replaced by Lighthouse Landing) * 1999–2019: Big Wave Bay (wave pool) * 2005–2019: The Crypt ( HUSS Park Attractions Top Spin) (replaced by Tumbili in 2022) * 2007–2017: Tornado (a
ProSlide ProSlide Technology, Inc. is a Canadian designer and manufacturer of water rides and water park resorts. They design and manufacture both traditional slides and innovative rides such as water coasters, funnel-shaped Tornado slides, and Bowl sli ...
Tornado water slide at Soak City) * 2009–2011: El Dorado (where the WindSeeker is now located) * 2010–2016: Snoopy's Moon Bounce (replaced by Sally's Sea Plane) * 2012–2018:
Dinosaurs Alive! ''Dinosaurs Alive!'' is a 2007 IMAX documentary produced by Giant Screen Films about various dinosaurs that inhabited the Earth between 251 and 65 Ma. The documentary features animals from the Triassic period of New Mexico to the Cretaceous ...
(animatronic dinosaur walkthrough)


Kings Dominion logos

File:Original_Kings_Dominion_Logo.png, Original Kings Dominion logo used from 1975 to 1992; sometimes used in-park since 2014 File:Kings Dominion (logo).jpg, Paramount's Kings Dominion Logo used from 1993 to 2003 File:Kings Dominion logo 2003.jpg, Paramount's Kings Dominion logo from 2003 to 2006 File:Kings Dominion logo 2007-2011.png, Logo used briefly in 2007 after the switch from Paramount Parks File:Kings Dominion logo.svg, Kings Dominion 2008–present


In popular culture

Parts of the 1977 movie ''
Rollercoaster A roller coaster, or rollercoaster, is a type of amusement ride that employs a form of elevated railroad track designed with tight turns, steep slopes, and sometimes inversions. Passengers ride along the track in open cars, and the rides are ...
'' were filmed at Kings Dominion, and the park was involved in a major part of the film's plot.


References


External links

* * {{Paramount Parks Cedar Fair amusement parks 1975 establishments in Virginia Amusement parks in Virginia Landmarks in Virginia Buildings and structures in Hanover County, Virginia Tourist attractions in Hanover County, Virginia Interstate 95 Amusement parks opened in 1975