A Walk in the Park: A History of Kings Island
Blog by Stacha Yundt
Since 1972, Kings Island — Warren County's beloved and world-renowned amusement and water park — has thrilled visitors with its can't-miss collection of record-breaking coasters, award-winning themed areas, and picture-perfect moments.
As Kings Island gears up for another season of fun, let's take a look back at where it all began and at just a few of the ways the park has made its mark.
How KI Came to Be (a Very Abridged History Lesson)
The original concept of Kings Island began waaay back in 1964 when flood waters submerged historic Coney Island, a popular amusement park located near downtown Cincinnati and just a short drive South of Warren County. Hoping to avoid a repeat dilemma, Coney Island's crew considered moving their park to a new location further away from potential flooding hazards. While the move made sense, it wasn’t taken seriously until a few years later in 1968 when rumors of a rival park potentially popping up in nearby Northern Kentucky began to surface. One year later in July of 1969 the Taft Broadcasting Company acquired Coney Island and purchased a plot of land in our neck of the woods - Warren County - for a new theme park.
When construction first began in 1970, a public contest was held to determine the name of this new park. The winner (Kings Island, of course) was the most popular choice because it not only acknowledged the nearby neighborhood of Kings Mills, but also paid tribute to the park that came before it - Coney Island. In fact, even to this day, one of Kings Island's most longstanding entertainment areas (Coney Mall) still pays tribute to its Cincy-based predecessor.
Less than two years after the park got its name, Kings Island officially opened its gates for the first time on April 29, 1972.
KI's Rides Have Made History (and Memories)!
Believe it or not, there was a time when roller coasters weren't all the craze. In fact, following the Great Depression, only about 200 coasters remained in operation across the globe. That all changed though, with a little ride called The Racer.
One of Kings Island's original rides, The Racer was the talk of the town - even the country - as soon as it opened. An instant hit, The Racer's popularity helped usher in the “second golden age” of roller coasters. It was so popular in fact, that even the "The Brady Bunch" kids took a spin on it in an episode of the classic TV sitcom!
Still in operation today, more than 107 million guests have now ridden the Racer — making it the most historical ride in the park. In a fitting tribute, the park recently repainted The Racer ahead of their 50th anniversary season to match its original color scheme: a red track, white structure, and blue handrails.
The Racer, though iconic, is far from the park's only record-breaking wonder.
More than 45 years after it was first unleashed, The Beast still holds the record for the longest wooden roller coaster in the world. Over its lifetime, in fact, the beloved wooden wonder has also held world records for the tallest wooden coaster, the wooden coaster with the longest drop, and the fastest wooden coaster.
Another record-crusher in KI's coaster lineup, Banshee debuted to the public in 2014 and is still one of the longest inverted coasters in the world.
The park's most recent high-adrenaline addition, Orion, flaunts a ridiculous 300-foot drop, making it one of just 7 giga coasters on the globe.
Another Season of Fun
Since 1972, springtime in Warren County is filled with more than singing birds and blossoming trees — it's heralded by the sounds of roller coasters echoing across Mason. With Kings Island's regular summer season now expanded to include Halloween Haunt and the family-friendly Tricks and Treats Fall Fest each September and October, and the holiday celebration WinterFest, there's even more fun to be had than ever before!
Cross Kings Island off of your theme park bucket list and plan your adventure right here at OhiosLargestPlayground.com!