Kings Island

Slogan	Thrills Connect
Location	Mason, Ohio, United States
Coordinates	39°20′29″N 84°16′21″W / 39.3413°N 84.2725°W / 39.3413; -84.2725Coordinates: 39°20′29″N 84°16′21″W / 39.3413°N 84.2725°W / 39.3413; -84.2725
Owner	Cedar Fair Entertainment Company
General Manager	Greg Scheld
Opened	April 29, 1972
Previous names	Paramount's Kings Island (1993-2006)
Operating season	April through October
Rides
Total	48
Roller coasters	14
Water rides	3
Website	http://www.visitkingsisland.com

Kings Island is a 364-acre (147 ha) amusement park located 24 miles (39 km) northeast of Cincinnati in Mason, Ohio.^[1] Opened in 1972 by Taft Broadcasting Company and now owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, Kings Island is the most visited seasonal amusement park in the U.S. with an estimated 3.1 million visitors in 2010 (second overall in North America behind sister park Canada's Wonderland).^[2]

Originally part of a 1,600-acre (6.5 km²) purchase, Kings Island currently owns 773 acres (3.13 km²) of land.^[3] It offers over 80 rides, shows, and attractions including 14 roller coasters and a 15-acre (61,000 m²) water park. Kings Island has won Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Award for having the "Best Kids' Area" in the world for eleven consecutive years (2001–2011).^[4]

History[link]

Origins[link]

Kings Island's iconic entrance with the Eiffel Tower

Kings Island was an idea conceived as early as 1964 when Coney Island, a popular park on the banks of the Ohio River 10 miles (16 km) east of downtown Cincinnati, suffered from a major flood that submerged the area in over 14 feet (4.3 m) of water. Although flooding was nothing new for the successful amusement park, limited space for expansion and parking was becoming just as much an obstacle. The Wachs family who owned and operated Coney Island decided it was time to relocate the park in order to stay competitive. In 1968 after actor Fess Parker announced plans to build a new theme park in Northern Kentucky, the need to finalize plans became more urgent. In July 1969 following several failed attempts to find a major financial partner, the Wachs sold Coney Island to the Taft Broadcasting Company (a business interested in promoting its recently acquired Hanna-Barbera division) for $6.5 million USD. Taft Broadcasting Co. then purchased 1,600 acres (6.5 km²)^[3] of land in Warren County, Ohio for $3.2 million to be used for the future site of the new park.

Early history with Taft Broadcasting and KECO (1970-1992)[link]

Construction began on June 15, 1970 in what was then a part of Deerfield Township. Later that year a public contest was held to name the new park. "Kings Island" emerged the most popular for its recognition of the Kings Mills area as well as its predecessor Coney Island. Most of the former park's rides were either relocated to Kings Island or demolished (it was set to close following the 1971 season but reopened permanently in 1973).^[3][5] Less than two years after breaking ground, Kings Island opened its gates for the first of several preview events on April 29, 1972 and officially opened to the public the following month on May 27. The site is located between I-71 and the Little Miami River and remained in Deerfield Township until annexed into the city of Mason in 1997.

Early on, Kings Island was nationally promoted in two well-known ABC sitcoms. Each filmed an episode on location at the park: The Partridge Family in 1972 and The Brady Bunch the following year in 1973. The Brady Bunch was produced by Paramount Studios, who just happened to be a large shareholder in the Taft Broadcasting Company.^[6] In later years, Kings Island would change ownership several times. Taft sold its theme park division in 1984 for $167.5 million to Kings Entertainment Company (KECO), a 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 — along with a 20-percent stake in Canada's Wonderland. Only three years later in 1987, the chain of parks were sold again. American Financial Corporation led by Carl Lindner purchased KECO for $150 million but allowed the company to operate independently and continue managing operations at each park.^[7][8] California's Great America was added to the lineup in 1989.^{[citation needed]}

Paramount's Kings Island (1992-2006)[link]

In 1992, Kings Island and the rest of the parks under KECO were purchased by Paramount Communications Inc. (formerly Gulf+Western) for $400 million. Paramount formed a new division which was known as Paramount Parks. In addition, they bought out the remaining 80% stake in Canada's Wonderland in 1993 raising the total number of parks to five. That same year Paramount Parks began adding its themes which often were from hit movies released by the studio. Viacom entered the picture in 1994 and purchased Paramount Communications Inc. paving the way for Nickelodeon themes to be used throughout the parks. Kings Island saw the addition of Nickelodeon Splat City which evolved into Nickelodeon Central and eventually Nickelodeon Universe. When Viacom split into two companies in 2005 (Viacom and CBS Corporation), CBS inherited ownership of Paramount Parks and soon after in January 2006 announced they were interested in putting the theme parks up for sale.^[9]

The Cedar Fair era (2006-present)[link]

On June 30, 2006, Cedar Fair Entertainment Co. took CBS up on their offer and made the purchase for approximately USD $1.24 billion.^[10] With this acquisition, Cedar Fair would own all three major amusement parks in Ohio: Paramount's Kings Island, Cedar Point and Geauga Lake (purchased from Premier Parks in 2004). Kings Island would continue to use the Paramount branding through the end of the 2006 season. Cedar Fair began removing it from the park the following year from a number of attractions — rides, live shows and restaurants — that were based on Paramount Pictures and other Viacom themes. Some popular examples of this include FACE/OFF changing to Invertigo, the Italian Job Stunt Track to Backlot Stunt Coaster, Tomb Raider: The Ride to The Crypt, and Top Gun to Flight Deck. Nickelodeon's presence would remain in the park through 2009 until Cedar Fair completed work in the off-season to change the kids' area to the Peanuts theme.

In late 2009, the Mason City Council decided to put a measure on a 2010 ballot that would mandate a 3-percent ticket tax and a 5-percent parking tax at both Kings Island and The Beach waterpark. Council member Tony Bradburn argued that it was necessary in order to generate enough revenue for the city to help pay for infrastructure improvements, as well as cover the costs of police and fire expenses.^[11] This proposed tax hike was the center of debate for several months leading up to the vote, in which Kings Island actively encouraged the public to write, email and call Mason City Council representatives to express opposition to the tax.^[12] On February 8, 2010, the Mason City Council voted against the tax increase overwhelmingly by a vote of 5-1.^[13][14]

Original attractions[link]

The Racer as it looked in 1975 with the defunct Zodiac to the right

The central attraction at Kings Island is International Street featuring the Royal Fountain, a 600,000-US-gallon pool (2,300 m³) capable of shooting 10,000 US gallons (38 m³) of water into the air each minute,^[15] and the signature Eiffel Tower, a 1/3 scale replica of the original which offers a view of the entire park to its guests. Also located here is the Grand Carousel, Kings Island Theater, and a variety of restaurants and souvenir shops.

Another original attraction is The Racer, a wooden roller coaster consisting of two trains that race each other side-by-side on identical tracks. Designed by legendary designer John C. Allen, The Racer is recognized as being an integral part of the roller coaster renaissance of the 1970s. On June 18, 2007 American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE) awarded it the Roller Coaster Landmark plaque.^[16]

Other roller coasters present at the opening in 1972 were the Bavarian Beetle, a small steel coaster brought over from Coney Island, and a new junior wooden coaster in the Happy Land of Hanna-Barbera originally named Scooby-Doo.

Additional attractions present on opening day were Haley's Comet, Kings Mill Log Flume, Les Taxis, Grand Carousel, Der Spinning Keggers, Sky Ride, Enchanted Voyage, Marathon Turnpike, Scrambler, Flying Scooters, Winnie Witch's Spinning Cauldrons, Kings Island and Miami Valley Railroad, Monster, and The Rotor.

Current areas and attractions[link]

Action Zone[link]

Action Zone opened in 1999 as a movie stunt set featuring a water tower as the centerpiece. The water tower was originally part of a skit with stunts and special effects. The skit was meant to resemble a live movie set with a director and stunt performers. The performance would open with the stunt crew on a tower coming under heavy gunfire and escaping on a zip line, with the final performer falling as the tower was exploding.^[17]

The area originally opened in 1974 as Lion Country Safari, but was soon changed to Wild Animal Habitat. In 1994, Paramount decided to rename the area to Adventure Village. Then in 1999 following the first of a two-year area expansion, Adventure Village was renamed Action Zone. The area features three roller coasters, three thrill rides, and two family rides.

Coney Mall[link]

The area was originally named Coney Island when it opened with the park in 1972, named after the park's predecessor, Coney Island, which was scheduled to close permanently following the 1971 season. However, when it reopened less than two years later, Kings Island decided to rename the park's section to Old Coney. The area received its current name, Coney Mall, in 1986. It is set to a carnival theme with many classic flat rides, game booths, arcades, and food stands. The area features five roller coasters, one thrill ride, and five family rides.

X-Base[link]

This area is a sub-section within Coney Mall that opened in 2007. Flight of Fear had existed previously, but with the addition of Firehawk, the area took on its own theme centered around flight and propulsion. Although the area is designated by a sign, it is not officially listed on the park map.

Ride	Year Opened	Manufacturer (Model)	Description	Rating
Firehawk	2007	Vekoma (Flying Dutchman)	A (1018 m) flying roller coaster. Firehawk is located directly beside of Flight of Fear in the X-Base themed section of the park. The ride itself carries the same theme as it did as "X-Flight," a government flight prototype looking for test subjects codenamed Firehawk. This ride is Kings Island's 14th coaster. Operated at Geauga Lake as X-Flight (2001–2006).	5
Flight of Fear	1996	Premier Rides (LIM Catapult Coaster)	A LIM-launched roller coaster prototype. Over-the-Shoulder harnesses were also removed and replaced with lap bars in 2001. Identical to the coaster with the same name that opened at Kings Dominion the same year. Formerly known as Outer Limits: Flight of Fear (1996–2000).	5

International Street[link]

International Street is the first themed area to greet guests entering the park. It has been one of the park's original staples since opening day in 1972. Through its architecture, the area represents a variety of European cultures from countries including Italy, Spain, France, Germany, and Sweden. It has several restaurants and souvenir shops, the Royal Fountain with light and water shows, and a one-third-scale replica of the Eiffel Tower. The area also features three family rides.

Oktoberfest[link]

Oktoberfest opened with the park in 1972. The area resembles a German town with timber-framed German-style architecture. The Festhaus is the central attraction featuring live shows with several indoor eateries to choose from. There is also a full service bar located atop a portion of Oktoberfest lake. Rides include one roller coaster, one thrill ride, and one family ride.

Planet Snoopy[link]

Joe Cool's Dodgem School in front of Woodstock Express

The area initially opened with the park in 1972 as The Happy Land of Hanna-Barbera and was later shortened to Hanna-Barbera Land. The upper part that borders Rivertown saw the addition of a kids' play area, stage, and water attraction in 1995 and was renamed Nickelodeon Splat City. In 2001, Kings Mills Log Flume became The Wild Thornberrys River Adventure and Rugrats Runaway Reptar roller coaster was introduced. The expansion of this area into the lower part of Rivertown became known as Nickelodeon Central. At the start of the 2006 season, when Cedar Fair purchased the rights to the park the rights to the park from Paramount, the rest of the Hanna-Barbera Land was gradually converted as well and was renamed "Nickelodeon Universe".^[8] Nickelodeon-themed elements remained in the park until 2010 when Nickelodeon Universe was rethemed and renamed Planet Snoopy based on the popular comic strip Peanuts.^[27]

Planet Snoopy contains many rides intended for smaller children, though it also includes two roller coasters, a skater coaster, and a log flume ride. Amusement Today has awarded Kings Island with the Golden Ticket Award for the Best Kids' Area in the World for the past eleven years.^[4]

Ride	Year opened	Manufacturer (Model)	Description	Rating
Character Carousel	1982	Chance Morgan (36-Foot Carrousel)	Children's carousel. Formerly known as Hanna Barbera Carousel (1982–2005) and Nick-O-Round (2006–2009).	1
Charlie Brown's Wind Up	1992	Zamperla	Chair swing ride for children. Formerly known as Pixie and Dixie's Swingset (1992–2005) and Backyardigan's Swing-Along (2006–2009).	1
Flying Ace Aerial Chase	2001	Vekoma (Suspended family coaster)	Steel roller coaster designed by for all ages. Formerly known as Rugrats Runaway Reptar (2001–2009). Its top speed is 26 miles per hour (42 km/h) and lasts for roughly 1 minute and 30 seconds.[28]	4
Joe Cool's Dodgem School	1976	Jurgen Scmidt, Rivervaze, NJ	Children's bumper cars. Formerly known as Flintstone's Boulder Bumpers (1976–2005) and Jimmy Neutron's Atom Smasher (2006–2009).	2
Kite Eating Tree	2006	Zamperla (Jumpin' Star)	A mini-drop ride that takes riders 20 feet (6.1 m) into the air that bounces up and down as the ride eventually lowers to the ground. Formerly known as Plankton’s Plunge (2006–2009).	3
Linus' Beetle Bugs	1972	William F. Mangels (Whip Jr.)	Classic whip ride . Operated at Coney Island, Cincinnati (1967–1971). Formerly known as Screecher, Funky Phantom, Alley Cat 500 (??-2005), and Swiper's Sweepers (2006–2009).	1
Linus' Launcher	2006	Zamperla (Kite Flyer)	Formerly known as Danny Phantom's Phantom Flyers (2006–2007) and Phantom Flyers (2006–2009).	3
PEANUTS 500	1979	Venture Ride Manufacturer Inc.	Drivable car ride. Formerly known as Mr. Jinks Jalopies (1979-??), Kiddie Turnpike, Fender Bender 500 (??-2005) and Nick Jr. Drivers (2006–2009).	1
PEANUTS Off-Road Rally	1972	Hampton Amusement Corporation	Miniature carousel car ride. Operated at Coney Island, Cincinnati (1969–1971). Formerly known as Pee Wee Raceway, Motor Mouse, and Go Diego Go!.	1
Race For Your Life Charlie Brown	1972	Hopkins Rides/Arrow Dynamics	Themed Log Flume ride modeled after the 1977 Peanuts movie. Operated at Coney Island, Cincinnati (1968–1971). Closed during the 2000 season, it reopened under a new name and Nickelodeon theme in 2001. Formerly known as Kings Mills Log Flume (1972–1999) and The Wild Thornberrys River Adventure (2001–2009).	4
Sally's Sea Plane	1998	Zamperla (Crazy Bus)	Formerly known as Atom Ant's Airways (1998–2005) and Timmy's Airtours (2006–2009).	2
Snoopy vs. Red Baron	1992	Zamperla (Mini Jet)	Themed after the popular Peanuts comic strip featuring Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron[disambiguation needed ]. Formerly known as Dick Dastardly's Biplanes (1992–2005) and Blue's Skidoo (2006–2009).	2
Snoopy's Junction	1982	Mack Rides	Guided rail train cars. Formerly known as Quick Draw's Railway (1982–2005) and La Adventura de Azul (2006–2009).	1
Snoopy's Splash Dance	1995		Walk-through water attraction. Formerly known as Nickelodeon Green Slime Zone (1995–2005) and SpongeBob SquarePants Bikini Bottom Bash (2006–2009).	1
Surf Dog	2006	Zamperla (Skater Coaster)	Skateboard themed ride that spins as it glides over a ramp. Formerly known as Avatar: The Last Airbender (2006–2009).	4
The Great Pumpkin Coaster	1992	E&F Miler Industries	A junior steel roller coaster that takes riders up a small hill through a series of dips and then circles back around to complete the circuit for a second time. The ride lasts for roughly 52 seconds.[29] The queue area used to be the loading area for the Enchanted Voyage ride. Formerly known as Scooby Zoom (1992–1997), Top Cat's Taxi Jam (1998–2005), and Little Bill's Giggle Coaster (2006–2009).	2
Woodstock Express	1972	Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters	A family wooden roller coaster. The ride lasts for roughly 1 minute and 30 seconds.[30] Formerly known as Scooby Doo (1972–1979), Beastie (1980–2005), and Fairly Odd Coaster (2006–2009).	4
Woodstock's Whirlybirds	1998	Caripro Amusement Technology	Helicopter-themed sky tram. Formerly known as Yogi's Sky Tours (1998–2005) and Lazytown Sportacopters (2006–2009).	1

Rivertown[link]

The area known as Rivertown has also been with the park since its opening in 1972. The area is set to a western theme as a town with ranch-style buildings, old wooden signs, and an old water tower. Swan lake was the centerpiece until Diamondback arrived in 2009. The area was originally going to be titled Frontier Land.^[31] It features two roller coasters and two family rides.

Soak City[link]

Free with park admission, Soak City is a 35-acre (140,000 m²) water park featuring two wave pools, several children's areas, and a variety of water slides. It originally opened in 1989 as WaterWorks and has since been expanded, renamed and rethemed several times. It was renamed and rethemed in 2004 to Crocodile Dundee's Boomerang Bay and in 2007 was again renamed to just Boomerang Bay. On September 2, 2011, Kings Island announced that a $10 million dollar expansion would take place in the 2011-2012 offseason, and that the water park would open in 2012 as Soak City.^[33]

Halloween Haunt (Seasonal)[link]

Halloween Haunt, formerly known as Fear Fest from 2000 to 2007, is the Halloween-themed event at Kings Island on weekends during the month of October after the regular season. It features haunted houses, mazes, live shows, and most of the park's regular season attractions. It has been a yearly event at Kings Island since its debut in 2000. The following section contains the most recent lineup of attractions for 2011.^[34]

There is also a children-friendly version during the day called Howl-O-Fest featuring kids activities in Planet Snoopy.

Other venues[link]

Fast Lane[link]

Fast Lane is Kings Island's 'two line' system, introduced in 2011. For a cost between $30 and $50 (in addition to normal admission charges), visitors receive a wrist band that enables them to bypass the 'normal-wait' line and enter the 'Fast Lane'. Opting for this benefit essentially allows purchasers to cut in at the front of the line on 24 of the most popular attractions without waiting. A limited amount of passes are sold each day.

Significant facts[link]

Notable additions[link]

1977: Screamin' Demon debuts as the first Arrow Development forward-and backward-looping roller coaster.^[36] It was later sold in 1987 to Camden Park where it operated until 1999 eventually being dismantled in 2004.

1979: Kings Island unveils The Beast breaking many world records at the time as the tallest, fastest, and longest roller coaster in the world.^[37] Thirty years later, it still holds the title of the world's longest wooden roller coaster at 7,359 ft (2,243 m) according to Guinness World Records.

1981: The park introduces The Bat generally accepted as the first permanent modern-day suspended roller coaster.^[38] However, plagued with mechanical problems and a substantial amount of downtime, The Bat was removed just three years later in 1984.

1982: Kings Island introduces Winterfest, a Christmas-time holiday event which ran from November 25 through December 31. The yearly event was held until 1992 and made a brief return in 2005.

Son of Beast with loop

1984: King Cobra opens. It was the first roller coaster in the world to be designed from the ground-up as a stand-up coaster, even though other coasters prior to its release had been converted to stand-up designs. King Cobra was dismantled and put up for sale in 2002 when downtime and maintenance proved to be too expensive.

1987: The Vortex is added to the park and briefly set a new record with six inversions.

1989: WaterWorks debuts as a family water park featuring a wave pool, water slides, and other attractions.

1999: Kings Island's "Adventure Village" area begins the first of a two-year expansion to re-energize the area. Renamed Paramount Action Zone, the area is completely re-themed as a brightly colored movie studio backlot. Two new rides, FACE/OFF and Drop Zone: Stunt Tower, open with the latter setting a new record for the world's tallest gyro drop (Sister park Kings Dominion released a version in 2003 that had a longer drop but was shorter in height).

2000: For the second year of the Paramount Action Zone two-year expansion, Son of Beast opened setting records as the world's tallest, fastest, and only-looping wooden roller coaster. The ride is billed as a sequel to Kings Island's own legendary roller coaster, The Beast. In October 2000, Kings Island debuted FearFest which runs annually from late September through October (later renamed to Halloween Haunt).

Overview of The Racer, plus Firehawk and Flight of Fear

2002: Tomb Raider: The Ride opens at Kings Island using an unorthodox marketing approach. The vehicle is by design concealed from view even as guests are being seated. Opening-day riders did not know what was going to happen as the ride started. Under the hood, the ride is based on a typical top spin model ride, except that this version is the world's first Giant variation holding nearly twice as many riders. In addition, the ride operates indoors synchronized to a composed musical score, lasers, water effects, fog, and theatrical lighting.

2005: Kings Island opens Italian Job: Stunt Track, a roller coaster that primarily focused on special effects to tie in with the film The Italian Job (sister park Canada's Wonderland also opened one the same year).

2007: Kings Island unveils Firehawk, a Vekoma flying Dutchman. This ride originally opened in 2001 at Geauga Lake under the name X-Flight but was relocated to Kings Island after the 2006 season. Its colors were also changed from neon green with dark gray supports to red with steel gray supports.

Diamondback splashdown

2009: A Bolliger & Mabillard steel hypercoaster called Diamondback opens in place of the former Swan Lake. It is the park's first steel hypercoaster. On July 22, 2008 dark red track sections were delivered to the park and set on site of the construction. The park launched a teaser program on their website the same day. On August 6, 2008 the park officially announced the new ride.^[39]

2010: Planet Snoopy opens in place of the Nickelodeon Universe kids area. The Nickelodeon theme and characters including Hanna-Barbera's Scooby-Doo are completely removed. This change marked the first time since the park's debut in 1972 that Scooby-Doo was not present in the park.

2011: WindSeeker, a tower swinger ride manufactured by Mondial, is added to the Coney Mall next to the Vortex. A Pay-Per-Use attraction called Dinosaurs Alive! also debuts at Kings Island as the world's largest animatronic dinosaur park.^[22] It is also located in Coney Mall near WindSeeker. This was also the last year for The Crypt. It will be replaced with a new Halloween Haunt attraction.

2012: Soak City was announced on September 2, 2011 as the new name for Boomerang Bay. The Australian theme will be dropped and new additions will include a second, larger wave pool along with a completely revamped lazy river ride and new names for all the attractions.^[40]

Notable events[link]

1972: ABC sitcom, The Partridge Family, filmed at the park in the episode "I Left My Heart in Cincinnati" which aired on January 26, 1973 (Episode #66 from Season 3).

1973: Another ABC sitcom, The Brady Bunch, filmed at the park in the episode "The Cincinnati Kids" which aired later that year on November 23.^[41]

1974: Sixty-nine-year-old Karl Wallenda broke a world skywalk distance record of 1,800 feet (550 m).^[42]

October 25, 1975: Evel Knievel successfully jumped 14 Greyhound buses at Kings Island, setting a new audience viewing record for ABC's Wide World of Sports, garnering a 52 household share when his performance was broadcast live. He landed on the 14th bus, but held on. This was one of his last big jumps.

May 24, 2008: Robbie Knievel, son of famed dare devil Evel Knievel, successfully jumped over 24 Coke Zero trucks in the Kings Island Parking Lot. This is expected to be the last of Robbie's big jumps.^[43]

July 4, 2008: High wire artist Rick Wallenda broke the world skywalk distance record of 1,800 feet (550 m) held by his grandfather, Karl Wallenda, by walking 2,000 feet (610 m) on a 75-foot-high wire (23 m) from Kings Island's Eiffel Tower to the park's entrance and back.^[44][45]

August 31, 2008: Barry Williams, Susan Olsen, and Mike Lookinland returned to Kings Island for A Very Brady Reunion, a four-show special of song, dance, and Brady Bunch stories.^[46]

Notable people[link]

• Curtis Cregan (actor) - Worked as a live shows performer as an emcee for the Nickelodeon show at Kings Island.
• Carmen Electra (singer) - Started her professional career in 1990 as a dancer at Kings Island in the show “It’s Magic”.
• Woody Harrelson (actor) - Wood Carver at Kings Island during high school.
• Lewis Johnson (reporter) - Former rides supervisor on the Beast and Racer roller coasters at Kings Island (1981–87)^[47]

Other names stated by Kings Island.^[48][49]

• Lisa Akey (actress)
• Jeff Day (Screenwriter/Director/Producer) - (Co-founder Lucky Day Studios) - Worked as live show performer 1983-1985
• Justin Jeffre (98 Degrees) Part of quartet that performed throughout the park.
• Susan Kay Johnson (Miss Ohio 1987)
• Nick Lachey (98 Degrees) Part of quartet that performed throughout the park.
• Susan Perkins (Miss America 1978)
• Rob Pottorf (Film Composer) - Worked as live show performer and starred in Kings Production's TV series, Pumpkin Creek
• Gigi Rice (actress)

Other[link]

Dog Street Cemetery[link]

Also known as Union Methodist, J. D. Hoff, Dill Graveyard, King's Island Cemetery. This cemetery, maintained by Deerfield Township, sits at the north end of the Kings Island parking lot entrance off Columbia Road. The historic cemetery, known as the Dog Street Cemetery, dates back to 1803. The Warren County Genealogical Society counts nearly 70 grave sites in the cemetery, although little more than 50 headstones still stand today.^[50]

In January 2012, the park and cemetery was featured on Ghost Hunters Roller Ghoster episode. According to the episode, The Park has been reportedly haunted by a little girl wearing a blue dress since the parks opening. Investigators say the ghost is believed to be that of a girl known as "Missouri Jane." ^[51] Warren County Genealogical Society records document a grave for a Missouri Jane Galeenor, who died in 1846 at the age of five years.

Roller coaster graveyards[link]

There are several roller coaster graveyard areas that are used to store old attractions and parts from Kings Island. One, known as the "Beast Graveyard", is located just east of FX Theater. There is another just east of Dinosaur Alive and a third one just north of Son of Beast.

Kings Island resort[link]

As part of the Kings Island resort, in 1972 Taft Broadcasting Company also built a world class golf course, hotel, and campground for guests to enjoy.

• The Golf Center at Kings Island

Designed by Jack Nicklaus and Desmond Muirhead the 18 hole "The Grizzly" and "The Bruin" is located just across intestate 71. This course has been used for PGA and LPGA tournaments throughout the years. Formerly known as Jack Nicklaus Golf Center, The Jack Nicklaus Golden Bear Golf Courses.

• Kings Island Inn

Designed as a small alpine village, the 300 room inn is located across the street from the park. It features a restaurant, indoor and outdoor pools,, tennis court, sand volley ball, half court basketball, and a conference center.

• Kings Island Campground

There used to be a 45-acre campground at the park. It had 350 sites plus overflow, 6 cabins, pool, game room, and store. There was also a free tram that would take camper to and from the park. The campground closed in 2004 and the land, except for the overflow area, was sold to Great Wolf Resorts.^[52]

Kings Island greenhouse[link]

The park has its own greenhouse just off of Columbia Road. It can be seen from the top of Flight Deck's lift hill. It is used to grow all of the flowers and topiary found around the park. Some of their notable work is the "Living Liberty Bell" topiary and working "Flower Clock" near the Eiffel Tower.^[53]

Medical center and fire station[link]

Located across from the Boo Blaster ride entrance is the "Kings Island Medical Center". This is also location of the Kings Island Fire Department (Warren County - Station 55).^[54]

Slogans[link]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2011)

• 1972: "America's Family Entertainment Center" also "Come on, get happy"
• 1981: "Take me with you"
• 1983: "Get ready for the thrill of your life"
• 1984-1986: "Do it All"
• 1989: "We've Got It All"^[55]
• 1992: "Let Yourself Go"^{[citation needed]}
• 1993: "Where the magic of the movies meet the thrills of a lifetime"
• 1994-1996: "The Only Place Thrills Are Paramount"
• 1997-2002: "Where the magic of the movies meet the thrills of a lifetime"
• 2003: "Choose your Adventure"
• 2004: "Memories That Last a Lifetime"
• 2005-2006: "The Best in Hollywood Entertainment, Now Playing"^[56]
• 2007–2011: "Kings Island, The Fun and Only!" also "Ride On"
• 2012-present: "Thrills Connect"

Awards[link]

• Amusement Today - Golden Ticket Award for Best Kids’ Area (2001–2011)^[4]
• Amusement Today - Golden Ticket Award for Best Concert Venue (2007)

See also[link]

• Coney Island
• List of Cedar Fair parks
• List of former Kings Island attractions
• Kings Island Timeline

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Kings Island

• Kings Island Official Website
• Kings Island on Facebook
• Kings Island on Twitter
• Kings Island on Youtube
• Kings Island Central (formerly PKICentral) (Fan Website)
• KIExtreme (Fan Website)
• Fans of KI Entertainment (Fan Website)
• Kings Island at RCDB