Paramount’s Kings Island
Thursday, 27th October 2005 by Alex Turnbull
This is Paramount's Kings Island theme park in Mason, Ohio, and it looks absolutely awesome. The place is a flippin' enormous 364 acres, with more rides than you could shake a stick at... in fact there's more than enough room for a 1/3 sized Eiffel Tower replica, and about a bajillion-trillion parking spaces. This place is so big that it even has its own built in waterpark, Boomerang Bay.
As for the rides themselves, Kings Island is not only home to the world's longest wooden rollercoaster, Beast (it's actually 2,143 metres long) but also to Son of Beast, the world's tallest, fastest, and only looping wooden rollercoaster. Son of the Beast is 66.4 metres tall, and has a top speed of 78 mph.
The images here are absolutely fantastic, particularly of Son of Beast, and also be sure to check out how far into the woods the Beast goes...
More info on the history of Paramount's Kings Island is available at its Wikipedia entry, here's a map of the park in pdf format on the official site, and for you stats-heads out there, the Wikipedia pages on Beast and Son of Beast should keep you more than satisfied.
Many thanks to Kenneth Head, Josh Lee, Clint, Jesse Allmyer and John Quigley II.
About the author
Alex has decided that his title will be Senior Vice President of Stuff.
Surely shouldn’t that be a googol (1 followed by 100 zeros) parking spaces?
Nice one Northern Git. Anyway, I’ve been to King’s Island many a times being both a native to Ohio and a roller coaster enthusiast. If you think King’s Island is big, you should see Cedar Point in Sandusky Ohio, still in Low-Res though I’m afraid.
Well, the amusement park is cool but it’s the Jack Nicklaus sports center across the highway
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that caught my eye. Gotta give those Ohioans credit, they do take their entertainment seriously.
BCAngel, as a fellow Ohio Native I am SO with you on that one. PKI is great, but Cedar Point is so much better. I really wish that area was high-res, my grandma lives up there and my family has a cottage up there.
Beast and Son of Beast are great, but the son of beast will give you quite a headache! bumpy wooden coasters…
Yes! King’s Island is definitely an awesome theme park. The Beast is entirely deserving of its reputation as the best wooden roller coaster in the world, and worth waiting in line for hours to ride. It jars your brain in your skull (the wooden structure is surprisingly shaky) as it tosses you up in the air and down underground. I’ve never been on a coaster like it, and would recommend it very highly.
I have fond memories of the most recent time I visited King’s Island (before I moved out West a couple years ago). We got stuck atop the “Drop Zone” ride, hundreds of feet in the air, as a thunderstorm approached and proceeded to drench us hapless, helpless parkgoers in freezing cold rainwater. But I’d still go back for more!
I spent many many times at both Cedar Point and Kings Island (it wasn’t “Paramount’s” when I grew up, it was strictly affiliated with Hanna-Barbara). I went to UC and had season passes and worked at a place very close there for many years. They used to have a “zoo” thing. They had the first suspended from an over-head-track roller coaster (That killed a few people and injured many… it was called “the Bat”) and I have many fond memories of riding my first coaster there (The Scooby Doo… now called.. “The little beastie” I think…) and many other great memories…
As an adult I can tell you, the fact that BEER is available in the park (for $349587987398.64 a pint) was awesome. Riding The Beast while completely hammered was… a phenomenal experience. I must say, the lines for that mega high (Magnum something) roller coaster at Cedar Point were always too long, but I did like the fact that you could ride the Corkscrew 239482983742938 times a day due to very short lines… Otherwise Kings Island RULES!
The Beach (another water Park) is immediately across the highway from Kings island, and due to it being far more awesome than the lame thing at Kings Island, it was (in 1997 when I moved away) still popular.
I miss the actors jumping on the “old west train” ride thing though, they had “Cowboy and Indian” shootouts when I was a kid, that was a BLAST!!! Not too politically correct though, I suppose.
kings island is great, and fun even on google maps.
I loved PKI when I went there but that was like 10 years ago. Way before Son of Beast was built. The vortex was my first rollercoaster I had ever been on. Except the kiddie ones. I was soooo scared. Then the next was Beast which my father says he had to hold my head up so i would stop hitting the side of the car with it. Guess that’s why my mind is right anymore. But I loved the place and am wishing to go back so bad. I think it would be a great trip.
I grew up in Kentucky but have family in the Cincinnati area. I’ve been going to Kings Island since it opened in the early 70s. I’ve seen lots of changes – good and bad. Gods I love that place; I can’t say how much. I could get on The Beast and just stay there. LOL
The “zoo thing” mentioned was the Wild Animal Safari – it had a monorail that went around through a zoo-like atmosphere. It was fun – but not when the lions would nap on the track; you’d get stuck there until the lion either moved or someone came to prod it away.
But yes, Kings Island rulz!!
Chad- the beast was built in 1979- so it you went there 10 years ago Beast had already been there for 15 years 🙂
Karnack, As far as I can tell… no one has died at Kings Island (at least related to the coasters). I can’t even find any definite evidence of any injuries. I know that The Bat was removed because of numerous design flaws and there were many fears of injuries. There’s some evidence of someone dying on “Flight Commander” in 1990 but I can’t find a news link… I like urban legends though.. like a girl getting her hair stuck in a “Drop Zone”-like ride and getting scalped… yeah, that kept me away from the Tower of Terror. 😀
according to my hubby, who worked at PKI for a while, there was a death on Flight Commander in 1991, but the girl was apparently drunk, and also very thin, and came out of her harness. other than that there were no ride-related deaths. there were a couple of electrocutions in a pool, and an accident inolving another drunk person and the Eiffel Tower replica.
Related: Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, IL
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I think that we should all call into work on friday and meet up at the park… Yeah Dude.
this is the best place ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
kings island is fun for the whole family!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
kings island has undergone major changes over the yrs. but some of those changes have removed the original charm the park had during its heyday. I love kings island but i wish paramount would have kept the hanna barbera characters and kept hanna barbera land. change is good to a degree but when you eliminate things that made a park great you can only have memories. long live hanna barbera at kings island (if it is only in memories)
Being a Cincinnatian myself, I must say I love Kings Island. Many a summer day do I while away, riding roller coasters till you hurl. If I may, Outer Limits: Flight of Fear is definitely.
And, of course, there is a plethora of hot chicks there. More than enough to satisfy the sexdrive of a 16 year old like myself.
I am a supervisor of Kings Island Flight of Fear. It’s an incredible place to work, really. Oh, Paramount doesn’t own the rights to Outer Limits, so no one’s allowed to call it that anymore. And yes, there are LOTS of hot chicks there. It’s where I met my current girlfriend of 8 months.
Plus, I get to ride FoF every day on my break, and I get in for free.
It’s a sweet gig. Look for me next season. 🙂
Hey this place rocks!!!! I’m going here for the concert from Erpenbeck and it is going to be awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Karnack Says:
“They had the first suspended from an over-head-track roller coaster (That killed a few people and injured many… it was called “the Batâ€?)”
That is an urban legend. It was closed due to the high cost of maintenence. Since the suspended coaster was the first, they didn’t bank the track much at all. This caused a huge strain on the shocks and wheels. We heard that also, but after A LOT of research and looking through many, many coaster enthusiast sites, there were no deaths caused by The Bat.
The launch house of the Vortex is the original launch of The Bat. If you look you can see the notches in the top of the launch house (where the Vortex returns). Those are where The Bat rails were. Which explains why the Vortex looks like a haunted house.
Michael says: “I am a supervisor of Kings Island Flight of Fear.”
Hmm…how come I don’t know a Michael? I’ve worked there for the last 3 years and don’t know a supervisor at Flight of Fear named Michael, unless its and alias?
I read today that Kings Island is renaming alot of the hanna barbara theme rides to fit the “Nick” theme. I remember the parking lot signs were the classic cartoon characters (Parking in Scooby Doo 6). They have taken away all of my memories from the park. I know that they need to change by adding new rides and removing older rides, but renaming rides just fit the mainstream is criminal. Does anyone think we will be watching Dora the Exployer or Spongebob Squarepants in 30 years????
Okay so only a few people have died at PKI. Some moron in an unrestricted area of the Eiffle Tower fell, everyone knows about the guys who were electricuted and there was a woman who was hanging out of Flight Commander and got caught on something or fell but she died. I am super bummed about Hanna Barbera land. I am not a “thrill ride” person, I was shaking compulsively the one and only time I got suckered into Flight of Fear. I totally miss in HB the water ride that is now Scooby’s Haunted mansion. It just isn’t the same anymore.
Branz says: “Hmm…how come I don’t know a Michael? I’ve worked there for the last 3 years and don’t know a supervisor at Flight of Fear named Michael, unless its and alias?”
And I don’t know anyone named Branz, unless that’s an alias too?
The BEAST at Kings Island was an extremely ROUGH roller coaster ride. Even if your younger children are old enough, do not allow them to ride. My 6 year old daughter (who loves all roller coasters) had her head banged around terribly. We were very worried about head/brain trauma afterwards. Just a warning for younger children.
I’ve been going to Kings Island since I was a baby. I can remember hanna barbara land. My favorite ride as a kid was always that smurf ride in the boat.. where it took you around and you saw all the characters.. anyone else remember that? I think it’s where the scooby doo thing is now.. the one with the laser gun.. and you shoot the ghosts or whatever. I was really little when the smurf ride was around, so I wasn’t able to ride the bigger rides. We are actually going to Kings Island next week. I was very sad to see that Kings Island was bought by the owners of Cedar point. It would be cool if they could some day restore it to the way it was before.. hanna barbara land and more nostalgic. It makes me feel so old to see how it’s changed over the years. I miss those days!
oh, didn’t they have one of those ski lifts in the 70s?? Didn’t someone fall out of that?? I thought I heard that happened and that’s why they took it out. IF any of you ever saw that episode of the Brady Bunch where they were at Kings Island.. you see it there.
pkid koo i liketo kick itwith my hommies there pece out g
kings is so cool i like togo there with my two friends we like to ride the rides because they go up and down and up and down and up and down by it was fun
there was more accidents than you all think, i remember when top gun had someone fall out, and yes the beast is very rough, i loved king cobra that was great
I love kings island! My boyfriend, sister, mother and I have passes. They have the best coasters. The beast and face off are a must ride if you love coasters! They also have the best kidddie area! there are so many rides for little kids. They have the neatest water park too. There is so much to do there. You can be there all day and never be bored!
Joan Dalla Says: May 23rd, 2006 at 4:28 pm The BEAST at Kings Island was an extremely ROUGH roller coaster ride. Even if your younger children are old enough, do not allow them to ride. My 6 year old daughter (who loves all roller coasters) had her head banged around terribly. We were very worried about head/brain trauma afterwards. Just a warning for younger children.
OMG who would put a 6 year old on the BEAST anyway???? I don’t care if it is a rather tall six year old. Believe me, I understand the love of the coasters but come on use your head here people!
I was rescued from that cable car ride that Heather mentioned!! This ride was taken down VERY early.. either late 70s or early 80s but it was simply called Sky Ride to the best of my knowledge. It was a cable car kind of ride and it got stuck in the air. I was riding it with my dad and it just stopped. Some rescue crews got a huge ladder and put it up at one of the towers holding the cable or something like that. I think they moved our car over to the tower, my dad climbed down and a rescue worker carried me down. I remember being very nonchalant about it since I was so little (about 3 years old) but my dad was kind of freaked out. It was pretty high up in the air.
I don’t know if that’s a reason for them to take it down but perhaps it happened too often for them to justify keeping it?
What about the King Cobra??? i heard of a couple people falling out of that,and actualy one time i was there it was UPSIDE DOWN STUCK,,but i looked and couldnt find anything…and no one even mentioned the KING Cobra?? it just said it was taken down for space,,but i know it had many problems,,ANYONE???
Did anyone hear about the accident on Son of Beast? I did. They took down the loop. Proof? I went there about a week ago and we went up on the Eiffel Tower and we saw no loop. It actually looks safer now. Also, the Firehawk is being worked on really hard! We saw them working. Next time you see a worker for Kings Island, tell them nice job on the Firehawk! 🙂
I was visiting KI once whenever the King Cobra was stuck upside down. I also heard a women fell out of it. I believe this has been a good ten years ago.
HI YEA PEOPLE WERE INJURED ON THE BAT IN THE 80S BEACAUSE MY MOM WAS ON IT ON THE VERY BACK AND HER SEAT WOULD NOT LOCK RIGHT SO HER AND SOME GIRL SHE DIDNT KNOW ALMOST DIED ON THAT RIDE.THEY TOLD THE PEOPLE CONTROLLING THE RIDE WHO JUST LET PEOPLE KEEP GETTING ON AFTER MY MOM AND SOME GIRL COULD OF DIED.SO YES THERE WERE INJURIES!!!!
The Firehawk is really X-Flight from Geauga Lake (Six Flags) from Northeast Ohio. All you Cinci people are amazed with it, and while I do love that ride, I don’t love it enough to wait for an hour to ride it…
I took my fiance and her 7 year old to KI. we waited in line for firehawk for 2 hours. we get to the front of the line and it breaks down. we wait another hour and a half. attendent knew we were next in line, she let a family in front of us anyway once it was opperable again. then when it was our turn they checked my soon to be stepson’s highth. he is 50 inches tall, and you have to be 52 inches… cedar fair employee’s were very rude to us. there was even a woman atendant in the waterpark that said she would push my stepson down the water slide if he didnt go down on his own. i used to love PARAMOUNTS kings island. wtf hapened?
I could have sworn someone was killed in the 80’s on the sreamin deamon at the bottom of the loop by the water. I also have been going since the early 70’s. That smurf ride was called Enchanted forest or something like that. “It’s a small world would play in the tunnel. If you are a coaster nut Cedar Point is better from what I have been told. However, King’s island has more variety as far as entertainment and for kids.
HEY!! i live near kings island!! i love it!!
I absolutely adore the rides at Kings Island! Especially the Rollercoasters!
IT IS THE MOST FUNNEST PLACE IN THE WORLD!!!!
I too loved the Hanna Barbara theme. I am looking for any pictures of the park during the 70’s and early 80’s. I f anybody has some I would love to have some copies. By the way my favorite rides were the boat ride through the building and the roulette wheel. Anybody remember that one?
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i’ve never been to kings island but if your really in the mood t obe scared shitless i really recomend cedar point. it has tons of rides and its the home of the one and only dragster.. which is AMAZING! haha but if you really want a thrill cedar point is the place (new ride is the maveric[also quite amazing ha] and everyone knows the melenium force! )