Paramount's Kings Dominion
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Paramount's Kings Dominion is located in Doswell in Hanover County 23 miles north of Richmond, Virginia on Interstate 95. The park is owned by CBS Corporation and is part of the Paramount Parks chain.
Kings Dominion was opened in 1975 by Family Leisure Centers, a joint venture between Top Value Enterprises and Taft Broadcasting Company, both of Cincinnati, Ohio. The name derived from its Lion Country Safari attraction which featured a small preserve of lions, ostrich, and other live exotic animals. Although the Lion Country Safari attraction was the first portion of the park to open, it was phased out by the late 1980s.
In 1993 Paramount purchased Kings Dominion and changed its name to Paramount's Kings Dominion.
Paramount's Kings Dominion has 12 roller coasters, the largest collection on the East coast, the oldest being the Rebel Yell and the junior coaster Scooby Doo.
Recently, Paramount's Kings Dominion has added many new rides and attractions including a water park, the Hypersonic Xtreme Launch Coaster, one of two compressed-air launch coasters in the world, and Drop Zone, the highest vertical drop ride in the U.S.
In addition to rides, Kings Dominion hosts many live concerts and performances. The park also has a private "Picnic Pavilion" for catered parties and company events.
Schools often visit the park for a "Science field trip" where students study the physics of roller coasters firsthand.
It features a 1/3 scale replica of the Eiffel Tower.
Kings Dominion was one of the amusement parks featured in the 1977 movie Rollercoaster.
On January 27, 2006, the website of the Dayton Daily News reported that CBS Corporation would be selling Kings Dominion and other parks in its Paramount Parks division. [1]
Ride/Attraction Timeline
- 1975: Park opened. Rebel Yell (coaster).
- 1976: Apple Turnover.
- 1977: King Kobra (coaster)
- 1978: Campground opened.
- 1979: Lost World themed area, featuring Journey to Atlantis, The Mine Train, and Timeshaft.
- 1980: Haunted River replaced Journey to Atlantis.
- 1981: Widescreen movie theater.
- 1982: Grizzly (coaster); Showplace Amphitheatre.
- 1983: White Water Canyon.
- 1984: Smurf Mountain replaced Mine Train; Berserker.
- 1985: Diamond Falls; Scooby's Play Park.
- 1986: Shockwave (coaster); King Kobra coaster removed.
- 1987: Racing Rivers.
- 1988: Avalanche (coaster).
- 1989: Sky Pilot.
- 1990: Hanna Barbera Land expansion
- 1991: Anaconda (coaster).
- 1992: Hurricane Reef water park.
- 1993: Days of Thunder.
- 1994: Hurler (coaster); Old Dominion Line steam train removed.
- 1995: Nickelodeon Splat City. Showplace Amphitheatre reopened as Kingswood Amphitheatre.
- 1996: Outer Limits: Flight of Fear; Xtreme SkyFlyer.
- 1997: Taxi Jam (coaster); Hanna-Barbera Land renamed KidZville.
- 1998: Volcano, The Blast Coaster (coaster); Paramount Action FX Theater replaces Days of Thunder.
- 1999: Expansion of Hurricane Reef water park to Waterworks.
- 2000: Nickelodeon Central; Pipeline Peak added to Waterworks.
- 2001: HyperSonic XLC (coaster); 7th Portal. Outer Limits: Flight of Fear renamed to Flight of Fear.
- 2002: Ricochet (coaster); Triple Spin; Diamond Falls closes.
- 2003: Drop Zone Stunt Tower (freefall ride); Spongebob Squarepants 3D.
- 2004: Scooby Doo and the Haunted Mansion.
- 2005: Tomb Raider Firefall (giant top spin).
- 2006: Italian Job Turbo Coaster (under construction as of February 27, 2006); Flight of Fear shut down.