Kings Island

Kings Island and roller coasters are synonymous, particularly wooden roller coasters.

The 46-year-old amusement and water park boasts four wooden roller coasters (five if you count each side of the Racer separately). One of them has been a record-holder for 40 seasons!

The park’s newest roller coaster, Mystic Timbers, was introduced last year and was voted “Best New Ride” in 2017 by the industry trade publication Amusement Today. Riders traverse 16 airtime hills along 3,265 feet of track through wooded terrain at speeds up to 53 mph.

The introduction of Mystic Timbers gave Kings Island a total of 18,804 feet of wooden coaster track, the most at any amusement or theme park in the world. And that's a pretty big place! 

Mystic Timbers added to Kings Island’s collection of industry-changing and record-breaking wooden roller coasters.

The legendary Beast, the world’s longest wooden coaster, opened in 1979. Literally millions of guests have visited Kings Island since it's debut 40 seasons ago for the singular challenge of “taming” The Beast.

Designed and constructed by Kings Island personnel, The Beast is nestled on 35 acres of densely wooded acres in the park’s Rivertown area. The location heightens the aura of mystery surrounding the ride, since only the first lift hill is visible to park guests. They have to board The Beast in order to see and experience the two longest vertical hills, a 135-foot hill at a 45-degree angle, that drops into a 125-foot underground tunnel, and a 141-foot hill, at a 180-degree angle, that sends riders into a 540-degree helix tunnel, all at speeds up to 64.7 mph.

A ride on The Beast takes over four minutes, making it one of the longest ride time experiences in the world.

Back in 1972, when Kings Island first opened, it featured the Racer as the star attraction, which was the first double-track racing coaster in modern times. Designed by the famous John Allen of the Philadelphia Toboggan Company, the Racer is credited with reviving the interest in wooden roller coasters in America. The classic two-minute, 30-second ride over 6,830 feet of double track brings riders out of their seats on several hills and has been the site of several world-record riding attempts. It is also notable for its appearance in the “Cincinnati Kids” episode of “The Brady Bunch” filmed at the park in 1973.

A special roller coaster designed for children and their parents and grandparents to enjoy together also opened in 1972 at Kings Island. Originally called the Scooby Doo, its name was later changed to Beastie, followed by the Fairly Odd Coaster, and since 2010, as Woodstock Express. This scaled-down coaster is continually one of the most popular rides at the park.

The park is extremely proud of this collection of wooden roller coasters and their outstanding safety record. Each of them is thoroughly inspected and tested by park personnel before the park opens each day.

By the end of the season, the park’s wooden roller coasters will have combined to give nearly five million rides for Kings Island visitors.