Kings Dominion Amusement Park, Amusement park in Doswell, Virginia, United States.
Kings Dominion is an amusement park in Doswell, Virginia, covering 280 acres (113 hectares) with more than 60 rides. The grounds include 13 roller coasters and a 20-acre (8-hectare) water park called Soak City. Near the main entrance, a 1/3-scale replica of the Eiffel Tower and the International Street Fountain greet visitors.
The park opened on May 3, 1975, with a wooden coaster called Rebel Yell and a monorail safari through animal enclosures. Over the following decades, management added steel coasters and themed areas.
The park lobbied Virginia to require schools to start after Labor Day, a rule known as the Kings Dominion Law. It stayed in force until 2019, and locals still call the late-summer start by the park's name.
The site sits 20 miles (32 kilometers) north of Richmond and 75 miles (121 kilometers) south of Washington D.C., opening from spring through fall. Visitors should arrive early on warm weekends and plan breaks in the water park when queues grow long.
Intimidator 305, an Intamin giga coaster opened for the 2010 season, climbs 305 feet via a cable lift hill and drops at 85 degrees, reaching 90 mph. Its name honors Dale Earnhardt, whose number was 3, and the ride's first turn is banked so sharply that riders grey out.
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