Are Kings Island and Kings Dominion related?

Early history as Kings Dominion (1972?83) Following the success of Kings Island in Mason, Ohio, Family Leisure Centers (a partnership formed between Taft Broadcasting Company and Top Value Enterprises) decided to expand into a new region of the country by opening a second park.



Yes, Kings Island (located in Mason, Ohio) and Kings Dominion (located in Doswell, Virginia) are sister parks with a shared corporate history. Both were originally developed by Family Leisure Centers, a joint venture between Taft Broadcasting Company and Top Value Enterprises. Kings Island opened first in 1972, and because of its massive success, Kings Dominion was built as a "twin" park, opening its gates in 1975. This shared DNA is why both parks feature an iconic one-third scale replica of the Eiffel Tower as their central landmark and originally had nearly identical layouts and themed areas like "International Street." Both parks passed through the ownership of Paramount Communications in the 1990s (becoming "Paramount Parks") before being acquired by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company in 2006. In 2024, Cedar Fair merged with Six Flags, meaning both parks are now part of the Six Flags Entertainment Corporation portfolio, continuing their long-standing relationship as two of the premier regional theme parks in the United States.

Yes, Kings Island and Kings Dominion are related—they are both amusement parks owned and operated by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company.

Key Connections:

  1. Same Parent Company – Both parks are part of the Cedar Fair chain, which also owns other major parks like Cedar Point, Knott’s Berry Farm, and Carowinds.
  2. Similar Origins – Both were originally developed by Taft Broadcasting (later KECO) in the 1970s as part of the “Kings” series of parks, which also included the now-closed Kings Forest and Kings Entertainment Park.
  3. Shared Ride Designs – Many of their signature attractions (like the B&M hypercoasters Diamondback (Kings Island) and Intimidator 305 (Kings Dominion)) follow similar thrill-focused models.
  4. Operating Style – Both parks follow Cedar Fair’s operational standards, including season pass reciprocity (with certain restrictions) and similar event lineups (like Halloween Haunt and WinterFest).

Differences:

  • Location – Kings Island is near Cincinnati, Ohio, while Kings Dominion is near Richmond, Virginia.
  • Unique Rides – Each park has exclusive attractions (e.g., Kings Island has The Beast, while Kings Dominion has Twisted Timbers).

So while they share corporate ownership and some historical ties, each park has its own distinct identity and ride lineup.

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Kings Island eventually got its name after a public contest. The “Kings” came from the town where it was built, Kings Mills. The “Island” came from its predecessor, Coney Island.

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The amusement park's name represented its historical roots and its future. ?Kings? for the location of the park near Kings Mills, Ohio, and ?Island? in reference to the company's Coney Island roots. It would not be until October 14, 1970 that the name would become official.

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The differences between the two were that at Kings Dominion riders' feet dangle freely and at Kings Island, which installed a Giant Top Spin, there was a floor.

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The movie Rollercoaster starring George Segal and Timothy Bottoms was filmed at the park. The Kings Dominion Campground opened, increasing the number of two-day visits to the park.

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Wynne, Jr. in 1961, upon the opening of Six Flags Over Texas. Six Flags Theme Parks is a fully-owned subsidiary of Six Flags Entertainment Corporation (formerly Premier Parks), who purchased the company from Time Warner in 1998.

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Taft also financed over half of the $600k required to build Kings Mills Drive, a feeder road to service the park off I-71. Before vertical construction could begin, over 350k cubic yards of dirt had to be moved and graded. By the time the park opened, the total cost would escalate to $30 million.

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Life on King Island is full of trade-offs, especially when it comes to health care. A quiet sort of windswept paradise off the north-west tip of Tasmania, locals treasure the quality of life — the freedom, access to nature and sense of community — the small island affords. It proved a good place to ride out a pandemic.

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