How much money has Kings Island made?

For the full year ended Dec. 31, 2020, net revenues totaled $182 million versus $1.47 billion for 2019.



While Kings Island does not publicize its individual net profit as a standalone entity, it is a primary revenue driver for its parent company, Cedar Fair (which merged with Six Flags in 2024 to form a massive entertainment conglomerate). In 2025, the combined company reported annual revenues exceeding $3.4 billion. Kings Island, located in Mason, Ohio, consistently ranks as one of the most-visited seasonal amusement parks in the United States, attracting over 3 million visitors annually. Based on 2026 industry estimates, the park likely generates between $250 million and $300 million in gross annual revenue. This income is derived from a mix of gate admissions, the "Fast Lane" pass system, and high-margin food and beverage sales. The park's profitability has been bolstered in recent years by the success of record-breaking attractions like Orion and the expansion of its Soak City water park, making it one of the most lucrative assets in the global Six Flags-Cedar Fair portfolio.

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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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But by the 1970s, no one lived here year-round; most residents had moved to Nome, on the mainland. While several forces drove the migration, King Islanders say a main cause was the decision by the Bureau of Indian Affairs to close a school it ran on the island in the late 1950s.

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Weekdays (Monday-Thursday) are historically least crowded during the summer season in June, July, and August. Weekends, especially Saturdays, attract more tourists and vacationers. The Halloween event tends to be more manageable earlier in the season, especially in September.

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Rather than interfere with the burial grounds, Kings Island officials elected instead to simply build their amusement park around the small cemetery. Today, legend has it that those same officials inadvertently paved over a grave when creating what is now the park's guest parking lot, resulting in an agitated spirit.

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It proved a good place to ride out a pandemic. King Island did not record a COVID-19 case among its population of fewer than 2,000 people until January 2022.

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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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1970: On June 15, 1970, the Taft Broadcasting Company broke ground and began the construction of Kings Island led by the Charles V. Maescher & Co. Construction firm.

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Weekdays (Monday-Thursday) are historically least crowded during the summer season in June, July, and August. Weekends, especially Saturdays, attract more tourists and vacationers. The Halloween event tends to be more manageable earlier in the season, especially in September.

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When The Beast first opened to the public April 14, 1979, it was acclaimed America's ultimate roller coaster.

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Orion is Kings Island's Tallest, Fastest and Longest Steel Roller Coaster. Thrill-seekers meet their match when they visit Kings Island to ride Orion®, one of only seven giga coasters in the world, a class of roller coasters having a height or drop of 300-399 feet.

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The average Kings Island hourly pay ranges from approximately $14 per hour for a Ride Operator to $24 per hour for a Food and Beverage. Kings Island employees rate the overall compensation and benefits package 3.8/5 stars.

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2. The very first. The first rides and attractions constructed at the park were the Eiffel Tower, Royal Fountain and the Racer roller coaster. The Racer was the first twin-track wooden coaster built in modern times, according to the Kings Island website.

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In the last 50 years, the park has been owned by Taft Broadcasting, Kings Entertainment Co., American Financial Corp., Paramount Communications, and Cedar Fair, the current owners. Cedar Fair purchased Kings Island in 2006 for a reported $1.24 billion.

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