When did Kings Island switch from Paramount?

The Hanna-Barbera characters remained in the park until 2006, when the children's' area of Hanna-Barbera Land was changed to Nickelodeon Universe. That same year, the Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, acquired Kings Island and the rest of Paramount's theme parks.



Kings Island officially transitioned away from the Paramount brand in 2006, following the acquisition of Paramount Parks by the Cedar Fair Entertainment Company. The $1.24 billion deal was finalized in June 2006 and included four other theme parks. As a result of the change in ownership, the "Paramount" prefix was dropped from the park's name for the 2007 season, and the park began a multi-year process of removing movie-themed intellectual property. Rides like Top Gun were renamed The Bat, The Italian Job: Stunt Track became Backlot Stunt Coaster, and the Nickelodeon Universe area was eventually transformed into Planet Snoopy to align with Cedar Fair's licensing of the Peanuts characters. In 2024, Cedar Fair merged with Six Flags, meaning that as of 2026, Kings Island is now part of the massive Six Flags Entertainment Corporation portfolio, though it continues to operate under the classic Kings Island name that it has held for the majority of its history since opening in 1972.

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After receiving interest from several potential suitors, CBS announced the sale of Paramount Parks to Cedar Fair on June 30, 2006, for $1.24 billion. The acquisition of Kings Island gave Cedar Fair, who had recently acquired Geauga Lake from Six Flags in 2004, ownership of all three major amusement parks in Ohio.

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On May 22, 2006, Cedar Fair announced the purchase of all five Paramount Parks. The sale was finalized on June 30, 2006, for $1.24 billion. The park continued to operate as Paramount's Kings Dominion until the beginning of the 2007 season when Paramount was dropped from the title.

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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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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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In 2024, Kings Island's new Camp Snoopy will feature the park's newest roller coaster, Snoopy's Soap Box Racers.

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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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Both were surpassed the following year with the debut of Shockwave at Six Flags Great America. On September 27, 2019, the park announced plans to close Vortex permanently on October 27, 2019. Area Manager Don Helbig stated that the coaster had reached the end of its service life.

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In 1992, Paramount Communications Inc. (formerly Gulf+Western) purchased KECO along with Kings Island from American Financial in a deal worth $400 million.

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Cedar Fair purchased Kings Island and four other Paramount Parks in 2006 for $1.25 billion.

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Earlier this month, Cedar Fair, which owns Kings Island and 16 other parks, merged with Six Flags to form an $8 billion theme park giant. The combined company will operate under the name Six Flags, which caused some thrill seekers to worry that their favorite amusement park's name could also change.

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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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