Paramount's Kings Dominion

If you are going to be in the Washington, DC area and are looking for a great place to take your family for a day of fun, then Paramount's Kings Dominion is the perfect place for you. It is located in Doswell, VA between Richmond VA, and Washington DC. It is owned and operated by Paramount Parks, a division of CBS corporation.

Fast Facts:

Kings Dominion was opened in 1975 by Family Leisure Centers, a joint venture between Top Value Enterprises and Taft Broadcasting Company, both of Cincinnati, Ohio. The name derived from its Lion Country Safari attraction which featured a small preserve of lions, ostrich, and other live exotic animals. Although the Lion Country Safari attraction was the first portion of the park to open, it was phased out by the late 1980s.

In 1993 Paramount purchased Kings Dominion and changed its name to Paramount's Kings Dominion.

Paramount's Kings Dominion has 12 roller coasters, the largest collection on the East coast, the oldest being the Rebel Yell and the junior coaster Scooby Doo.

Recently, Paramount's Kings Dominion has added many new rides and attractions including a water park, the Hypersonic Xtreme Launch Coaster, one of two compressed-air launch coasters in the world, and Drop Zone, the highest vertical drop ride in the U.S.

In addition to rides, Kings Dominion hosts many live concerts and performances. The park also has a private "Picnic Pavilion" for catered parties and company events.

Schools often visit the park for a "Science field trip" where students study the physics of roller coasters firsthand.

It features a 1/3 scale replica of the Eiffel Tower.

Kings Dominion was one of the amusement parks featured in the 1977 movie Rollercoaster.