Kings Dominion has decided to go retro and turn back time. The Doswell theme park has plans for a once-in-a-lifetime event to celebrate its 40th anniversary during the 2014 season. The celebration commemorates the opening of Lion Country Safari in 1974, with a preview center for Kings Dominion, which opened on May 3, 1975. Guests can expect the return of classic park icons and lots of other surprises.
Per the press release …
“As a native Richmond resident, I grew up not only visiting Kings Dominion, but also started my career here as a seasonal associate,” said Pat Jones, Kings Dominion’s Vice President and General Manager. “I have 40 years of fond memories and I am thrilled to share some of these exciting moments with our guests during our special 40th Celebration.”
Some of the original park icons that will be returning include:
- The return of the park’s classic blue ice cream
- A complete restoration of the International Street fountain, which will include new LED lighting and other refurbishments
- Reintroduction of the original midway, Candy Apple Grove, including new ride lighting, the return of the classic over-sized candy apples along the midway and many other surprises
- The return of Safari Village (formerly the Congo area of the park)
- Exciting improvements to Volcano: The Blast Coaster and the Anaconda
The central piece of the 40th Celebration will be the introduction of “Ruby,” a custom-painted carousel horse. Ruby will be added to the park’s historic carousel, which dates to 1917. The carousel has operated at Kings Dominion since 1975.
Kings Dominion will be making more exciting announcements throughout the coming months, so be sure to check out the website or follow them on Facebook and Twitter. Click here to find out one of them right now.
If you would like be a part of the celebration and share your memories of Kings Dominion, post them on Twitter using the hashtag #KD40.
Kings Dominion opens for its 40th celebration season on Saturday, April 5, 2014. Visit Kingsdominion.com/celebration to get an early start on your walk down memory lane.
While I was not a Virginian back in 1974, I did begin my first job at Kings Dominion in 1987 (don’t do the math, please). I have many wonderful memories of the park and its former glory. I’m really looking forward to visiting during the 2014 season. How about you? What memories do you have of Kings Dominion? What would you like to see return to the park?
