Kings Dominion: Celebrating 50 Years with New Roller Coasters and Attractions
Kings Dominion, Central Virginia's premier 400-acre theme and water park, celebrates its 50th anniversary with new roller coasters and expanded attractions. Located just 20 miles north of Richmond and 75 miles south of Washington, D.C., this popular theme park welcomes more than 13 million visitors annually. Known for its impressive collection of over 60 rides and attractions, Kings Dominion features 13 world-class roller coasters that attract coaster enthusiasts from around the globe.
In honor of its 50th anniversary, Kings Dominion introduces two exciting new roller coasters:
- Dominator X: A high-thrill steel coaster designed for adrenaline seekers, featuring towering inversions, steep drops, and high-speed twists.
- Apex: A family-friendly roller coaster offering smooth turns and panoramic views, providing an unforgettable experience for guests of all ages.
These new roller coasters complement the park’s iconic lineup, making Kings Dominion’s 50th anniversary season one of the most thrilling in its history.
Soak City: New Water Attractions and Expanded Family Fun
Located within Kings Dominion, Soak City is a 20-acre water park with access included in your general admission ticket. . This water park offers the perfect destination for cooling off with a variety of aquatic attractions.
New for the season:
- Tidal Surge: A multi-slide complex featuring Virginia's tallest water slide tower, offering high-speed thrills and exhilarating drops.
Returning Soak City favorites include:
- The world's tallest enclosed dark tube slide provides a thrilling water ride experience.
- A giant water-powered playhouse complete with a swinging bridge, perfect for family exploration.
- Hurricane Heights, a 65-foot slide complex offering three distinct and thrilling slide experiences.
- Splash Island, an interactive play area designed for younger visitors with small slides, water sprays, and splash zones.
Busch Gardens Williamsburg: 50 Years of European Charm and New Thrilling Coasters
Busch Gardens Williamsburg is also celebrating its 50th anniversary, marking half a century of delivering European-themed adventures and world-class entertainment. Voted "The World's Most Beautiful Theme Park" every year since 1990, Busch Gardens Williamsburg immerses guests in the culture and charm of England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Germany, and Italy, all without the need for a passport.
Each European village at Busch Gardens features authentic cuisine, iconic landmarks, meticulously landscaped gardens, unique shops, and live entertainment.
To celebrate 50 years of family fun, Busch Gardens introduces:
- Mythos: A brand-new, multi-launch roller coaster inspired by ancient mythology. Featuring gravity-defying drops, rapid twists, and high-speed thrills, this coaster is designed for adventure seekers.
- Pantheon: One of Busch Gardens' most popular coasters, Pantheon ranks among the Top 50 roller coasters worldwide. This high-thrill ride combines multiple launches, four inversions, and a top speed of 73 mph, offering an unmatched coaster experience.
Water Country USA: Virginia’s Largest Family Water Park
Located just minutes from Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Water Country USA is Virginia's largest family water park. Featuring an extensive collection of water rides and attractions, this park offers aquatic adventures for visitors of all ages.
Highlights include:
- Vanish Point: A high-thrill drop slide featuring two super loop slides and two free-fall slides, delivering an unforgettable water ride experience.
- Surfer's Bay: Virginia's largest wave pool has real surfing waves and is perfect for relaxing or riding the swells.
- Additional attractions include twisting flumes, waterfalls, free-floating rivers, hidden caves, and relaxing lagoons, ensuring a full day of family fun and excitement.
Great Wolf Lodge
Great Wolf Lodge is a 67,000-square-foot indoor waterpark that has been named the Number One Pool in the USA by TripAdvisor, and is a year-round favorite at a warm 84 degrees! From twisting tube slides that are both indoor and outdoor, to the family flume, tornado funnel, lazy river, and children's leisure pool, Great Wolf is a family getaway for the memory books! In warmer months, the fun continues outside at the Raccoon Lagoon with fountains, water basketball, and more!
Keep the kids entertained all weekend long with indoor activities including a ropes course, 3-D movie theater, bowling alley, arcade, and even a Build-A-Bear Workshop.
Massanutten WaterPark
Open year-round and always heated at 84° F, Massanutten's Indoor WaterPark features a unique multi-story interactive fortress with eight massive water slides, a giant tipping bucket, waterfalls, cannons, (is this supposed to be canyons? or like water cannons?) a lazy river, and FlowRider – the largest surf simulator in Virginia!
The fun doesn't stop inside! The Outdoor WaterPark is open Memorial Day through Labor Day, offering the perfect spot for cooling off in the mountains this summer. Race down the 40-foot water slide, kick back in a private cabana, or ride the waves at the White Caps Wave Pool – a small beach with simulated waves.
