The Great American Ballpark has met the Midwest’s amusement park this summer! New to King’s Island this year is the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame Grille. It is a full-service, sit-in restaurant and bar in the Riverton area of the park (which is near Diamondback, White Water Canyon, and at the edge of Planet Snoopy, though you really can’t miss it).Beat the heat in their refreshing air-conditioned building, and get your fill of sports while you consume some of the most quality food in the park! Enjoy a meal with ribs, burgers, and wraps, while being surrounded by authentic Reds memorabilia and about twenty television sets airing ESPN. You can also learn some of the rich history of the team from the seventy-five Hall of Fame plaques honoring the players and management, along with jerseys, photos and more dating back to the first professional baseball team in the 1800’s. Also available is a ticket kiosk where you can buy and print tickets for your next trip to the Great American Ballpark. You can also dine out on their patio that overlooks the Diamondback ride. If you’re a member of the Reds Hall of Fame, or have a gold or platinum pass to the park, there’s even more for you to enjoy, including half-off an appetizer when ordering two entrees. Thrills certainly connect at Kings Island; and this summer, the thrills of local baseball and adrenaline-pumping coasters have joined to add even more to your summer fun in southwestern Ohio.
Imagine with me: the sight of many exciting roller coasters and thrill rides, the thunderous sounds of these rides in action and the shrieking delight of those upon them. The taste of succulent icee drinks and funnel cakes. The feeling of wind slapping your face and your stomach shifting as your ride descends a hill or spins through a loop! Now, imagine all that experience on seven hundred and seventy-three acres of land where eighty rides and attractions stand. I hope you’re imagining Kings Island, the largest amusement park in the Midwest! Can you imagine this place has been operating for forty years?! Pouring dedication into improving the experience with each year since the very beginning, the popular theme park has gone through quite an evolutionary process. Envision with me now the many faces and changes of Kings Island.
In 1993, Kings Island was sold to Paramount Communications Inc. Under this ownership, themes from their movies were incorporated into the rides, so names like Top Gun, Face/Off, and The Italian Job Stunt Track came to be. Nickelodeon themes began appearing in 1994 and would remain until 2009. In 2000, the Son of the Beast was added, being famed for breaking five world records, tying with one, and being the first wooden coaster built since the Beast. In 2006, Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, owners of Cedar Point, bought out Kings Island and removed the cinematic themes. Also in this year, a freak accident closed the Son of the Beast. After making some changes, Cedar Fair reopened it on July 4th, 2007 and ran it for nearly two years before closing it indefinitely after another injury report. In 2009, Cedar Fair opens its own first edition to the park, the Diamondback. It was the biggest investment for the park to date! The newest ride, the WindSeeker, opened last summer. It is a three hundred and one feet tall swing ride featured in several of Cedar Fair’s parks. It is the highest riding attraction in Kings Island!
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