In 2025, Kings Dominion will be celebrating five decades of Virginia family fun. One part of what makes the park so special is the world-class rides and attractions, ranging anywhere from mild to thrilling! Kings Dominion has been home to around 100 unique rides throughout its history from countless manufacturers. 

Here are ten attractions that opened with the park in 1975 that you can still experience today! 

1. LUCY'S CRABBIE CABBIES

Guests have been knocking into each other since this ride opened as the Flintstone’s-themed Boulder Bumpers. Featuring rock-molded vehicles and two-rider cars that run on 59’x30’ steel-plated floor, the ride was build by Bertazzon of Italy and cost about $138,932 in 1975.  

2. WOODSTOCK EXPRESS

Woodstock Express, known when it opened as Scooby Doo Coaster and later Ghoster Coaster, began operating in 1974 with Lion Country Safari, making it the first ride to operate at Kings Dominion. The figure 8 layout is patterned after a similar coaster that once ran at Cincinnati's Coney Island amusement park. With the ride only 35 feet tall, it became many families’ first roller coaster and still acts as a rite of passage for young parkgoers today. 

3. DODGEM

Another timeless amusement park ride, Dodgem provides a wacky and zany bumper car experience, challenging others to smash into one another. At a cost of around $337,000 in 1975, it was manufactured by Chance Amusements, and the cars were made by Italian company Soli.  

4. WAVE SWINGER 

Known to many as “the swings”, the Wave Swinger features 56 hand-painted oil paintings and takes riders 30 feet in the air. Its design comes from all the way from Deggendorf, Germany from the Zierer company. It’s named for its wave-like motion, creating a thrilling experience for guests of all ages.  

5. FLYING EAGLES 

The ride known today as Flying Eagles has been through many changes over 50 years. Upon opening, the ride was called Flying Scooters and then Spirit of '76 in the then Coney Island (now Candy Apple Grove) section of the park. In 1977 the ride was moved to the Lion Country Safari (Jungle X-Pedition) area and was known as Parrot Troopers up until 1991. The ride was reinstalled for the 1994 season in Wayne’s World as Scream Weaver and in 2001 found its current home where it resides today in Old Virginia. 

6. EIFFEL TOWER 

The Eiffel Tower opened with Kings Dominion in 1975 and stands as the icon of the park. It was designed and fabricated in Austria with steel imported from Zurich, Switzerland. The entire 600-ton structure was then disassembled and shipped aboard the U.S.S. Atlantic Forest to its destination for Doswell, VA. The engineering marvel stands at approximately 331 feet tall and took 1,500 gallons of paint to cover. 

7. CAROUSEL 

The Carousel was built in 1917 by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. At a cost of around $14,000, the ride was built for Riverside Park (Agawam, MA) and was later moved to Roger Williams Park (Providence, RI) in 1938. In preparation for Kings Dominion’s opening, it was purchased by Taft Broadcasting Company and Top Value Enterprises in 1973 and took two long years to restore the attraction. In addition to the 60+ beautifully hand carved boxwood horses, the Carousel includes two chariots, 20 paintings, and 1,800 lights. 

8. SHENANDOAH LUMBER CO. 

Patterned after flumes built to transport lumber out of the west coast mountains at the turn of the century, this is a classic log flume designed and manufactured for family fun. Water flows through the trough at 3,500 gallons per minute, powered by two 100 horsepower pumps. 

9. RACER 75 

Designed by John C. Allen and manufactured by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company, Racer 75 is a twin-racing wooden roller coaster which was inspired by The Racer at sister-park Kings Island. At a cost of $1.5 million in 1975, the ride required 750,000 board feet of lumber, 1.5 tons of nails and 7,000 gallons of paint. With a combined track length of 6,735 ft, this classic stands 85-feet tall with an 81-foot drop, and speeds of up to 56 mph. The ride was awarded the ACE Coaster Landmark, reserved for rides of historical significance, and was a Hollywood star in the 1977 Hollywood blockbuster “Rollercoaster”.  

10. BLUE RIDGE TOLLWAY 

Known to many as their first experience “behind the wheel”, this attraction provides a peaceful journey through the woods of Central Virginia. The cars on the Blue Ridge Tollway are 4/5 scale replicas of 1917 Model T Fords, which cost about $4,400 to make each in 1974. 

Next time you visit Kings Dominion, be sure to stop and admire these historic attractions!