The last of the great amusement parks constructed in the early 20th century were torn down or abandoned in the late 1960s, like Riverview Park in Chicago and Pacific Ocean Park in Valencia, CA. A few old fashion amusement parks have remained intact like Kennywood Park outside Pittsburgh and Coney Island in New York City...both continuing to attract good crowds.

Ohio is still the place to be for rides of all kinds, as evidenced by the action at Paramount's Kings Island. Open since 1972, Kings Island includes a number of rides based on Paramount films, such as "Top Gun," "Tomb Raider" and "The Italian Job" (above).

In that same tradition is Paramount's Kings Island, a theme park that opened in 1972 partly in response to that tradition and to bring thrills that many Americans have adored since the late 1800s. Like its sister park in Virginia, called Kings Dominion, Kings Island was built with an eye on the past in capturing those amusement park traditions while presenting a modern park in-keeping with current trends. Along with another traditionally-oriented theme park in Sandusky, Cedar Point, it ranks Ohio as the No. 1 state for world class theme parks and roller coasters.

I recently revisited Kings Island and had an opportunity to reconnect with the vast amenities this park has to offer while familiarizing myself with the changes since I last visited in July, 2000. What I appreciated about the park then as I do now is its division of themed areas: a children's area, a wildneress or rivertown area, shopping district, Coney Island area (the true center of the park in my opinion) and a pop-themed area, which is where you'll find death-defying bungy-jumping and the impressive "Delirious" ride. All are distinct, promoting rides, attractions, decor and food that accentuate those areas.

Since Paramount is the parent company of the park, many of the attractions and/or rides are based on Paramount Picture's movies such as "Top Gun," "Face/Off," "Tomb Raider" and their newest thrill ride, "The Italian Job," The areas for the kids are modeled after Nickolodeon (Spongebob Squarepants) and Hanna-Barbera (Scooby-Doo) cartoon characters while the enormous water park, which used to be called Water Works, has been renamed Boomerang Bay (in 2004) using Crocodile Dundee's iconic image. Live stage shows feature lively performances of song and dance, one based on "The School of Rock," and the Timberwolf Amphitheater features top quality stage acts like REO Speedwagon on July 16th.

A main distinction of this beautiful park is the undulating landscape which has been built into the hilly, forested areas of the terrain. The wilderness/rivertown area features natural forests where you can find White Water Canyon, a white water rafting ride and the legendary Beast wooden roller coaster. Much of the Beast has been tucked away into the forest, virtually unseen by patrons. You have to ride it or take a few peeks from atop the first hill of the Vortex steel roller coaster nearby or from the observation deck of the Eiffel Tower, at the center of the park.

The other main thrill ride is the Son of Beast, so-named because of the enormous popularity of the Beast (1979), which to this day still remains the longest single-track wooden roller coaster in the world. Son of Beast (2000) features it's own records too: it's the world's tallest (218 ft.), fastest (78 mph) and second longest behind the Beast. Together, these two stellar thrill rides continue to attract coaster enthusiasts from around the world. It should be noted that Son of Beast is the only wooden coaster in the world that does a full 360-degree loop without wheel clamps or seat restraints.

The other main attractions are plentiful, including Top Gun, an inverted steel roller coaster that dips into a ravine, Face/Off, another steel coaster that reverses itself in a series of high-velocity loops, the Vortex, a 135-ft. high steel coaster that features 7 inverted loops, and Adventure Express, a delightful steel coaster more geared for families using Indiana Jones-themed atmosphere. One of the mainstays of the park is the Red and Blue Racer, a twin-track wooden roller coaster that opened the park in 1972. It's a traditional out-and-back, up-and-down coaster that features one of the trains seating you backwards. Now that's something to experience.

The newest attraction in 2005 is based on the movie "The Italian Job" (2003), which featured Mark Wahlberg and Charlize Theron. It's a high-speed roller coaster-like ride based on sequences in the movie. The track is about 2,000 feet long, twists and winds its way through four "movie scenes," which are complete with surround sound effects. Peeling out from the loading dock at 40 mph and dropping as much as 45 ft., the Italian Job is a worthy entry to all of the thrill rides at Kings Island.

Kings Island is a 364-acre theme and water park located about 25-miles north of Cincinnati, Ohio on Interstate 71. It is the largest theme and water park in the Midwest and attracts over 3 million visitors annually ranked as the #1 seasonal theme park in the world by Amusement Business magazine.

If you ever get tired of Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, and don't mind a pleasant six-hour drive, Kings Island offers a number of attractions you don't get here in Illinois. Same applies for Cedar Point, giving Ohio an unprecedented one-two punch on world class amusement parks. I've been to parks in the East (Kings Dominion, Busch Gardens in Williamsburg and Tampa, Disneyworld), parks in the Midwest (Six Flags in Gurnee and St. Louis), Astroworld in Houston, Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm and Six Flags over Magic Mountain, all in California. Out of all of them, my favorite is Kings Island closely followed by Cedar Point.

Believe me, you will have a ball. There's plenty of thrill rides for the young at heart; plenty of attractions for the families; plenty of kiddie rides for the small ones; a fantastic water park; and loads of shopping and good food to go with the whole experience. The nighttime fireworks and the color-lit fountain at the front of the park are always a treat. Every year I get a little older, but I still find an excuse to go to Kings Island. I'm not ready to give up those night rides on the Beast. Kings Island is open daily until August 28th from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM. It is also open on Labor Day weekend, September 2-5. Admission to the park and water park, too, is $44.99 for ages 7-59, which includes a second visit free. Children 3-6 under 48" tall and senior citizens 60+ get in for a reduced rate of $26.99. General parking is $9.00. For those of you who want to do a map finder, the address of Kings Island is 6300 Kings Island Drive, Kings Island, Ohio 45034. For more information, call the park at (513) 754-5700, toll free at (800) 288-0808, or visit the park's website at www.pki.com.

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