Discover 11 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Mason (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Banshee Roller Coaster, Eiffel Tower, and The Beast Roller Coaster. Also, be sure to include Diamondback Roller Coaster in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Mason (Ohio).
Table of Contents
Banshee Roller Coaster
Roller coaster in Mason, Ohio. Banshee is an inverted roller coaster located at Kings Island amusement park in Mason, Ohio. Designed and built by Bolliger & Mabillard, it was the biggest investment in park history at the time, costing $24 million to construct. With 4,124 feet of track, Banshee opened to the public on April 18, 2014, as the longest inverted roller coaster in the world. The ride also became the third fastest inverted coaster at 68 miles per hour, matched by Steel Venom at Valleyfair in Shakopee, Minnesota. It was also well-received, ranking every year in the top 50 of Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Awards since its opening.[1]
Address: 6300 Kings Island Dr, 45040 Mason
Eiffel Tower
Amusement park ride in Doswell, Virginia. The two Eiffel Towers in Cedar Fair parks—one at Kings Dominion and one at Kings Island—are replicas of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. They opened at Kings Island in 1972 and Kings Dominion in 1975, each when the park originally opened.[2]
Address: 6300 Kings Island Dr, 45040 Mason
The Beast Roller Coaster
Roller coaster in Mason, Ohio. The Beast is a wooden roller coaster located at Kings Island amusement park in Mason, Ohio. Designed and manufactured in-house for $3.2 million, the ride opened in 1979 as the tallest, fastest, and longest wooden roller coaster in the world. Decades later, it is still the longest, spanning 7,359 feet across 35 acres of hilly terrain. Two lift hills contribute to the ride's duration of more than four minutes, which also ranks as one of the longest among roller coasters. A refurbishment in 2022 will increase the angle of the first drop and lengthen the ride by 2 feet.
The Beast was designed over the course of two years without assistance from scientific calculators and computers. Lead engineers Al Collins and Jeff Gramke consulted with legendary coaster architect John C. Allen, who shared design formulas and strategies to assist during development. Issues discovered during early testing delayed plans to build an enclosure over the helix finale until 1980. Ruth Voss, the park's public relations manager who would often overhear construction crews calling it "a beast of a project", is credited with coming up with the ride's name in early 1979.
The record-breaking coaster was well-received at a press event preview held on April 13, 1979. Since its opening, The Beast has consistently ranked in the top ten among wooden coasters in the annual Golden Ticket Awards publication from Amusement Today. It has also earned a favorable reputation across the industry, including praise from American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE), which held one of its first official events at Kings Island in 1979. ACE awarded the ride its Roller Coaster Landmark designation in 2004. After more than 40 years, it also remains one of the most popular rides at Kings Island, having accommodated over 54 million riders.[3]
Address: Kings Island, 45040 Mason
Diamondback Roller Coaster
Roller coaster in Mason, Ohio. Diamondback is a steel roller coaster located at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio, United States. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, the ride opened in 2009 as the first hypercoaster to feature a splashdown effect and the first B&M roller coaster at Kings Island. It is located in Rivertown just behind International Street and the Eiffel Tower. Diamondback was the biggest investment in Kings Island’s history at the time, costing $22 million to build, but that figure was surpassed in 2014 by Banshee. The coaster features a 230-foot lift hill with a 215-foot drop and a maximum speed of 80 mph. It is similar to Behemoth at Canada's Wonderland in statistics, layout, and seating.[4]
Vortex
Roller coaster. Vortex was a steel roller coaster located at Kings Island amusement park in Mason, Ohio. Designed and manufactured by Arrow Dynamics at a cost of $4 million, the ride officially opened to the public on April 11, 1987. Vortex debuted as the tallest, full-circuit roller coaster in the world with a height of 148 feet. It was also the first coaster to feature six inversions.
Vortex occupied the same location in the park once held by The Bat, the world's first suspended roller coaster. Tied to the coaster's debut, attendance at Kings Island exceeded 3 million in 1987 for the first time. It accommodated more than 46 million guests throughout its lifespan, making Vortex one of the most frequently-ridden attractions in park history. It closed permanently on October 27, 2019.[5]
Address: Kings Island, 45040 Mason
Firehawk Roller Coaster
Roller coaster. Firehawk was a flying roller coaster located at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio. Manufactured by Vekoma, it originally opened as X-Flight at Six Flags Worlds of Adventure on May 26, 2001, billed as the Midwest's first and only flying roller coaster. Cedar Fair purchased Worlds of Adventure in 2004 and began efforts to downsize the park. X-Flight was relocated to Kings Island following the 2006 season, where it reopened as Firehawk on May 26, 2007.
The roller coaster's layout was identical to Batwing, another Vekoma Flying Dutchman model from Vekoma, located at Six Flags America. Firehawk closed permanently on October 28, 2018, and was later demolished. On August 15, 2019, it was announced that Firehawk would be replaced by a new Bolliger & Mabillard coaster named Orion, a giga coaster that opened in 2020.[6]
Address: 6300 Kings Island Dr, 45040 Mason
The Racer
Roller coaster in Mason, Ohio. The Racer is a wooden, racing roller coaster located at Kings Island amusement park in Mason, Ohio. It was designed by John C. Allen, well-known for his contributions to roller coasters during the mid-twentieth century, and debuted at the park's grand opening in 1972. It was thrust into the national spotlight after being featured in an episode of the popular TV sitcom The Brady Bunch in 1973 and is often recognized for playing a vital role in the roller coaster renaissance of the 1970s. The Racer inspired similar designs in other roller coasters, such as Racer 75 at Kings Dominion and the now-defunct Thunder Road at Carowinds. The Racer is also one of the few original Kings Island attractions still in operation today.[7]
Address: 6300 Kings Island Dr, 45040 Mason
Adventure Express
Roller coaster in Mason, Ohio. Adventure Express is a mine train roller coaster located at Kings Island amusement park in Mason, Ohio. Designed and built by Arrow Dynamics, the ride opened to the public on April 13, 1991. It is located in the Oktoberfest section of the park near Hank's Burrito Shack and SlingShot. Like many traditional mine trains, the Adventure Express features a lap bar restraint and does not contain any inversions.[8]
Address: 6300 Kings Island Dr, 45040 Mason
Delirium Ride
Amusement ride. Delirium is the name of three Frisbee rides located at three Cedar Fair parks – California's Great America, Kings Island, and Kings Dominion. The installation at California’s Great America, the smallest of the three, was designed by Chance Rides and opened in 2002. The installation at Kings Island was designed by HUSS Park Attractions and opened on April 12, 2003, as the largest Frisbee ride of its kind in the world. The record-setting ride is able to swing 50 passengers up to 76 mph reaching a height of 137 feet. Mondial manufactured the version of Delirium at Kings Dominion, which opened in 2016. It accommodates up to 40 passengers, reaches a top speed of 60 mph, and swings to a maximum height of 115 feet.[9]
Address: 6300 Kings Island Dr, 45040 Mason
Flight of Fear
Roller coaster in Doswell, Virginia. Flight of Fear is the name of two identical enclosed roller coasters located at Kings Island and Kings Dominion amusement parks. Built and designed by Premier Rides, they were the world's first launched roller coasters to feature linear induction motor technology. Both locations opened as The Outer Limits: Flight of Fear on June 18, 1996, originally themed after The Outer Limits TV series that began airing in 1995 as a revival of the original 1960s series. Paramount's licensing rights to the TV show eventually expired without renewal, and all references to The Outer Limits were removed from the ride and its name in 2001.[10]
Address: 6300 Kings Island Dr, 45040 Mason
Woodstock Express
Roller coaster in Mason, Ohio. Woodstock express is a wooden roller coaster located at Kings Island and designed by John C. Allen. It is located in the children's rides area of the park known as Planet Snoopy. The coaster has undergone four different name changes as the children's area in which it resides has been renamed and rethemed multiple times since the park opened. It has also been painted a number of different color schemes since its debut.[11]
Address: Kings Island, 45040 Mason