I apologize if there is a better place for these but I just wanted to share a few photos I have, courtesy of my grandfather I believe from opening year in 1975. (Note the line for the Rebel Yell in the last picture)
Enjoy!
Kings Dominion Old Photos
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I apologize if there is a better place for these but I just wanted to share a few photos I have, courtesy of my grandfather I believe from opening year in 1975. (Note the line for the Rebel Yell in the last picture)
Enjoy!
These are GREAT! There are things I’ve never seen clearly in pictures before, like the tram loop leading up from the parking lot and the carnival tent structures on top of Victoria’s. Amazing find!
These photos are probably from 1976 or 1977. The Apple Turnover was not installed until either '76 or '77. Victoria's Pizza did not exist in 1975. That restaurant was not built until 1976 or 1977. It is nice to see the west end of CAG as it was from 1975 until about 1993 (Wayne's World came in 1994 - That is when the Rebel Yell lost its main entrance and the "Pops-n-Pups" food stand [to the right of the Rebel Yell entrance building] was removed for the new entrance path to WW).
It was likely 1977 then. I have more photos at Busch Gardens likely during the same trip, and you can see in one picture the Loch Ness Monster under construction in the background.
I am beginning to think that these photos are from 1976. I believe the King Kobra opened in 1977. One of the lake pictures (2nd picture in the series) does not show the ride installed yet, just open ground.
Yep, 1977. It's last home was Brazil.
King Kobra - Kings Dominion (Doswell, Virginia, United States)
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Someone posted between 30-35 photos (well, they came from slides) on the KD Historian Facebook group. Those photos were taken in 1977. The clarity and color saturation is amazing. What made my jaw drop were 2 photos of the scrambler in its original spot in Safari Village. I have yet to see photos of the scrambler when it was the "Witch Doctor". The ride originally sat on what is now the entrance plaza of Boo Blasters. Also several photos from the Eiffel tower of the park back the day. There is a great picture of the King Kobra. Also, you can see the park had cleared the land in SV to prepare for the Lost World ride complex. Mt. Kilimanjaro is shown standing by itself before there was a mountain.
KD 1977 photos.
KD 1977 photos.
Coasterguy95
Intimidator 305 enjoyer, I make yt vids, watch em!
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This photo shows a lot. A rare site when Anaconda ran with 6 car trains.
Cinema 180 Theater on Intl Street. Sits on 80% of the land where Cornstalkers Haunt venue is located now. Entrance on the left and exit doors visible on the right side of the photo. Credit Brian Sterowski, KD Historian's Facebook site.
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Brian Sterowski is on a roll on the KD Historian's Facebook site. I thought he came in possession of a box of photo slides that appears to be from KD's marketing department from the 70's and early 80's. He has been sharing those photo slides over the last several months now.
Below are a couple photos showing Mt. Kilimanjaro and the Lost World. The lower photo shows the Bayern Curve track in place at Mt. K with the very last car exiting the mountain on the lower right.
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Below are a couple photos showing Mt. Kilimanjaro and the Lost World. The lower photo shows the Bayern Curve track in place at Mt. K with the very last car exiting the mountain on the lower right.
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Another photo from Brian Sterowski from the KD Historian's Facebook site. This shows the southern side of the mountain taken from the Animal Safari area.
This is the first photo I've seen showing the "Time Shaft" outdoor portion of it's queue line. Known as the "Rope Bridge". It was really constructed with steel cables, wrapped in heavy twine, to give the illusion of rope.
From the ride entrance, the queue cave path gently sloped upward for about 30-40 yards. Then you made a hard right to a stairway with 12-14 steps going up. At the top you made a hard left onto the bridge (left side of the bridge in the photo).
The bridge itself was roughly 20-25 feet long and about 20-25 feet high. You walked across the bridge, (left to right in the photo), and back into the mountain. From there, it was just another 15 feet into the main ride cavern. When you came into the cavern, you were standing 1 floor above the ride barrel. Then, the queue line zig-zagged down the outer edges of the cavern to the ride floor level where the ride entrance/exit was. The park stopped using the bridge after 2-3 seasons had past. Never knew the exact reason for that closure (liability, structural issues, shrug).
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This is the first photo I've seen showing the "Time Shaft" outdoor portion of it's queue line. Known as the "Rope Bridge". It was really constructed with steel cables, wrapped in heavy twine, to give the illusion of rope.
From the ride entrance, the queue cave path gently sloped upward for about 30-40 yards. Then you made a hard right to a stairway with 12-14 steps going up. At the top you made a hard left onto the bridge (left side of the bridge in the photo).
The bridge itself was roughly 20-25 feet long and about 20-25 feet high. You walked across the bridge, (left to right in the photo), and back into the mountain. From there, it was just another 15 feet into the main ride cavern. When you came into the cavern, you were standing 1 floor above the ride barrel. Then, the queue line zig-zagged down the outer edges of the cavern to the ride floor level where the ride entrance/exit was. The park stopped using the bridge after 2-3 seasons had past. Never knew the exact reason for that closure (liability, structural issues, shrug).
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Another great photo from Brian Sterowski on KD Historians Facebook site. Log Flume April 1975.
Log Flume opening year.
Log Flume opening year.
I’ve noticed with a lot of parks that they looked better Theming wise before the early 2000s.