Kentucky Kingdom facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids
Kentucky Kingdom
Attractions
Previously known as Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom (1998–2010)


Location	Louisville, Kentucky, United States
Coordinates	38°11′44″N 85°44′50″W / 38.195427°N 85.747245°W / 38.195427; -85.747245
Status	Operating
Opened	May 23, 1987; 38 years ago (1987-05-23)
Owner	Kentucky State Fair Board
Operated by	Herschend
General manager	Sarah Worrell
Operating season	May–January
Area	67 acres (27 ha)
Total	54
Roller coasters	5
Water rides	2

Kentucky Kingdom is a fun theme park located in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. It used to be called Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom. This exciting park covers 67-acre (27 ha) and features many amusement rides. It also has a cool water park called Hurricane Bay. You can find Kentucky Kingdom right where Interstate 65 and Interstate 264 meet. It even shares a parking lot with the Kentucky Exposition Center.

The idea for Kentucky Kingdom started in 1977. The Kentucky State Fair Board wanted to build a theme park. Construction began in 1986, and the park first opened on May 23, 1987. After a short time, the park faced challenges and closed. But a businessman named Ed Hart reopened it in 1990. Later, in 1998, Six Flags took over. They ran the park until it closed again in 2009. Ed Hart brought the park back to life in May 2014. In 2021, Herschend started operating the park. The Kentucky State Fair Board owns the park, and Herschend manages it today.

Kentucky Kingdom has five awesome roller coasters. These include Hollyhock and Roll, Kentucky Flyer, Lightning Run, Wind Chaser, and Woodland Run. Some of these coasters were the first of their kind! For example, T2 was the first Vekoma Suspended Looping Coaster in North America. Lightning Run was the world's first Chance Rides Hyper GT-X Coaster. Wind Chaser was the first roller coaster in the U.S. with a special barrel roll drop.

Park History

Early Days and First Opening

Freedom Hall was a key part of the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center.

The idea for Kentucky Kingdom began in 1977. The Kentucky State Fair Board wanted to build a theme park. They planned for it to have areas about Kentucky's history and culture. In 1985, they partnered with Kentucky Entertainment Limited. Construction for the park started in March 1986.

Kentucky Kingdom officially opened on May 23, 1987. It had four themed areas, including a children's section. However, many visitors felt the park was too small. They also thought it had too few rides. After just one season, the park closed down. Most of its rides were sold off in 1989.

Rapid Growth and New Rides

Thunder Run was one of the first big rides added when the park reopened.

In 1989, a local businessman named Ed Hart and his team bought the rights to run Kentucky Kingdom. Hart worked to pay back the park's old debts. He also decided to make the park much bigger. Kentucky Kingdom reopened on June 13, 1990. It had some new rides, including a roller coaster called The Vampire. The park also brought back its indoor roller coaster, Starchaser.

In the early 1990s, Kentucky Kingdom grew quickly. In 1991, they added a unique swing ride called the Flying Dutchman. Plans for a water park were also announced. This water park, first called Ocean Avenue, then Ocean Paradise, finally opened as Hurricane Bay in 1992. It became a part of Kentucky Kingdom, so you didn't need a separate ticket. A huge 150 ft (46 m) tall Ferris wheel, the Giant Wheel, also opened in 1992. More water slides and the Mile High Falls water ride were added in 1993 and 1994. Mile High Falls was the tallest "shoot-the-chute" water ride in the world when it opened.

In 1995, the park introduced T2: Terror to the Second Power. This was a very exciting roller coaster. It was the first of its kind in North America. Later that year, Hellevator, a tall drop tower, also opened. The park's biggest investment came in 1997 with Chang. This stand-up roller coaster broke several world records at the time. By 1997, park attendance had grown a lot, reaching 1.2 million visitors.

Six Flags Takes Over

Twisted Twins, originally named Twisted Sisters, in 2009.

In 1997, Ed Hart sold the park's operating rights to Premier Parks. This company later bought Six Flags. So, on June 21, 1998, Kentucky Kingdom became Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom. That same day, a new wooden roller coaster called Twisted Sisters opened. The water park, Hurricane Bay, also got a new play area called Hook's Lagoon. In 1999, the children's area was changed to Looney Tunes Movie Town.

More rides were added in the early 2000s. In 2002, the Twisted Sisters roller coaster changed its name to Twisted Twins. In 2003, a shuttle loop roller coaster called Greezed Lightnin' opened. The water park also saw new additions. In 2007, Hurricane Bay was renamed Six Flags Splashwater Kingdom. It also got a new water coaster called Deluge.

Safety Incident and Park Closure

Superman: Tower of Power before its removal.

On June 21, 2007, a serious incident occurred on the Superman: Tower of Power ride. This led to a young person being severely injured and the ride being permanently closed. This event led to other similar rides across the country being checked for safety. The Superman: Tower of Power ride was removed in 2008. Due to financial difficulties, Six Flags closed a large part of the park.

In 2009, Six Flags announced that the Chang roller coaster was being removed. It was moved to another Six Flags park. On February 4, 2010, Six Flags announced that Kentucky Kingdom would close for good. This was due to disagreements with the Kentucky State Fair Board. Six Flags removed many of its themed items and some ride parts.

Efforts to Reopen and Ed Hart's Return

After Six Flags left, many groups tried to reopen the park. Ed Hart, the park's former owner, formed a company to try and bring it back. After some challenges, another company, Bluegrass Boardwalk, also tried to reopen the park. They planned to rename it and open in 2013. However, these plans did not work out.

In August 2012, Ed Hart and his team announced they would try again. They planned to invest a lot of money to reopen and expand the park by 2014. They aimed to bring back almost all the old rides and add new ones. The Hurricane Bay water park was also planned to double in size. In January 2013, the plans were approved. The park was set to reopen on May 24, 2014.

Lightning Run was a new roller coaster added in 2014.

Construction started in July 2013. The park added a new roller coaster called Lightning Run. Three new children's rides and a new drop tower, FearFall, were also installed. Kentucky Kingdom and Hurricane Bay successfully reopened on May 24, 2014. The park had a great first season, with many visitors.

The park continued to add new attractions. In 2015, several refurbished rides like Enterprise and T3 (formerly T2) reopened. New rides like Cyclos and Skycatcher were also added.

Storm Chaser, added in 2016, used parts of the old Twisted Twins roller coaster.

In 2016, Kentucky Kingdom added its fifth roller coaster, Storm Chaser. This exciting ride used parts of the old Twisted Twins roller coaster structure. Storm Chaser opened on April 30, 2016. The park also made many improvements in 2017, including a new high-speed ride called Eye of the Storm. They also upgraded the Thunder Run roller coaster.

In 2018, Scream Xtreme replaced the Enterprise ride. A family ride called Rock'n'Roller was also added. The park continued to improve its facilities, adding more shade and seating.

Kentucky Flyer is a family wooden coaster that opened in 2019.

To celebrate its 5th anniversary since reopening, the park added the Kentucky Flyer family wooden coaster in 2019. This coaster offers airtime hills and twists for all ages. In June 2019, the park brought back its Halloween-themed event, HalloScream. The park also adjusted its opening schedule in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, reopening with new safety rules.

Herschend Takes Over Operations

In February 2021, Herschend Family Entertainment became the new main partner and operator of Kentucky Kingdom. Craig Ross, who used to lead Dollywood, became the park's general manager. For the 2021 season, the park opened Bluegrass Bakery, offering popular treats. Craig Ross later became the park's president, and Sarah Worrell took over as general manager.

List of Attractions

Roller Coasters

Ride	Opened	Manufacturer	Model	Themed Section	Description
Hollyhock and Roll	1994	Vekoma	Vekoma Junior Coaster	Discovery Meadow	A junior roller coaster themed to plants. It was formerly called Roller Skater.
Kentucky Flyer	2019	The Gravity Group	Family Wooden Coaster	Back of Park	A family roller coaster constructed by The Gravity Group themed to planes.
Lightning Run	2014	Chance Rides	Hyper GT-X	Front of Park	A steel roller coaster. It was the first Chance Rides Hyper GT-X Coaster in the world.
Wind Chaser	2016	Rocky Mountain Construction	I-box Track	Discovery Meadow	A steel roller coaster, rebuilt from parts of the former Twisted Twins roller coaster. It has a new iBox track from Rocky Mountain Construction and is themed to Owls. It was formerly called Storm Chaser.
Woodland Run	1990	Dinn Corporation	Wooden roller coaster	Discovery Meadow	A wooden roller coaster, designed by Curtis D. Summers and John Fetterman. It is themed to Deer and was formerly called Thunder Run. It is known as a classic wooden roller coaster.

Family Rides

Ride	Opened	Manufacturer	Model	Themed Section	Description
5-D Cinema	2014	SimEx-Iwerks	4D Theater	Front of Park	Plays a new film each year.
Bumper Cars	2014	Soli of Italy	Bumper Cars	Front of Park	A classic Bumper Cars ride.
Cumberland Express	2025	Zamperla	Family train	Discovery Meadow	A family train ride.
Garden Carousel	1996	Wooddesign Amusement-Rides	Carousel	Discovery Meadow	The park's main Carousel. It was formerly called International Carousel and Bella Musica.
Giant Wheel	1992	Vekoma	Ferris wheel	Back of Park	A 150 ft (46 m) tall Ferris wheel.
Happy Hollow	2025		Playground	Discovery Meadow	A 4,800-square-foot natural playground designed to spark curiosity and inspire adventure.
Honeybee Buzzers	2014	Larson International	Flying Scooters	Discovery Meadow	This ride is themed to Bees. It was formerly called Prof. John's Flying Machines and was relocated in 2025.
Nature's Bounty	1990	HUSS	Pirate Ship	Discovery Meadow	A swinging pirate ship. It was formerly called Bluebeard's Bounty and was relocated in 2025.
Spring Fling	1991	Intamin	Flying Dutchman	Discovery Meadow	A swing ride where you sit in shoe-shaped swings that rotate around a tower. It was formerly called Flying Dutchman.
Tin Lizzies	1990	Arrow Dynamics	Antique Cars	Front of Park	Antique cars, based on the design of the Ford Model A, that run along a track.

Thrill Rides

Ride	Opened	Manufacturer	Model	Themed Section	Description
Himalaya	1990	Reverchon Industries	Superbob/Music Express	Front of Park	A spinning ride that goes over slopes and flat areas in a circular direction.
Scream Xtreme	2018	Zamperla	Endeavour	Front of Park	Open-air, suspended passenger vehicles give riders the sensation of flying sixty feet through the air. This ride replaced Enterprise.
Seed Spinner	1990	HUSS	Breakdance	Discovery Meadow	A ride that spins on a platform with pods that also spin. It was formerly called Breakdance and was relocated in 2025.
Skycatcher	2015	Funtime	StarFlyer	Back of Park	A 130 ft (40 m) tall swing ride that lifts riders into the air.
Treetop Drop	2014	Larson International	Super Shot	Discovery Meadow	A 129 ft (39 m) drop tower ride. It was formerly called FearFALL and was relocated in 2025.

Water Rides

Ride	Opened	Manufacturer	Model	Themed Section	Description
Mile High Falls	1994	Hopkins Rides	Shoot the chute	Discovery Meadow	Opened as the tallest shoot-the-chute ride in the world with a drop of 90 ft (27 m).

Children's Rides

Ride	Opened	Manufacturer	Model	Themed Section	Description
Bigfoot Trucks	1990	Zamperla	Convoy	King Louie's Playland	Children's battery-powered monster trucks.
Dragonfly Drop	2000	Zamperla	Jumpin' Star	Discovery Meadow	A children's dragonfly-themed drop tower. It was formerly known as Tweety and Sylvester's Pounce and Bounce and Pounce & Bounce. It was relocated in 2025.
FlutterFly	2015	Zamperla	Magic Bikes	King Louie's Playland	A children's Magic Bikes ride.
Jump Around	2014	Zamperla	Jump Around	King Louie's Playland	A children's frog-themed bouncing ride.
Mad Hatter	2014	Zamperla	Midi Tea Cups	King Louie's Playland	Oversize Tea cups ride.
Musical Carousel	1990	Zamperla	Mini Carousel	King Louie's Playland	Formerly Bugs Bunny's Big Band Carousel.
Redbird Racer	2025	Zamperla	Flying Tigers	Discovery Meadow	A children's cardinal-themed suspended whip ride.
Rock-A-Bye Swing	2014	Zamperla	Happy Swing	King Louie's Playland	A children's Swing ride.
Rock 'n' Roller	2018	Zamperla	Mini Himalaya	King Louie's Playland	A mini Himalaya-type ride.
Rowdy Racers	1998	Zamperla	Speedway	King Louie's Playland	A children's spinning car ride. It was formerly known as Speedway and was relocated multiple times.
Scout's Squirrel Race	2025	Zamperla	Jump Around	Discovery Meadow	A children's squirrel-themed bouncing ride.
Up, Up and Away	2015	Zamperla	Samba Tower	Front of the park	A children's Tower balloon ride.
Whirl-A-Round Swings	2014	Sartori Rides	Children's Swing ride	King Louie's Playland	A children's wave swinger ride.
Zeppelin	1991	Zamperla	Zeppelin	King Louie's Playland	A children's Zeppelin-themed spinning ride. It was relocated in 2014.

Hurricane Bay Water Park

Ride	Opened	Manufacturer	Model	Description
Adventure River	2014	Water Technology	Lazy River	A fast-moving lazy river.
Big Surf	1992	WhiteWater West	Wave Pool	A 750,000-U.S.-gallon (2,800,000 L) wave pool.
Buccaneer Beach	2014	SCS Inc.	Play Area	A large kids play area.
Castaway Creek	1993	Water Technology	Lazy River	A slow-moving lazy river that runs around Hurricane Bay. It was formerly called Caribbean Cruise.
Deep Water Dive	2014	ProSlide Technology	FreeFall	A drop body slide in the Speed Slide Complex featuring a 121-foot (37 m) drop.
Family Wave Lagoon	2014	WhiteWater West	Wave Pool	A 12,000-square-foot (1,100 m²) wave pool.
Mega Wedgie	2008	ProSlide Technology	Bullet Bowl.	The last ride added by Six Flags.
Mt. Slide Hai	1993	WhiteWater West	Slide Complex	A complex with 4 slides: Voodoo Express, Forbidden Passage, Conquistador Canyon, and Vanishing Falls.
Plummet Summit	2014	ProSlide Technology	Family Raft Slide	A family raft ride that is 52 feet (16 m) tall.
Splash Zone	1998	SCS Interactive	Discovery Treehouse for kids.	A kids play area. It was formerly called Hook's Lagoon.
Tornado	2005	ProSlide Technology	Funnel Tube Slide	Tornado is a funnel-shaped tube slide that uses four-person or two-person tubes. It replaced "The Quake" in 2005.
Wave Runner	2014	ProSlide Technology	Mat Slide	A mat slide in the Speed Slide Complex featuring a 66-foot (20 m) drop.
Wikiwiki Wai	2014	ProSlide Technology	Raft Slide Complex	Three raft slides: Calypso Run, a circular raft ride; Waikiki Wipe Out, a cannon bowl slide; and Kilawaya, a tantrum tornado slide.

Seasonal Events

Pumpkins at Kentucky Kingdom

Pumpkins at Kentucky Kingdom is a Halloween-themed event. It takes place on Thursdays through Sundays during October. This family-friendly event features themed displays, pumpkin sculptures, trick-or-treating, mazes, live shows, and dance parties. Most of Kentucky Kingdom's regular rides are also open. Special lighting effects are used throughout the park. Actors in costumes interact with guests. You can also find seasonal food and merchandise. This event first started in 2022.

Christmas at Kentucky Kingdom

Christmas at Kentucky Kingdom is an annual Christmas-themed holiday festival. It operates from November to January. This event first started in 2024. It features over one million Christmas lights and other festive decorations. The park is divided into four sections: Classic Christmas, Holly Jolly Junction, Santa's Village, and Snow Zone. The Snow Zone includes Blizzard Bluff, a 175-foot-long (53 m) snow tubing hill. Blizzard Bluff is the largest snow tubing hill in Kentucky. The event also has live performances from local music groups. You can also meet Santa Claus and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

Park Incidents

Two main incidents happened at the park that resulted in injuries. These incidents involved the Starchaser ride in 1994 and the Superman: Tower of Power ride in 2007.

Starchaser Incident

On July 26, 1994, two cars on the Starchaser roller coaster bumped into each other. This happened because a ride operator allowed them to go too close together. A young girl was injured and needed hospital care. The park worked to ensure safety and resolve the situation.

Superman: Tower of Power Incident

On June 21, 2007, a serious incident occurred on the Superman: Tower of Power ride. This led to a young person being severely injured and the ride being permanently closed. This event led to other similar rides across the country being checked for safety. The Superman: Tower of Power ride at Kentucky Kingdom never reopened and was later taken down.

Kentucky Kingdom Gardens

Kentucky Kingdom Gardens is the park's gardening team. They have a greenhouse that grows many different types of plants all year. This includes over 20 kinds of annual flowers and more than 100 types of perennial plants and grasses. They also grow various trees. In 2016, the park started adding labels to plants. These labels show the plant names and a QR code for more information. Jason Anderson leads this department, which has over 12 staff members.

Restaurants and Food

Bluegrass Bakery is one of the park's restaurants.

Kentucky Kingdom has a total of 30 restaurants and food stands. Season pass holders get a discount on all food purchases. In 2006, Six Flags and Papa John's Pizza partnered. This led to Papa John's Pizza restaurants opening in the park. Kentucky Kingdom prepares more than 50,000 catered meals each season. They can prepare up to 5,000 meals per day.