Kings Island’s Vortex to Give its 46 Millionth Ride This Weekend Before Shutting Down Forever

After this weekend, the 33-year-old coaster will be permanently shut down

by Hailey Bollinger October 17, 2019March 19, 2025

Kings Island’s Vortex Roller Coaster Vortex was a steel roller coaster at Kings Island that opened in 1987 and briefly set two world records: tallest coaster (148 feet) and most inversions (six). In 2019, Kings Island stated the roller coaster had reached the end of its service life and it would close in October of that year. From 1987 to 2019, over 46 million people had ridden Vortex. “Vortex at Kings Island, exactly as it was in all its bumpy glory.” -u/Tumbling-Dice “Yep, the Vortex was as legendary as The Beast for my friends and I, growing up in the 80’s and 90’s. The tv commercials when it opened were featured a metal robot hand (Terminator-esque) twisting and bending a roller coaster track. It seemed so bad-ass. I was shocked when I heard they were removing it; my nostalgic memories placed so much importance on that ride, but I guess it just wasn’t a big deal anymore.” -u/Locutus_of_Bjork Photo: Provided by Kings Island

Greater Cincinnati amusement park Kings Island announced in a press release in late September that its beloved Vortex roller coaster will be closed down at the end of the fall 2019 season.

This weekend will mark the coaster’s 46 millionth ride. “This weekend, Kings Island’s Vortex will celebrate its final rider milestone. Sometime during the amusement park’s Halloween Haunt and Great Pumpkin Fest the steel coaster’s 46 millionth ride will be given,” an email from the park explains. “Ridership increased when Kings Island announced in September that Vortex, currently in its 33rd season, would permanently close on October 27.”

According to the release, Vortex opened in 1987 “as the tallest, full-circuit roller coaster with the highest drop in the world and the first roller coaster in the world with six inversions.”

Most coasters of this kind usually last between 25 to 30 years, and after the ride’s 33rd season, the Vortex will have reached the end of its service life.

Visitors who want to enjoy the ride for the last time before it closes this fall can head to Kings Island this weekend for Halloween Haunt, which opens at 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Your last chance to ride Vortex will be at Halloween Haunt’s closing night on Oct. 27.

Kings Island, 6300 Kings Island Drive, Mason.

This article appears in Oct 16-29, 2019.