All the New Food, Rides and Sights You Can Look Forward to at Kings Island This Year

Kings Island, the largest amusement/waterpark in the Midwest, is opening the season with a few new features. Check out revamped rides like the Kings Mills Antique Autos where guests can “drive” a scaled Model T around a track with vintage gas station and billboards, a throwback to the Les Taxis antique car ride that closed in 2004. According to Kings Island General Manager Mike Koontz, this was one of the most requested rides to bring back to the park. The Beast has a throwback nod of its own with a new paint job of yellow, red and orange, bringing the color scheme back to its origins from the 1970s. Follow beastly footprints to a new photo background commemorating the Beast’s 40th year of operation. International Street enters the season with a renewed fountain, a bigger band stage and fresh paint on the international architecturally-themed buildings. The famous glockenspiel has returned after 10 years to the Festhaus with a new clockface and handmade characters emerging every 15 minutes to dance. The Miami River Brewhouse is a new restaurant and bar taking the place of the Reds Hall of Fame Grille. The bar features drafts from local breweries like Taft’s Ale House and Sam Adams and a variety of cocktails between $8 and $10. The menu, created by Kings Island’s executive chef James Major includes American favorites like burgers, wings, tater tots and pretzels with vegetarian options like specialty salads and a vegan Impossible Burger. Kings Island, 6300 Kings Island Drive, Mason, visitkingsisland.com.