Adventure Express is a steel mine train roller coaster at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio, built by Arrow Dynamics and opened to the public on April 13, 1991. Designed by Ron Toomer, the ride was conceived as a heavily themed jungle expedition, with park officials drawing direct inspiration from the mine cart chase in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
Rather than relying on inversions or extreme speed, Adventure Express builds its thrill through immersive theming and a winding, out-of-control feeling as trains twist through four themed tunnels, over wooden trestle bridgework, and into a closing helix. The ride cost an estimated $4 million to build and remains one of the park’s enduring family-friendly coasters, refreshed with updated theming in 2023 as part of the Adventure Port area.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Kings Island, Mason, Ohio
- Manufacturer: Arrow Dynamics
- Opened: April 13, 1991
- Height: 63 ft (19 m)
- Top speed: 35 mph (56 km/h)
- Length: 2,963 ft (903 m)
- Inversions: 0
- Duration: About 2 minutes 20 seconds
The Ride Experience
Adventure Express uses two chain lift hills rather than one, sending its three trains through a meandering layout of banked turns and dips at a modest 35 mph top speed. What the ride lacks in raw stats it makes up for in atmosphere: four themed tunnels, dubbed Snake, Boobytrap, Volcanic Eruption, and Forbidden Temple, guide riders past an animated archeologist skeleton, a coiled snake, and other Indiana Jones-style set pieces created with help from R&R Creative Amusement Designs and animated figures from Sally Corporation.
The layout is supported by extensive wooden trestle work, reportedly using around 180,000 board feet of lumber, giving the ride a rickety, cart-on-a-mountain feel even though the track itself is tubular steel. The experience closes with a descending helix into a final tunnel before returning to the station.
History and Legacy
Adventure Express opened in 1991 as one of Kings Island’s family-oriented additions, filling a niche between the park’s larger steel coasters and its kiddie rides. Its three five-car trains carry riders two across for a total capacity of about 1,600 per hour, making it a reliable, low-wait option even on busy days.
In 2023, the ride’s queue was reworked and folded into the new Adventure Port themed area, with additional theming elements added to refresh the attraction for a new generation of park guests while keeping its original Arrow Dynamics mine train layout intact.
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Adventure Express Photo Archive: 2001–2002
These are original ThrillZing photos of Adventure Express taken at Paramount’s Kings Island in April 2001 and April 2002, restored and upscaled from the original camera files. They show the Arrow mine train’s carved entrance signs, an aerial of the station and a train on the lift. All photos are free to reuse under a CC BY 4.0 license with credit to ThrillZing and a link to this page.
Adventure Express FAQs
Who manufactured Adventure Express?
Adventure Express was built by Arrow Dynamics, a manufacturer known for mine train and looping coasters, and it opened at Kings Island on April 13, 1991.
Does Adventure Express have any inversions?
No. Adventure Express is a mine train coaster with no inversions, relying instead on banked turns, tunnels, and themed scenery for its thrills.
What is Adventure Express themed after?
The ride draws inspiration from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, taking riders through jungle- and mine-themed tunnels including Snake, Boobytrap, Volcanic Eruption, and Forbidden Temple.
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Photo: Oblivioux / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.