Anaconda was a steel looping roller coaster at Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia, built by Arrow Dynamics and designed by legendary engineer Ron Toomer. Opening on March 23, 1991, it replaced the park’s earlier King Kobra shuttle loop and cost around $5 million to build, becoming Kings Dominion’s first roller coaster with more than one inversion.
Anaconda’s signature feature was its 126-foot tunnel, submerged beneath the park’s lake, which the coaster plunged into immediately after its first drop, making it the first looping coaster in the world to run through an underwater tunnel. For 33 seasons it remained a fan-favorite fixture of the park’s lake area before closing at the end of 2024 and being demolished in early 2025.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Kings Dominion, Doswell, Virginia
- Manufacturer: Arrow Dynamics
- Opened: March 23, 1991
- Closed: November 3, 2024
- Height: 128 feet
- Top speed: 50 mph
- Length: 2,700 feet
- Inversions: 4
The Ride Experience
After a chain lift to 128 feet, Anaconda’s train plunged 144 feet directly into its famous underwater tunnel before climbing into a 100-foot vertical loop. The layout continued with a 90-foot sidewinder inversion and a butterfly-shaped figure-eight section over the lake, finishing with a 25-foot double corkscrew, all in a ride lasting about a minute and 50 seconds.
Two trains, each seating 28 riders across seven cars, carried up to about 1,400 guests per hour through the circuit, giving Anaconda a reputation as a fast-loading, family-friendly introduction to inverting coasters for many Kings Dominion visitors.
A Pioneering History and Closure
When it opened in 1991, Anaconda was considered groundbreaking for combining a loop, a sidewinder, and a corkscrew element with an underwater tunnel, a first for the coaster industry at the time. It operated for 33 seasons as one of the park’s classic steel coasters.
Kings Dominion ran Anaconda for the final time on November 3, 2024. Permit filings surfacing that December confirmed demolition plans, and the coaster’s structure was removed in January 2025, ahead of the park’s 2025 season, though its lake setting was preserved.
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Anaconda FAQs
Is Anaconda still open at Kings Dominion?
No. Anaconda closed after the 2024 season, with its last operating day on November 3, 2024, and it was demolished in January 2025.
What made Anaconda unique among roller coasters?
Anaconda was the first looping roller coaster in the world to feature an underwater tunnel, diving beneath Kings Dominion’s lake right after its opening drop.
Who built Anaconda?
Anaconda was manufactured by Arrow Dynamics and designed by Ron Toomer, opening in 1991 at a cost of about $5 million.
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Photo: Chris Hagerman / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.