Vortex was a steel looping roller coaster that operated at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio, from 1987 until 2019. Built by Arrow Dynamics for roughly $4 million and designed by veteran coaster engineer Ron Toomer, it opened on April 11, 1987, on the same plot of land once occupied by the original suspended coaster The Bat, even reusing that ride’s former station and queue line.
Upon debut, Vortex made history as the tallest full-circuit roller coaster in the world at 148 feet, and it became the first coaster anywhere to feature six inversions in a single circuit. Those records stood for barely a year before Six Flags Great America’s Shockwave surpassed them in 1988, but Vortex remained one of Kings Island’s most beloved attractions for over three decades, carrying more than 46 million riders before its 2019 retirement and 2020 demolition.
Quick Answer
Vortex was Kings Island’s Arrow Dynamics steel looping coaster, open from April 11, 1987, to October 27, 2019. It debuted as the world’s tallest full-circuit coaster (148 feet) and the first with six inversions, carried over 46 million riders, and was demolished in winter 2020 after Kings Island retired it at the end of the 2019 season.
Stats at a Glance
Park: Kings Island. Manufacturer: Arrow Dynamics. Designer: Ron Toomer. Opened: April 11, 1987. Closed: October 27, 2019. Height: 148 feet. First Drop: 138 feet. Top Speed: 55 mph. Length: 3,800 feet. Inversions: 6 (two vertical loops, double corkscrew, batwing). Trains: 3 trains with 7 cars, seating riders two across for 28 riders per train.
History and Records
Kings Island announced the new coaster in 1986 as part of a broader push to keep expanding its ride lineup, and Arrow Dynamics, then one of the industry’s leading manufacturers, built it for about $4 million using an estimated 750 tons of steel. Ron Toomer, the engineer behind many of Arrow’s best-known looping and corkscrew coasters, designed the layout.
When Vortex opened on April 11, 1987, it immediately set two world records: tallest full-circuit roller coaster at 148 feet, and the first roller coaster anywhere with six inversions in one ride. Both records held for about a year before Six Flags Great America’s Shockwave, with seven inversions, took over the inversion title in 1988. Even after losing its records, Vortex’s opening season helped push Kings Island’s annual attendance past 3 million visitors for the first time in park history.
The Ride Experience
Riders climbed a chain lift hill before plunging into a 138-foot first drop at roughly a 55-degree angle, launching into a layout that packed six inversions into 3,800 feet of track. The sequence ran two back-to-back vertical loops, a mid-course brake run, a double corkscrew threaded back through the loop structure, and a batwing element that delivered the final two inversions.
After the inversions, the layout eased into a non-inverting boomerang-shaped dip, where an on-ride camera caught riders’ reactions, followed by a 450-degree ascending helix that carried the trains back toward the station. Three trains, each with seven cars seating riders two-across, kept the line moving during the roughly two-and-a-half-minute ride. The tight, interlocking inversions made Vortex feel more aggressive than its modest 55 mph top speed suggested, a hallmark of Arrow Dynamics’ looping coaster designs from that era.
Closure, Demolition, and Legacy
Kings Island announced on September 27, 2019, that Vortex would be retired at the end of that season, citing the coaster reaching the end of its service life. The ride gave its final rides on October 27, 2019, and crews demolished and scrapped the structure during the winter of 2020.
Vortex’s trains didn’t disappear entirely: Kings Island sent them to sister Cedar Fair park Carowinds, where they were sanded, repainted, and combined with the chassis of older trains to run on Carolina Cyclone. In fall 2020, Kings Island also sold limited souvenir kits made from 1.5-inch slices of actual Vortex track, capped with metal plates and mounted on a display stand with a certificate of authenticity, for $198.70 each. Over its 33-year run, Vortex carried more than 46 million riders, making it one of the most-ridden attractions in Kings Island’s history.
Vortex Photo Archive: 2000 to 2006
These are original ThrillZing photos of Vortex taken on visits between August 2000 and August 2006, restored and upscaled from the original camera files. They show the Arrow Dynamics looper in its Paramount-era paint, with the lit marquee, the twin vertical loops, the double corkscrew and the layout seen from the Eiffel Tower. Vortex closed after the 2019 season. All photos are free to reuse under a CC BY 4.0 license with credit to ThrillZing and a link to this page.
August 2006
July 2005
April 2002
April 2001
August 2000
Keeps your phone strapped to you, not in a loose-article bin. Zip it before the lift hill and walk straight off the exit ramp.
Rapids, log flumes and splash zones without the rice-bag aftermath. The touchscreen still works through the window, so you can still take photos.
Cheaper than the $15 poncho at the gift shop and you get a whole bag. Toss one in every backpack for water rides and pop-up storms.
Vortex Kings Island roller coaster FAQs
Is Vortex still at Kings Island?
No. Vortex closed permanently on October 27, 2019, and was demolished during the winter of 2020. The site is no longer home to the ride.
When did Vortex open and close?
Vortex opened on April 11, 1987, and operated until October 27, 2019, giving it a 33-season run at Kings Island.
Who designed and built Vortex?
Vortex was built by Arrow Dynamics and designed by engineer Ron Toomer, at a cost of about $4 million.
What records did Vortex hold?
When it opened in 1987, Vortex was the tallest full-circuit roller coaster in the world at 148 feet and the first coaster anywhere to feature six inversions. Six Flags Great America’s Shockwave surpassed both records in 1988.
What inversions did Vortex have?
Vortex had six inversions: two vertical loops, a double corkscrew, and a two-part batwing element, followed by a non-inverting boomerang dip and a closing 450-degree helix.
Where did Vortex’s trains go after it closed?
Kings Island sent the trains to Carowinds, a sister Cedar Fair park, where they were repainted and combined with older train chassis to run on Carolina Cyclone.
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