Centrally located along the I-95 corridor between Richmond and Fredericksburg, Kings Dominion amusement park is about to open its gates for its 50th anniversary season. And with it, a new roller coaster.
Coming in at 145 feet tall and 3,086 feet long, Rapterra, Kings Dominion’s newest coaster, claims to be the tallest and longest launched-wing coaster in the world.
Bridgette Bywater is the park’s general manager. She said Rapterra was designed with a 48-inch height restriction which means the whole family can ride it together.
“Some kids may end up; this could be their first coaster and it’s an amazing one to have,” Bywater said.
Rapterra boasts numerous aerial thrills: turns over the park’s midway, a “dive loop” on the ride’s first inversion and a 360-degree “raptor roll,” in line with the ride’s name.
NEW from me: I got the chance to ride @KingsDominionVA’s newest ride #rapterra - and they made this 👇incredible video of me doing so!
— BK (@BradKutner) March 20, 2025
Read and listen to my coverage (which explains the first bit of the video) here👉 https://t.co/JpWjNxf7Dg pic.twitter.com/UJkgPchqXT
It replaces the old Volcano: The Blast Coaster which shuttered about 5 years ago, making room for a larger revamped jungle excursion themed section of the park. Some devotees might recognize parts from the old Volcano's sets that survived, but all will likely enjoy the thrills.
Among those in attendance for a chance to ride early was Katherine O'Donnell with Richmond Region Tourism. I caught up with her briefly after she rode.
“We know that people come from out of town to spend money in our community and come visit Kings Dominion,” O'Donnell said. “It’s super smooth, really thrilling fun. Lots of upside down. Great park views. I loved it."
Rapterra will open along with the rest of the park on March 29th. Season pass holders get to ride a bit early with a preview night on Friday the 28th.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
