The world's longest wooden roller coaster…
| theme park | king island |
|---|---|
| type | wooden roller coaster |
| audience | thrill seeker |
| Already activated | April 14, 1979 |
| high | 110 feet |
| length | 7361 feet |
| reverse | 0 |
| maximum speed | 65 mph |
Only the beast's highest point is visible above the trees
It may have opened back in 1979, but The Beast is still one of the reigning champs king islandoriginally the fastest, longest and tallest in the world (tied Six Flags St. Louis Screaming Eagle) wooden roller coaster. Amazingly, nearly fifty years later, it still holds the longest record.
It's not easy to appreciate this length, however, as most of the rides are hidden in wooded areas on the outskirts of the theme park, with the top of the cable car barely visible. This is both a disadvantage and an advantage to the Beast: as riders approach it, they may not be able to see where they are, but running through the woods and enjoying the quiet silence of the woods makes for an incredibly immersive experience.
There are tunnels, shocking drops along the way, including a 141-foot-tall monster, culminating in the legendary 540-degree double helix that remains one of the most intense finales in the world and one of the dramatic signature moments of the entire journey.
Famed roller coaster designer John C Allen was asked to lead the original design team, but he was retiring, so The Beast was designed in-house by Kings Island's engineering team, headed by chief engineer Al Collins and his assistant Jeff Gramke. However, Allen did provide help and advice during the development process.
After many modifications over the years since it first opened, Gravity Group significantly renovated approximately 2,000 feet of track in 2022, which included sharpening the angle of the first descent and making changes to the track that slightly increased the length to its current 7,361 feet. However, the roller coaster that visitors to Kings Island experience today is very much in the spirit of what the first passengers faced in the late seventies and early eighties.
It ranks in the top ten on the Entertainment Today Golden Ticket Awards' annual list of the world's best wooden roller coasters almost every year, and was officially designated an ACE Coaster Landmark in 2004.
“Beast” is iconic, world-famous, and award-winning, and for good reason. It was a wonderful trip and definitely worth a visit to Kings Island. The night ride is even better and is approaching legendary status in the roller coaster world.
photo gallery
beast station
Train braking operation
