After Sunday, Kings Island’s replica of the Eiffel Tower will be closed for the season so that it can be repainted for the park’s 50th anniversary in 2022.
Park spokesman Chad Showalter said the Eiffel Tower, one of Kings Island’s original attractions, is closing after this weekend, which is also the end of the daily operation of the park. Kings Island will be open to the public on Aug. 22, Aug. 29 and Labor Day weekend, Sept. 4, 5, 6.
Showalter said over the next several months, the iconic tower will be repainted.
The Eiffel Tower at the park and at sister park Kings Dominion in Virginia are one-third replicas of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, and are both 315 feet tall. The tower at Kings Island was built in 1972, while the tower at Kings Dominion was built in 1975. Both Eiffel Tower replicas have been in the parks since their public openings, according to Kings Island.
Showalter said the last time the Eiffel Tower was repainted was in 2004-2005 prior to the opening of the 2005 season. He said he did not know the specific color that it will be painted this fall. However, Showalter said, “when it opened in 1972, Sherwin Williams created a new color just for the project, ‘Eiffel Tower Green.’”
Showalter said season passes for the 2022 season went on sale today and also include admission for the rest of 2021. More information is available at www.visitkingsisland.com.
In 2022, Kings Island will celebrate 50 years of fun, memories and traditions, Showalter said. Guests will join the park in commemorating the landmark anniversary with limited-time events, enhanced food offerings and all-new live entertainment – each telling the stories of Kings Island’s first 50 years. The park will announce more anniversary details in the coming months.
Kings Island Eiffel Tower facts:
- The tower is 315 feet tall.
- The structure weighs 450 tons.
- There are 15,000 bolts holding the structure firm.
- The average elevator speed is 10 feet per second, and it takes about 30 seconds to ride to the top viewing platform.
- There are 410 steps that lead to the top of the tower.
- It was one of the original Kings Island attractions when it was constructed in 1972.