Reviewed by Margaret Thompson
Your list of fall places to visit is likely to include pumpkin patches, apple orchards, and fall festivals. But Kings Dominion for not-so-scary, good old fashioned, Halloween-themed fun? You betcha!
The fun-filled 395-acre theme park that we Richmonders are lucky enough to have in our own backyard has long been known as the place to go for seriously scary after-dark fun this time of year. But this fall, they have added a terrific assortment of Halloween-ish fun for the pint-sized family members who want to be part of the action without getting their pants scared off.
We arrived on a perfect park day, cloudy but not rainy, with just enough humidity to allow us to wear shorts but not sweat…theme-park perfection. With the crowds of summer gone, we were able to take in all the park has to offer without the throngs of people that sometimes greet us in the height of the summer season. We immediately noticed the creepy (but not too much) decorations, some massive and quite awe-inspiring. My hubby and I got a real kick out of our stroll down memory lane, thanks to the cleverly-labeled headstones lining International Street – those of KD’s dearly-departed rides.
My boys, ages six and eight, are at opposite ends of the thrill-seeking spectrum, making our visits to theme parks a bit on the challenging side. We started off with the always pleasing, classic Carousel, finding a cool-looking up and down horse for the thrill-seeker, and a stationary sleigh for my wary one. Next Dad and Will the Thrill hit the Ricochet, which was later described as “much, much scarier than we thought!” while Scott and I played a game and grabbed a drink and some Boardwalk Fries. Everyone enjoyed a drive on the Blue Ridge Tollway, which was renamed something creepy for the month, but wasn’t at all scary as the boys drove their old-timey cars around the course. As we walked through the park, we noticed that what must have been some seriously spine-chilling statues and such were completely covered up during the daytime…thank you, Kings Dominion, for that!
We hit a few other rides, made the obligatory trip to the top of the Eiffel Tower, and then settled into Planet Snoopy, I mean, Planet Spooky for the rest of our pre-Halloween adventure. If you have smaller kids and haven’t been to the park to take in 
this area, you’re missing out. The entire area is designed for families to enjoy together, with eighteen rides grown-ups can jump on alongside their kids. In addition to the rides in Planet Snoopy, from noon until five through November 2
(Saturdays and Sundays), kids get to have a whole lot of Halloween-themed fun at ten different stations on a prize-filled scavenger hunt. We got a creative kick out of painting real mini-pumpkins that we got to bring home with us, and the kids had a blast driving tractors in the Van Pelt Derby. The petting farm was a big hit, as was the HUGE Snoopy Moon Bounce. They managed to find their way out of Franklin’s hay maze, and they had all sorts of foamy fun in Pigpen’s People Washer.
For an extra $5 ($3 for season pass holders), you can trick-or-treat with the dinosaurs at Dinosaurs Alive! From two to five o’clock, and at five there’s the Peanuts Rockin’ Party at the Grande Bandstand on International Street.
Click here for the park hours through November 2, then make plans for some not-so-scary Halloween fun at Kings Dominion!
