Construction Update: Inside the Phantom Theater at Kings Island
Kings Island’s “new again” dark ride, Phantom Theater: Opening Nightmare, is on track to open in 2026, and the park recently hosted a construction tour of the ride.
By Andy Guinigundo and Abby Guinigundo
The “new again” description is because the ride at the Mason, Ohio park has gone through several incarnations over the years. Originally, a boat ride called The Enchanted Voyage—which was re-themed as The Smurfs’ Enchanted Voyage until 1991—then, in the early 2000s, it was redesigned by Sally Dark Rides as a shooting dark ride, first called Scooby-Doo and the Haunted Castle and then, from 2010 to 2025, Boo Blasters on Boo Hill.
Photo courtesy of Kings Island
But from 1992 until 2002, the ride functioned as a dark ride with an omni-mover-like ride system, and it was called Phantom Theater. The ride featured characters like The Maestro and No Legs Larry and leaned more toward the whimsical and family-friendly than the scary side as far as haunted attractions go.
Now, Dark ride specialists, Sally Dark Rides, is back coupling new technology and ride design to bring something familiar and yet brand new.
“We had a story in place, one that fans loved,” said Sally’s VP of marketing and business development, Lauren Weaver. “We had to honor that original story and bring back original characters so many people remembered.”
Phantom Theater: Opening Nightmare
The storyline for Phantom Theater: Opening Nightmare is that it’s opening night for the latest performance in the Phantom Theater.
Just before the show, a lightning strike releases supernatural ghost notes from Maestro’s famed pipe organ and they’ve run amok throughout the theater. The entire cast is calling on you, the rider, to return them back to the organ before the curtain can rise!
“With such nostalgia, it just made sense to put Phantom Theater back in here,” said Tony Carovillano, VP of operations at Kings Island. “What an exciting time to work with Sally Dark Rides again.”
Phantom Theater: Opening Nightmare is set to open April 18, 2026.
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