Geauga Lake rides find home at Kings Dominion park

DOSWELL, VA -- The former Aurora-based Geauga Lake's Americana Ferris Wheel and the El Dorado pendulum ride are being re-assembled at Cedar Fair's Kings Dominion amusement park here for the upcoming 2009 season. They join Geauga Lake's former Dominator roller coaster that was moved here last year.

On Opening Day April 4, Kings Dominion visitors will be able to ride on a 110-foot-tall Ferris wheel or swing on the El Dorado's pendulum ride up to 85 feet in the air.

The Americana and the El Dorado were dismantled in late July and early August and shipped down to Virginia.

They are currently being refurbished before being re-assembled, according to a Cedar Fair Kings Dominion news release.

Cedar Fair closed the amusement park side of Geauga Lake on Sept. 21, 2007 and auctioned off the remaining rides in June 2008. Cedar Fair continues to operate the waterpark side of Geauga Lake.

Site work at Kings Dominion is scheduled to begin in late January. The Americana will be installed near the Rebel Yell roller coaster, while the El Dorado will be closer to the Hurler roller coaster.

The Americana will be the first Ferris wheel at the park. Kings Dominion opened in 1975.

Kings Dominion wanted to add the Americana because of the long history that Ferris wheels have with amusement parks, according to the news release.