For 2019, The Beast will celebrate its 40th anniversary at Kings Island, after debuting to the world in 1979. The park is celebrating in a variety of ways including repainting The Beast vehicles in the original alternating yellow, orange, and red color scheme.
On February 6, 1979, The Beast received its iconic name.
Through the 2018 season, The Beast has given more than 54 million rides! In the process, the massive wooden roller coaster has struck fear in some and garners a special relationship with guests from all across the world.
Since first being introduced, The Beast has been recognized in various versions of merchandise from shirts to ornaments.
We have been very fortunate to connect with a collector who owns a really impressive collection of Kings Island merchandise that we would like to share with you. While this collection does not entail all of The Beast merchandise that has ever been released, it is a nice assortment of options that will spark your nostalgia for the time you headed into the woods.
The Beast 10th Anniversary
1989 was the 10th anniversary of The Beast
The Beast 20th Anniversary
1999 was the 20th anniversary of The Beast
The Beast 25th Anniversary
2004 was the 25th anniversary of The Beast
The BeastBuzz event was very similar to today’s Coasterstock event at Kings Island. Scavenger hunt winners were awarded this cool 25th anniversary medal during the 2004 event.
The Beast 35th Anniversary
2014 was the 35th anniversary of The Beast
Other Beast Merchandise
This item presented an interesting piece of historic significance in The Beast’s timeline.
During the early days of The Beast operation, the ride attendants would measure kids as they entered the queue. Those who just met the height requirements were handed these munchkin tags to signify they met the minimum height to ride.
Kids were supposed to hand them to the ride attendant before getting on the ride. However, few were returned or they were handed off to shorter kids who then slipped past the queue attendant.
Eventually, the munchkin tags were eliminated and they remeasured guests at the loading platform if needed.
The above We Built It button was a very rare handout for employees who worked on constructing The Beast. This one is from the private collection of R. D. Hollandsworth, an original builder and maintenance tech for the park.
The above jacket is from the private collection of R. D. Hollandsworth, an original builder and maintenance tech for the park.
The above seat is a rare original assembly from The Beast trains from the private collection of R. D. Hollandsworth, an original builder and maintenance tech for the park.
We could never probably document every single piece of merchandise to encompass the history of The Beast. However, thanks to the effort of some loyal fans, several items still live on today in private collections.
Have an interesting piece of Kings Island The Beast history you would like to share? Let us know!
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