MASON, Ohio — Kings Island is bringing back a fan-favorite attraction from the 1990s.
The amusement park on Thursday morning made the rumors official: Phantom Theater is coming back, this time called "Phantom Theater: Opening Nightmare."
The park says it will be constructed in the same building that housed Boo Blasters (2010-present), then the Scooby Doo Haunted Castle ride (2002-2010), and the old Phantom Theater before that.
The original Phantom Theater used the same cars and ride system to take visitors through a haunted opera house from 1992 to 2002.
Kings Island, in a release, describes the new ride this way:
"No Legs Larry, the Phantom Theater’s legendary usher, needs YOU to help seat the audience. But beware…just before the show, a lightning strike has released supernatural ghost notes from Maestro’s famed pipe organ and they’ve run amok throughout the theater. The entire cast is calling on you to return them back to the organ before the curtain can rise."
It then says guests will be "riding in enchanted opera boxes and armed with interactive spellbound flashlights, journey through haunted hallways, magical dressing rooms, and wild backstage chaos to capture the ghost notes before they ruin the show. Along the way, meet unforgettably familiar vaudeville stars, dodge a firing cannon, and witness operatic shrieks that shatter mirrors."
In total, Kings Island says the new ride will feature 26 interactive scenes featuring multi-sensory effects like wind and sound. There will also be hidden Easter eggs throughout the ride and a grand on-stage musical finale.
"Families who have visited Kings Island will remember how special the original Phantom Theater was, and they've always wanted it to return," said Tony Carovillano, park manager of Kings Island. "While paying homage to the original ride, Phantom Theater: Opening Nightmare's modern and advanced features will help create new memories and stories for all who take their seat inside this amazing experience."
This comes a week after a teaser video showing a workman wandering through the soon-to-be closed Boo Blasters on Boo Hill ride with a flashlight when he says, "Hang on, I think I hear something."
He then points his light and stumbles upon an organ with sheet music for Bach's Toccata and Fugue sitting on top, with the music playing in the background. The musical choice is significant because it was the theme music for the Phantom Theater ride that previously occupied the building.
Fans of Boo Blasters on Boo Hill will have until September 1 to ride it, before it goes away.
The new ride is expected to open for the start of the 2026 Kings Island season.
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