The Crypt

Opened: 2002

Closed: 2011

Location: Rivertown (current location of Madame Fatale’s Cavern of Terror)

Former Names: Tomb Raider: The Ride (2002-2007)

Manufacturer: HUSS

Model: Giant Top Spin

Vehicles: Originally three rows (77 riders total), later reduced to two

Description: The Crypt was an indoor thrill ride that inverted riders in near darkness. When it opened, the ride was themed to the film Tomb Raider film and included special effects including water, lighting, and sound.

History: Tomb Raider: The Ride was announced on July 2, 2001 in the International Restaurant. The park was very vague with details, but promised a heavily themed, totally immersive, dark ride adventure. The park also revealed a 42- by 28-foot display advertising the new ride in front of the Royal Fountain.

Tomb Raider opened in April 2002. The entrance area, queue, and preshow room included a collection of props from the film itself, such as a jeep and many statues. The preshow included a 25-foot Brahma statue and an ornate oval screen that raised from a stone pedestal. The ride itself also included special effects, such as lighting, water, and sound.

Prior to opening at Kings Island, the ride was actually fully built and tested at HUSS’s facility in Germany.

The ride included an on-ride photo its inaugural year, but this offering did not return in 2003 onward. The old photo booth was instead used for storage.

Tomb Raider: The Ride was among the Paramount-themed attractions that were heavily modified for the 2008 season. The ride was renamed The Crypt and almost all the Tomb Raider elements were removed. The front row of seats was also removed from the ride, making for a lighter ride vehicle. This enabled it to perform more dynamic motions, bumping up the ride program from a four-flip one to an eight-flip one. This was short lived, and in May 2009 the program was replaced with a far tamer two-flip variant. The ride’s entrance was also heavily modified for the 2009 season to accommodate the addition of Diamondback.

The Crypt continued to operate with its less-thrilling two-flip program through the completion of the 2011 season. It was announced by Kings Island on February 14, 2012 that the ride had reached the end of its service life and its space would be used for a new Halloween Haunt attraction. Madame Fatale’s Cavern of Terror opened in its space in September 2012 and remains to this day.

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