Fifty years ago this month, the region's two major theme parks opened 70 miles and 13 days apart, the Times-Dispatch's Eric Kolenich reports.

Why it matters: A half a century later, Kings Dominion and Busch Gardens continue to battle for Virginia thrill-seekers' attention — and money.

State of play: The parks that opened in May 1975 were very different than the ones we know today, Kolenich reports.

• Kings Dominion, which was built atop a Hanover County cornfield, hoped to entice families with its three roller coasters and drive-thru zoo.
• Busch Gardens, meanwhile, rose adjacent to then-owner Anheuser-Busch's brewery, aiming to offer a European-inspired experience beyond thrill-seeking, with just a single rollercoaster.

KD's strategy worked. It drew 52,000 visitors on opening day and turned away nearly as many.

• Meanwhile, a paltry 6,000 people showed up for BG's opening.
• KD would be the industry leader ... for about three years.

What happened: Busch Gardens took its cue from KD and shifted its focus to families and rides, starting with the addition of its mega-coaster, the Loch Ness Monster, the world's first (and still only remaining) interlocking loop steel coaster.

• KD hit back the next year with the Lost World — a 15-story synthetic mountain with three rides.

The latest: Today, as the battle still rages, Busch Gardens boasts over 50 rides and attractions, including 10 roller coasters, according to Roller Coaster DataBase — and a water park.

• Never to be outdone, Kings Dominion now has around 60 rides and 13 coasters — and a water park.

The bottom line: Virginia's theme park battle may well continue for another 50 years, and Richmonders, who are just a short drive from both, are the real winners.

Keep reading for what's new at the parks this year

The Richmond gun hole is gone.

The big picture: The sidewalk it was on was ripped out yesterday, which means the time to share some final words with the revolver-shaped impression is now behind us.

Driving the news: Crews had already dug up nearby sidewalks on Addison Street between West Main and West Cary earlier that morning, and initially told Axios the gun hole would depart on Friday.

• Its unclear if the infamous hole has been preserved in any way.

What the city's saying: Nothing just yet.

• Richmond officials didn't tell Axios by time of publication whether they, too, had any final words for the hole that united Richmonders last year.

Catch up quick: When the gun hole went viral in January 2024, residents turned it into a shrine that came to include acid reflux pills, a chopped-off Barbie doll head, a joint and a Magnum condom.

• It had apparently been there for at least 20 years, per Style Weekly.

What we're watching: Based on Richmond's love of oddly shaped objects, the gun hole won't go gently into that good night.

• When the city tried filling it last year after a resident filed a 311 complaint, someone came to dig out the wet concrete before it set.

Share this vigil

💸 Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority this week stopped issuing vouchers for housing help for the city's very-low income residents due to federal funding cuts. (The Richmonder)

• RRHA estimates around 395 families will go back onto the waiting list... with around 4,042 other local families.

🚨 Multiple Richmond-area schools, including seven in Richmond and two in Henrico, closed early or were briefly locked down yesterday due to an "unsubstantiated" threat that police are investigating. (WRIC)

🐘 Virginia Republicans say they are bracing for a challenging election year due to what some describe as a slow start by their gubernatorial nominee, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears. (Politico)

🥁 Allianz Amphitheater is hosting a free venue preview and live music night so locals can get a look and listen at the new venue. (Instagram)

• The event is on June 4. Advance ticket registration is required.

The price of admission to art museums in some cites has been inching up to $20 or more in recent years.

Why it matters: Admission at the VMFA is completely free.

Driving the news: The Denver Art Museum quietly raised prices by more than 20%, our colleagues at Axios Denver noticed this month.

• Denver's price hike to $22 followed surging admission prices at a half-dozen art museums in 2023, including Philadelphia's and San Francisco's, per The Art Newspaper.
• Helping cover the cost of multimillion-dollar renovations and expansions at those museums drove most of those admission price increases.

Yes, but: VMFA is in the early stages of a $261 million expansion, the largest in its nearly 100-year history, and following its $150 million, 2010 addition.

• And the museum, which gets about a quarter of its funding from the state, will remain completely free.

The bottom line: Richmond is #blessed.

Tell someone paying too much to see art