Cedar Point

This article is about the amusement park in Ohio. For other uses, see Cedar Point (disambiguation).

Cedar Point
Location	Sandusky, Ohio, United States
Coordinates	41.480033°N 82.681818°W / 41.480033; -82.681818
Website	www.cedarpoint.com/
Owner	Cedar Fair Entertainment Company
General Manager	John Hildebrandt
Opened	1870
Operating season	May - October
Area	364 acres (0.569 sq mi) (1.47 km²)
Rides	75 total 17 roller coasters 3 water rides
Slogan	"America's Rollercoast", "The Roller Coaster Capital of the World", "Ride On", and "The Fun and Only"

Aerial view of Cedar Point

Cedar Point is a 364-acre (147 ha) amusement park located on a Lake Erie peninsula in Sandusky, Ohio, United States. Opened in 1870, Cedar Point is the third oldest amusement park in North America behind Six Flags New England and Lake Compounce. It is owned and operated by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company featuring a world record 75 rides as of 2011 including 17 roller coasters.

Other attractions outside the park include a mile-long white sand beach, an outdoor water park called Soak City, two marinas, several nearby resorts, and an area known as Challenge Park which features attractions such as go-karts, miniature golf, Ripcord and Skyscraper.

The park's normal operating season runs daily from mid May through Labor Day and then only on weekends until the end of October. Cedar Point has reached several milestones that include being the only amusement park in the world with four roller coasters taller than 200 feet (61 m) - Magnum XL 200, Millennium Force, Wicked Twister, and Top Thrill Dragster - as well as being the only one with roller coasters in all four height classifications - Jr. Gemini (Kiddie roller coaster), Magnum XL-200 (Hypercoaster), Millennium Force (Giga coaster), and Top Thrill Dragster (Stratacoaster). Known as "America's Roller Coast", Cedar Point has received the "Best Amusement Park in the World" award by Amusement Today for the past fourteen years.

History

Historic Marker

Prior to development, the Cedar Point peninsula was covered by native cedar vegetation, and the clear waters of Lake Erie provided superb fishing grounds. From the 1840s through the 1870s, local fishermen often leased space on the peninsula in order to ply the profitable waters.

In the 1860s, during the American Civil War, housing for a battery of four field artillery pieces was constructed at the tip of the peninsula to guard access to the Confederate prisoner of war camp on nearby Johnson's Island. When the war ended, Cedar Point resumed its role as a summer picnic area, and the initial park was constructed in 1870. In 1870, Louis Zistel, a German immigrant, who was a cabinet maker at the time in Sandusky, Ohio, constructed a beer garden with a small dance floor on the peninsula. He also made a set of small bathhouses and constructed a couple of children's playground attractions. Zistel charged 25 cents per ticket to get a ride from Sandusky to Cedar Point on his boat, "Young Reindeer." In 1871, there had been no indication of Cedar Point reopening. The activity level at Cedar Point from 1871 until 1878 was nearly zero.

In 1878, James West opened a group of bathhouses, when there were no boating services to Cedar Point. Benjamin F. Dwelle and Captain William Slackford made a lease with the peninsula's owners, Adolph and Stoll, in 1882 and started to make major improvements for the upcoming season. They laid wooden walkways and picnic tables through a couple of acres of the peninsula. Yet another set of bathhouses was built along with Cedar Point's first dance hall. Both the steamboats Lillie and R.B. Hayes made round trips from Biemiller's Cove to Cedar Point for 25 cents. In 1887, the five-year lease for Dwelle and Slackford ended. Captain Slackford was chronically ill and was unable to participate in the upkeep of the park.

Dwelle was still anxious to see the park grow, so he, along with the peninsula's owners, Louis Adolph, Adam Stoll, Jacob Kuebeler, and Charles Baetz formed Cedar Point Pleasure Resort Company. The Cedar Point Steamboat Company also evolved from the five men. Baetz was elected General Manager of Cedar Point in 1888. Architect D. L. Stine from Toledo, Ohio, was hired that year to build the Grand Pavilion. The Grand Pavilion was a giant theater and concert hall. The "Candy Pagoda," opened in the mid-1890s by Max Stenzel, sold many confections. In 1892, the peninsula's first roller coaster, the Switchback Railway, was opened. The Switchback Railway ran only on gravity's momentum, and the trains often did not have enough "boost" to make it back to the station, and boys or horses had to push or pull the cars back to the station.

Boeckling era

Entrance sign

John Boyle arrived at Cedar Point in 1897 with only the intention of increasing passenger traffic as a representative of the Lake Erie & Western Railroad. Boyle was working for the railroad at the time; however, once he saw Cedar Point, he knew that he wanted to be a part of it. Boyle was able to talk his way into the existing co-partnership after Ben Dwelle, who was one of the original co-partners, defaulted on his portion of the Cedar Point loan payment. In December 1897, the Cedar Point Pleasure Resort Company of Indiana (Boeckling was born in Michigan City, Indiana) was formed. With Boyle as part of the company, Cedar Point was acquired for $256,000, of which Boyle reportedly contributed $55,000 of his own money. The remainder of the money was raised by the selling of stock.

Beginning in 1897, George Arthur Boeckling took control of Cedar Point and spent the remainder of his life improving and promoting the park. Boeckling innately understood what people wanted in a resort and tried to provide that for his guests. In fact, by 1901, the resort was controlled by G. A. Boeckling, August Kuebler, Jocob Kuebler, and Charles G. Nielsen who bought out Adam Stoll’s interest in Cedar Point.

In 1902, The Racer, a figure eight roller toboggan coaster, was built by Fred Ingersoll. Tickets for The Racer were 5 cents. A pony track was built near the beach that same year. Although families flocked to Cedar Point together, the resort was still known as a beer garden.

In 1904, the Detroit Dredging Company dug the lagoons that now are home to the Paddlewheel Excursions boats and also run under Iron Dragon, Mantis, and Millennium Force. The historical Hotel Breakers was built in 1905, which still is in operation today. In 1906, a new powerhouse was installed and a brand new "Amusement Circle" was formed southeast of the Coliseum.

A circle swing and a carousel were put into place at Cedar Point. In 1908 the Dip the Dips Scenic Railway was installed, which was replaced in 1912 by the Leap the Dips coaster. Leap Frog Scenic Railway was constructed in 1917 on the site of the demolished out of date coaster, Dip the Dips. Cyclone, a rickety and rough coaster, was built in 1926. Many more hotels and restaurants were constructed during the 1900–1930 time period, including Hotel Cedars, White House Hotel, Crystal Rock Castle, and Crystal Gardens Ballroom. By 1919, alcoholic beverages were outlawed.

It was clear in 1929 that Cedar Point was trying to update their attractions, by razing Racer, A Trip to Rockaway, the circle swing, and many other rides to make way for Shoot-the-Chutes water ride, a Tilt-A-Whirl, fun houses called Noah's Ark and Bluebeard's Palace, the Cyclone coaster, and many other rides. It was also clear that George Boeckling's health was declining. He was confined to his home, where a local doctor told him that he was suffering with chronic nephritis. In 1931, Boeckling had to be put into a wheelchair. He was pushed around Cedar Point by an employee or a relative to overlook the park. The heat of the summer took its toll on Boeckling, when he collapsed. He was forced to stay home after that, where he developed uremia. On July 24, 1931, Boeckling died. His portrait in the lobby of Breakers Hotel was draped in black. Flags in the resort and on the G.A. Boeckling steamboat were lowered to half mast.

After Boeckling

After the death of Boeckling, Cedar Point fell into the hands of Edward Smith. Little expansion happened through the 1930s. One of the few rides put in place at Cedar Point in the 1930s was the Tumble Bug. The decaying Leap the Dips coaster was razed in the mid-1930s. In the 1940s, the restaurant business blossomed in Cedar Point, including Ross' Hot Dogs, Coffelt's Fudge, Green and Silver Grill, Castle Sandwich Shop, and Momma Berardi's Home Made French Fries. French Fries similar to Momma Berardi's are sold in the existing restaurants in Cedar Point: Hot Potato, the Happy Friar, and Mr. Potato.

By the end of the second World War, Cedar Point was in a strong need of financial help. The wood of the Cyclone coaster was rotting, the boardwalk was cracked in many places, and the fishing dock was in need of repair. In 1946, Cedar Point's oldest still existing ride, the Midway Carousel, was installed. By 1951, the Cyclone coaster was razed because of its poor condition. The resort then did not have a roller coaster. While the Cyclone was departing, the Laff-in-the-Dark, Rocket Ships, and Loop-A-Plane were newcomers. Cedar Point Causeway, built in 1957, is still used many times a day. The president of Cedar Point, Bernie Zeiher, was replaced by George Roose around 1958, and Emile Legros was elected chairman that same year. Bernie's penny arcade was removed in 1959 to make way for construction.

Cedar Point's oldest operating roller coaster, the Blue Streak

In the 1950s, the Pagoda Gift Shop was a post-office. The Crystal Rock Castle was turned into a maintenance shop in the late-1950s. In 1959, the hotels were repainted, concrete was poured for the new admission gates, and over $1,200,000 was spent to refresh Cedar Point. Cedar Point's first roller coaster since the Cyclone, the Wild Mouse, was built. The resort also got a new kind of ride, a monorail. It was the most ridden ride in 1959. Breakers Hotel was restored, and the neglected cottages were razed. The Coliseum and Grand Pavilion were both also painted and remodeled. The Crystal Rock Castle Maintenance Shop, bathhouses, and the old powerhouse were razed. A new $50,000 bathhouse, boiler house, and maintenance shop were built in their place.

In the 1960s, the idea of "pay one price" season passes was spread. In 1964, Cedar Point opened its oldest existing roller coaster, the Blue Streak. It was named after the local high school's sports teams, the Sandusky Blue Streaks. By 1967, the Dodgem, Cedar Downs Racing Derby, San Francisco Earthquake Ride, Pirate Ride, Sky Ride, Mill Race, and the Cadillac Cars had been built. Jungle Larry's Safari Island was a well known attraction that operated from 1965 through 1994 despite the death of Jungle Larry in 1984. The Cedar Creek Mine Ride opened in 1969, currently the second oldest coaster at Cedar Point.

1970 brought the Centennial Theatre, called such because of Cedar Point's 100th anniversary. In 1975, Robert L. Munger Jr. took over as president of Cedar Point after Roose's retirement. The record breaking coaster Corkscrew was built in 1976. It was the first roller coaster to span a midway and have three inversions. The Gemini opens in 1978 as the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world. A junior coaster named Jr. Gemini opens the following year across from Gemini. 1982 saw the addition of White Water Landing, replacing the original Shoot the Rapids log flume. In 1983, Demon Drop opens at the front of the park. Avalanche Run opens in 1985 close to the beach. It would later be re-themed as Disastor Transport. That same year, the San Francisco Earthquake Ride was transformed into the Berenstain Bear Country.

Dick Kinzel era

View of Cedar Point from the Giant Wheel (2006)

In 1986, Robert L. Munger Jr, the President and CEO of Cedar Fair stepped down due to health issues. He was replaced by Richard Kinzel. 1986 also saw the addition of Thunder Canyon, a river rafting ride manufactured by Intamin. In 1987 Iron Dragon, a suspended swinging roller coaster, debuted on the Million Dollar Midway, near the station of the Cedar Point and Lake Erie Railroad Station. In 1988, Soak City, Cedar Point's own outdoor water park opened near Hotel Breakers. It features speed slides, more than 10 body and tube slides, a family raft ride, a water playhouse and two lazy rivers.

Magnum XL-200 roller coaster opened in 1989, breaking world height and speed records again. The ride was the first to exceed heights of 200 feet (61 m) and speeds over 70 miles per hour (110 km/h). For the 1990 season, Avalanche Run was transformed into Disaster Transport, the ride was fully enclosed and added special effects. In recent years the special effects and theming of disappeared to almost a completely dark coaster. Mean Streak opened in 1991 as the northernmost attraction in Frontier Town and the park. It broke records for the fastest and tallest wooden roller coaster in the world, reaching speeds of 65 miles per hour (105 km/h) and a height of 161 feet (49 m). In 1992, Cedar Point celebrated its 100th year of having roller coasters in the park. Challenge Park was created between Hotel Breakers and Soak City that same year. Challenge Park includes a go kart car race track and two eighteen hole mini-golf courses. The Berenstain Bear Country expanded outside, with slides, a miniature train rides, and other playground equipment.

Snake River Falls was constructed in 1993, because of the popularity of Soak City. The 82-foot (25 m)-tall structure sends riders plunging down at 40 miles per hour (64 km/h) . At the bottom of the hill, a splash landing tops off the ride. When landing in the water, the boat creates a large wave, splashing spectators on an overlooking bridge. In 1994, Cedar Point installed Raptor. The Mill Race log flume was removed from the park, and the circular Calypso was relocated in order to make room for the Raptor, which features a Cobra Roll. In 1996, Cedar Point opened Mantis, the tallest and fastest stand-up roller coaster in the world when it opened. The original name for the Mantis was "Banshee", but many people thought it was offensive and the name was changed (the logo for the Banshee was later used as the logo for Steel Force at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom, another Cedar Fair park. Camp Snoopy opened in 1999, it features 8 attractions themed as snoopy (for the exception of Tilt-a-Whirl). The area also features a junior roller coaster built by Vekoma, Woodstock Express.

Wicked Twister

In 2000, Cedar Point built the first giga coaster, Millennium Force. When it debuted, it was the tallest and fastest complete circuit coaster in the world reaching speeds of 93 miles per hour (150 km/h) and heights of 310 ft (94 m) In 2002, Wicked Twister debuted as the first second-generation Intamin inverted impulse coaster. Today, Wicked Twister is the tallest (215 ft) and fastest (72 miles per hour) inverted roller coaster in the world. In 2003, Top Thrill Dragster debuted as the tallest (420 ft) and fastest (120 miles per hour) roller coaster in the world. Top Thrill Dragster was the first strata coaster in the world. For 2007, Cedar Point debuted Maverick. The ride features a 105-foot (32 m) drop at a 95 degree angle. Maverick also includes an LSM launch in the middle of the ride reaching speeds of 70 miles per hour (110 km/h). In 2008, Cedar Point introduced Planet Snoopy, a kiddie area constructed where Peanuts Playground used to be. This area consists of family and children rides that were relocated from Cedar Point's sister park Geauga Lake after its closing. The area also consists of a "Kids Only" restaurant called Joe Cool Cafe (there is a small menu for adults). 2009 saw the addition of the Starlight Experience, a night-time LED light extravaganza with floats themed to the four seasons. This $1,000,000 attraction takes place on the Frontier Trail nightly beginning at twilight. In order to prepare for Starlight Experience, the Frontier Trail closes for approximately 30 minutes before the event. In 2010, Cedar Point added a new flume ride located on the park's Frontier Trail. Shoot the Rapids includes two drops and a three minute journey through a rustic western environment. New for 2011 is the WindSeeker thrill ride, a 301-foot (92 m) tall tower that spins riders along the shoreline of Lake Erie. Windseeker did not open on time due to construction delays and opened to the public on June 14, 2011.

On October 20, 2010, Six Flags Magic Mountain announced the addition of two new roller coasters raising the park's total count to 18 and giving Magic Mountain the record of having the most roller coasters in a single park. However, on September 1, 2011 Six Flags Magic Mountain announced via Facebook the planned relocation of Deja Vu, a Giant Inverted Boomerang coaster, to Six Flags New England during the 2011-2012 off season. The ride was dismantled in October 2011 and as a result, Magic Mountain and Cedar Point again have the same number of roller coasters.

Matt Ouimet era

On June 20, 2011 Cedar Fair announced that Dick Kinzel will retire on January 3, 2012 and that Matt Ouimet will take his spot as the CEO of Cedar Fair.Ouimet was employed by The Walt Disney Company for 17 years. He served as president of Disney Cruise Line and president of the Disneyland Resort. He officially became CEO on January 3rd.

In 2012, Cedar Point will add Dinosaurs Alive!, a walk-through exhibit featuring approximately 50 life-size animatronic dinosaurs. It will be located on Adventure Island and will replace the Paddlewheel Excursions boat cruise ride. A 10-lane mat racer slide will also be added to Soak City along with a repaint of the slides at Soak City.

Current attractions

Ride Rating System
Rating	Thrill	Description
1	Low	Rides that are generally calm and gentle in nature
2	Mild	Rides that generally have low speeds with gentle motion and braking. Rides have smooth transitions with some changes in elevation and speed.
3	Moderate	Rides that generally have low to medium speeds and/or heights with moderate motion and braking. Riders may encounter unexpected changes in direction and/or speed during portions of the ride.
4	High	Rides that generally have medium to high speeds and/or heights with moderate to rapid braking. Riders may encounter unexpected changes in speed, direction and/or elevation.
5	Aggressive	Rides that generally have one or more of the following: high speeds and/or heights, aggressive and unexpected forces, and rapid directional or elevation change. Riders will encounter many unexpected rapid changes in speed, direction and/or elevation.

Roller coasters

Cedar Point has a total of 17 roller coasters, tied with Six Flags Magic Mountain for the most in the world.

#	Coaster	Year Opened	Manufacturer	Description	Thrill Rating
1	Blue Streak	1964	Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters	A wooden roller coaster. It is the oldest operating roller coaster at Cedar Point.	4
2	Cedar Creek Mine Ride	1969	Arrow Dynamics	A steel mine train roller coaster with a wooden structure.	4
3	Corkscrew	1976	Arrow Dynamics	A steel roller coaster that spans over the midway. It was the first coaster with 3 inversions and the first coaster to span a midway when it first opened.	5
4	Disaster Transport	1985	Intamin	An enclosed bobsled roller coaster. It is only one of four still operating in the world. Formerly known as Avalanche Run (1985-1990).	4
5	Gemini	1978	Arrow Dynamics	A steel racing roller coaster with a wooden structure. It was the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world when it opened.	5
6	Iron Dragon	1987	Arrow Dynamics	A steel suspended roller coaster.	4
7	Jr. Gemini	1979	Intamin	A steel childrens roller coaster. It was the first roller coaster manufactured by Intamin.	2
8	Magnum XL-200	1989	Arrow Dynamics	A steel hyper roller coaster. It was the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world when it opened.	5
9	Mantis	1996	Bolliger & Mabillard	A steel stand-up roller coaster. It was the tallest, fastest and steepest stand up roller coaster in the world when it opened.	5
10	Maverick	2007	Intamin	A steel launched roller coaster. With its 95 degree drop, it is the steepest roller coaster in the park.	5
11	Mean Streak	1991	Dinn Corporation	A wooden roller coaster. It was the tallest, fastest and longest wooden roller coaster in the world when it opened.	5
12	Millennium Force	2000	Intamin	A steel giga roller coaster. It set several records when it opened such as tallest, fastest and longest roller coaster in the world.	5
13	Raptor	1994	Bolliger & Mabillard	A steel inverted roller coaster. It was the tallest, fastest and longest inverted roller coaster in the world when it opened. It was also the first inverted roller coaster with a cobra roll.	5
14	Top Thrill Dragster	2003	Intamin	A steel strata launched roller coaster. It was the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world when it opened.	5
15	Wicked Twister	2002	Intamin	A steel launched roller coaster. It is currently the tallest and fastest inverted roller coaster in the world.	5
16	WildCat	1970	Anton Schwarzkopf	A steel wild mouse roller coaster. It has operated in two other locations in the park before standing where it is now.	4
17	Woodstock Express	1999	Vekoma	A steel junior roller coaster.	4

Thrill rides

#	Ride	Year Opened	Manufacturer	Description	Thrill Rating
1	Calypso	1970	Mack Rides	A spinning ride that spins riders in two degrees of motion.	3
2	Cedar Downs Racing Derby	1967	Prior and Church	A racing horses carousel type ride. It is one of three still operating today. The other two are located at Playland, in Rye, New York; and Pleasure Beach, Blackpool, in Blackpool, UK. Originally from Euclid Beach Park on the east side of Cleveland and called the "Great American Racing Derby". Cedar Downs was manufactured in 1920 by Prior and Church and sold to Cedar Point in 1965.	3
3	Dodgem	1970		A classic bumper cars attraction.	4
4	Matterhorn	1972	Mack Rides	A matterhorn circular ride that swings riders as it moves in a clockwise motion while traveling up and down.	3
5	maXair	2005	HUSS	A Giant Frisbee ride that holds 50 riders, which swings back and forth at an arc of up to 120 degrees and reaches a height of 140 feet (43 m).	5
6	Monster	1970	Eyerly Aircraft Corporation	A standard Monster ride.	3
7	Ocean Motion	1982	HUSS	A giant swinging pirate ship ride that reaches a height of 65 feet (20 m).	3
8	Power Tower	1998	S&S Worldwide	A drop tower ride featuring both a space Shot and a turbo Drop. Power Tower is the only four-towered drop tower ride in the world, devoting two towers to each drop cycle. All four towers are 240 feet (73 m) tall.	5
9	Scrambler	1960	Eli Bridge Company	An Eli Bridge scrambler ride. One of the oldest rides operating at Cedar Point.	3
10	Skyhawk	2006	S&S Worldwide	A S&S Screamin' Swing, which is currently the world's largest swinging ride. It reaches a height of 125 feet (38 m).	5
11	Super Himalaya	1970	Mack Rides	A circular Musik Express ride that travels in a clockwise motion on a track of various elevations.	3
12	Troika	1976	HUSS	A common Troika ride. Riders reach a height of 25 feet (7.6 m).	3
13	Wave Swinger	1979	Zierer	A Wave swinger ride featuring hand painted murals. Riders reach a height of 16 feet (4.9 m).	3
14	WindSeeker	2011	Mondial	A WindSeeker tower swinger ride. Riders reach a height of 301 feet (92 m).	4
15	Witches' Wheel	1977	HUSS	A Enterprise ride. A thrilling variation of the Ferris wheel, the Witches' Wheel turns riders upside down more than a dozen times 60 feet (18 m) above the ground.	4

Family rides

#	Ride	Year Opened	Manufacturer	Description	Thrill Rating
1	Antique Cars	1969	Arrow Dynamics	An automobile track ride with cars that resemble an old Model T car. One of three track rides in the park.	3
2	Cadillac Cars	1960	Arrow Dynamics	A second track ride with cars designed to look like a 1914 Cadillac.	3
3	Cedar Point and Lake Erie Railroad	1963		A 15-minute train excursion encompasses a two-mile (3 km) trip along Lake Erie and through a western themed "Bone Town".	1
4	Dinosaurs Alive!	2012	Dinosaurs Unearthed	A walk through prehistoric-themed attraction featuring nearly 50 life-size animatronic dinosaurs on Adventure Island. The attraction will have an extra cost of $5 per person.
5	Giant Wheel	1972	Anton Schwarzkopf	A giant Ferris wheel. At 136 feet (41 m) tall, Giant Wheel is one of the tallest Ferris wheels in North America.	2
6	Kiddy Kingdom Carousel	1968	William H. Dentzel firm	A classic carousel ride. It is located in the Kiddie Kingdom section of the park.	1
7	Midway Carousel	1946	HUSS	A classic carousel ride. One of the few remaining Daniel Muller Carousels, it was built in 1912 and moved to Cedar Point 1946. It is the oldest operating ride at Cedar Point.	1
8	Sky Ride	1961	Von Roll	A standard aerial lift ride. It transports passengers from the front of the park to near the Scrambler.	3
9	Space Spiral	1965	Von Roll	A 330-foot (100 m) tall Von Roll tower gives riders a 360-degree view of the surrounding area. Space Spiral was the first amusement park ride in the world to top 300 feet (91 m) and was the tallest in the world when it was built.	2
10	Tilt-a-Whirl	1999	Sellner	A Tilt-A-Whirl ride. It is the only ride located in Camp Snoopy that is not themed to Snoopy.	3
11	Turnpike Cars	1965	Mack Rides	The park's third car track ride, it features cars themed to mini hot rods from the 50's.	3

Water rides

#	Ride	Year Opened	Manufacturer	Description	Thrill Rating
1	Shoot the Rapids	2010	Intamin	A log flume ride. It features two drops, one is 85 feet (26 m) and the other is 49 feet (15 m), and two splashdowns. The ride also features waterfalls, rock work, and water bombs.	5
2	Snake River Falls	1993	Arrow Dynamics	A shoot-the-chutes ride. It opened as the tallest, fastest and steepest water ride in the world with a drop of 80 feet (24 m).	5
3	Thunder Canyon	1986	Intamin	A river rafting ride. It was the second ever Intamin river rafting ride built, and is currently the oldest operating water ride of its type. Thunder Canyon normally closes in early September in order to transform into a Halloween attraction called CornStalkers.	4

Kids' rides

Kiddy Kingdom Rides Name Thrill 4x4's 2 Dune Buggies 1 Frog Hopper 2 Helicopters 2 Hot Rods 1 Krazy Kars 2 Motorcycles 1 Mustangs 1 Old Timers 1 Police Cars 1 Roto Whip 2 Sky Fighters 2 Sir Rub-a-Dub's Tubs 2

Planet Snoopy Rides Name Thrill Flying Ace Balloon Race 2 Kite Eating Tree 2 Peanuts Road Rally 1 Snoopy's Deep Sea Divers 2 Snoopy's Space Race 2 Snoopy's Express Railroad 1 Woodstock's Whirlybirds 2

Gemini Midway Rides Name Thrill Bumper Boats 2 Camp Bus 2 Frog Hopper 2 Jr. Gemini 2 Rock, Spin, and Turn 2 Snoopy Bounce 2 Space Age 1

Camp Snoopy Rides Name Thrill Balloon Race 2 Camp Bus 2 Lolli Swings 2 Peanuts 500 2 Red Baron 2 Woodstock Express 4

Defunct attractions

Among the notable rides and attractions Cedar Point was home to in the past (with their first-last year of operation):

• Switchback Railway (1892-1907) — Cedar Point's first roller coaster.
• High Frolics (1918-1940) — Built by Andy Vettle, this coaster was originally called "Leap Frog Railway".
• Cyclone (1929-1951) — A Traver-built wooden twister.
• Zugspitze (?-1972) — A Himalaya ride demolished in 1972 when it was replaced by Super Himalaya.
• Scamper (1962-1969) — Wooden Wild Mouse roller coaster.
• Jumbo Jet (1972-1978) — A steel roller coaster similar to the Wildcat, but larger and longer. It used individual self-powered cars to run up a spiral lift hill unassisted. The coaster run had some 90° sections, and an ATC-style radar prop rotated up above the ride. The Jumbo Jet had the tallest height requirement in the park at the time. One of several built by Schwarzkopf, CP's Jumbo Jet is now at Dreamland in Minsk, Belarus.
• Sky Wheel (1962-1980) — Two smaller Ferris wheels mounted on opposite ends of a giant pivoting arm, allowing one wheel to turn high in the air while the other was being loaded. It was located in the middle of the Funway in front of the main entrance.
• Fun House (1981) — A creepy 3-story walk-through house. Of particular popularity was the upside-down room (which featured someone in a rocking chair on the ceiling) and the labyrinth room where the floor was at an angle. At the end of the tour was a stairway back to ground level, but kids had the option of exiting via one of three enclosed spiral slides. Replaced with the Kid Arthur's Court play area, which would also eventually be removed. Portions of this attraction are used in the Holloweekends attraction "The House on Boo Hill".
• Shoot the Rapids (1967-1981) — A lengthy flume ride with twin tracks. Located in Frontiertown near the train station. In 2010, a new water ride opened with the same name, but in a different location.
• Earthquake (1965-1984) — A dark ride based on the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. This ride formerly operated at Freedomland U.S.A. and was relocated to Cedar Point in 1965.
• Bayern Kurve (1970-1984) — A bobsled-themed ride that ran around an ovoid track.
• Rotor (1967-1984) — A round, cylinder room in which the walls spun while the floor dropped, leaving riders stuck to the wall by centrifugal force.
• Tiki-Twirl (1960-1984) — a Tilt-A-Whirl type ride. Similar to the Calypso, the difference being that the Tiki-Twirl featured tropical theming.
• Frontier Lift (1968-1985) — A second sky ride which operated separate from the existing one. It ran from the main midway to Frontiertown. The site of the midway station is now the queueing area of the Iron Dragon, but the Frontiertown station still stands; restrooms occupy the ground floor, while the second floor is used for employee meetings and storage.
• Trabant (1971-1990) and Schwabinchen (1970-2002) — two rides in which the riders sat on the ends of a round disc-shaped object similar to a flattened cone. The ride motion pattern resembled that of a spinning coin before coming to rest. Although similar in operation, the rides were made by two different companies — Mack Rides made the Schwabinchen and Chance Rides, the Trabant. The Schwabinchen also had a tilted loading platform. The theming was also different; the Schwabinchen featured a beautiful German tavern dancer in the ride's center, where riders "sat" on the outskirts of the "Lady In Red's" dress, while the Trabant had a disco ball as its centerpiece.
• Sky Slide (1968-1991) — A huge cyan-colored fiberglass slide located just west of the Main Arcade. Guests had to sit on a burlap mat while sliding down. There were two long steep drops followed by a short dip, and the slide had 15 "lanes" for riders. Unfortunately, the adjacent first-aid station saw many treatments for slide-related friction burns.
• Mill Race (1963-1993) — A flume ride that was located near the main entrance. It had a relatively small footprint, and was one of the first Arrow Dynamics flume rides opened. The final drop on this ride was once sponsored by Nestea and was called the "Nestea Plunge", named after a very popular advertising slogan of the time. This ride was retired after the 1993 season to make room for Raptor.
• Jungle Larry's African Safari (1965-1994) — A zoological attraction with live animal exhibits, including some trained-animal shows. Originally, guests had to walk a long bridge over a lagoon to get there. When the midway was extended in 1976, this part of the lagoon was filled in. For its remaining 18 years, Jungle Larry's was located in the shadow of the Corkscrew.
• Pirate Ride (1966-1996) — A pirate-themed dark ride located near the Blue Streak queueing area. This ride formerly operated at Freedomland U.S.A. and was relocated to Cedar Point in 1966.
• Vertigo (Aug.2001-Dec.2001) — An air powered thrill ride that used three 265-foot (81 m)-tall towers and cable to propel riders over 300 feet (91 m). This ride was damaged during a storm and partially collapsed after its debut season. Park management felt the potential for failure of this ride design outweighed the positive impact made by repairing it, and it was removed prior to the start of the 2002 season.
• White Water Landing (1982-2005) — An Arrow Dynamics log flume built on the former site of the original Shoot the Rapids. It operated for twenty-three years before it was retired to make room for Maverick. The station and queue are now part of Maverick's queue.
• Demon Drop (1983-2009) — An Intamin freefall attraction. It was relocated to Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom and opened for the 2010 season.
• Chaos (1997-2010) – A Chance Rides Chaos that opened as one of the first rides of its kind in the world. It inverts its riders in three degrees of motion: lifting, inverting, and spinning. Chaos is currently for sale and was removed after the 2010 season.
• Paddlewheel Excursions (1964-2011) – Boats that transport its guests on a relaxing voyage around Cedar Point’s lagoons past scenes depicting early Americana. Paddlewheel Excursions closed on Labor Day 2011 to make room for Dinosaurs Alive!, an attraction scheduled to open in 2012. Originally known as Western Cruise.

Awards/rankings

Awards

Cedar Point has received the Golden Ticket Award by Amusement Today for "Best Amusement Park in the World" in 2011, winning for the fourteenth consecutive year. The park also placed in the categories for "Friendliest Staff", "Best Outdoor Night Production" and "Best Halloween Event". Cedar Point won "Best New Ride of 2007" with the new roller coaster Maverick.

Rankings

Raptor from the Midway during HalloWeekends

The following steel and wooden coasters were ranked by Amusement Today in 2011:

Steel

• Millennium Force: 1st
• Top Thrill Dragster: 9th
• Magnum XL-200: 10th
• Raptor: 18th
• Maverick: 21st

Wooden

• Blue Streak: 49th

Cedar Point also holds several IAAPA Big E Awards for Live Entertainment productions.

Timeline

• 2012: Dinosaurs Alive! opens. 10-lane mat racer added to Soak City. Minor improvements to the park, Giant Wheels lights replaced, Big Screen near Iron Dragon is removed, 2,900 new electronic lockers, Luminiosity: Ignite the Night! nighttime show
• 2011: WindSeeker opens, Ocean Motion is relocated to the former Demon Drop site. Paddlewheel Excursions closes
• 2010: Shoot the Rapids opens. Chaos closes
• 2009: Starlight Experience, Demon Drop close
• 2008: Planet Snoopy opens, All Wheels Extreme stunt show
• 2007: Maverick opens
• 2006: Skyhawk opens, Hot Summer Lights nighttime show
• 2005: maXair opens. White Water Landing and Swan Boats close
• 2004: $10 million in capital improvements with expansions at Lighthouse Point luxury camping complex, Splash City added to Soak City
• 2003: Top Thrill Dragster opens
• 2002: Wicked Twister opens, "Snoopy Rocks! On Ice" ice skating show. The Cedar Point Cinema is converted to the Good Time Theatre, Schwabinchen closes
• 2001: Lighthouse Point opens, The aqauriam closes. Vertigo is open 4 months before closing
• 2000: Millennium Force and Breakers Express open
• 1999: Camp Snoopy, and the Aquatic Stadium open. Breakers Tower is added to Hotel Breakers.
• 1998: Power Tower opens
• 1997: Chaos opens
• 1996: Mantis opens, Pirate Ride closes
• 1995: Zoom Flume, Renegade River and Choo-Choo Lagoon added to Soak City, Breakers East is added to Hotel Breakers. Laser Show projected on a huge screen
• 1994: Raptor opens. Jungle Larry's African Safari closes
• 1993: Snake River Falls opens, Mill Race closes
• 1992: Challenge Park opens, outdoor complex added to Bernstain Bear Country
• 1991: Mean Streak opens, Sky Slide closes
• 1990: Sandcastle Suites, Main Stram and Tadpole Town added to Soak City, Trabant closes. Avalanche Run is transformed into Disaster Transport
• 1989: Magnum XL-200 opens
• 1988: Soak City waterpark opens
• 1987: Iron Dragon opens
• 1986: Thunder Canyon opens, Sir Rub-A-Dub's Tubs added to Kiddy Kingdom
• 1985: Avalanche Run and Berenstain Bear Country indoor complex, Frontier Lift closes
• 1984: Tiki Twirl, Rotor, Bayern Curve and Earthquake close
• 1983: Demon Drop opens
• 1982: White Water Landing opens, Kid Arthur's Court
• 1981: Ocean Motion opens. Sky Wheel, Funhouse and Shoot-the-Rapids closes
• 1980: Oceana dolphin stadium, Sky Wheel closes
• 1979: Jr. Gemini and Wave Swinger open
• 1978: Gemini opens, Jumbo Jet closes
• 1977: Witches' Wheel open
• 1976: Corkscrew, and Troika open
• 1975: The Cedar Point Cinema opens
• 1972: Frontiertown Carousel, Jumbo Jet, Giant Wheel and Matterhorn open, Zugspitze closes
• 1971: Trabant, Frontier Trail, Camper Village RV Campground open
• 1970: WildCat, Bayern Kurve, Dodgem #2, Monster, Schwabinchen, Calypso, Super Himilaya Centennial Theatre, Kiddieland, Sealand marine exibit open
• 1969: Cedar Creek Mine Ride, Antique Cars, and the Town Hall Museum open

The Sky Slide in 1975. Note the Colosseum in the background.

• 1968: Frontier Lift, Kiddieland Carousel and Sky Slide open
• 1967: Cedar Downs Racing Derby, Rotor, Shoot-the-Rapids, and Frontiertown open
• 1966: Pirate Ride opens
• 1965: Earthquake, Space Spiral, Turnpike Cars, Jungle Larry's African Safari open
• 1964: Blue Streak, and Paddlewheel Excursions (formerly called Western Cruise) open
• 1963: Cedar Point & Lake Erie Railroad and Mill Race open
• 1962: Sky Wheel opens
• 1961: Sky Ride, and Star Voyager (formerly called Super Jets) open
• 1960: Cadillac Cars, Scrambler and Tiki Twirl open
• 1959: Construction is completed on the Cedar Point Marina.
• 1957: The Cedar Point Causeway opened on June 12
• 1946: Midway Carousel
• 1929: Cyclone roller coaster opens
• 1905: Hotel Breakers opens
• 1902: Figure-Eight Roller Toboggan opens
• 1899: Bay Shore Hotel opens
• 1892: Switchback Railway roller coaster opens

Resorts

Cedar Point owns and operates six resorts located either on park grounds or less than a mile away. Guests who are staying at Castaway Bay or Breakers Express are able to use the free shuttle service to get to Cedar Point or Soak City. All Cedar Point Resort guests are able to take advantage of the early entry to the park. Guests may arrive one hour early to the park to enjoy the park before the general public each morning. Rides that operate during this early entry session are: Maverick, Iron Dragon, Millennium Force, Raptor, WindSeeker and Planet Snoopy Children's Area.

On-site resorts and campgrounds

Lighthouse Point at Cedar Point.

Hotel Breakers is the oldest resort at Cedar Point being built in 1905. The hotel consists of six hundred fifty rooms and suites and is also the closest resort to Cedar Point and Soak City. In 1997, Hotel Breakers was renovated and received a new addition doubling the room size. Hotel Breakers have standard hotel rooms, suites with view of Lake Erie, and Snoopy-themed rooms. Some of the amenities that are found at the Hotel Breakers include three different pools, complimentary Wi-Fi, beach access, a conference center, and five restaurants including T.G.I. Friday's and Perkins Restaurant and Bakery.

Sandcastle Suites is an all-suites hotel located at the northernmost part of the peninsula. All of the resort's suites were updated in 2008. Some of the amenities include complimentary Wi-Fi available in the lobby and guest suites, an outdoor heated pool and whirlpool, beach access, tennis courts, complimentary shuttle to both Cedar Point and Soak City, and two restaurants, including The Breakwater Cafe.

Lighthouse Point contains forty cabins and sixty-four cottages and is located along the west bank of the peninsula. The centerpiece of Lighthouse Point is the Cedar Point Lighthouse, and, having been built in 1862, it is the oldest existing structure on the peninsula. The amenities include the Camper Village Store, an outdoor pool and outdoor whirlpool spa, a shuffleboard court, a game room, and courtesy shuttle service.

Cedar Point Camper Village is the only place at Cedar Point where it is possible to hook up an RV to water and electricity. Camper Village includes anything from deluxe sites with electricity, water, sewer, and cable to one hundred twelve electric-only sites. Some of the amenities at the Camper Village include the Camper Village Store, an outdoor pool, a shuffleboard court, a game room, complimentary Cedar Point parking, courtesy shuttle service on Cedar Point Peninsula, modern restrooms with showers, a dump station, and laundry facilities.

Off-site Cedar Point owned resorts

Castaway Bay Indoor Waterpark Resort was introduced by Cedar Point in 2005 to provide guests with an indoor water park experience. The indoor waterpark has over 38,000 feet (12,000 m) of water slides, along with shops, and a wave pool. The resort consists of 237 guest rooms and luxury suites. The rooms all have a refrigerator and microwave and most have a balcony. The resort features a 6,000-square-foot (560 m²) game room. The Spa at Castaway Bay features a variety of massages, pedicures, manicures, facials, and hair/make-up services. Castaway Bay features five restaurants including T.G.I. Friday's and Bay Harbor. Castaway Bay also features a website to make reservations and find out more about the resort.

Breakers Express is a resort located one mile (1.6 km) away from Cedar Point and is the closest hotel to the peninsula. It was opened in 2000 and includes 350 guest rooms. The amenities at Breakers Express include an outdoor heated pool, outdoor whirlpool spa, game room, and complimentary Wi-Fi in lobby.

Slogans

• Early 20th century: "America's Most Beautiful Summer Pleasure Health Resort"
• Mid 1930s: "Queen of American Watering Places"
• 1951-56: "The Most Popular Summer Vacationland in the Midwest"
• 1972: "Cedar Point, so new 72, It's like you've never been there before!"
• 1974-75: "All the places that you wanna go this summer are at Cedar Point"
• 1976: "Cedar Point, for the time of your life"
• 1977: "With more rides than ever before, and a lot more than just rides. Cedar Point."
• 1978: "And share it, with someone you love, Cedar Point"
• 1979-1985: "The Amazement Park," while ads featured "Cedar Point is the cure for the summertime blues" (sung as a modified version of the classic Eddie Cochran song "Summertime Blues")
• 1986-87: "The Cure for the Summertime Blues!"
• Late 1989-early 1990s: "Get to the Point!"
• Early 1990s–present: "America's Roller Coast"/"America's Rockin' Roller Coast"
• Mid 1990s: "I call it the Sandusky!", "Get to the Point!"
• 1995: "Real Thrills"
• 2000-03: "Hold On!"
• 2003-04: "Are You Ready?"
• 2004-05: "Absolutely Amazing"
• 2010–present: "The Fun and Only", "Ride On!"

HalloWeekends

HalloWeekends is a special event that only takes place during the Halloween season. Its attractions are usually Halloween related indoors and outdoors during the day and night. One instance is that Disaster Transport is turned into "Happy Jack's Toy Factory", a haunted toy factory that has its Toys come alive and scare the visitors. The Attraction has a fogged Hall of Mirrors that the visitors go through before entering the store/factory itself. Upon entering, the visitors come across haunted and Possessed toys, stuffed animals, dolls, and when the visitors reach the exit, they go through a hallway of endlessly urinating baby dolls, getting soaked and wet in the process. The outside attractions are run by "Screamsters" who are commanded to scare the visitors by the overlord when night falls. The outside attractions are CarnEvil, The Fright Zone, CornStalkers, Fear Faire, Blood On The Bayou, Maniacal, Mechanical Screamworks, and Terror Island. Other indoor attractions are G.A. Boeckling's Eerie Estate, Club Blood, Eternity Infimary, and Dr. D. Mented's Insane Asylum For The Criminally Insane. HalloWeekend's yearly slogan is "ALL YOU FEAR IS HERE!"

Popular culture

Cedar Point has surfaced in several movies, TV shows, and books:

• In Bob Greene's book Be True to Your School: A Diary of 1964 (ISBN 0-689-11612-8), Greene and two friends, who all live in suburban Columbus, Ohio, take a trip in August to Cedar Point.
• In the movie Knute Rockne, All American, as a life guard on the beach at Cedar Point, Knute and his college roommate and teammate, Gus Dorais, worked on the forward pass. The forward pass was first used in a scrimmage game on the Cedar Point beach.
• Characters in the movie Edge Of Seventeen work at a restaurant at Cedar Point. Though the movie is set in the 1980s, the only shot featuring the park is filmed at a distance and clearly shows Raptor, which was built in 1994.
• The 2004 movie Close Encounters of the Fourth Kind: Infestation From Mars is set in Sandusky and contains numerous scenes set at the park. Cedar Point plays an integral role to the plot of the movie. Some Cedar Point executives appear in the movie in cameo roles. Also employees of that year and guests that were there during certain days of filming were filmed, if they wished, in scenes involving larger crowds throughout the park.
• In Cinda Williams Chima's book "The Warrior Heir," the main characters take a field trip to Cedar Point with their high school class.
• In an episode of the television show Glee, which is set in Lima, Ohio, cheerleader Quinn (Diana Agron) tells her coach, Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) that she and the other cheerleaders sold their season tickets to Cedar Point on Ebay.
• In Travel Channel's Bert the Conqueror on episode two of season one, Bert takes the Foursome Fearsome Challenge in which he rides the four fastest and tallest coasters in the park in under an hour.

Further reading

• Francis, David W.; Diane DeMali Francis (2004). Cleveland Amusement Park Memories. Gray & Company, Publishers. ISBN 978-1-886228-89-4. 
• Francis, David W.; Diane DeMali Francis (1995). Cedar Point: The Queen of American Watering Places. Amusement Park Books. ISBN 0935408037. 

External links

• Official site
• Cedar Point & Lake Erie Railroad, Over 40 years of History!
• What's Up! Web TV: Cedar Point Roller Coaster Profile
• Cedar Point at the Open Directory Project