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Cedar Point
Location	Sandusky, Ohio, USA
Website	www.cedarpoint.com/
Owner	Cedar Fair Entertainment Company
Opened	1870
Operating season	May – early November
Area	364 acres (0.569 sq mi) (1.47 km²)
Rides	75 total 17 roller coasters 3 water rides
Slogan	"America's Rockin' Rollercoast" and "Ride On"

Aerial view of Cedar Point

Cedar Point is a 364-acre (1.47 km²) amusement park located in Sandusky, Ohio, United States on a narrow peninsula jutting into Lake Erie. As of 2010, the park is tied with Southern California's Six Flags Magic Mountain for the world record of most roller coasters in a single amusement park (17). Cedar Point is also the only amusement park with four roller coasters that are taller than 200 feet (61 m). As of 2009, Cedar Point has more rides (75) than any other amusement park.^[1]

It also has a mile-long white sand beach, an outdoor water park (Soak City), an indoor waterpark and hotel (Castaway Bay), two marinas,^[2] several hotels, and Challenge Park, which features attractions such as go-karts, miniature golf, Ripcord and Skyscraper. Known as "America's Roller Coast", Cedar Point has been voted "Best Amusement Park in the World" by Amusement Today for the past eleven years.

The park opened in 1870, and is the second oldest amusement park in North America after Lake Compounce. Cedar Point is the flagship park for Cedar Fair Entertainment Company (which is headquartered at the park) and, along with Valleyfair, was one of the original parks owned and operated by the company. Cedar Point's normal operating season runs daily from early May through Labor Day, then for nine weekends following Labor Day. Operating hours vary throughout the summer, but on most days the park opens at 10:00 a.m. and closes at 10:00 p.m. Guests of the on-site hotels (Hotel Breakers, Sandcastle Suites, Lighthouse Point, Camper Village, Breakers Express and Castaway Bay) are granted 1 hour early access to the park.

History

Historic Marker

Prior to development, the Cedar Point peninsula was covered by native cedar vegetation and the crystal clear waters 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.^[3]

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, unsightly bathhouses, and constructed a couple of children's playground attractions. Zistel charged 25 cents a 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. A gentleman named Theodore Moore also built 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. Mr. 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 a company, Cedar Point Pleasure Resort Company. The Cedar Point Steamboat Company also evolved from the five men. Baetz was elected General Manager of Cedar Point for the year of 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. No other major additions were made to Cedar Point until the appearance of George Arthur Boeckling.

The Corkscrew at Cedar Point.

Boeckling Era

Beginning in 1899, businessman George Arthur Boeckling took control of Cedar Point. In 1902, The Racer, a figure eight roller toboggan coaster was built by Fred Ingersoll. Tickets for The Racer were just a nickel. 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. 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 mammoth Coliseum. A circle swing and a carousel were put into place at Cedar Point. The year 1908 brought the Dip the Dips Scenic Railway, which was overlook in 1912 because of the Leap the Dips coaster. A giant part of Cedar Point's history includes the steam boat vessel, G.A. Boeckling, which made rounds to Cedar Point from 1909–1951. The boat was replaced in 1951 by the G.A. Boeckling II. 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 left the resort by order of a law. 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 huge Cyclone coaster, and many other rides. It was also clear that George Boeckling's health was declining, fast. 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. At 5:00 pm, on July 24, 1931, George Arthur Boeckling died. His portrait in the lobby of Breakers Hotel were draped in black crepe. Flags in the resort, and on the G.A. Boeckling steamboat were lowered to half mast. Most people think that this event affected Cedar Point more economically than the Great Depression.^{[citation needed]}

After Boeckling

From across Sandusky Bay

After the death of George Boeckling, Cedar Point fell into the hands of a man named Edward Smith. Little expansion happened through the 1930s Great Depression. 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 the legendary 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 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 away, the boardwalk was cracked in many places, and the fishing dock was in need of repair. Things started to turn around for Cedar Point in 1945. 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 single roller coaster after the Cyclone disappeared. 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 then current president of Cedar Point, Bernie Zeiher was replaced by George Roose around 1958, and Emile Legros was elected chairman that same year. Berni's penny arcade was removed in 1959 to make way for construction. Back 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 received a needed fresh coat of paint, concrete had been poured for the new admission gates, and over $1,200,000 had been spent to refresh Cedar Point. Cedar Point's first roller coaster since the Cyclone had been built. It was called the Wild Mouse. The huge resort also got a new kind of ride, a monorail. It was the most ridden ride in 1959. Breakers Hotel was restored to its natural beauty, and the neglected cottages were burned. The Coliseum and Grand Pavilion were both also painted and remodeled. The Crystal Rock Castle Maintenance Shop, bathhouses, and the old powerhouse were burned. A new $50,000 bathhouse, boiler house, and maintenance shop were built to make up for the burned buildings.

In the 1960s, the idea of "pay one price" season passes was spread. In 1964, Cedar Point's oldest existing roller coaster, Blue Streak, was planned and built. It was named after the local sports team, 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, along with many others. George Roose loved to plant flowers all around the park, and made sure many magnificent flower displays were seen by guests. Jungle Larry's Safari Island was a well known attraction from the mid-1960s until Jungle Larry's death in 1991.

1970 brought the Centennial Theatre, due to Cedar Point's 100th birthday. 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 corkscrew roller coaster to span a midway and have three inversions. In 1985, the San Francisco Earthquake Ride was transformed into the Berenstain Bear Country.^[4] The bears occupied this area of Cedar Point until 1998, when Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts characters replaced them.

Modern Era

Entrance sign

In 1987, just one year before the death of Robert Munger Jr, 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. Soak City, Cedar Point's own outdoor water park opened near the Breakers Hotel. It features speed slides, over than 10 body and tube slides, a family raft ride, a water playhouse and two lazy rivers.

For the 1990 season, the roller coaster Avalanche Run was transformed into the indoor Disaster Transport. Richard Kinzel, the president of Cedar Point at the time, hired a man from Toledo, Ohio, named Eric to design the building that would enclose the Avalanche Run. The 12E on the current building stands for the 12th building design by the man named Eric. The interior of the building was painted and designed to recreate a battered, worn down and abandoned shuttle launching facility. More than 150 moving robots, projectors, lasers, wind making machines, audio-visual and other props were installed. Guests entering the air-conditioned building are informed that they are on a mission to deliver cargo to Earth, and on the way, they have many drops, curves and screams. The sound effects in the structure were removed in 2008 and many of the props have been dismantled, making it more of a dark ride.

The Magnum XL-200 roller coaster opened in 1989, breaking world height and speed records. Two years after the opening of Magnum XL-200, the mammoth wooden Mean Streak opened in 1991 as the northernmost attraction in Frontier Town and the park. It as well broke records for the fastest and tallest wooden roller coaster in the world.

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 included a go kart car race track, and two eighteen hole mini-golf courses. The Berenstein 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 83-foot-tall structure sent riders plunging down at forty miles per hour. At the bottom of the hill, a splash landing tops off the ride. When landing in the water, the boat creates a large wave that hurdles over a bridge, soaking all people on it. A year after Snake River Falls, in 1994, Cedar Point installed a new roller coaster near the legendary Blue Streak. The inverted coaster was called Raptor. The Mill Race was removed from the park, and the circular Calypso was relocated in order to make room for the Raptor, which featured a Cobra Roll. In 1996 Cedar Point opened Mantis, then the tallest and fastest stand up roller coaster in the world. 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, another Cedar Fair holding).

In the late 1990s, Cedar Point built the Vekoma Junior Coaster Woodstock Express in the Camp Snoopy area of the park.

In 2000, Cedar Point built for the future when Millennium Force debuted. When it opened, it was the tallest and fastest complete circuit coaster in the world. Today, it is still one of the tallest and fastest, as well as one of the longest. In 2002, Wicked Twister debuted, the first 2nd generation Intamin Inverted Impulse Coaster. Today, Wicked Twister is the tallest and fastest Inverted Coaster in the World.

In 2003, Top Thrill Dragster opened. This record breaker has been beaten, but today it is still the 2nd tallest,(behind Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure) and 2nd fastest coaster in the world (420 feet and 120 miles per hour) (behind Kingda Ka).

For 2007, Cedar Point debuted Maverick, their first rollercoaster in 4 years. Maverick became an instant favorite with its terrain layout, 95 degree drop and LSM launches. In 2008, management wanted to aim for kids, thus Planet Snoopy, a kiddie area was constructed where Peanuts Playground used to be. This area consists of kiddie 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 on a nightly beginning at twilight. In order to prepare for Starlight Experience, the Frontier Trail closes for approximately 30 minutes before the event. ^[5]

On September 3, 2009 Cedar Point announced its new 2010 attraction "Shoot the Rapids".

Roller coasters

• Blue Streak – wooden Out and Back (1964) Philadelphia Toboggan Company
• Cedar Creek Mine Ride – steel mine train (1969) Arrow Dynamics
• WildCat – steel Wild Mouse (1970) Schwarzkopf
• Corkscrew – steel looping (1976) Arrow Dynamics
• Gemini – racing figure-8 on a wooden frame (1978) Arrow Dynamics
• Jr. Gemini – steel kiddie (1979), located near Gemini. It was the first roller coaster manufactured by Intamin AG.
• Disaster Transport – indoor bobsled (formerly Avalanche Run and outdoors) (1985) (Building and special features added in 1990) Intamin AG
• Iron Dragon – suspended (1987) Arrow Dynamics
• Magnum XL-200 – Out and Back hypercoaster (1989) Arrow Dynamics
• Mean Streak – Wooden twister (1991) Dinn Corporation
• Raptor – inverted (1994) B&M
• Mantis – stand-up (1996) B&M
• Woodstock Express – steel junior (1999) Vekoma
• Millennium Force – Out and Back gigacoaster (2000) Intamin AG
• Wicked Twister – launched impulse LIM (2002) Intamin AG
• Top Thrill Dragster – hydraulically-launched stratacoaster (2003) Intamin AG
• Maverick – launched LSM (2007) Intamin AG

Top Thrill Dragster

Raptor

Corkscrew

Iron Dragon

Thrill rides

• Chaos – A Chance-Morgan Chaos that opened in 1997 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.^[6]
• maXair – A Huss Giant Frisbee ride that swings back and forth at an arc of up to 120 degrees.
• Skyhawk – An S&S Screamin' Swing, it is currently the world's largest swinging ride, reaching speeds of 60 mph (97 km/h) and swings up to an arc of 92 degrees.
• Power Tower – A Drop Tower ride featuring both a Space Shot and Turbo Drop. Power Tower is the only four-towered Drop Tower ride in the world, devoting two towers to each drop cycle.
• Troika – A common Troika ride.
• Witches' Wheel – an Enterprise attraction. A thrilling variation of the Ferris wheel, the Witches' Wheel turns riders upside down more than a dozen times nearly 60 feet (18 m) above the midway.

Water rides

• Snake River Falls – A Shoot-the-Chutes ride designed by Arrow Dynamics, Snake River Falls opened in 1993 as the tallest, steepest water ride in the world upon opening.
• Thunder Canyon – A River Rafting Ride designed by Intamin AG, Thunder Canyon opened in 1986. Thunder Canyon was the second ever Intamin AG River Rafting Rides built, and currently is 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 (formerly Werewolf Canyon).
• Shoot The Rapids- A Log Flume by Intamin AG, set to open for the 2010 season. Shoot the Rapids will have two drops, one of 85 feet and another of 49 feet. It will take riders through an illegal moonshine business and more and is set for the whole family.

Family rides

• Antique Cars – An automobile track ride designed by Arrow Dynamics. One of three track rides in the park.
• Cadillac Cars – A second track ride with cars designed to look like a 1914 Cadillac. Also made by Arrow Dynamics.
• Calypso – A Mack Calypso ride that spins riders in two degrees of motion.
• Cedar Downs Racing Derby Built in 1920 by Prior and Church and brought to Cedar Point in 1967, this Carousel simulates a horse race and is one of only three still operating today. The other two are located at Playland,^[7] in Rye, New York; and Pleasure Beach, Blackpool, in Blackpool, UK.
• Cedar Point & Lake Erie Railroad – Opened in 1963. The 15-minute train excursion encompasses a two-mile (3 km) trip along Lake Erie and through a western themed "Bone Town". [1]
• Giant Wheel – A Ferris wheel Manufactured by Anton Schwarzkopf.^[8] At 136 feet (41 m) tall, Giant Wheel is one of the tallest Ferris wheels in North America.[2]
• Kiddy Kingdom Carousel – A carousel designed by the William H. Dentzel firm of Philadelphia. It is located in the Kiddie Kingdom section of the park.
• Matterhorn – A Mack Matterhorn circular ride that swings riders as it moves in a clockwise motion while traveling up and down.
• Midway Carousel – 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.
• Monster – A standard Eyerly Monster ride.
• Ocean Motion – A Huss swinging pirate ship ride.
• Paddlewheel Excursions (formerly Western Cruise) – Boats that transport its guests on a relaxing voyage around Cedar Point’s lagoons past scenes depicting early Americana.
• Scrambler – An Eli Bridge Scrambler ride that is one of the oldest rides at Cedar Point.
• Sky Ride – Manufactured by Von Roll, this standard aerial tram-way opened in 1961.
• Space Spiral – This 330-foot (100 m) tall Von Roll observation 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. Space Spiral is the second tallest ride in the park if you include the antenna.
• Super Himalaya – A circular Mack Musik Express ride that travels in a clockwise motion on a track of various elevations.
• Tilt-a-Whirl – A Sellner Tilt-A-Whirl ride.
• Turnpike Cars – The park's third car track ride, it features big 1960's-style cruising cars.
• Wave Swinger – A Zierer Wave Swinger ride featuring hand painted murals.

Children's rides

Resorts

On-site properties:

• Camper Village
• Cedar Point Marina
• Hotel Breakers
• Lighthouse Point
• Sandcastle Suites

Offsite nearby:

• Breakers Express
• Castaway Bay
• Castaway Bay Marina

Awards

Cedar Point has received the Golden Ticket Award by Amusement Today for "Best Amusement Park in the World" in 2009, winning for the twelfth consecutive year. The park also placed in the categories for "Friendliest Staff", "Best Outdoor Night Production" and "Best Halloween Event". Cedar Point also won "Best New Ride of 2007" with their new roller coaster Maverick.^[9]

Roller coaster rankings

The following steel and wooden coasters were ranked by Amusement Today in 2009:

Steel

• Millennium Force: 2nd
• Magnum XL-200: 9th
• Top Thrill Dragster: 10th
• Maverick: 15th
• Raptor: 22nd

Wooden

• Blue Streak: 47th (Tied)

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

Slogans

• Early 1900s: "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 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"
• 1979-1985s: "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: Commercials featuring hairstyles caused by Cedar Point's collection of roller coasters hit local television. One actress had a large wind-whipped "Frankenstein's Bride-esque" hairdo caused by a day at Cedar Point and her line at the end of the commercial was: "I call it the Sandusky!" This commercial ran during the "Get to the Point!" ad campaign.
• 1995: "Real Thrills"
• 1996: "Get to the Point!"
• 2000-03: "Hold On!"
• 2003-04: "Are You Ready?"
• 2004-05: "Absolutely Amazing"
• 2006-Present: "America's Roller Coast"/"America's Rockin' Roller Coast", "Ride On!"

Retired attractions

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

• Switchback Railway (c.1907) Cedar Point's first roller coaster.
• High Frolics (1940) Built in 1918 by Andy Vettle, this coaster was originally called "Leap Frog Railway"
• Cyclone (1951)- A Traver built wooden twister built in 1929.
• Scamper (1969) Wooden Wild Mousecoaster built in 1962
• Jumbo Jet (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 Beoland in Russia.^[10]
• Sky Wheel (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 (1981) — a lengthy flume ride with twin tracks. Located in Frontiertown near the train station. (A new water ride for the 2010 season is also planned to be named "Shoot the Rapids".)
• Earthquake (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 1966.
• Frontier Lift (1985) — A second sky ride which operated separate from the existing one. It ran from the main midway to Frontiertown. The midway station is now the queueing area of the Iron Dragon, but the Frontiertown station still stands with restrooms on the ground floor. The second floor is used for employee meetings and storage.
• Avalanche Run (1989) — Opened in 1985, this ride reopened in 1990 as Disaster Transport after it was enclosed and rethemed.

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

• Sky Slide (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.^{[citation needed]}
• Mill Race (1993) — A more compact flume ride than Shoot The Rapids that was located near the main entrance. It 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 (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 (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 (2002) - 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 for the next operating season.
• White Water Landing (2005) - a log flume built by Arrow Dynamics in 1982 on the former site of 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 (2009) - an Intamin generation one freefall attraction that was removed following the 2009 season. It will be relocated to Dorney Park and will open for the 2010 season.^[11]

Former flat rides included:

• Zugspitz(1966) - a Himalaya-like ride; demolished when Super Himalaya was built in 1972.
• Comet (1969) - a Hrubetz Round-Up; removed to make room for Trabant/Schwabinchen in 1990.
• Bayern Kurve (1984) — a bobsled-themed ride that ran around an ovoid track.
• Rotor (1984)
• Tiki-Twirl (1984) — a Tilt-A-Whirl type ride. Similar to the Calypso except for tropical theming.
• Trabant (1990) and Schwabinchen (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. Theming was 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.

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, Greene and two friends, who all live in suburban Columbus, Ohio, take a trip in August to Cedar Point. While there, Greene has a brief affair with a 26-year old married woman who was a chaperone for a group of girls vacationing at the park.
• Characters in the series finale of Gilmore Girls discuss taking a summer-long trip to notable amusement parks, among them Cedar Point.
• A character in the TV adaptation of the Jean Shepherd short story "Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss"a sequel to A Christmas Story. is seen wearing a Cedar Point cap.
• A character in the Michael Crichton novel Next indirectly discusses visiting Cedar Point in order to film a documentary on "the novelty gene."
• 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 gay "coming of age" movie, "Edge Of Seventeen" work at a restaurant at Cedar Point. The movie is set in the 80's. However, the only shot featuring the park is filmed at a distance and clearly shows "Raptor", a coaster which wasn't built until 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.
• Mentioned in the song "Gospel Weed Song" by Bizarre_(rapper)
• Mentioned in the song "Posse On Vernor" by Insane Clown Posse, released in 2000.
• Alluded to in the Adult Swim show Metalocalypse. In the episode, Mordland, Dethklok's manager is seen talking to two fans attempting to blackmail the band. During this conversation, he asks where they are from. One responds by telling him Sandusky, to which he asks, "There's an amusement park there, right?"

References

External links

• Official site
• Cedar Point & Lake Erie Railroad, Over 40 years of History!
• Cedar Point at the Open Directory Project

Coordinates: 41°28′48″N 82°40′55″W / 41.480033°N 82.681818°W / 41.480033; -82.681818

From Wikitravel

For other places with the same name, see Cedar Point (disambiguation).

The Magnum XL200 at Cedar Point

Cedar Point Amusement Park [1] is a 364-acre amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio on one of the North Coast Beaches overlooking Lake Erie. It is often billed as the "Worlds Largest Amusement Park", and draws visitors from throughout Ohio and surrounding states. It was voted the best amusement park in the world in 2008 by Amusement Today[2] for the eleventh year in a row

Understand

Cedar Point is one of the oldest continuously operating amusement parks, having begun in the year 1870 as a beach resort on the shore of Lake Erie. Today it covers 364 acres and is home to some of the tallest, fastest rides in the world including Top Thrill Dragster and Millenium Force which are considered by many to be the best feeling in the world (make sure you keep your hands up throughout the entire ride). All up it contains more than 75 rides. Without doubt Cedar Point is the best amusement park in the world. It is a MUST for any serious thrillseeker out there with the largest number of roller coasters ever found in a single amusement park (17 altogether with the opening of Maverick in 2007). Although its primary attraction is the assortment of coasters, the park has rides and other attractions, including kiddie rides, water rides, a traditional arcade, award-winning musical shows, and a PEANUTS-themed ice skating show, etc. The park also offers access to the lovely beach on Lake Erie -- something which has been attracting visitors since its inception.

Two separate attractions are part of Cedar Point but not included in the general admission. Soak City is an outdoor water park; Castaway Bay is an elaborate indoor waterpark. Challenge Park features four attractions: 'Ripcord,' 'Skyscraper,' 'Challenge Racing' go kart tracks, and 'Challenge Golf', a fantasy miniature golf course.

One can easily spend a full day at the main Cedar Point by itself. If you plan to take in all the attractions, you should buy the 2-day "ride and slide" pass and to spread your enjoyment of Soak City and Cedar Point over two days.

Get in

Address and Phone

The park is located on a peninsula into Lake Erie at:

1 Cedar Point Drive, Sandusky, Ohio 44870-5259,

Phone : (419) 627 - 2350

By Car

Sandusky is between Cleveland and Toledo.

• On the Ohio Turnpike (I-80):
  • Take Exit 118(7) and follow the signs north on US 250
  • Take Exit 110(6A) and follow Route 4 north.

Once you get to Sandusky, just follow the signs to the Cedar Point Causeway; the causeway is a toll road. Cedar Point can also be accessed via the Chausse, a single lane road along the entire peninsula which connects to Cleveland Road a few miles east of Sandusky.

By Private Boat

Cedar Point has two large Marinas on Lake Erie. The Cedar Point Marina allows daily slip rentals for $25 per day; it and the Castaway Bay marina also have seasonal docking arrangements.

By Train

Not the usual way to go to Cedar Point, but Amtrak serves the city of Sandusky with daily service from points east and west.

Admission and Discounts

Cedar Point's 2008 Admission prices are as follows:

• Cedar Point Funday Ages 3-61, 48" and taller. $42.95

• Cedar Point Junior Funday Age 3 and older, under 48" tall in shoes. $15.95

• Cedar Point Senior Funday Age 62 and over. $15.95

• Ride & Slide 2-Day Ages 3-61, 48" and taller. Ride & Slide Ticket will admit one guest to both Cedar Point and Soak City for any two regular season days. $71.95

• Ride & Slide 2-Day Senior Age 62 and over. Ride & Slide Senior Ticket will admit one guest to both Cedar Point and Soak City for any two regular season days. $33.95

• Ride & Slide 2-Day Junior Age 3 and over; under 48" tall. Ride & Slide Junior Ticket will admit one guest to both Cedar Point and Soak City for any two regular season days. $33.95

• Children Age 2 and under are admitted free to Cedar Point and Soak City.

• Cedar Point Starlight Valid after 5 p.m. when Cedar Point closes at 10 p.m. or later; valid after 4 p.m. when Cedar Point closes earlier than 10 p.m. $25.95

• Military Valid ID required. Discount applies only to active or retired military personnel and immediate family members. $32.00

• Daily Parking Per vehicle. $10.00 for regularly-sized vehicles, $15.00 for vehicles taking up more than one space

• Season Pass Valid for unlimited admission during the 2008 season $109.95. For true amusement park fanatics, a "Platinum Pass" is available for $150.00, valid for unlimited admission to all Cedar Fair amusement parks and water parks for the entire season with the exception of Star Trek: The Experience. Family Pack pricing is also available.

Discount Admission

In addition to the discounts for seniors, combined days, children and military mentioned above, other discounts are available to Cedar Point. [3]

• AAA (American Automobile Association) Members AAA offices sell discount Cedar Point tickets for their members. These tickets must be bought through an AAA office. Showing an AAA card at the gate will not get you a discount.

• Soft Drink Cans Typically in the summer months, cans of Pepsi products have a coupon right on the can. Stop by a convenience store on your way to Cedar Point and pick up a pack; you may save substantial money.

• Meijer Meijer stores sell discounted one- and two-day tickets.

Cedar Point from Sandusky

Because its size is constrained by surrounding Lake Erie and its own parking lots, Cedar Point is pretty tightly packed, so you can get around pretty easily on foot throughout the park. In addition, two of the more tranquil rides offer a means to get around the park itself.

• The CP&LE Railroad includes four coal-fired steam trains that delivers guests between two stations towards the back of the park. Enjoy the "wild west" show during your ride.

• The Skyride brings passengers over the main midway, from the entrance towards the center of the park or back.

See

Roller coasters, rides, water park, Challenge Park, Lake Erie. The Cedar Point blog has confirmed that no new rides are coming for the 2009 season, but there will be a few in-park improvements on the way as well as a peek at the new Cedar Fair corporate HQ. Some of the updates will include some new signs that are sure to impress around the park, including an LED screen going in at the causeway. A new ride sign for Magnum XL-200 will go up to promote the fact that this will be the ride’s 20th anniversary. The old fountain near Raptor on the midway will also be removed to make way for a new interactive water sprayground area.

• Blue Streak - the roller coaster when it was built in 1964; a bit small by current standards but still a fun ride.

• Cedar Creek Mine Ride - a "hybrid" coaster: wood structure with tubular steel rails.

• Corkscrew - the world's first triple-looping coaster; spans the midway.

• Disaster Transport - enclosed free-rolling toboggan run.

• Gemini - two trains run side-by-side for most of the course, one inevitably beating the other.

• Iron Dragon - a suspended coaster.

• Jr. Gemini - a "kiddie" coaster.

• Magnum XL-200 - First coaster to top 200 feet, and still ranked highly by coaster enthusiasts. It offers a ride similar (if tamer) to the more famous Millennium Force, but with a fraction of the line.

• Mantis - built in 1996, it premiered as the world's tallest, fastest, and steepest stand-up coaster, reaching a height of 145 feet, dropping 137 feet at a 52-degree angle, and going upside-down four times in four different ways while reaching speeds over 60mph along 3,900 feet of red and yellow twisted tubular steel track

• Maverick - Cedar Point's newest coaster, containing a 95-degree first drop. Voted best new ride of 2007 by Amusement Today.

• Mean Streak - a big "woodie."

• Millennium Force - First "giga" coaster (tops 300 feet). Smooth, fast, and plenty of air.

• Raptor - suspended B&M; 6 inversions.

• Top Thrill Dragster - First coaster to top 400 feet. An amazing 17 seconds of speed and height.

• Wicked Twister - the world's only double-twisting impulse coaster and the world's tallest and fastest inverted coaster. This coaster on the beach uses LIMs to launch out of the station five times (forward three times and backward twice), reaching a top speed of 72mph and traveling up two 215-foot-tall twisting towers, each spiraling 145 degrees.

• Wildcat - a wild mouse; cars seat four.

• Woodstock Express - another "kiddie" coaster.

• Power Tower
• Snake River Falls
• Demon Drop
• maXair
• Space Spiral
• Skyhawk
• Thunder Canyon
• Chaos
• Troika
• Sky Ride

Children's Areas

Planet Snoopy - New for 2008

• Woodstock’s Whirlybirds
• Snoopy’s Express Railroad
• PEANUTS Road Rally
• Kite Eating Tree
• Flying Ace Balloon
• Snoopy’s Space Race
• Snoopy’s Deep Sea Divers

Camp Snoopy

• Balloon Race
• Camp Bus
• Lolli Swing
• Peanuts 500
• Red Baron
• Tilt A Whirl

Kiddy Kingdom

4x4 Dune Buggies

Helicopters

Hot Rods

Krazy Kars

Motorcycles

Mustangs

Old Timers

Police Cars

Roto Whip

Sir Rub-A-Dub's Tubs

Sky Fighter

Gemini Midway

Bumper Boats

Frog Hopper

Rock Spin & Turn

Space Age

• Midway Carousel - Built in 1912, the Midway Carousel is one of the few Daniel Muller carousels in existence today. Its long history also makes it the oldest operating ride at Cedar Point. The Midway Carousel was originally carved for John J. Hurley of Revere Beach, Mass. Later, the machine was bought by the Holzapfel family of Sandusky, who operated the carousel at Cedar Point from 1946 until the park bought it in 1963.

• Kiddy Kingdom Carousel -Located in the center of Cedar Point’s Kiddy Kingdom, this 1925 carousel is a fine example of the craftsmanship of the William H. Dentzel firm of Philadelphia. With 52 animals (16 standing and 36 jumping) and two chariots, the Kiddy Kingdom Carousel is one of Dentzel’s personal favorites.

• Cedar Downs - Sixty-four horses race around the track on the Cedar Downs Racing Derby, one of only two racing derby rides in the U.S. The carousel was built in 1920 by Prior and Church and was brought to Cedar Point in 1967. The machine was built for the Humphrey Company of Euclid Beach near Cleveland. Also known as the Great American Racing Derby, the ride ran at Euclid Beach for 47 years. Although a few changes have been made, the ride is still housed in its original structure. The ride features an immense turntable with a 90-foot diameter that revolves as the ride begins. The four-abreast horses move back and forth producing a racing effect. The momentum of the ride increases until it reaches a speed of approximately 15 mph.

Eat

The park has many food concessions operated by the park, including stands selling walking-around snacks and restaurants where you can sit and rest a short while. All are very fast-food oriented, with limited menus, and prices geared for a semi-captive market of visitors unwilling to endure the time-consuming hassle of driving back to the city just to get a meal. However, there are also several restaurants in the immediate vicinity of the park and fairly convenient to get to with a free park re-entry stamp... but these are also on the pricey side, for the same reason.

Beer and wine coolers are sold at various restaurants in the park, with a policy of one drink per valid U.S. driver's license or state photo ID (to prevent friends buying for their under-21 friends). The out-of-park restaurants generally have full bars and typical alcohol-sales requirements.

Sleep

The city of Sandusky itself has numerous hotels and motels catering to Cedar Point visitors.

• Hotel Breakers, One Cedar Point Drive, (419) 627-2106, [4]. Beautiful turn-of-the-century hotel located adjacent to the park.
• Breakers Express, 1201 Cedar Point Drive, (419) 627-2106, [5]. A modern, less-expensive alternative to Breakers.
• Lighthouse Point, One Cedar Point Drive, (419) 627-2106, [6]. Located at the north end, there are cabins or waterfront cottages.
• Castaway Bay, 2001 Cleveland Road, (419) 627-2106, [7]. A resort hotel featuring an indoor water park and T.G.I. Fridays.

• SandCastle Suites, One cedar point drive, [8]. checkin: 4PM; checkout: 11AM. This hotel is for people who have a little extra cash to spend. The property offers all suites and includes three main suites. It has an indoor pool and out door pool as well as a spa. 252.00.  edit

Work

Cedar Point hires over 4000 seasonal employees from all across the US and beyond every year; about 2500 live at Cedar Point itself in employee housing. Actors and musicians in particular can find gainful work in their field (entertainment-related jobs are offered via auditions). While the wages aren't great, the park offers its workers a choice of subsidized dormitory accommodation and meals, as well as a bonus at contract completion, and many opportunities for overtime, so it is possible to save quite a bit of money over the course of the summer. With so many young people working there, as well as perks like free access to the park and other special events, Cedar Point can be a fun way to work over the summer.

• Milan Birthplace of Thomas A. Edison, inventor.
• The city of Sandusky has some attractions of its own, including two other water slide parks. During the summertime there is an active night life scene.
• About 40 miles due south of Cedar Point, the Seneca Caverns, located near the small town of Tiffin beckon those interested in caves. Tiffin itself has small town charm as well as a historic theatre.