Cedar Point facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Cedar Point

Location	Sandusky, Ohio, United States
Coordinates	41°28′41.14″N 82°40′44.08″W / 41.4780944°N 82.6789111°W / 41.4780944; -82.6789111
Status	Operating
Owner	Cedar Fair
General manager	Carrie Boldman
Operating season	Spring through fall
Attendance	3.604 million in 2017
Area	364 acres (0.569 sq mi; 1.47 km2)
Attractions
Total	72
Roller coasters	16
Water rides	3

Aerial view of Cedar Point in 2008

Parking entrance sign in 2005

Cedar Point is a huge 364-acre (147 ha) amusement park located on a peninsula in Sandusky, Ohio, right on Lake Erie. It first opened in 1870, making it the second-oldest operating amusement park in the U.S. Cedar Point is owned and run by Cedar Fair, and it's their main park.

The park is famous for its roller coasters, earning it the nickname "America's Roller Coast." It has 16 roller coasters, which is one of the most in the world! Its newest roller coaster, Steel Vengeance, opened in 2018.

Cedar Point is usually open from early May until September. After that, it opens only on weekends through Halloween for special events like HalloWeekends. Near the park, you can find a one-mile-long (1.6 km) white-sand beach, an outdoor water park called Cedar Point Shores, and an indoor water park called Castaway Bay. There are also two marinas and a sports complex.

The park has achieved many cool things. It's the only amusement park in the world with five roller coasters that are at least 200 feet (61 m) tall: Magnum XL-200, Millennium Force, Top Thrill Dragster, Valravn, and Steel Vengeance. It's also the only park with roller coasters in all four height categories. Cedar Point won the "Best Amusement Park in the World" award from Amusement Today for 16 years in a row, from 1997 to 2013. About 3.6 million people visited the park in 2017.

History of Cedar Point

Cedar Point in the 1890s

In the mid-1800s, the area around Lake Erie was a popular vacation spot. The Cedar Point peninsula, named for its many cedar trees, was first known for fishing. In 1870, a German immigrant named Louis Zistel started taking people by boat to the peninsula for picnics. He opened a bathhouse and a small dance floor. This was the start of Cedar Point as an amusement park.

Over the years, the park grew. In 1888, a large building called the Grand Pavilion opened, with a theater and bowling alley. The first amusement ride, a water toboggan, opened in 1890. Electricity came to Cedar Point in 1891. The first roller coaster, Switchback Railway, opened in 1892. It was 25 feet (7.6 m) high and went 10 miles per hour (16 km/h).

The Boeckling Era: A Resort Grows

Hotel Breakers from the lake in 1905

In 1897, George A. Boeckling became the park's new manager. He turned Cedar Point from a picnic spot into a famous amusement park and resort. More roller coasters were added, like the Figure-Eight Roller Toboggan in 1902. In 1904, swampy areas were drained to create lagoons, which became a popular feature.

The famous Hotel Breakers opened in 1905. It was one of the biggest hotels in the Midwest. Boeckling wanted Cedar Point to be known as a bathing resort with shows and entertainment, not just rides. He added more hotels and restaurants. George Boeckling passed away in 1931.

After Boeckling: New Rides and Changes

Former Cedar Point logo (1979-1994)

After Boeckling, the park faced tough times, especially during the Great Depression. In 1946, the Midway Carousel, Cedar Point's oldest still-operating ride, was installed. By 1951, the old Cyclone roller coaster was removed.

In 1957, the Cedar Point Causeway was built, making it easier to get to the park. In 1959, the park got a new roller coaster, the Wild Mouse, and a monorail. The Hotel Breakers was also restored.

Blue Streak, built in 1964, is Cedar Point's oldest operating roller coaster

In the 1960s, Cedar Point started to grow even more. The Cedar Point & Lake Erie Railroad opened in 1963. In 1964, the Blue Streak roller coaster was built. It's the oldest roller coaster still running at Cedar Point. The Cedar Creek Mine Ride opened in 1969.

The 1970s brought more exciting rides. The Jumbo Jet coaster opened in 1972. In 1976, the record-breaking Corkscrew roller coaster was built. It was the first coaster to go over the midway and have three loops. Gemini opened in 1978, advertised as the tallest and fastest coaster in the world.

The Modern Era: Record-Breaking Coasters

View of the Sky Ride from the main midway with Power Tower and Top Thrill Dragster

In 1986, Thunder Canyon, a river rafting ride, opened. In 1987, Iron Dragon, a suspended roller coaster, debuted. In 1988, Soak City, Cedar Point's outdoor water park, was built.

Since 1989, many new record-breaking rides have opened. Magnum XL-200 opened in 1989. It was the first roller coaster to be over 200 feet (61 m) tall and go faster than 70 miles per hour (110 km/h). It was the world's first hypercoaster. In 1991, Mean Streak opened as the tallest and fastest wooden roller coaster.

Former Cedar Point logo (1995-2016)

Snake River Falls opened in 1993. It was the tallest and fastest water ride in the world. In 1994, Raptor opened. It was the first inverted roller coaster with a Cobra Roll. In 1996, Cedar Point opened Mantis, which was the tallest, steepest, and fastest stand-up roller coaster. In 1997, HalloWeekends, a Halloween event, started.

Millennium Force, added in 2000, is Cedar Point's signature roller coaster

In 2000, Cedar Point built Millennium Force, the first giga coaster. It was the tallest and fastest complete circuit coaster in the world, reaching 310 feet (94 m) and 93 miles per hour (150 km/h). In 2003, Top Thrill Dragster opened as the first strata coaster. It was the tallest, 420 feet (130 m), and fastest, 120 miles per hour (190 km/h), roller coaster in the world.

Cedar Point's renovated entrance for 2013, featuring GateKeeper flying over head

In 2007, Maverick opened with a 100-foot (30 m) drop at a 95-degree angle. In 2008, Planet Snoopy, a new kids' area, opened. In 2011, WindSeeker, a 301-foot (92 m) tall spinning tower ride, was introduced.

In 2013, GateKeeper, the longest wing coaster in the world, opened. A new main entrance plaza was built with it. In 2015, Mantis was changed into a floorless coaster called Rougarou. In 2016, Valravn debuted as the tallest, fastest, and longest dive coaster in the world.

List of Attractions

Roller Coasters

Cedar Point has 16 roller coasters, which is the second-most in the world!

Coaster	Picture	Opened	Manufacturer	Description	Thrill rating
Blue Streak		1964	Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters	A classic wooden roller coaster. It's the oldest one still running at Cedar Point.	4
Cedar Creek Mine Ride		1969	Arrow Dynamics	A steel mine train roller coaster.	4
Corkscrew		1976	Arrow Dynamics	A steel roller coaster that goes over the park's midway. It was the first coaster with 3 loops and the first to span a midway.	5
GateKeeper		2013	Bolliger & Mabillard	A steel wing coaster that flies through the main gate. It's the tallest and longest Wing Coaster in the world.	5
Gemini		1978	Arrow Dynamics	A steel racing roller coaster. It was marketed as the tallest, fastest, and longest when it opened.	5
Iron Dragon		1987	Arrow Dynamics	A steel suspended roller coaster where your feet dangle.	4
Magnum XL-200		1989	Arrow Dynamics	A steel hyper roller coaster. It was the tallest and fastest in the world when it opened.	5
Maverick		2007	Intamin	A steel launched roller coaster. It has a very steep 95-degree drop.	5
Millennium Force		2000	Intamin	A steel giga roller coaster. It broke records for being the tallest, fastest, and steepest when it opened.	5
Raptor		1994	Bolliger & Mabillard	A steel inverted roller coaster. It was the tallest, fastest, and longest inverted coaster when it opened.	5
Rougarou		1996	Bolliger & Mabillard	A steel floorless coaster. It was originally called Mantis and was a stand-up coaster. It was updated in 2015 with new trains and colors.	5
Top Thrill Dragster		2003	Intamin	A steel strata accelerator roller coaster. It was the tallest and fastest in the world when it opened.	5
Valravn		2016	Bolliger & Mabillard	A steel Dive Coaster that opened as the tallest, fastest, and longest of its kind.	5
Wicked Twister		2002	Intamin	A steel inverted impulse roller coaster. It's currently the tallest and fastest inverted coaster in the world.	5
Wilderness Run		1979	Intamin	A steel children's roller coaster, formerly known as Jr. Gemini. Its entrance moved to Camp Snoopy in 2014.	2
Woodstock Express		1999	Vekoma	A steel junior roller coaster located in Camp Snoopy.	4

Thrill Rides

Cedar Point has 17 thrill rides for those seeking excitement.

Ride	Picture	Year opened	Manufacturer	Description	Thrill rating
Cedar Downs Racing Derby		1967	Prior and Church	A unique racing horse carousel ride. It's one of only two still operating in the U.S.	3
Dodgem		1970	Soli of Italy	A classic bumper cars attraction.	4
Matterhorn		1972	Mack Rides	A circular ride that swings riders up and down while spinning.	3
maXair		2005	HUSS Park Attractions	A huge Giant Frisbee ride, one of only two in the world by HUSS.	5
Monster		1970	Eyerly Aircraft Company	A standard monster ride with spinning arms.	3
Ocean Motion		1981	HUSS Park Attractions	A swinging pirate ship ride that reaches 65 feet (20 m) high.	3
Pipe Scream		2014	Zamperla	A Disk'O ride where a car travels on a U-shaped track, reaching 43 feet (13 m).	4
Power Tower		1998	S&S Worldwide	A drop tower ride with both a Space Shot (shoots you up) and a Turbo Drop (drops you down).	5
Scrambler		1960	Eli Bridge Company	A classic twist ride, one of the oldest at Cedar Point.	3
Skyhawk		2006	S&S Worldwide	A Screamin' Swing ride, currently the world's largest swinging ride.	5
SlingShot		2014	Funtime	A 236 feet (72 m) tall Sling Shot ride that launches riders up to 360 feet (110 m) at 62 miles per hour (100 km/h). This ride costs extra.	5
Super Himalaya		1970	Mack Rides	A circular Music Express ride that goes up and down while spinning.	3
Tiki Twirl		1970	Mack Rides	A spinning ride that moves in two ways. It was renamed in 2015.	3
Troika		1976	HUSS Park Attractions	A Troika ride where riders reach 25 feet (7.6 m) high.	3
Wave Swinger		1979	Zierer	A wave swinger ride with hand-painted pictures. Riders go up to 16 feet (4.9 m).	3
WindSeeker		2011	Mondial	A 301-foot (92 m) tall WindSeeker tower swinger ride.	4
Witches' Wheel		1977	HUSS Park Attractions	An Enterprise ride that turns riders upside down many times, 60 feet (18 m) above the ground.	4

Family Rides

Cedar Point has 9 rides perfect for the whole family.

Ride	Picture	Year opened	Manufacturer	Description	Thrill rating
Antique Cars		1969	Arrow Dynamics	A car ride with vehicles that look like old Cadillac cars.	3
Cadillac Cars		1958	Arrow Dynamics	Another car ride with cars designed to look like a 1910 Cadillac.	3
Cedar Point & Lake Erie Railroad		1963	Engines: Davenport Locomotive Works H.K. Porter, Inc. Vulcan Iron Works	A 15-minute train ride on a narrow gauge railway. It takes you on a two-mile trip through a western-themed "Bone Town."	1
Giant Wheel		1972	Anton Schwarzkopf	A giant Ferris wheel. At 136 feet (41.5 m) tall, it's one of the tallest in North America.	2
Kiddy Kingdom Carousel		1968	William H. Dentzel firm	A classic carousel ride located in the Kiddy Kingdom area.	1
Lake Erie Eagles		2014	Larson International	A flying eagles ride where you can control the movement of your carriage.	3
Midway Carousel		1946	Daniel Muller	A classic carousel ride and the oldest operating ride at Cedar Point.	1
Sky Ride		1962	Von Roll	A gondola lift ride that takes you from the front of the park to Celebration Plaza.	3
Tilt-a-Whirl		1999	Sellner	A standard Tilt-A-Whirl ride, the only one in Camp Snoopy not themed to Snoopy.	3

Water Rides

Cedar Point has two water rides, not including the rides inside Cedar Point Shores water park.

Ride	Picture	Opened	Manufacturer	Description	Thrill rating
Snake River Falls		1993	Arrow Dynamics	A Shoot-the-Chute ride. It was the tallest and fastest water ride in the world with an 80 feet (24 m) drop.	5
Thunder Canyon		1986	Intamin	A river rafting ride. During HalloWeekends, it becomes a haunted attraction.	4

Children's Rides

A 1924 William H. Dentzel Carousel located in Kiddy Kingdom

Snoopy's Space Race in the Planet Snoopy section of the park

Peanuts 500 in the Camp Snoopy section of the park

Kiddy Kingdom opened in 1970 and is located near the first aid station. It has 10 rides for younger kids.

Opened in 2008, Planet Snoopy is Cedar Point's newest area for children. All its rides came from the closed Geauga Lake park. It has eight rides.

Camp Snoopy opened in 1999. It has six rides and two kiddie roller coasters.

Cedar Point Shores Water Park

Opened in 1988 as Soak City, Cedar Point Shores is Cedar Point's water park. It's right next to Cedar Point, but you need a separate ticket to get in. In 2016, Soak City was expanded and renamed Cedar Point Shores.

Live Entertainment and Shows

Extreme Sports Stadium in July 2015

Cedar Point offers many live shows and entertainment options.

• The Extreme Sports Stadium hosts stunt shows with bikers and gymnasts.
• The Celebration Plaza Stage is where the nightly Luminosity – Ignite the Night! show takes place, with dancing, fireworks, and lights.
• Other venues include the Red Garter Saloon, the Palace Theater, and the Camp Snoopy Theatre.
• Shows include All Wheels Extreme, Bandstand USA, Charlie Brown's Funtime Frolics, and Lusty Lil’s Revue.

Fast Lane Pass

Fast Lane was introduced in 2012. It's a special pass that lets you skip the regular lines for popular rides. You buy a wristband in addition to your park ticket. There are two options: "Fast Lane" for 24 rides, and "Fast Lane Plus" which includes the biggest coasters like Top Thrill Dragster and Valravn.

During HalloWeekends, there's a special "Fright Lane with Skeleton Key" pass. It gives you faster access to haunted attractions and a secret room in each one.

Awards and Rankings

Maverick, added in 2007. It received the "Best New Ride of 2007" award

Cedar Point has won many awards. It won the "Best Amusement Park in the World" award from Amusement Today for 16 years in a row (1997-2013). The park has also won awards for its friendly staff, cleanliness, and Halloween events. The roller coaster Maverick won "Best New Ride of 2007."

Cedar Point's roller coasters are often ranked among the best. In 2016, some of its top steel coasters included Millennium Force (2nd), Maverick (12th), and Magnum XL-200 (15th). Its wooden coaster, Blue Streak, was also ranked.

Cedar Point is one of the most visited amusement parks in North America. In 2015, it was the most visited seasonal park in the U.S., with about 3.51 million visitors.

Resorts at Cedar Point

Cedar Point owns and runs six resorts close to the park. Guests staying at these resorts can enter the park one hour before it opens to everyone else. This early entry lets them ride popular coasters like Valravn and Millennium Force with shorter waits.

On-site Resorts

View of the Cedar Point Beach with Wicked Twister and the Extreme Sports Stadium in the foreground.

• Hotel Breakers: Built in 1905, it's the oldest resort and closest to Cedar Point and Cedar Point Shores. It has 650 rooms, pools, and restaurants.
• Sandcastle Suites: This hotel has 187 suites and offers beach access, a pool, and shuttles to the park.
• Lighthouse Point: Here you can find 64 cottages and 40 cabins. It's home to the Cedar Point Lighthouse, built in 1862.
• Camper Village: This is where you can hook up your RV to water and electricity. It has a store, pool, and shuttle service.
• The Cedar Point Marina: Located on Sandusky Bay, it's one of the largest marinas on Lake Erie. Boaters can access the park directly from here.

Off-site Resorts

• Castaway Bay: An indoor waterpark resort that opened in 2004. It has over 38,000 feet (12,000 m) of water slides and a wave pool.
• Breakers Express: This hotel is one mile from Cedar Point. It was expanded in 2016 and renamed Cedar Point Express.

Historic Buildings

The Coliseum during HalloWeekends in 2012

Cedar Point has several historic buildings. The oldest is the Cedar Point Lighthouse, built in 1862. It's listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Coliseum, built in 1906, is also listed. It has a ballroom that hosted many dances, helping the park during the Great Depression.

Cedar Downs Racing Derby

All three of Cedar Point's carousels are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

• The Midway Carousel (Daniel C. Muller Carousel) is the oldest operating ride at Cedar Point, brought to the park in 1946.
• The Cedar Downs Racing Derby (Great American Racing Derby) is one of only two racing carousels still running in the U.S.
• The Kiddy Kingdom Carousel (William H. Dentzel 1924 Carousel) opened in 1968.

Cedar Point in Pop Culture

Cedar Point has appeared in many movies and TV shows.

• In the 1940 film Knute Rockne, All American, a scene shows football coach Knute Rockne working as a lifeguard at Cedar Point. He and his roommate practiced the forward pass there, which changed football forever.
• In 2010, an episode of Bert the Conqueror on the Travel Channel featured Bert trying to ride Cedar Point's four fastest and tallest roller coasters in under an hour.
• The Travel Channel's Off Limits showed how the park's rides, like Mean Streak and Millennium Force, are maintained during the off-season.
• Cedar Point coasters were also featured in episodes of Insane Coaster Wars.

See also

In Spanish: Cedar Point para niños