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Cedar Point is a 364 acre (1.5 km²) amusement park located in Sandusky, Ohio on a peninsula jutting into Lake Erie. It is the world's largest amusement park (by ride count) with 68 rides and 16 rollercoasters, and has the world's second tallest and fastest roller coaster, Top Thrill Dragster. The park also has beaches, two waterparks (one indoors), a marina, several hotels, and a "Challenge Park" featuring attractions such as go-karts and miniature golf.

The park opened in 1870 and is the second oldest amusement park in North America after Lake Compounce. Cedar Point and Valleyfair! were the original operating partners of the Cedar Fair, LP amusement park company. Cedar Point will begin its 2006 season on May 7.

History

In the 1860s, during the American Civil War, an earthwork housing 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.

Boeckling era

Around the turn of the twentieth century, businessman George Arthur Boeckling spent several decades expanding the park by planting flower gardens, adding a boardwalk and rides, constructing lagoons, and opening several hotels including The Breakers Hotel which opened on June 12, 1905, and still operates today. Cedar Point continued to expand over the course of the century, adding a series of new rides and roller coasters. In 1929 The Cedar Point Cyclone was built by legendary designer Harry Traver. The Great Depression had an adverse effect on Cedar Point, and it did not fully recover until the 1950s when businessmen George Roose and Emile Legros bought the park. When they first bought Cedar Point, Roose and Legros planned on tearing down the existing park and turning it into a residential area. With this in mind, they built a marina and constructed a causeway leading from the amusement area to Sandusky. Once the citizens of Sandusky found out about Roose and Legros' plans, they wrote letters to the governor of Ohio urging him to intervene. With the uproar occurring and the sudden popularity of Disneyland in California, Roose and Legros decided to end their plans to tear down Cedar Point and instead announced their plans to turn Cedar Point into the Disneyland of the Midwest.

Modern era

The park continued to expand rapidly through the next 50 years. Many of its roller coasters were record setters when they opened. The Cedar Creek Mine Ride opened in 1969 as one of the very first run-away mine train style roller coasters. In 1976 Corkscrew was the first roller coaster to turn its riders upside down three times. In 1978 Gemini debuted as the tallest, fastest, and steepest roller coaster on earth. In 1989 Magnum XL 200, designed by the now defunct Arrow Dynamics, opened as the tallest, fastest, and steepest roller coaster in existence, as well as being the first full-circuit roller coaster to be taller than 200 feet (60 m). In 1991 Mean Streak opened as the tallest and fastest wooden coaster.

The Raptor, designed by Bolliger and Mabillard, opened in 1994 as the tallest, fastest, and longest inverted roller coaster with the most inverting elements. Mantis, also designed by Bolliger and Mabillard, opened in 1996 as the tallest, fastest, and longest stand-up roller coaster with the most loops. In 2000, Cedar Point and Intamin AG unleashed Millennium Force, which at the time was the world's tallest and fastest roller coaster and the first coaster to top 300 feet (90 m) in height. Millennium Force is still consistently voted the top coaster in the world by roller coaster enthusiast websites. In 2002, Cedar Point announced Wicked Twister, the world's tallest, fastest and first double-spiraling impulse coaster. Cedar Point continued its record breaking tradition in 2003 with Top Thrill Dragster, also designed by Intamin AG, which features a four-second launch to 120 mph (190 km/h) and a 420 foot (128 m) hill with a vertical ascent and a 270 degree spiral on the vertical descent. To date, Cedar Point has more roller coasters over 200 feet (4) than any other park in the world.

Fun facts

• Hotel Breakers Trivia: Built in 1905, Hotel Breakers owned by Cedar Fair and located at the rear of the park, features original Tiffany stained-glass windows in its lobby. Its Presidential Suite is one of the most expensive hotel rooms in Sandusky, commanding $1000 per night during the peak season. The Hotel Breakers has hosted six American Presidents in its history, Taft, Coolidge, Wilson, Harding, Roosevelt and Eisenhower. Another interesting aspect of the Breakers is that the map of the hotel's layout given to guest upon check-in to help them find their rooms 'hides' several areas of the complex, including an entire hallway on the second floor devoted to employee housing. The Hotel is also the de facto headquarters for several Cedar Point departments including Central Reservations (Department 402), Park Operator / PBX and Housekeeping.

• The original proposed name for the Mantis was The Banshee and the proposed coaster would be painted black and silver. The name was quickly changed when the marketing department realized the full negative connotations of the word 'banshee' and all 'The Banshee' stickers, pins and other promotional materials that had been given to employees were recalled. Many of the original souveneirs and materials were burned or destroyed.

• In 2005, Cedar Point built a new ride called maXair. This Giant Frisbee, manufactured by Huss GmbH, swings riders at 70 mph (110 km/h) while spinning them.

• It is said that if one has the courage, he or she can see all the way out to Canada from the top of the hill on Millennium Force, Magnum XL 200, or Top Thrill Dragster. While it is not possible to see mainland Canada, a good eye might be able to spot Pelee Island, a Canadian island in the middle of Lake Erie, 34 km or 21 miles to the north.

• Cedar Point was tied with Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California for having the most roller coasters at any park; with 16 roller coasters each as of 2005. However, in 2006 Six Flags Magic Mountain will open Tatsu, a flying roller coaster, making their coaster count 17. (Superman the Escape) is truly a coaster you fucking idiot, it's no different than cedar point's wicked twister, up and back down, so then they are both non coasters, but that's not true, they are both coasters, if you don't quit saying Superman may not be a coaster, Misplaced Pages will be contacted by a six flags attorney, in the magic mountain division, quit printing inaccuarcies. In addition, Flashback, a unique Intamin Space Diver roller coaster, has not operated since 2003.

• In contrast to many parks that have completely modernized, Cedar Point has retained some older rides as well. It has three antique carousels which retain their original wooden animals, many smaller carnival-type rides, as well as county-fair style booths and games and a variety of musical shows, which are considered second only to Disney. The Great American Racing Derby, a ride from Euclid Beach Park which simulated a horse race, still runs today at Cedar Point, who acquired it in 1967, renamed Cedar Downs.

• Cedar Point has five arcades on the peninsula. Coliseum is the largest and includes the arcade maintenance office. The same building also holds Cedar Point Police, Park Operations and the Ballroom. Coliseum features over 30 lanes of Skeeball and over 100 video and redemption games. Gemini arcade is located across from the Gemini roller coaster and features Skeeball and boomball. Jitney is located in the rear of the park and has Skeeball. The two other arcades are technically outside of the park. Challenge Park arcade is located in a building that also houses a food stand. Hotel Breakers arcade is located at the base of Breakers Tower.

• The beach on Lake Erie is wide, and both it and the shore have a generally gradual slope. The sand is the right texture for making sand castles.

• Cedar Point has been voted "Best Amusement Park in the World" for 7 years running by Amusement Today newspaper (1999 - 2005).

• Cedar Point currently retains 2 of the top 3 tallest operating complete-circuit Roller Coasters in the world.

• Note: Superman: The Ride and Tower of Terror surpass Millennium Force in height but are not complete-circuit rollercoasters. Steel Dragon 2000 also surpasses Millennium Force, yet has not operated since 23 August 2003.

• Cedar Point also retains 2 of the top 10 longest Roller Coasters in North America.

• Cedar Point has 68 different amusement rides, the most world-wide.

• Some past employees who have gone on to fame include Sam Warner, Arsenio Hall, and Knute Rockne who worked as a lifeguard at Cedar Point in 1913 and invented the forward pass with teammate Gus Dorais on the beach during their off-time. Others that have visited the park include Montel Williams, Yasmine Bleeth, Drew Carey, Monica Lewinsky, Rob Lowe, LeBron James, the members of Simple Plan, as well as Cleveland Indians and Cleveland Browns team members.

• Cedar Point is operated by Cedar Fair, L.P., a consortium that also owns Knott's Berry Farm in California, Worlds of Fun in Missouri, Cedar Point and Geauga Lake in Ohio, Michigan's Adventure in Michigan, Dorney Park in Pennsylvania, Valleyfair in Minnesota, and several waterparks. Cedar Fair also once operated Camp Snoopy (now The Park at MOA) at the Mall of America.

• Both Cedar Point and sister park (and onetime competitor) Geauga Lake are often referred to by western Pennsylvanians as the "Ohio parks", due to their proximity and their competition with Pittsburgh's own Kennywood, usually the chief rival to Cedar Point.

• New for 2006 is a "flying swing" known as Skyhawk. It is expected to be running on opening day of the 2006 season.

Thrill Rides

• Chaos
• Demon Drop
• Dodgem
• maXair
• Ocean Motion
• Power Tower
• Skyhawk
• Troika
• Witches' Wheel

Children's Rides

• 4x4's
• Balloon Race
• Bumper Boats
• Camp Bus
• Dune Buggies
• Frog Hopper
• Helicopters
• Hot Rods
• Krazy Kars
• Lolli Swing
• Motorcycles
• Mustangs
• Old Timers
• Peanuts 500
• Peanuts Express
• Police Cars
• Red Baron
• Rock Spin & Turn
• Roto Whip
• Sir Rub-a-Dub's Tubs
• Sky Fighters
• Space Age
• Tilt a Whirl

Other Rides

• Antique Cars
• Cadillac Cars
• Calypso
• Cedar Downs Racing Derby
• Cedar Point & Lake Erie Railroad
• Giant Wheel
• Kiddy Kingdom Carousel
• Matterhorn
• Midway Carousel
• Monster
• Paddlewheel Excursions
• Scrambler
• Sky Ride
• Snake River Falls
• Space Spiral
• Super Himalaya
• Thunder Canyon
• Turnpike Cars
• Wave Swinger

See also

• Cedar Point County Park

External links

• Official Cedar Point website
• PointBuzz
• Point Xtreme, unoffical website with information, photos and forums
• The Point Online, unofficial website designed as an informational guide
• Cedar Fantastic Day - Unofficial website aimed at employees
• Experience the Point, unofficial website aimed at tourists
• CPStaff, unofficial website aimed at employees
• My Big Adventure: Cedar Point, personal site offering park reviews and photos

Template:Noteworthy Amusement Parks

• Cedar Point
• Amusement parks
• Cedar Fair, L.P. amusement parks
• Ohio landmarks
• Erie County, Ohio