The Story Of: Cedar Point

Originally Published: September 4, 2019

One of the largest amusement parks in the U.S., having its own island and road, considering itself the ‘Roller Coaster Capital of the World,’ and mentioned earlier on this very site, this is,

The story of:

Cedar Point

Some people may ask why I’d do one on Cedar point after I’ve already done Cedar Fair, well that’s because the park itself has a long, interesting history.

While tied to the fair, wasn’t covered in much detail at all once Valleyfair was acquired. So without further ado, let’s travel to the park’s beginning in 1870 and even before that.

Before the park’s founding, Lake Erie was a rather famous vacation spot among the middle class. Many of the lake’s islands would become popular for their freshwater bathing resorts.

As for the then peninsula that now hosts the park, it was named Cedar Point after the numerous amount of cedar trees and was a popular fishing destination. Many of the fishermen would even lease land on the peninsula and build houses for themselves.

The closest town was Sandusky, which would become a fairly major economic center in the following years thanks to its large harbor and rail connections. And thanks to those connections, the area as a whole began to grow.

The tip of the peninsula would become housing for ammunition during the civil war, the ammunition was partly used for defense of a prison for POW’s on Johnson’s Island nearby.

Some of the boats used to transport prisoners to the island were built by a German immigrant, Louis Zistel. He would later use boats to ferry locals to the peninsula in 1870, thanks to its resurgence as a summer destination for picnics.

Zistel would later open a bathhouse and beer garden with a dance floor.

The boat he used to ferry locals was called the ‘Young Reindeer’ and could ferry people from Sandusky to Cedar Point for 25 cents. This was the beginning of real commercial tourism on the peninsula.

From 1888 to 1891 many attractions would be built on the peninsula, including more bathhouses, a dance hall, steamboats would ferry passengers to Biemillers cove and Cedar Point Light, picnic tables, a baseball diamond, a pavilion with a concert hall and bowling alley, which still exists today, and the first thrill ride on the peninsula, a water toboggan ride that would would launch riders into the lake.

But the first roller coaster would be installed in 1892. The Switchback Railway.’ Standing a towering 25 feet high, and reaching a maximum speed of ten miles an hour, the coaster had two identical tracks, once for coasting down the route, and another allowing someone to push the train back up.

The real start of the peninsula becoming what it is today was in 1897 when the Lake Erie and Western Railroad bought the peninsula for the equivalent of $7.7 million and formed the Cedar Point Pleasure Resort Company. The park would be managed by George A. Boeckling. It was this purchase and leadership that turned Cedar point from a picnic ground to what it is today.

A second roller coaster was built on the peninsula in 1902, Figure Eight-Roller Toboggan. Sever years later it would be moved and renamed The Racer.

Near the beach, a pony track was built the same year.

By 1904, mosquitos had become such a problem that the park hired the Detroit Dredging Company to come in and drain out swampy areas on the peninsula.

Detroit Dredging had connected a series of lagoons to form a water passageway, which quickly became a signature attraction. The passageway was both used for Sightseeing passenger trips as well as transportation of coal to the center of the peninsula to fuel power plants.

Due to Boeckling believing that if guests stayed longer at the resort, the more profitable it would be, as well as overwhelming demand causing problems with the current hotels, in 1905, one of the largest hotels in the Midwest would open, the Chateau-style, 600 room Hotel Breakers. Built during the ‘golden age’ of U.S. resorts, the resort features a rotunda in the center, with eight three-story wings coming out of it. The resort featured ornate landscaping, beautiful flower gardens,

The hotel would add another wing in 1924.

In 1987 the hotel was designated as a National Historic Landmark. However, in 2001, that designation would be withdrawn due to too many changes being made to the building. Including building material changes, windows replaced with faux balconies and more. Though the rotunda has retained much of the same aspects, the design language of the rotunda and wings, some of which have been removed, added and generally altered, by the addition of a ten-story building within the complex.

The hotel is an iconic one for the reason that some notable guests have been John D Rockefeller, Theodore Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower and a few more.

The park would also add a new area in 1906 called “Amusement Circle.’ It was designed to link the pier to the beach and was located southeast of the coliseum, a large arena built the same year that included a ballroom, and other attractions. Over time the coliseum would house Restaurants, Beer gardens, and even a skating rink. Since the 1960s the building has also housed one of the largest collection of pinball, video and arcade games in any amusement park in the world.

1908 saw the addition of the Dip the Dips scenic railway. Though it was quickly overshadowed in 1912 by the addition of the far superior Leap the Dips ride.

And to make matters worse for our old Dip the Dips, in 1917, the coaster was removed and replaced with the Leap Frog Scenic Railway.

With all of these additions and changes within such a short period though, the park really started to gain traction as an amusement park. With even more attractions being added and a wider variety of them as well.

Though this would not yet become its focus, as Boeckling did not see it as a priority, instead marketing the point as a bathing resort, filled with films, exhibits, shows and more, with little emphasis being put onto the rides.

In the remaining tenure of Boeckling, many more hotels were added. These included Hotel Cedars, White House Hotel, Crystal Rock Castle and Crystal Gardens Ballroom. Allowing for more capacity in the park, as well as attracting more visitors.

In 1926, The Cyclone, a rough wooden coaster, though more advanced that the Leap the Dips and Leap Frogs of previous years.

As time went on, many attractions were replaced or updated, including the removal of the Racer, Circle Swing and a few more for the addition of a simple Shoot-The-Chutes ride, a Tilt-A-Whirl, and fun houses. This expansion, along with the other offerings and numerous hotels made the park even more attractive and successful.

Though, in the late 1920s, Boeckling’s health began to decline, with him becoming confined to a wheelchair in 1931, requiring assistance from an employee or relative to oversee the park, which his declining health did not stop him from doing that.

Though he eventually had to stay indoors and, on July 24, 1931, George A. Boeckling would pass away from uremia.

His portrait in the Hotel Breakers lobby was covered in a black tarp, and every flag in the resort and on the G.A. Boeckling were lowered to half-mast.

After Boeckling’s passing, Erick Smith took over as management and little expansion of the area happened ion the 1930s. One of the only rides that as added was the Tumble Bug, a ride where visitors are spun around a central axle on a circular track which varied in height.

The mid-1930s saw the removal of the now decaying Leap the Dips ride.

The resort was even on the brink of sale to the Ohio government for $3, million. equivalent to $52 million today.

Though in 1938, the upper floor of the coliseum was updated in the art-deco style and a new stage, with the original dance floor remaining in the center. With many of the most popular bands at the time playing there, it kept the park operation through the depression.

Though this did not stop the need for financial help by the end of World War II. With the Cyclone sitting rotting away, and the boardwalk being damaged and cracked in many locations, as well as repairs needed on the fishing dock.

They installed the Midway Carousel in 1946, which is the oldest still-operational ride at the park.

The Cyclone was demolished in 1951 due to it’s declining condition, leaving the park without a roller coaster.

Though more attractions were installed while demolition went along, including the Laff-in-the-Dark, Loop-A-Plane and Rocket Ships.

The Cedar Point Causeway was built in 1957, which also still stands today.

In 1958, the president of Cedar Point, Bernie Zeiher, was replaced by George Roose, and Emile Legros was also elected Chairman that year.

In 1954, new admission stalls were installed and the hotels were repainted. On top of this, over the equivalent of $10 million was spent to refresh the park and fix any damages and decay.

This also installed the par’s first coaster since Cyclone, Wild Mouse.

And in 1959, the resort also gained a monorail which quickly became the most popular attraction there.

Hotel Breakers was repainted, and the surrounding neglected buildings were demolished, the Coliseum and Grand Pavilion were remodeled.

The Crystal Rock Castle Maintenance Shop, some boathouses, and the old powerhouse were demolished and new boathouse, boiler house, and maintenance shop took their place.

It was in the 1960s when the idea of single pride season passes became popular. These had to do with their short-lived but announced plans of turning the park into a “Disneyland” amusement center. Whatever they meant by that, I can’t say.

Though in 1964 they built another new Roller Coaster, Blue Streak. The ride is named after the local high school football team, the Sandusky Blue Streaks.

Good news is, in 1969 the Cedar Point & Lake Erie Railroad opened, taking visitors from the center of the park to the back.

Also in 1969, the park built it’s second oldest coaster, the Cedar Creek Mine Ride.

In 1970, in honor of the 100th anniversary of the park, the Centennial Theatre was opened. The theatre was later named the Jack Aldrich Theatre.

In 1972 the park built Jumbo Jet, a still-operating coaster, albeit, in Belarus, that was the fastest in the world at the time.

Robert L. Munger Jr. took over as Cedar Point’s president after Roose retired.

The park would then create the Corkscrew, the first roller coaster to ever Span a Midway, as well as the first to have three inversions.

They also beat their own record in 1978, then Gemini opened, billed as the tallest, fastest and Steepest roller coaster in the world.

In 1985, Avalanche run, a bobsled coaster would open close to the beach. However, due to the sands and winds of the area, the ride was taken indoors and renamed Disaster Transport. The building it was housed in did make the sand less of a problem, though rain would still be able to get into the building.

In 1986, Munger would step down as CEO of Cedar Fair and be replaced with Robert ‘Dick’ Kinzel.

Two years later, in 1988, Soak City, now Cedar Point Shores, opened near Hotel Breakers. The waterpark featured Speed Slides, over 10 body and tube slides, a family raft ride as well as two lazy rivers.

Between 1989 and 2011, sever record-breaking roller coasters would open at Cedar Point.

The first was Magnum XL-200, which was the first coaster to reach 200 feet and a speed over 70 miles an hour, which makes it the world’s first hypercoaster.

Mean streak opened in 1991, being the northernmost attraction in the park, it was also the tallest and fastest woodie in the world, being 161 feet tall and going over 65 miles an hour.

Snake River falls opened as a result of the popularity of Soak city in 1993. Dropping riders 82 feet at 40 miles an hour, it was the tallest and fastest water ride in the world.

In 1994, the Mill Race Log Ride was removed in favor of Raptor, the first inverted roller coaster to have a cobra roll.

In 1996, Mantis opened as the tallest, steepest and fastest stand-up coaster in the world. The coaster’s original name was the unpopular Banshee, though due to public opinion the name was changed. Though Cedar Fair would be able to use the name again in Kings Island in 2014.

The world’s first Giga coaster also opened at Cedar Point, Millennium Force in 2000. It was the tallest, and fastest coaster to complete a full circuit at the time, the other record holder was Superman; The Escape at Six Flags Magic Mountain.

Millennium Force reached a maximum height of 310 feet and a maximum speed of 93 miles an hour.

Superman, on the other hand, soared 2015 feet and went a maximum of 100 miles an hour.

In 2002, the park would open Wicked Twister, which held the specific record of being the tallest fastest and longest inverted impulse coaster of it’s kind.

But they were running behind the competition. Other parks were also making great coasters that were competing with Cedar Point.

So, in 2003, they opened Top Thrill Dragster. Which was the tallest and fastest coaster in the world overall. Beating Superman by reaching 420 feet and 120 miles an hour.

In two years Six Flags would take back both of those records with Kingda Ka at Great Adventure, one of which it keeps to this day.

Dan Keller would retire in 2005, leaving the positions of Vice President and general manager to John Hildebrandt, the former of those two titles at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom since 2004.

They would break another record, this time with a flat ride, opening Skyhawk next to Snake River Falls. It still is the tallest Screamin’ Swing in the world.

In 2008, the park opened Planet Snoopy, a kids area that I mention because a lot of it’s rides were taken from Geauga lake.

In 2012, Dick Kinzel would retire, leaving the position to Matt Ouimet, a former president of the Disney Cruise Line and Disneyland Resort, as well as assorted jobs within Walt Disney Imagineering, Disney’s Wide World of Sports and Disney Vacation Club. He had been with Disney for 17 years beforehand.

Also in 2012, the park would receive the popular Fast Lane system that had been introduced at Kings Island in 2011.

In 2012, the park removed WildCat, being replaced by Luminosity – Ignite the Night!

In 2012, the park also removed Disaster Transport and Space Spiral in favor of GateKeeper, the longest winged roller coaster in the world, which would open in 2013.

Along with it, a new entrance plaza was constructed, replacing the original one that had been there since the 1960s. It now has two support columns that the coaster navigates through.

At the end of 2013, John Hildebrandt would retire as the general manager and was replaced by Jason McClure, who was also a former VP and general manager at Dorney Park.

2016 saw the addition of Valravn, the tallest, fastest and longest dive coaster in the world. The ride replaced the Good Time Theater, as well as Turnpike Cars, an antique cars ride.

And finally, in 2016 the popular wooden roller coaster, Mean Streak would close, and until 2017 guests assumed the coaster would be torn down. However, in 2017 the park announced that the coaster was going to be refurbished by Rocky Mountain Construction as Steel Vengeance, opening in 2018.