Cedar Point - amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio, United States

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

Cedar Point Amusement Park 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 "World's Largest Amusement Park", and draws visitors from throughout Ohio and surrounding states. It was voted the best amusement park in the world for 16 consecutive years by Amusement Today.

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 roller coasters in the world, including Top Thrill Dragster and Millennium Force. Altogether it has more than 70 rides. It is a must for any serious thrillseeker out there, offering the second most roller coasters found in a single amusement park (17 altogether, and second to Six Flags Magic Mountain with 19). Although its primary attraction is the assortment of coasters, the park has rides and other attractions, including flat rides, kiddie rides, water rides, a traditional arcade, and musical shows. The park also offers access to a lovely beach on Lake Erie—something which has been attracting visitors since the park's inception.

Cedar Point Shores is an outdoor water park and part of Cedar Point, but not included in the general admission.

You can easily spend a full day at Cedar Point. If you plan to take in all the attractions, you should buy the two-day "Ride and Slide" ticket and spread your enjoyment of Cedar Point Shores and Cedar Point over two days. If you are coming on a busy day (weekends especially in the summer), make sure to plan time to wait in line, as some lines such as Millennium Force, Maverick, Top Thrill Dragster, and Valravn can be up to two hours.

Get in

• The park, 1 Cedar Point Drive, Sandusky (is on a peninsula on Lake Erie), +1 419 627-2350.

By car

Sandusky is between Cleveland and Toledo.

• On the Ohio Turnpike (I-80):
  • Take Exit 118 and follow the signs north on US 250
  • Take Exit 110 and follow Route 4 north. Once you get to Sandusky, just follow the signs to Cedar Point; the causeway is a toll road ($0.50 toll is included in the cost of parking). Cedar Point can also be accessed via the Chaussee, a two-lane road which connects to Cleveland Road a few miles east of Sandusky.

There is a designated drop-off area. The vehicle must pay the full parking fee as they enter. However, if you tell the toll booth cashier that you are dropping off or picking up guests, and depart within 30 minutes, you will be given a full refund, minus the $0.50 causeway toll.

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 offer seasonal dockage.

By train

Amtrak serves the city of Sandusky with daily service from points east and west.

Admission and discounts

Cedar Point's 2016 admission prices are as follows:

• Cedar Point Regular: One day for guests ages 3-61, 48 inches and taller in shoes. $65
• Cedar Point Junior or Senior: One day for guests under 48 in tall in shoes or age 62 and over. $39.99
• Ride & Slide 2-Day: Ages 3-61, 48 in and taller. Admission to Cedar Point and Soak City for any two regular season days. $89.99
• Ride & Slide 2-Day Junior/Senior: Guests under 48 in tall or age 62 and over. Admission to Cedar Point and Soak City for any two regular season days. $58
• Cedar Point Shores Regular: One day for guests ages 3-61, 48 in and taller in shoes. $35.99
• Cedar Point Shores Junior or Senior: One day for guests under 48| in tall in shoes or age 62 and over. $21.99
• Rock & Ride: One day at Cedar Point, and one voucher for admission to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. $66.50
• Rock, Rides & Football: One day at Cedar Point, and one voucher for admission to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, and one voucher for admission to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. $88.15
• Children age 2 and under are admitted free to Cedar Point and Cedar Point Shores.
• Cedar Point F-Su after 4PM: $41.99
• Cedar Point M-Th after 4PM: $39.99
• Active or retired military personnel (with valid identification) and immediate family members. $43
• Daily parking per vehicle: $15 for regularly-sized vehicles, $20 for vehicles taking up more than one space, $25 preferred parking
• Season Pass for unlimited admission during the 2016 season to Cedar Point $132. A Platinum Pass for $204 or $150 for guests under 48 in tall or age 62 and over provides unlimited admission to all Cedar Fair amusement parks and outdoor water parks for the entire season.

Other discounted admissions

• Resort guests: for guests of any of the hotels on Cedar Point property.
• American Automobile Association (AAA) offices sell discount Cedar Point tickets for their members. Showing an AAA card at the gate will not get you a discount.
• Meijer stores, Discount Drug Mart stores, and some credit unions, sell discounted tickets.
• Online deals: Discount tickets are available for purchase at cedarpoint.com. Special deals are also announced on Facebook and through the park's email newsletter.

Get around

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 Cedar Point & Lake Erie 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 Sky Ride carries passengers over the main midway, from the entrance towards the center of the park or back.

See

New for 2016: The world's tallest, fastest, and longest dive coaster, Valravn. Also a new Glass Academy, Frontier Inn restaurant, Coca-Cola Oasis, and day or season photo program.

Over 70 rides - including 17 roller coasters, Peanuts-themed children's ride areas, Dinosaurs Alive! (extra-charge attraction), nightly show Luminosity (starts in June), and water park.

Cedar Point is on a peninsula surrounded by Lake Erie, and has a few beaches you can access and see the lake directly from.

The centerpiece of the park's Lighthouse Point camping park is the Cedar Point Lighthouse, which was built in 1862 and is the oldest existing structure on the peninsula.

Do

Cedar Point has a world-record 71 rides, including roller coasters, thrill rides, water rides, children's rides, and an adjacent waterpark.

The park assigns most rides a Thrill rating ranging from 1 (low thrill) to 5 (aggressive thrill). The park provides these ratings under the ride listings on their website.

Fast Lane

Fast Lane, introduced at Cedar Point in 2012, is a secondary queue system that offers shorter wait times on the park's most popular rides. In addition to the standard admission charge, visitors can bypass the standard wait line by purchasing a wrist band that grants access to the Fast Lane queue. A limited number of wrist bands are sold each day. The two options available for purchase are "Fast Lane" and "Fast Lane Plus". The standard Fast Lane offers access to 24 attractions, while Fast Lane Plus covers the same rides and adds Top Thrill Dragster, GateKeeper, Maverick, and Valravn.

Cedar Point offers a Halloween-themed version of Fast Lane called Fright Lane with Skeleton Key, available during HalloWeekends. In addition to Fast Lane access, this version provides priority access to haunted attractions within the park. It also includes a key that provides access to a secret room in each haunted attraction.

Cedar Point's 2016 Fast Lane prices are as follows:

• Fast Lane: One day Fast Lane access to 24 rides and attractions. $60-99, depending on day
• Fast Lane Plus: One day Fast Lane access to 24 rides and attractions, Top Thrill Dragster, GateKeeper, Maverick, and Valravn. $80-149, depending on day

Roller coasters

Coaster	Picture	Description	Tips	Height requirement	Fast Lane	Thrill<br>rating
Blue Streak	style="background: #ececec; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"		A classic "Out and Back" wooden coaster. It is the oldest operating roller coaster at Cedar Point and was the roller coaster when it was built in 1964.		Over 48 inches	align=center
Cedar Creek Mine Ride	style="background: #ececec; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"		A "hybrid" mine train coaster: wood structure with tubular steel rails.		Over 48 inches
Corkscrew	style="background: #ececec; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"		A steel roller coaster that spans the midway. It was the first coaster with 3 inversions and the first coaster to span a midway when it first opened.		Over 48 inches	align=center
GateKeeper	style="background: #ececec; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"		A world record-breaking steel wing coaster that spans the Main Gate entrance, and flies through two keyhole towers.		Over 52 inches	align=center
Gemini	style="background: #ececec; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"		Two trains run side-by-side for most of the course, one inevitably beating the other. This coaster has a wood structure, but steel-tubular Track.		Over 48 inches	align=center
Iron Dragon	style="background: #ececec; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"		A steel suspended roller coaster.		Over 48 inches
Magnum XL-200	style="background: #ececec; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"		First coaster to top 200 feet (Hyper Coaster), 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.	Over 48 inches	align=center
Maverick	style="background: #ececec; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"		A steel launched roller coaster. With its 95-degree drop, it is the steepest roller coaster in the park. Voted best new ride of 2007 by Amusement Today.		Over 52 inches	align=center
Millennium Force	style="background: #ececec; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"		A steel giga roller coaster. It set several records when it opened such as the tallest, fastest and steepest roller coaster in the world. As of 2016, it was ranked the number one steel roller coaster in the world by Amusement Today readers.	Be prepared for a very long line on busy days.	Over 48 inches	align=center
Raptor	style="background: #ececec; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"		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 and custom layout.		Over 54 inches	align=center
Rougarou	style="background: #ececec; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"		A steel floorless coaster previously known as Mantis. Rougarou opened in 2015 as a renovated version of Mantis featuring new trains, new colors, and a new theme.		Over 54 inches	align=center
Steel Vengeance	style="background: #ececec; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"		A "hybrid" roller coaster with wooden supports and steel track, built from the structure of the former Mean Streak wooden roller coaster. Features a 200 foot (61 m) drop, speeds up to 74 mph (119 km/h), and four inversions.		Over 52 inches	align=center
Top Thrill Dragster	style="background: #ececec; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"		A steel strata accelerator roller coaster. It was the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world when it opened. An amazing 17 seconds of speed and height.	Tends to have long lines.	Over 52 inches	align=center
Valravn	style="background: #ececec; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"		A steel dive coaster. It is the tallest, longest and fastest roller coaster of its kind in the world.	This is the newest roller coaster at Cedar Point, so expect a long line.	Over 52 inches	align=center
Wicked Twister	style="background: #ececec; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"		The world's only double-twisting steel 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 and traveling up two tall twisting towers, each spiraling 145 degrees.		Over 52 inches	align=center
Wilderness Run	style="background: #ececec; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"		A steel children's roller coaster, previously known as Jr. Gemini until 2014.		Over 36 inches and under 54 inches or accompanied by a child
Woodstock Express	style="background: #ececec; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"		A steel junior roller coaster that the whole family can ride. It is in Camp Snoopy.		Over 36 inches when accompanied by a responsible person or 48 inches to ride alone

Thrill rides

Ride	Picture	Description	Tips	Height requirement	Fast Lane	Thrill rating
Dodgem	style="background: #ececec; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"		A classic bumper cars attraction.		Over 36 inches to ride and accompanied by a responsible person if under 48 inches	align=center
Matterhorn	style="background: #ececec; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"		A matterhorn circular ride that swings riders as it moves in a clockwise motion while traveling up and down.		Over 42 inches to ride and accompanied by a responsible person if under 46 inches
maXair	style="background: #ececec; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"		A Giant Frisbee ride, it is only one of two Giant Frisbees made by HUSS in the world.		Over 52 inches	align=center
Monster	style="background: #ececec; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"		A standard monster ride.		Over 46 inches or accompanied by a responsible person	align=center
Ocean Motion	style="background: #ececec; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"		A swinging pirate ship ride that reaches a height of .		Over 39 inches to ride and accompanied by a responsible person if under 48 inches
Pipe Scream	style="background: #ececec; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"		A Disk'O ride where a single car travels along a long, U-shaped track, reaching a height of .		Over 42 inches to ride and accompanied by a responsible person if under 48 inches	align=center
Power Tower	style="background: #ececec; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"		A combo 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.		Over 52 inches	align=center
Scrambler	style="background: #ececec; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"		A twist ride that is one of the oldest rides operating at Cedar Point.		Over 36 inches to ride and accompanied by a responsible person if under 48 inches	align=center
Skyhawk	style="background: #ececec; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"		A Screamin' Swing ride, which is the world's largest swinging ride.		Over 48 inches	align=center
SlingShot	style="background: #ececec; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"		A tall Sling Shot ride that launches riders up at speeds up to 62 km/h.	SlingShot is an additional charge attraction.	Over 48 inches
Super Himalaya	style="background: #ececec; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"		A circular Musik Express ride that travels in a clockwise motion on a track of various elevations.		Over 52 inches or accompanied by a responsible person
Tiki Twirl	style="background: #ececec; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"		A spinning ride that spins riders in two degrees of motion.		Over 46 inches or accompanied by a responsible person
Troika	style="background: #ececec; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"		A Troika ride in which riders reach a height of .		Over 42 inches to ride and accompanied by a responsible person if under 54 inches	align=center
Wave Swinger	style="background: #ececec; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"		A wave swinger ride featuring hand painted murals. Riders reach a height of .		Over 48 inches	align=center
WindSeeker	style="background: #ececec; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"		A Wind Seeker tower swinger ride. It was one of the first of its kind.		Over 52 inches	align=center
Witches' Wheel	style="background: #ececec; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"		An Enterprise ride. It turns riders upside down more than a dozen times, above the ground.		Over 54 inches

Water rides

Ride	Picture	Description	Tips	Height Requirements	Fast Lane	Thrill rating
Snake River Falls	style="background: #ececec; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"		A Shoot-the-Chute ride. It opened as the tallest and fastest water ride in the world with a drop of .		Over 48 inches	align=center
Thunder Canyon	style="background: #ececec; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"		A river rafting ride.	Thunder Canyon normally closes in early September and is transformed into a HalloWeekends attraction called CornStalkers.	Over 46 inches

Family rides

Ride	Picture	Description	Tips	Height Requirement	Fast Lane	Thrill rating
Antique Cars	style="background: #ececec; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"		An automobile track ride with cars that resemble an early Cadillac car.		Over 48 inches or accompanied by a responsible person	align=center
Cadillac Cars	style="background: #ececec; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"		A second track ride with cars designed to look like a 1910 Cadillac.		Over 48 inches or accompanied by a responsible person	align=center
Cedar Point & Lake Erie Railroad	style="background: #ececec; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"		A 15-minute, narrow gauge train excursion encompasses a two-mile (3 km) trip along Lake Erie and through a western themed "Bone Town". There is one station located near Iron Dragon and another station located near Mean Streak and Maverick.		Over 46 inches or accompanied by a responsible person
Giant Wheel	style="background: #ececec; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"		A giant Ferris wheel. At tall, it is one of the tallest wheels in North America.		Over 48 inches or accompanied by a responsible person	align=center
Lake Erie Eagles	style="background: #ececec; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"		A flying eagles ride with eight carriages that each have a paddle, enabling guests to change the movement of their carriage.		Over 36 inches to ride and accompanied by a responsible person if under 44 inches	align=center
Sky Ride	style="background: #ececec; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"		A standard gondola lift ride. It transports passengers from the front of the park to a station near Celebration Plaza.		Over 48 inches or accompanied by a responsible person
Tilt-a-Whirl	style="background: #ececec; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;"		A standard Tilt-A-Whirl ride.		Over 46 inches or accompanied by a responsible person

Children's areas

Planet Snoopy

Camp Snoopy

Kiddy Kingdom

Carousels

• 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 Racing Derby - 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.

Other attractions

• Dinosaurs Alive!
• Extreme Sports Stadium
• Jack Aldrich Theatre
• Luminosity: Ignite the Night (takes place at the Celebration Plaza Stage)
• Palace Theatre
• Red Garter Saloon

Cedar Point Shores

A separately-gated outdoor water park adjacent to Cedar Point. Like Cedar Point, owned by Cedar Fair.

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. Budget conscious visitors may be better served by picking up food at a grocery, storing it in a car, then use a free reentry stamp to picnic outside the park.

Drink

Beer and wine coolers are sold at various restaurants in the park, with a policy of two drinks per valid 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 has numerous hotels and motels catering to Cedar Point visitors.

• Hotel Breakers, 1 Cedar Point Drive, 41.4913°, -82.6879°, +1 419 627-2106. Historic, family-friendly turn-of-the-century hotel located adjacent to the park. The location is ideal for visiting Cedar Point, but the rooms are somewhat lacking and in need of renovation, and aren't the greatest value for the money. Features a Perkins and a T.G.I. Fridays within the hotel and an old fashioned creamery. After an extensive renovation in 2015, it has been expanded with the construction of a new six-story tower, set to open to guests in 2018.
• Cedar Point's Express Hotel (formerly Breakers Express), 1201 Cedar Point Drive, +1 419 627-2106. A modern, less-expensive alternative to Breakers. In 2017, it received an extensive renovation and was re-named.
• Lighthouse Point, 1 Cedar Point Drive, 41.4889°, -82.6905°, +1 419 627-2106. At the north end, there are cabins or waterfront cottages complete with kitchenette and an outdoor grill.
• Castaway Bay, 2001 Cleveland Road, 41.4419°, -82.6771°, +1 419 627-2106. A resort hotel featuring an indoor water park and several restaurants.

Work

Cedar Point hires over 4000 seasonal employees from all across the US and beyond every year; about 2500 live at Cedar Point 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, and many opportunities for extra hours, 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.

Go next

• 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 southwest of Cedar Point, the Seneca Caverns, located near the small town of Bellevue beckon those interested in caves. Bellevue itself has small town charm as well as a historic district and a railway museum.
• The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, at North Coast Harbor in Cleveland, is a distinctive building designed by noted architect I.M. Pei that houses a massive collection of rock and roll memorabilia.
• The Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, is the world's largest collection of pro-football memorabilia. It also features the Lamar Hunt Super Bowl Gallery and Super Bowl Theater.

The Cedar Park won the award for Best Park by Amusement Today for 16 years up until 2013. Every year since, that award has gone to Europa-Park so perhaps that should be next on your list, if you haven't been already.