Cedar Point

Top Thrill Dragster -------- 2003. Previous "Merry Farm" events have included manufactured snow, handcrafts exhibits, and a "visit with Santa Claus." This event was originally created by Gary Salisbury in the Fall of 1985. Wicked Twister ------------ 2002. A Christmas event, known as "Knott's Merry Farm" also happens annually. Millennium Force ---------- 2000. Season of Screams also highlights recent Halloween Haunts. Woodstock's Express --- 1999. Season of Screams is a DVD produced by an independent company which traces the beginnings of Halloween Haunt and the story behind how it all got started back in 1973.

Mantis ------------------------- 1996. Interesting facts: During the month of October, Knott's Scary Farm generates HALF the revenue for Knott's Berry Farm's fiscal year. Raptor ------------------------- 1994. Elvira (actress Cassandra Peterson) was introduced into the Halloween Event in 1982 and was prominently featured in many Halloween Haunt events. Mean Streak ---------------- 1991. Several attractions are decorated for the event including the Timber Mountain Log Ride and Calico Mine Train and there are 10 or more mazes of various themes from aliens to spiders to clowns from outer-space. Magnum XL 200 ----------- 1989. Over a thousand specially employed monsters are also scattered - oftentimes hidden out of view - throughout the park at this time.

Iron Dragon ------------------ 1987. During this special ticketed event, the entire park (or major portions of it) rethemes itself into a "haunted house" style attraction in the form of "mazes" and "scare zones" in the evening. Disaster Transport -------- 1985. The event was created by Bill Hollingshead and Gary Salisbury as documented in the DVD Season of Screams. Gemini -------------------- 1979. The park's annual Halloween Haunt has drawn crowds since 1973. Jr. It features no actual "rides", but instead is a showcase of Native American art, crafts, and dance.

Wildcat ------------------------ 1979. The most recent addition to the park, Indian Trails is a small area sandwiched in between Camp Snoopy, Ghost Town, and Fiesta Village. Gemini ------------------------- 1978. It is also home to Mystery Lodge, a multimedia show based on an Expo 86 pavilion featuring a Native American storyteller. Corkscrew -------------------- 1976. Wild Water Wilderness is a small area that features one major ride: the Big Foot Rapids river raft ride. Cedar Creek Mine Ride -- 1969. Schulz "Peanuts" comic strip characters.

Blue Streak ------------------- 1964. It is themed around the Charles M. To date, Cedar Point has more roller coasters over 200 feet (4) than any other park in the world. Camp Snoopy is targeted towards younger visitors, with many of the rides and attractions being built specifically for children. 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. The Supreme Scream is now the tallest structure in Orange County at 300 feet in height. In 2002, Cedar Point announced Wicked Twister, the world's tallest, fastest and first double-spiraling impulse coaster. It is also home to the Sky Cabin Tower, which once also housed the Parachute Sky Jump attraction and was, at one time, the tallest structure in Orange County.

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. Other rides include the roller coaster Boomerang. Mantis, also designed by Bolliger and Mabillard, opened in 1996 as the tallest, fastest, and longest stand-up roller coaster with the most loops. Originally themed as a gypsy camp, and later re-themed to the "Roaring 20's" and "Knott's Airfield", this area is home to most of the park's major thrill rides, such as the recently constructed Xcelerator (which replaced the failed Windjammer racing coaster, known to be a mechanical nightmare by employees) , Supreme Scream, and Perilous Plunge. Raptor (rollercoaster), designed by Bolliger and Mabillard, opened in 1994 as the tallest, fastest, and longest inverted roller coaster with the most inverting elements. Fiesta Village is a Latin-themed area which features a number of carnival-style attractions, including the Montezooma's Revenge roller coaster and the Jaguar! family roller coaster. In 1991 Mean Streak opened as the tallest and fastest wooden coaster. In 1966 he donated the town to San Bernardino County, which made it a regional park.

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). Walter Knott purchased the Calico ghost town in 1951 and restored it. In 1978 Gemini debuted as the tallest, fastest, and steepest roller coaster on earth. The Ghost Town section is based upon the real ghost town of Calico, California near Barstow, and other ghost towns in the Western United States. In 1976 Corkscrew was the first roller coaster to turn its riders upside down three times. The Bird Cage Theatre melodrama theater (recently closed) has launched many acting careers, including Steve Martin's. The Cedar Creek Mine Ride opened in 1969 as one of the very first run-away mine train style roller coasters. Ghost Town itself has a place in history aside from the buildings brought here.

Many of its roller coasters were record setters when they opened. In late 2004 Knott's opened the longest inverted roller coaster on the West Coast, Silver Bullet. The park continued to expand rapidly through the next 50 years. More recently, the much-acclaimed GhostRider wooden roller coaster has been added. 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. This themed area includes attractions such as the narrow gauge Ghost Town & Calico Railroad (using much historic equipment from Colorado narrow-gauge lines), the Butterfield Stagecoach, a Pan-for-Gold attraction, the Calico Mine Train dark ride, Timber Mountain Log Ride which is the world's first log flume attraction, and The Wild West Stunt Show. Once the citizens of Sandusky found out about Roose and Legros' plans, they wrote letters to the governor of Ohio urging him to intervene. Ghost Town is the oldest part of the Knott's amusement park, and includes most of the buildings Walter brought to the property in the 1940's and 1950's.

With this in mind, they built a marina and constructed a causeway leading from the amusement area to Sandusky. Also on the property (but across Beach Blvd.) is a replica of Independence Hall and Knott's Soak City, USA. When they first bought Cedar Point, Roose and Legros planned on tearing down the existing park and turning it into a residential area. In addition, a small shopping village called California Marketplace sits outside the admission gate, and includes the famous Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant and a number of gift shops. 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. Knott's Berry Farm is divided into six distinct themed areas: Camp Snoopy, Ghost Town, Indian Trails, Fiesta Village, The Boardwalk, and Wild Water Wilderness. In 1929 The Cedar Point Cyclone was built by legendary designer Harry Traver. Buena Park Downtown is a series of shopping centers containing Wal-Mart and Kohls stores and it is located near Knott's Berry Farm.

Cedar Point continued to expand over the course of the century, adding a series of new rides and roller coasters. The park has served as an anchor for other tourist-oriented businesses such as Medieval Times ,Wild Bill's Wild West Dinner Extravaganza and Pirate's Dinner Adventure. 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. In contrast to the early rustic days of Knott, the vicinity of the park is now heavily suburbanized and thus some visitors to the park may perceive the phrase "berry farm" somewhat as a misnomer. When the war ended, Cedar Point resumed its role as a summer picnic area, and the initial park was constructed in 1870. Since being acquired by Cedar Fair, the park has seen an aggressive shift towards thrill rides, with the construction of a number of large roller coasters and the addition of a high-performance Shoot the Chutes ride. During the American Civil War, an earthwork housing a battery of four field artillery pieces was constructed at the tip of the peninsula to help guard access to the Confederate prisoner of war camp on nearby Johnson's Island. In 1997, the Knott family sold the amusement park operations to Cedar Fair L.P., owners of the renowned Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, Ohio.

. In 1995, the Knott family sold the food specialty business to ConAgra. Cedar Point and Valleyfair! were the original operating partners of the Cedar Fair, LP amusement park company. Because of its long history, Knott's Berry Farm currently claims to be "America's First Theme Park.". Cedar Point has the world's second tallest and fastest roller coaster, Top Thrill Dragster. In 1968, the Knott family fenced the farm, charged admission for the first time, and Knott's Berry Farm officially became an amusement park. It opened in 1870 and is the second oldest amusement park in North America (Lake Compounce being the oldest). To entertain the waiting crowds, Walter built a Ghost Town in 1940, using buildings relocated from real old west towns such as the Calico, California ghost town and Prescott, Arizona.

In addition to amusement park rides it offers beaches, two waterparks (one indoors), a marina, several hotels, and a "Challenge Park" featuring attractions such as go-karts and miniature golf. 1974) began serving fried chicken dinners, and within a few years, lines outside the restaurant were often several hours long. Cedar Point is a 364 acre (1.5 km²) amusement park located near Sandusky, Ohio on a peninsula jutting into Lake Erie. 1890 - d. 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. In 1934, Knott's wife Cordelia (b. 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. In the 1930s Walter Knott cultivated the world's first boysenberry, a combination of the red raspberry, blackberry, and loganberry.

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. In the 1920s, Walter Knott and his family sold berries from a roadside stand. 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. . Cedar Point also has 68 different amusement rides, the most world-wide. Knott's slogan is "America's 1st Theme Park". Cedar Point currently retains 3 of the top 5 Roller Coasters (in terms of height and speed) in North America, and two of the top 3 world-wide. The theme park is operated by Cedar Fair L.P., and the food products are now part of ConAgra Foods.

Cedar Point has been voted "Best Amusement Park in the World" for 8 years running by Amusement Today newspaper (1998 - 2005). In addition, Knott's also operates three Soak City USA water parks in Southern California, and was the originator of the Camp Snoopy theme park in Minnesota's Mall of America. The sand is the right texture for making sand castles. Knott's Berry Farm is a theme park in Buena Park, California, and a manufacturer of food specialty products (primarily jams and preserves) based in Placentia, California. The beach on Lake Erie is wide, and both it and the shore have a generally gradual slope. 1952: Ghost Town & Calico Railroad. Hotel Breakers arcade is located at the base of Breakers Tower. 1960: Calico Railroad.

Challenge Park arcade is located in a building that also houses a food stand. 1969: Timber Mountain Log Ride; Fiesta Village themed area. The two other arcades are technically outside of the park. 1971: John Wayne Theatre. Jitney is located in the rear of the park and has Skeeball. 1975: Corkscrew; Bear-y Tales. Gemini arcade is located across from the Gemini roller coaster and features Skeeball and boomball. 1976: Motorcycle Chase; Parachute Sky Jump; Sky Cabin.

Coliseum features over 30 lanes of Skeeball and over 100 video and redemption games. 1978: Montezooma's Revenge. The same building also holds Cedar Point Police, Park Operations and the Ballroom. 1983: Camp Snoopy themed area. Coliseum is the largest and includes the arcade maintenance office. 1984: Studio K Opened. Cedar Point has five arcades on the peninsula. 1986: Bear-y Tales removed.

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. 1987: Kingdom of the Dinosaurs; Tampico Tumbler; Gran Slammer. It has two 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 2nd only to Disney. 1988: Bigfoot Rapids. In contrast to many parks that have completely modernized, Cedar Point has retained some older rides as well. 1989: Corkscrew removed. There is, however, some discrepancy as to whether or not one of Magic Mountain's coasters (Superman the Escape) is truly a coaster. 1990: Boomerang.

However, in 2006 Six Flags Magic Mountain will open Tatsu, a flying roller coaster, making their coaster count 17. 1991: Studio K Closed. 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. 1992: Indian Trails themed area. While you cannot see mainland Canada—it is much too far—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. 1994: Mystery Lodge. It is said that if you have the courage, you can see all the way out to Canada if you look out at the top of the hill on Millennium Force, Magnum XL 200, or Top Thrill Dragster. 1995: Jaguar!.

This Giant Frisbee, manufactured by Huss GmbH, swings riders at 70 mph (110 kph) while spinning them. 1996: The Boardwalk themed area (retheme of Roaring 20's); HammerHead; Wacky Soap Box Racers removed. In 2005, Cedar Point built a new ride called maXair. 1997: Windjammer Surf Racers. Many of the original souvineers and materials were burned or destroyed. 1998: XK-1 removed; Supreme Scream; Woodstock's Airmail; GhostRider. The name was quickly changed when the marketing department realized the full negative connotation of the word 'banshee' and all 'The Banshee' stickers, pins and other promotional materials that had been given to employees were recalled. 1999: Wipeout; Coasters restaurant; Charlie Brown Speedway; Parachute Sky Jump removed; HeadAche removed; Pacific Pavilion removed.

The original proposed name for the Mantis was The Banshee and the proposed coaster would be painted black and silver. water park; Haunted Shack removed. The Hotel is also the de facto headquarters for several Cedar Point departments including Central Reservations (Department 402), Park Operator / PBX and Housekeeping. 2000: Perilous Plunge; Soak City U.S.A. 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. 2001: VertiGo; Windjammer Surf Racers removed. The Hotel Breakers has hosted 6 American Presidents in its history, Taft, Coolidge, Wilson, Harding, Roosevelt and Eisenhower. 2002: Xcelerator; VertiGo removed.

It's Presidential Suite is one of the most expensive hotel rooms in Sandusky, commanding $1000 per night during the peak season. 2003: Tampico Tumbler removed; Gran Slammer removed; La Revolución; Joe Cool's Gr8 Sk8; HammerHead removed. 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. 2004: Lucy's Tugboat; Rip Tide; Screamin' Swing; Silver Bullet. Fridays restaurant. 2005: T.G.I.

2006: Pacific Spin (Soak City U.S.A.); Johnny Rockets restaurant.