Cedar Point first opened its doors to thrill-seekers in 1870, making it the second oldest operational amusement park in America. The park boasts 364 acres (147 hectares) of land along Lake Eerie in Sandusky, Ohio.
While you won’t find roller coasters from the park’s first days, the history of Cedar Point can is visible in the current 15 roller coasters. Each roller coaster seemingly beats previous models as the tallest, fastest, or longest.
Discover the stories, specs, and history of the best Cedar Point roller coasters and learn everything you need to know for a wild ride!
Table of Contents:
- Blue Streak
- Cedar Creek Mine Ride
- Corkscrew
- GateKeeper
- Gemini
- Iron Dragon
- Magnum XL-200
- Maverick
- Millennium Force
- Raptor
- Rougarou
- Steel Vengeance
- Valravn
- Wilderness Run
- Woodstock Express
- Final Thoughts
Blue Streak
When Blue Streak first got introduced to Cedar Point in 1964, it was only one of three operational roller coasters. Now, Blue Streak is the oldest operating roller coaster at Cedar Point.
Though Blue Streak didn’t win awards for its height, speed, or drops, this ride was instrumental in keeping Cedar Park in business. Blue Streak’s success paved the way for future record-breaking rides.
Blue Streak’s 2,558-foot (780 meters) long track and the wooden structure got manufactured by Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters. This wooden roller coaster is painted blue, and you can easily find it in the Main Midway section of Cedar Park.
- Height: 78 ft (24 m)
- Drop: 72 ft (22 m)
- Speed: 40 mph (64 km/h)
- Minimum visitor height to ride: 48 in (122 cm)
Cedar Creek Mine Ride
Cedar Creek Mine Ride is the second oldest rollercoaster in Cedar Point. This wooden roller coaster has mine trains that plunge, twist, and turn into a mine shaft and mining tunnels. The opening of the Cedar Creek Mine Ride in 1969 was the debut of the new Frontier Town section of Cedar Park, where the ride still resides today.
Arrow Development manufactured the design and track concept of Cedar Creek Mine Ride. This roller coaster features a 2,540-foot (770 meters) track that takes visitors along a lagoon and wooded area before entering the mines.
- Height: 48 ft (15 m)
- Speed: 42 mph (68 km/h)
- Minimum visitor height to ride: 48 in (122 cm)
Corkscrew
The Corkscrew made history when it opened in 1976 because it was the first roller coaster to have three inversions in one circuit. It also is the first roller coaster to have a walkway under one of the inversions so that park visitors can experience how fun the ride is, even if they aren’t on it.
Corkscrew is another one of the successful Cedar Park roller coasters manufactured by Arrow Development. This thrilling steel rollercoaster in the Gemini Midway has a 2,050-foot (620 meters) long track.
- Height: 85 ft (26 m)
- Drop: 65 ft (20 m)
- Speed: 48 mph (77 km/h)
- Minimum visitor height to ride: 48 in (122 cm)
GateKeeper
The GateKeeper is a steel roller coaster at Cedar Point that began thrilling guests in 2013, leading to Cedar Point’s most successful opening weekend in the park’s history. And there’s no doubt why; Gatekeeper features six inversions at impressive speeds and incredible heights.
This roller coaster got manufactured by Bolliger and Mabillard and was the highest up-side-down rollercoaster when it became part of the Cedar Point roller coaster family. However, GateKeeper’s record for the highest inversion got broken by the Steel Curtain at Kennywood in 2019.
The GateKeeper also broke previous records for its speed, height, scream-inducing drops, and 4,164-foot (1,269 meters) track length. Visitors can find GateKeeper in the Lakeside Midway section of Cedar Point.
- Height: 170 ft (52 m)
- Drop: 164 ft (50 m)
- Speed: 67 mph (108 km/h)
- Minimum visitor height to ride: 52 in (132 cm)
- Maximum visitor height to ride: 78 in (198 cm)
Gemini
The Gemini first got introduced to Cedar Point in 1978, two years after Cedar Creek Mine Ride. At the time of its opening, the Gemini was one of the fastest, steepest, and tallest roller coasters, though it technically never broke any records.
The Gemini has a steel 3,935 foot (1,199 meters) track, but it looks like a wooden roller coaster because of its wood structure. This roller coaster was manufactured by Arrow Development and found in the Gemini Midway part of Cedar Point park.
- Height: 125 ft (38 m)
- Drop: 118 ft (36 m)
- Speed: 60 mph (97 km/h)
- Minimum visitor height to ride: 48 in (122 cm)
Iron Dragon
Iron Dragon was first introduced to Cedar Point in 1987 after clearing out several attractions to make space for the 2,800-foot (850 meters) long track in the Millenium Midway. Arrow Dynamics engineered the Iron Dragon to twist and turn on the tracks while visitors hang suspended in closed-bottom cars.
Iron Dragon is still operational, making it the oldest suspended rollercoaster in the world.
- Height: 76 ft (23 m)
- Speed: 40 mph (64 km/h)
- Minimum visitor height to ride: 48 in (122 cm)
Magnum XL-200
The Magnum XL-200 was a record-breaking steel roller coaster when it first graced Cedar Point with its presence in 1989. This roller coaster manufactured by Arrow Dynamics was the first hypercoaster, a roller coaster taller than 200 feet. The Magnum was also the tallest, steepest, and fastest roller coaster at its conception.
When other theme parks saw the Magnum XL-200, the roller coaster industry entered competition mode. Theme parks and engineers at the time conceptualized and built hypercoasters that sought to beat each other out as the fastest, tallest, or steepest. However, Magnum held those titles until 1994 and 1996.
Find this vertiginous and exciting 5,106 feet (1,556 meters) long Cedar Point roller coaster in the Gemini Midway.
- Height: 205 ft (62 m)
- Drop: 194.7 ft (59.3 m)
- Speed: 72 mph (116 km/h)
- Minimum visitor height to ride: 48 in (122 cm)
Maverick
The Maverick is one of the most thrilling steel roller coasters in Cedar Point park. Built by Intamin in 2007, this roller coaster cost $21 million to construct. It features a beyond-vertical drop of 95 degrees.
This launch roller coaster shoots riders up a steep hill for a heart-pounding drop. The Maverick has two inversions, including a “Twisted Horseshoe Roll.” The Maverik was the first roller coaster to feature this type of inversion.
The German engineer Werner Stengel designed the 4,450 foot (1,360 meters) long track found in Frontier Town.
- Height: 105 ft (32 m)
- Drop: 100 ft (30 m)
- Speed: 70 mph (110 km/h)
- Minimum visitor height to ride: 52 in (132 cm)
- Maximum visitor height to ride: 78 in (198 cm)
Millennium Force
The Millennium Force broke five world records in 2000 when it first joined the Cedar Point roller coaster repertoire. Today, the Millennium Force is still one of the fastest and tallest roller coasters on the planet.
The Millennium Force reaches an astounding height of 310 feet (94 meters), making it the first gigacoaster, a one-up of the hypercoaster. The track runs 6,595 feet (2,010 meters) long and is an unmissable feature of the Millennium Midway part of the park.
This steel roller coaster was built by Intamin and designed by Werner Stengel.
- Height: 310 ft (94 m)
- Drop: 300 ft (91 m)
- Speed: 93 mph (150 km/h)
- Minimum visitor height to ride: 48 in (122 cm)
- Maximum visitor height to ride: 78 in (198 cm)
Raptor
The Raptor is an exhilarating ride in the Main Midway section of Cedar Point. In 1994, when the Raptor opened in Cedar Point, it was the longest, tallest, and fastest inverted roller coaster.
The Raptor has six inversions and was the first roller coaster in the world to feature a cobra roll inversion.
This 3,790-foot (1,160 meters) long track was manufactured by Bolliger and Mabillard and designed by German engineer Werner Stengel.
- Height: 137 ft (42 m)
- Drop: 119 ft (36 m)
- Speed: 57 mph (92 km/h)
- Minimum visitor height to ride: 54 in (137 cm)
Rougarou
Rougarou is one of the Cedar Point roller coasters that got a facelift after nearly 20 years of operating.
In 1996, Rougarou was called Mantis and got introduced to Cedar Park as a stand-up roller coaster manufactured by Bolliger and Mabillard. At the time of its release, it was the longest, fastest, and tallest roller coaster of its kind.
In 2015, the park updated the colors and theme and converted Mantis into the floorless coaster Rougarou. The 3,900-foot (1,200 meters) long track in the Millennium Midway never got altered during the rebuild, so the ride experience remains nearly identical to Mantis, with four adrenaline-boosting inversions.
- Height: 145 ft (44 m)
- Drop: 137 ft (42 m)
- Speed: 60 mph (97 km/h)
- Minimum visitor height to ride: 54 in (137 cm)
- Maximum visitor height to ride: 78 in (198 cm)
Steel Vengeance
When the building of the Steel Vengeance entered completion in 2018, it set ten world records. The Steel Vengeance is Cedar Parks’ most recent roller coaster and got manufactured by Rocky Mountain Construction and designed by Alan Schilke.
The Steel Vengeance was formerly the Mean Streak, which opened in 1991. However, the ride got rebuilt completely to make way for the Steel Vengeance. Much of the wooden support structure is from the original Mean Streak, so it seamlessly fits in with the rest of Frontier Town.
Steel Vengeance features four inversions along its 5,740-foot (1,750 meters) long track.
- Height: 205 ft (62 m)
- Drop: 200 ft (61 m)
- Speed: 74 mph (119 km/h)
- Minimum visitor height to ride: 52 in (132 cm)
Valravn
Valravn is one of the epic Cedar Point roller coasters and was the 100th roller coaster manufactured by Bolliger and Mabillard. At the time of Valravn’s opening in 2016, it was the world’s fastest, longest, and tallest dive coaster. Today, it shares the record as the tallest roller coaster in the world.
The Valravn has three inversions, so when the Valravn introduced the first vest-style restraint bars to the world, it attracted a lot of attention, including the Golden Ticket Award as the fourth best new ride for 2016.
Several attractions were moved or demolished to accommodate the 3,415-foot (1,041 meters) long track in the Main Midway section of Cedar Park.
- Height: 223 ft (68 m)
- Drop: 214 ft (65 m)
- Speed: 75 mph (121 km/h)
- Minimum visitor height to ride: 52 in (132 cm)
- Maximum visitor height to ride: 78 in (198 cm)
Wilderness Run
Wilderness Run is a steel kiddie roller coaster and was the first roller coaster manufactured by Intamin in 1979. This simple ride has a 443-foot (135 meters) long track and goes at slow speed so that the little ones can show off their smiles.
Find Wilderness Run in the Camp Snoopy section of Cedar Point.
- Height: 19 ft (5.8 m)
- Speed: 6 mph (9.7 km/h)
- Minimum visitor height to ride: 36 in (91 cm)
Woodstock Express
The Woodstock Express is a steel junior roller coaster perfect for introducing little ones to the thrill of amusement parks.
This easy, Peanuts-themed roller coaster was built in 1999 by Vekoma. The ride features a 1,099-foot (335 meters) long track in the Camp Snoopy section of Cedar Point. Visitors over 48 inches (122 centimeters) can ride without an adult.
- Height: 38 ft (12 m)
- Speed: 25 mph (40 km/h)
- Minimum visitor height to ride: 36 in (91 cm)
Final Thoughts
Buckle up for an incredible ride on these thrilling Cedar Point roller coasters. From the 1964 Blue Streak to the 2018 Steel Vengeance, Cedar Point features some of the most fun roller coasters history has (or had) ever seen.
From the tallest to the fastest to the steepest drops, Cedar Point is brimming with scream-inducing and adrenaline-pumping roller coasters.
Cedar Point amusement park opens for visitors from the start of May until Labor Day. If you want to ride all 15 of these exciting Cedar Point roller coasters, pick up a Fast Pass to avoid long lines.
If you’re planning a trip to Ohio, check out our Recommended: The Best Family Weekend Getaways In Ohio article.
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James Brockbank
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A seasoned traveller, Dad, and avid sports tourist, James foundered The Family Vacation Guide to share his expert vacation experiences- especially when it comes to being a travelling family man.
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