Cedar Point

Location and Phone:

Sandusky, Ohio
419-627-2350

Admission Info:

Passes to the amusement park include admission to the ride park only, not the Soak City water park. Combo day passes that include the water park are available. Cedar Point offers substantially discounted tickets for seniors (62 and older) and juniors (under 48"). Children under 3 admitted free. Season pass tickets are available online and at the park. Combo season passes are available for the park and Soak City as well as for the park and Geauga Lake.

On-Site Parks:

Cedar Point includes three parks:

• The Cedar Point Amusement Park
• Soak City water park
• Castaway Bay Indoor Water Park Resort

Cedar Point Highlights:

The huge park features one of the world's biggest collections of coasters--and some of the best, including:

• Top Thrill Dragster
• Maverick
• Millennium Force
• Magnum XL-200
• Raptor
• Mantis
• Wicked Twister

Cedar Point also offers an astonishing array of other rides--again one of the largest collections on the planet. Along with the usual suspects, such as carousels, kiddie rides, spinning rides, and water rides, the park offers some wild thrill rides include Chaos, maXair, Power Tower, and Skyhawk.

Directions and Hotel Info:

Take Exit 118 off the Ohio Turnpike (I-80). Follow the signs north on U.S. 250 to the Cedar Point Causeway.

Nearby airports:

• Cleveland Hopkins International Airport
• Akron-Canton Airport

Hotel Info:
Compare rates for Cedar Point-area hotels at About.com's booking partner, Kayak.

Other Cedar Point Info:

• Cedar Point Photo Gallery
• Soak City at Cedar Point water park overview
• Castaway Bay Indoor Water Park Resort info, reviews, and photos.
• Magnum XL-200 at Cedar Point Roller Coaster Review
• Maverick at Cedar Point Roller Coaster Review
• Cedar Point in the Off Season photo gallery
• Top Thrill Dragster roller coaster photo gallery
• Top Thrill Dragster roller coaster video
• Top 10 Cedar Point Area Hotels

Halloween Event Info:

HalloWeekends

New at Cedar Point for 2008 and 2007:

For 2008:
Planet Snoopy area with new kiddie rides
Skyscraper An upcharge ride that will be located in Cedar Point's Challenge Park area. The 160-foot tall ride will consist of two arms with two riders seated at the end of each arm. Skyscraper will spin 55 mph sending riders head over heels.

New for 2007:
Maverick Launched Terrain Coaster
Read my review of the unusual coaster.

• Maverick Preview Photo Gallery
• Maverick Point-of-View Preview Video
• Maverick Aerial Perspective Preview Video
• Maverick Mixed Perspective Preview Video

Official Web Site:

Cedar Point

Cedar Point Overview:

Always rated among the best of the traditional amusement parks, Cedar Point opened in 1870 and never stopped growing. Located on a peninsula along Lake Erie, the sandy beaches that beckoned visitors more than a century ago are still enticing, but it's mostly the coasters that lure the throngs today.

While the Point revels in its past and offers a wonderful hint of nostalgia, it is utterly contemporary and boasts a beloved thrill machine arsenal that includes Magnum XL-200, the first hypercoaster to break the 200-foot threshold, Millennium Force, a 300-foot "Giga-coaster" and one of parkdom's most highly rated, and the 420-foot rocket coaster that dominates the skyline, Top Thrill Dragster. A dizzying assortment of other attractions includes virtually every spinning, soaking, swinging, and disorienting ride ever developed. Although the rides take center stage, Cedar Point also offers a decent lineup of stage shows.

More than a collection of world-class coasters and rides, Cedar Point has a well-deserved reputation for its overall guest experience. The park is always winning industry and fan-based awards.

Be aware that the park is HUGE. From the front entrance to the back of the park where Maverick beckons is 1.5 miles. (I should know; I left an item in the lockers by the main gate and had to make the 3-mile round-trip trek to retrieve it.) Be sure to wear comfortable shoes and plan your day so that your'e not criss-crossing the park.

The food is just OK at Cedar Point. Some people rave about the fries and pizza; I thought they were mediocre. There is a Johnny Rockets and an all-you-can-eat buffet inside the park; just outside the gates is a Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que.

In recent years, Cedar Point has been adding rooms to its on-site hotels and transforming into a destination resort. Accommodations include the historic Hotel Breakers, Sandcastle, Lighthouse Point, and Breakers Express. With the Castaway Bay Indoor Water Park Resort, Cedar Point now offers year-round fun.