Cedar Point’s success as a major tourist attraction can be traced in part to its geography. As a narrow peninsula jutting into Lake Erie, the area offered a pleasant diversion for local residents with its access to the water, cool lake breezes and overall relaxing atmosphere.
During the Civil War, the tip of the peninsula was patrolled by Union soldiers. Their primary duty was to ensure that Confederate prisoners housed on nearby Johnson’s Island (one of several small Lake Erie islands) were not interfered with.
After the war, local cabinet maker Louis Zistel constructed the initial park in 1870. It consisted of a beer garden, dance floor and a few children’s playground attractions. Using that 1870 date as the park’s origin makes Cedar Point the second-oldest amusement park in North America, after Bristol, Connecticut’s Lake Compounce.
During those early years, development came in fits and starts. Local business leaders and builders slowly added wooden walkways, picnic tables, bathhouses and dance halls to go along with attractions like steamboats that provided pleasure rides. In 1892, the peninsula’s first roller coaster, known as the Switchback Railway, was opened.
In 1905, Hotel Breakers was built. This magnificent and elegant structure still stands as Cedar Point’s flagship lodging option. The turn of the century was also the period when several thrill rides were added and the park expanded under the leadership of local businessman George Arthur Boeckling. He continued to guide Cedar Point’s growth until his death in 1931.
During the Great Depression, Cedar Point grew very little, but by the 1940s, eateries blossomed as visitors demanded ever-greater quantities of fudge, hot dogs and Momma Berardi’s Home Made French Fries. Many rides, which had fallen into disrepair, were razed in the post-war years, and during the 1950s the modern park took shape.
It was not until the 1960s that Cedar Point adopted the policy of charging a single price for park admission. In 1964, the Blue Streak roller coaster made its debut, and today it continues as the park’s oldest – and still a very popular – roller coaster. (The name pays homage to Sandusky High School’s sports teams, which are known as the Blue Streaks.)
Throughout the next several decades, more roller coasters were added at a brisk pace, bringing the total to 17 by 2007. No amusement park has as many roller coasters as Cedar Point. The park also holds the world record for most rides, with 75.