Cedar Point Timeline 2000 - Present

From its humble beginnings as a simple beach and bathhouse in 1870 to the mega-resort it is today, Cedar Point has undergone many changes. Here’s a look back at the park’s unique history in a timeline featuring enhancements and changes to America’s Roller Coast®!

2000: Cedar Point stuns the coaster world when it debuts the tallest (310 feet) and fastest (93 mph) "giga-coaster" on the planet, Millennium Force. The 350-room Breakers Express is added on Causeway Drive. "Alien Adventure" is shown in the Cedar Point Cinema.

2001: The charming Lighthouse Point opens, featuring 50 cottages, 10 cabins and 59 luxury RV campsites. "Michael Jordan To The MAX" is the last movie to be shown in the Cedar Point Cinema.

2002: The park debuts the Wicked Twister roller coaster, and a PEANUTS ice-skating program, "Snoopy Rocks! On Ice" in the Good Time Theatre (formerly the Cedar Point Cinema).

2003: Cedar Point shocks thrill-seekers yet again with the debut of the 420-foot-tall, 120-mph Top Thrill Dragster – making Cedar Point home of the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world.

2004: Cedar Point invests nearly $10 million in capital improvements for its 2004 season with expansions at its Lighthouse Point luxury camping complex and Soak City waterpark. Cedar Point also makes a big splash with the addition of its new $22 million Castaway Bay indoor waterpark resort.

2005: Cedar Point takes its guests to new heights with the introduction of its 68th ride – maXair.

2006: Skyhawk flies into Frontier Town as Cedar Point’s latest thrill ride. "Hot Summer Lights", an all-new sensory experience debuts. It features music, sound, lights, video, pyrotechnics and a new special effect called firewater. 

2007: Cedar Point introduces the Maverick roller coaster. Built by IntaRide, Maverick dips, turns and twists through 5.5 acres in Frontier Town. It was named “Best New Ride of 2007.”

2008: Planet Snoopy becomes Cedar Point’s fourth special area for young children. It features seven rides and The Family Care Center. Adjacent to Planet Snoopy is Joe Cool’s Café that offers an extensive menu designed especially for the little ones. "All Wheels Extreme", a high-energy stunt show, opens in the Extreme Sports Stadium.

2009: The Starlight Experience transforms the Frontier Trail into a canopy of lights and colors. The themed lighted walkway features more than 1 million LED lights, music and four PEANUTS-themed displays. The Jack Aldrich Theatre, renamed for the park’s late director of park attractions, opens on the Main Midway.

2010: Featuring two hills and a splashy grand finale, Shoot the Rapids, one of three water rides at Cedar Point, opens on the Frontier Trail. 

2011: Cedar Point unveiled WindSeeker, a 30-story-tall swing ride. Seated in two-person swings, riders will be treated to breathtaking views of Cedar Point, Lake Erie and the Cedar Point Beach. The Ocean Motion swinging boat ride was relocated to the Main Midway near the front of the park.

2012: More than 50 larger-than-life animatronic dinosaurs inhabited Cedar Point’s Adventure Island with the debut of the new Dinosaurs Alive! attraction. Plus, Cedar Point ignited the night with the debut of its new show Luminosity.

2013: Located at the new front entrance, GakeKeeper forever changed the landscape of the park. This mammoth ride opened as the longest wing roller coaster and boasted the longest drop of any wing coaster on Earth!

2014: Cedar Point will focus on family fun with the addition of two new rides – Pipe Scream and Lake Erie Eagles, along with several new restaurants, new live shows and more. Lighthouse Point is refreshed with an all-new check-in center and 52 deluxe cabins.

2015: Rougarou debuted as the first floorless roller coaster at Cedar Point, and Hotel Breakers opens for the season in grand fashion after an extensive 2-year renovation.

2016: Cedar Point unleashed Valravn, the tallest, fastest and longest dive roller coaster in the world! The Battle for Cedar Point, an all-new, interactive augmented reality game is debuted.

2017: Formerly Breakers Express, the newly renovated Cedar Point's Express Hotel opens. Cedar Point Shores Waterpark, a complete overhaul of Soak City, opens with Point Plummet, Portside Plunge, Lakeslide Landing, Lemmy's Lagoon and several new dining and entertainment options.

2018: Another "world's first" opens at the park - Steel Vengeance, the tallest, fastest, longest, steepest hybrid roller coaster on Earth. The coaster is so large, another new roller coaster category is defined: the "hyper-hybrid." Steel Vengeance is named “Best New Ride” of 2018. Ultimate RV Sites (25) open at Lighthouse Point. A new six-story tower expansion at Hotel Breakers opens with 158 new rooms.

2019: A new type of attraction opens in the middle of the park. Forbidden Frontier on Adventure Island welcomes young explorers and families to interact with island residents, engage with fun attractions and complete secret missions. BackBeatQue and Hugo's Italian Kitchen open. 

2020: Cedar Point’s 150th anniversary season. The park opens for the season in July due to the coronavirus pandemic. Because of the pandemic restrictions, the introduction of many new additions for the anniversary are postponed until 2021. New dining locations The Mac Shack, French Quarter Confections and a completely rebuilt Corral open. Cedar Point introduces the "Ticket of a Lifetime" promotion, giving lucky winners lifetime admission to Cedar Point.

2021: The postponed 150th anniversary celebration is set to take place, introducing Snake River Expedition, the Celebrate 150 Spectacular parade, throwback merchandise and the in-park “Ticket of a Lifetime” contest.

2022: Cedar Point reintroduces a renovated Castaway Bay Indoor Waterpark Resort with themes of land, air and sea. Surrounded by 200 acres of woodlands, Sawmill Creek Resort reopens after an extensive renovation. The Farmhouse Kitchen & Grill takes its place in Frontier Town, serving homemade chili, roasted seasonal vegetables and hand-crafted menu items. The Derby Dogs custom hot dog stand opens and an interior renovation to Coasters Diner welcomes guests. The Celebrate Cedar Point Spectacular parade with its 12 massive floats entertains guests mid-summer. The park goes cashless for the first time in history. Peanuts @ The Point gift shop opens in the former Snoopy Boutique location. 

2023: The park's heydey is reimagined with a lakeside midway transformation known as The Boardwalk. In this new area, the Wild Mouse spinning family coaster is introduced, along with Cedar Point's Grand Pavilion Restaurant & Bar - a nod to the original Grand Pavilion from 1888. The Matterhorn and Scrambler rides are relocated to this area with the former being renamed "Atomic Scrambler." The Tiki Twirl spinning ride in this area is renamed "Calpyso." 

2024: Racing action returns to Cedar Point with the debut of Top Thrill 2, the world's tallest & fastest triple-launch strata coaster. A reimaginging of the former Top Thrill Dragster, Top Thrill 2 first launches riders forward at 74 mph, then in reverse at 101 mph as they climb up a 420-foot-tall vertical spike tower. The third launch accelerates to 120 mph as riders drive the sky into a 420-foot-tall top hat tower and down a 270-degree spiral before returning to Earth.