The History of Corkscrew

When Corkscrew opened at Cedar Point in 1976, it flipped riders upside down three times and threaded its loops right over the midway, so the crowd below could watch. It was the first roller coaster in the world to do either of those things.

Three inversions, and a walk underneath

Corkscrew was the headliner of a $4.5 million park expansion in 1976. Designed by Arrow's Ron Toomer, it became the first roller coaster anywhere to feature three inversions, a vertical loop followed by a double corkscrew. It was also the first coaster built to cross a park midway, with a walkway underneath so guests on the ground could stand beneath the track and watch the trains roll over. It held the world record for inversions until 1980, and it still spreads its loops across several acres in the heart of the park.

The name that almost was

The ride nearly opened under a different name. It was first announced in 1975 as The Great Lake Erie Roller, in the grand style of coaster names of the day, before the park's board asked for something punchier and settled on Corkscrew. Opening in the year of the United States Bicentennial, it debuted with three trains painted red, white, and blue, and it has carried more than thirty million riders since.

One thing to know

Corkscrew was originally announced as The Great Lake Erie Roller, and the now-famous name was a last-minute change made by the park's board before opening day.

Corkscrew is one chapter in the history of Cedar Point.

Corkscrew at a glance