originally posted on 5/8/2020
Cedar Point Rolling Through The Years: A Cedar Point Atlas & Chronology, by Ken Miller.
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There are certain souvenirs that an enthusiast treasures above most others. Coaster fans are among the most avid of collectors with so many options available. Between sold merchandise and pieces and parts from the past, it is easy to find something to embrace. Historians or aficionados of certain parks enjoy large books that illustrate the history of our passion. Cedar Point Rolling Through The Years has arrived as the latest “must have.”
In honor of the park’s 150th anniversary celebration, author Ken Miller has accumulated an incredible amount of research and organized it into what is termed a Cedar Point atlas and chronology. Having spent seven years of work on the book, it is no surprise that the pages — just shy of 400 — are packed with a staggering volume of photos and information. Within the book, images of rides, the resort, boats, souvenirs and park maps are displayed with orchestrated finesse.
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The book is divided into two main sections. The first half organizes information into groupings: awards, ferryboats and steamships, former rides, current rides, carousels, roller coasters, and the like. If the reader wants to find something specific, it is easy to find information on subjects such as HalloWeekends, important figures in the park’s history, major structures and live entertainment. Images range from photos, advertisements and brochures to fun artwork, making the search for any question a sheer joy. The reader is helplessly drawn back into 150 years of park history. It is a pleasure to get buried in all the facts, all the details, all the fun that a century and a half brings.
The second half of the book is truly spectacular. A chronological timeline traces the park’s history year by year. This record is accented by countless photos and images, including 75 maps of the peninsula. Park maps are an ideal record of documentation, and the atlas provides them with convenient abundance.
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Longtime fans of Cedar Point will find countless things to elicit smiles, whether it is the artwork for the whimsical measuring signs that were once posted at the entrance to each ride, HalloWeekends buttons or seeing the ACE plaques prominently displayed within the pages.
The book is not produced by Cedar Point, but rather author Ken Miller, who has worked at the park since 2000, for the most part in the park’s Town Hall Museum. Miller has been researching this project for seven years, and, like a true devotee, his passion shows. Publications such as this can sometimes be done by historians, sometimes by an enthusiast. Each can bring strong qualities to a final product. Fortunately, as in this case, Miller is both, and the results shine.
Of note, although Cedar Point offered full cooperation on the book, Miller took the project on solo, and, with some aid from a publication company, made the book available through 1870 Publication Group. Because of the massive size of the hardcover book — it weighs the equivalent of a St. Bernard — production is a time-consuming process. The limited-edition pre-orders have sold out, but the book should be available through the publishing company’s site — 1870publishinggroup.com — this spring. It is on the pricier side, around $100, which includes shipping, but at 12 x 18 inches and 396 pages of high-quality paper, fans will find it easy to justify. It will also be sold in park stores and area outlets. While listed on Amazon.com, it may not be available on that site until production surpasses demand and can create a required supply.
Reviews often describe the contents of a book without any type of recommendation. This review, however, comes with a full endorsement to any fan of Cedar Point, whether someone has visited only once or 100 times — or hopes to visit one day for the first time. It is truly a massive book with more than 1,200 images. Cedar Point Rolling Through The Years raises the bar for all coffee table books on amusement parks. It’s brilliant.
— Tim Baldwin
Editor, American Coaster Enthusiasts
@#$%&!
#ACENews