Cedar Point's Corkscrew to receive special honor

Editor's note: Don Helbig is a Register correspondent representing themeparksbydon.com. SANDUSKY — For 50 years, Corkscrew has been one of the most recognizable sights at Cedar Point, twisting riders upside down while park guests walk directly beneath its bright steel track. Now the pioneering roller coaster is receiving a special honor that recognizes its place in amusement park history. American Coaster Enthusiasts will designate Corkscrew as an ACE Roller Coaster Landmark on Sept. 12 during Coasterpalooza, an ACE Eastern Great Lakes event at Cedar Point. For longtime Cedar Point visitors, the recognition comes during a milestone year for a coaster that helped usher in a new era of thrill rides. Making roller coaster history When Corkscrew opened at Cedar Point in 1976, going upside down on a roller coaster was still a novelty for many amusement park visitors. The Arrow Development attraction pushed the concept further. Corkscrew became the first roller coaster in the world to turn riders upside down three times, combining a vertical loop with the pair of corkscrews that gave the ride its name. It was also Arrow Development's first "custom looping coaster," helping establish a style of steel coaster that would become a familiar sight at amusement parks across the country. But one of Corkscrew's most memorable features isn't experienced only from aboard the train. The coaster became the first to span an amusement park midway, sending riders through its signature corkscrews directly over guests walking below. Five decades later, watching a Corkscrew train twist overhead remains one of those quintessential Cedar Point moments. The ride nearly entered Cedar Point history under a very different name. Before opening, it was planned to be called "The Great Lake Erie Roller" before the park ultimately settled on Corkscrew. A fitting anniversary Corkscrew's 50th anniversary carries another historical connection in 2026. The coaster debuted during the U.S. bicentennial in 1976. Fifty years later, it reaches its milestone anniversary as the country celebrates its 250th birthday. Cedar Point has built much taller, faster and more technologically advanced roller coasters in the decades since Corkscrew opened. Yet the ride remains a reminder of an era when three inversions and a coaster twisting over the midway represented something entirely new. For coaster fans visiting Cedar Point in 2026, Corkscrew isn't simply another ride to check off the list.:It's an opportunity to experience a surviving piece of roller coaster history — one that was helping redefine the American amusement park experience 50 years ago.