Edison’s Trip To Cedar Point: America’s Rockin’ Roller Coast
- Dillion Liskai
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
This past month, Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio, opened its gates for its 155th year of operation, signaling to many the unofficial start of summer. What first started as a small resort on Lake Erie’s southern shore soon grew into a world class amusement park that features 18 roller coasters (19 including Siren’s Curse, new for 2025) and over 100 different attractions, pulling in over 3 million visitors to the Erie Shores and Islands area on average each summer. Cedar Point has defied limits over the years, becoming the only amusement park in the world to have five roller coasters that exceed 200 feet in height. Additionally, it received the Golden Ticket Award for “Best Amusement Park in the World” from Amusement Today for 16 consecutive years, from 1997 to 2013. For many, a trip to Cedar Point is an annual summer tradition unlike any other.
Many guests to the Thomas A. Edison Birthplace Museum often ask if Mr. Edison had ever visited Cedar Point with only 15 miles separating the home where Edison first saw the light of the day and Cedar Point and with Thomas’ love of invention and innovation, it is not a surprise that we get this question so often. The answer to that question is yes, according to the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center. Thomas Edison did indeed visit Cedar Point, and, like us, he made sure to bring some friends with him to the park.
On August 11, 1923, shortly after being greeted by a crowd of more than 2,000 in Milan’s historic square and after making a stop to Edison’s Birthplace, Thomas, along with Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone, and their families, made the fifteen-mile trip up to Cedar Point in their Lincolns to spend the night at the famous Hotel Breakers, which still stands overlooking Cedar Point Beach and Lake Erie today. When it opened in 1905, Hotel Breakers was a hotel unlike any other: imported wicker furniture, Tiffany stained-glass windows, large brass beds, a barber shop, manicurist, physician, stenographer, tailor, and much more. Hotel Breakers has been the resting place for thousands of visitors to Cedar Point, including Abbott and Costello, John D. Rockefeller, Annie Oakley, J.P. Sousa, Helen Keller, and at least six U.S. Presidents. Additionally, Hotel Breakers is only a few steps away from where University of Notre Dame legend Knute Rockne helped to invent the forward pass in football just ten years before Edison’s visit.
So, the next time that you plan your trip to Cedar Point, be sure to carve out some time to visit the Thomas A. Edison Birthplace just nearby! As you enjoy the towering coasters and historic charm of Hotel Breakers, remember that you're following in the footsteps of one of America’s greatest inventors and his famous friends. Cedar Point and the Thomas A. Edison Birthplace Museum are more than just landmarks of fun and history. Together, they tell a uniquely American story of innovation, imagination, and summer traditions that span generations.
Sources Used and Encouraged for Further Reading
Cedar Fair. 2005. “Cedar Point's Hotel Breakers celebrates historical milestone.” PointBuzz. https://pointbuzz.com/news/Story/536
Hazelwood, Mark. 2013. “Football's pass modernized a century ago on Cedar Point beach.” Sandusky Register (Sandusky), August 4, 2013 https://sanduskyregister.com/news/147970/footballs-pass-modernized-a-century-ago-on-cedar-point-beach/
Sandusky Library Archives Research Center. 2008. “Thomas Edison's Visit to Erie County.” Sandusky History. https://sanduskyhistory.blogspot.com/2008/08/thomas-edisons-visit-to-erie-county.html
Dillon Liskai, a native of Clyde, Ohio, is a Bowling Green State University junior. He is pursuing a degree in Adolescent to Young Adult (AYA) Integrated Social Studies Education, with a specialization in History.
Dillon has served as a tour guide at the Thomas A. Edison Birthplace Museum for the past three years. When not at school or the museum, he enjoys cheering on the Bowling Green Falcons, spending time with friends and family, and exploring local history.
Have a question for Dillon? Reach out via email at dliskai@tomedison.org!
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