Gemini
1978
45th Anniversary
Gemini opened as Cedar Point's tallest, fastest, and steepest roller coaster. The ride opened in 1978. Gemini is a hybrid roller coaster. A hybrid roller coaster is a roller coaster that has a steel track and wooden supports. Gemini is a great family roller coaster.
In the 1960's and 1970's Cedar Point was expanding. The park was trying to position itself as ''The Disneyland of the Midwest." The park was bringing in bigger and better riders. In 1968 Cedar Downs opened giving the park a neat addition. In 1969, Frontier Town was expanded to include Cedar Creek Mine Ride. In 1970, Cedar Point celebrated its 100th anniversary with a new midway that included Wildcat. Frontier Trail arrived in 1971. In 1972, Giant Wheel greeted its guest on the Frontier Trail. In 1975 Cedar Point introduced the Imax Theater. Riders were turned upside down in 1976 on Corkscrew. In 1977 the Corkscrew Midway was expanded. With all this expansion in the past, 1978 would be a big year in the record books for Cedar Point.
With the bigger rides came the record breakers. In 1976, Corkscrew became Cedar Point's first roller coaster to break records.
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Before Gemini was built the area was covered in trees. On June 30, 1977 Cedar Point was struck by a horrible tornado that destroyed parts of Frontier Town and uprooted a great portion of trees that were slated for removal. Gemini was constructed over the winter of 1977 and spring of 1978. In late January 1978 the state of Ohio was it with a horrible blizzard. The blizzard was so bad it back up construction of the ride and the opening was eventually delayed. When Cedar Point opened in 1978, Gemini was still under construction.
Gemini is located on park edge of the Gemini Midway. When the roller coaster opened in 1978 it was the first attraction on the midway. The new midway would Connect Frontier Town to the Corkscrew Midway.
Over the years the midway has been rapidly expanded. |
Gemini Ride Facts
Height: 125 feet Drop: 118 feet Speed: 60 MPH Hills: 8 Track Length: 3,935 feet Inversions: 0 Type: Racing Roller Coaster Designer: Ron Toomer Company: Arrow Dynamices of Uthal Capacity: 3,300/HR Opened: June 17,1978 Number of Coasters in 1978: 6 Cost: 3.4Million 4th oldest Cedar Point Operating roller coaster |
At 3.4 million dollars, ($16,010,558.28 in 2023) Gemini was the most expensive roller coaster Cedar Point had built at that time. Gemini was truly a huge addition for Cedar Point. It put the park on the map as it drew huge groups of people to see what was considered by many as the worlds tallest roller coaster.
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Gemini's Records
When Gemini opened in 1978, Cedar Point claimed it was the world's tallest, fastest and steepest roller coaster on earth. While Gemini had the tallest drop any any roller coaster, it wasn't the tallest or the fastest roller coaster. Back in 1978 if Gemini would have opened on time it would have been the tallest, but the record would have been taken away when Loch Ness Monster opened in June 1978. Gemini was the tallest racing roller coaster in the world. |
Built by Arrow Dynamics of Clearfield, Utah Gemini is a hybrid roller coaster. Gemini would be Cedar Point's 3rd roller coaster to be built by Arrow. In addition to the 3 roller coasters Arrow also built Caddallic Cars, Turnpike Cars, Antique Cars, Pirate Ride. Earthquake, Shoot The Rapids, and Mill Race. A hybrid roller coaster is a steel roller coaster with a wooden frame. Gemini is Cedar Point's second hybrid roller coaster, Cedar Creek Mine Ride was Cedar Point's first hybrid roller coaster that was built in 1969. Both Gemini and Cedar Creek Mine Ride are steeping stones to what would become Steel Vengeance. Steel Vengeance uses the ''hybrid'' coaster idea with new technology.
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Ride Experience
Gemini is a racing style roller coaster that features two sides. Both of the trains race each other and stay side by side the entire time. Each race on Gemini is a bit different and the ride is actually not controlled so a different train can win every time. Gemini was Arrow's largest hybrid roller coaster and the only racing roller coaster the company ever built.
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After the drop riders are lifted into a huge hill that features a right-hand turnaround. While at the top riders get a great view of the Gemini Midway before being suddenly dropped again.
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Gemini's Impact on the Roller Coaster Capital of the World!
People traveled from all over the country to ride the unique roller coaster. Before 1978, roller coasters were no where near the size of Gemini. Gemini was truly a massive ride! Gemini was a HUGE step in the evolution of roller coasters. It helped set the standard for what would come next in the history of rides.
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Since Gemini opened in 1978, 20 roller coasters have been added to Cedar Point! Over the years, bigger and better rides were added to the park including: Gemini Children's Area (1979-2013), WildCat (1979-2011), Oceana (1980-1997), Ocean Motion(1981), White Water Landing (1982-2005), Demon Drop (1983-2009), Avalanche Run (1985-1989), Thunder Canyon (1986), Iron Dragon (1987), Soak City Water Park (1988-2016), Magnum XL-200 (1989), Disaster Transport (1990-2012), Mean Streak (1991-2016), Challenge Park (1992-2016), Snake River Falls (1993) Raptor (1994), Mantis (1996-2014), Chaos (1997-2010), Power Tower (1998), Camp Snoopy(1999), Millennium Force (2000), Wicked Twister (2002-2021), Top Thrill Dragster(2003-2021), maXair (2005), Sky Hawk (2006), Maverick (2007), Planet Snoopy (2008), Shoot the Rapids (2010-2015), WindSeeker (2011), Dinosaurs Alive! (2012-2018), GateKeeper (2013), New Gemini Midway (2014), Rougarou (2015), Valravn (2016), Cedar Point Shores Water Park (2017), Steel Vengeance (2018), Forbidden Frontier (2019), Cedar Point's 150th Anniversary Celebration (2021), and The Boardwalk (2023). All of these attractions have added something special to Cedar point that it did not have before.
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Withstanding the Test of Time
Arrow would return again to Cedar Point in 1982 to build White Water Landing, In 1987 to build Iron Dragon, 1989 to build Magnum XL-200 and for their final Cedar Point project, Snake River Falls in 1993.
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Last Updated: 09/20/2023