Monster
1970-2025

Monster is a spinning ride that opened at Cedar Point in 1970.

Monster is a great ride for the entire family to enjoy together.

In the 1960s, Cedar Point began adding attractions that would significantly expand its collection. In 1962, guests could enjoy scenic views without riding a roller coaster when the Sky Ride opened on the Main Midway.

In 1963, the park introduced the Cedar Point and Lake Erie Railroad as well as the Mill Race. Mill Race was only the second log flume ride ever built. The ever-popular Blue Streak (1964) was the first major roller coaster to open at Cedar Point since 1929. Space Spiral became the tallest ride in the world when it opened in 1965. In 1966, Cedar Point debuted Pirate Ride, a dark ride that transported guests back to the days when pirates roamed the high seas.
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Frontier Town opened in 1967, adding to the park’s immersive themed experiences. In 1968, Sky Slideopened just off the Main Midway. Then, in 1969, Cedar Point added another roller coaster: Cedar Creek Mine Ride.

1970 was a huge year for Cedar Point. It marked the park’s 100th anniversary, and the celebration was done in a big way.

In the marina, Cedar Point added Pet Check, a pet-sitting service.

Near the front of the park, Cedar Point introduced the Centennial Theatre, Calypso, and Hofbräu Gardens.

Kiddieland was expanded to double its size and was advertised as the largest in the world.

On the Beach Midway, Cedar Point added the Wildcat roller coaster and the Sealand attraction.

The train station was moved back to make way for a new midway called Million Dollar Midway. This area was home to Bayern Kurve, Dodgem 2, Himalaya, Monster, and Tiki Twirl. The Western Cruise station was also relocated there, and Paddlewheel Café opened.
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Fifty-six years later, all of these attractions have either been relocated or removed, with only three remaining under their original themes.

Monster opened in 1970 on the Million Dollar Midway. 

The Million Dollar Midway was a spectacular area filled with thrilling rides like Monster, Schwabinchen, Dodgem, and Bayern Kurve. The midway also featured family attractions, including the Cedar Point and Lake Erie Railroad, Western Cruise, and Frontier Lift.
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Monster was located on the right side of the midway, between Western Cruise and the Frontier Lift.

Monster was a family favorite! The ride is filled with airtime that keeps riders coming back for more.

As the 1980s approached, the Million Dollar Midway began to see many changes. In 1985, Bayern Kurve and Rotor were sent to Valleyfair!. WildCat was relocated to the Million Dollar Midway, replacing Bayern Kurve and Schwabinchen to make room for Avalanche Run. Frontier Lift also closed later in 1985.

More changes came to the midway for the 1987 season.

For the 1987 season, Cedar Point built Iron Dragon. It occupied the former locations of Western Cruise, Frontier Lift, and Monster. To make room for Iron Dragon, Frontier Lift was retired in 1985, and Western Cruise was relocated to the Gemini Midway, where it received a new name and theme: Paddlewheel Excursions.

Monster was also relocated to its present-day location on the Gemini Midway, where it was placed beside Witches’ Wheel.

The Monster is a classic ride for the entire family to enjoy. It is also becoming increasingly unique— as of 2026, only eight of these rides remain in operation. In total, just 22 park models of this ride were ever built.

Monster Gets A Facelift. 

For the 2014 season, Cedar Point gave the Gemini Midway a makeover. As part of this renovation, Monster received a major upgrade.

At the entrance to the ride, Monster received its first entrance sign. The sign was very welcoming for guests and featured bright colors along with the ride’s new logo.

The ride also received new LED lighting, which helps bring the midway to life at night.

Monster is located on the Gemini Midway, between Lake Erie Eagles and BackBeatQue.

The most noticeable part of the upgrade was the new color scheme. Monster received a fresh set of bright, vibrant colors.

Even though the ride received a major makeover, it remains the same classic experience it has always been. The new color scheme helped bring the ride into the future while preserving its original charm.

Monster was built by the Eyerly Aircraft Company. Eyerly Aircraft went on to build several other rides before going out of business in 1990.

Monster Ride Facts
Opened: 1970
Manufacturer: Eyerly Aircraft Company
Type: Monster
Location:
  Million Dollar Midway (1970–1986)
​   Gemini Midway (1987–present)
Cars: 24


​Monster is a fun family thrill ride that features plenty of airtime.

Ride Experience

The Monster ride experience begins with guests entering the queue.
​Riders are greeted by a welcoming sign. The ride is located adjacent to Gemini.

Riders board small cars, each accommodating two people. The ride does not use seatbelts; instead, the operator secures each car with a locking mechanism before the ride begins.

Monster spins riders in a clockwise circle. The ride lifts riders up and down while spinning, and each individual car also rotates.
Monster offers a lot of airtime. As the cars spin and move up and down, riders experience strong moments of weightlessness. Monster delivers more airtime than many roller coasters.

After about two minutes, the ride stops spinning. One of the arms lowers to the ground and is unloaded.

The ride then rotates, and the other arm is loaded or reloaded so that new guests can ride.

Monster is a classic family ride. Riders are sure to laugh and have a great time on this attraction.

After Monster opened in 1970, Cedar Point continued adding attractions that offered something for the entire family. Over the years, the following attractions opened at Cedar Point: Frontier Trail (1971), Jumbo Jet (1972-1978), Matterhorn (1972), Giant Wheel (1972), Cedar Point Cinema (1975-2001), Corkscrew (1976), Troika (1976), Witches’ Wheel (1977-2018), Gemini (1978), Gemini Chilrden’s Area (1979-2013), Wave Swinger (1979), WildCat (1979-2011), Oceana (1980), Ocean Motion (1981), Kid Arthur’s Court (1982-2005), White Water Landing (1982-2005), Demon Drop (1983-2009), Avalanche Run (1985-1989), Berenstain Bear Country (1985-1998), 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 (1993-2024), Kiddy Kingdom (1993), Raptor (1994), Cedar Point’s 125th Anniversary Celebration (1995), RipCord (1996-2016), Mantis (1996-2014), Chaos (1997-2011), Swan Boats (1997-2003), Power Tower (1998), Camp Snoopy (1999), Millennium Force (2000), Lighthouse Point (2001), Wicked Twister (2002-2021), Good Time Theatre (2002-2014), Top Thrill Dragster (2003-2021), Castaway Bay Resort (2004), maXair (2005), Skyhawk (2006), Maverick (2007), Planet Snoopy (2008), Shoot the Rapids (2010-2015), WindSeeker (2011), Dinosaurs Alive! On Adventure Island (2012-2018), GateKeeper (2013), New Gemini Midway (2014), Rougarou (2015), Valravn (2016), Cedar Point Shores Waterpark (2017), Steel Vengeance (2018), Forbidden Frontier on Adventure Island (2019-2022), Cedar Point’s 150th Anniversary Celebration (2021), Snake River Expedition (2021-2023), The Boardwalk (2023), Top Thrill 2 (2024), and Siren’s Curse (2025). All of these additions have helped make Cedar Point a better place.

Monster is a great ride for the entire family to enjoy together. It continues to thrill guests more than 56 years after it opened.

Riders must be 46 inches tall to ride Monster alone. Guests under 46 inches must be accompanied by a supervising companion. Handheld infants are not permitted.

Last Updated: 05/01/2026

Photos by: Jake Hamons, Andrew Borgen, Russ Hauden, Cedar Point and COASTER-net.