Cedar Point amusement park to tear down hotel, sports venue

Park yet to reveal redevelopment plans for locations.

Come next SANDUSKY — spring, Cedar Point amusement park will be missing two long-standing and wellknown structures on its summer tourist playground.

A wrecking ball soon will knock down the 187room Sandcastle Suites Hotel, located at the tip of the Cedar Point Peninsula, and also the park’s Extreme Sports Stadium (formerly the Aquatic Stadium) located on the east side of the park near the Wicked Twister roller coaster.

Sandcastle Suites Hotel, along with the Breakwater Café building adjacent to it, will be demolished. The buildings, constructed in 1990, are located at the tip of the Cedar Point in Sandusky.

The changes were announced this week on the park’s “OnPoint” blog.

No information was provided as to what will be put in place of the hotel and stadium. Spokesmen for both Cedar Point and its parent firm, Cedar Fair LP, said plans for the spaces remain “under wraps” for now.

The last guest to stay at the three-story Sandcastle Suites checked out on Sunday. The hotel, along with the adjacent Breakwater Cafe, will be demolished over the winter.

The Extreme Sports Stadium also will be dismantled over the winter. Cedar Point said that, after Jan. 1, it will provide more information on its 2018 entertainment lineup and the fate of the “All Wheels Extreme” show that called the Extreme Sports Stadium home.

In a side note, the park said on its blog that the Cedar Point Boardwalk, which runs from the Sandcastle Suites on down the beach past the Hotel Breakers and stops near the WindSeeker ride, will be expanded to connect with the main parking lot.

The Sandcastle Suites opened in 1990 as an allsuites alternative to the Hotel Breakers. It was renovated for $5 million prior to the 2008 season.

The former aquatic stadium opened in 1980 season to help Cedar Point compete with Geauga Lake amusement park and SeaWorld of Ohio, both in Aurora near Cleveland.

Cedar Point called the five-story, 1,600-seat stadium Oceana. It was built at a cost of $3 million and included a large tank for a dolphin show, plus surrounding exhibits including an aquarium filled with saltwater and freshwater fish.

The dolphin shows ended in 1998 and they were replaced by a highdive show. In 2008, the stadium was reconfigured into the Extreme Sports Stadium where the All Wheels Extreme show is held.