Big Dipper (Geauga Lake)
| Big Dipper | |
|---|---|
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1940s postcard view
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| Geauga Lake | |
| Coordinates | 41°20′57″N 81°22′41″W / 41.349145°N 81.377964°WCoordinates: 41°20′57″N 81°22′41″W / 41.349145°N 81.377964°W |
| Status | Removed |
| Opening date | 1925 |
| Closing date | September 16, 2007 |
| Cost | USD$50,000 |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Wood |
| Designer | John A. Miller |
| Model | Out and Back roller coaster |
| Lift/launch system | Chain lift hill |
| Height | 65 ft (20 m) |
| Length | 2,680 ft (820 m) |
| Speed | 32 mph (51 km/h) |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Duration | 1:45 |
| Height restriction | 48 in (122 cm) |
| Trains | 2 trains with 4 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 3 rows for a total of 24 riders per train. |
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Big Dipper at RCDB Pictures of Big Dipper at RCDB |
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Big Dipper was a wooden roller coaster located at the defunct Geauga Lake amusement park in Bainbridge Township, Ohio. Originally opened in 1925 as Sky Rocket, it was renamed Clipper in the late 1940s and eventually Big Dipper in 1969. It was the oldest operating roller coaster in Ohio and seventh-oldest in the United States when it closed in 2007. Designed by John A. Miller, the Big Dipper was also one of the last remaining roller coasters in the world from the legendary designer. American Coaster Enthusiasts awarded the coaster its ACE Coaster Classic and ACE Coaster Landmark designations. Efforts to sell, preserve, and restore the ride were unsuccessful. The ride was demolished on October 17, 2016.
For the 1925 season, Geauga Lake amusement park underwent an expansion that included the addition of Sky Rocket, a wooden roller coaster designed by legendary designer John A. Miller. Miller designed over 140 roller coasters and contributed over 100 patented technologies to the roller coaster industry, some of which are still being used on modern-day roller coasters. Sky Rocket was considered the largest of its time, described as "mammoth" by the industry with a height of 65 feet (20 m) and a track length of 2,680 feet (820 m). It was renamed Clipper in the late 1940s, and then again to Big Dipper in 1969 after Funtime purchased the park.
Big Dipper underwent major renovations in 1980. The ride was retracked by Martin & Vleminckx.
On September 21, 2007, Cedar Fair announced that the amusement park section of Geauga Lake would close and only the water park, Wildwater Kingdom, would remain open leaving the future of the Big Dipper uncertain. As a result of once being the oldest operating roller coaster in Ohio, many have been concerned about its fate, including preservationists and roller coaster enthusiasts. The coaster originally sold at an auction of the park's rides in June 2008, and minor damage to the structure was repaired in late 2008.
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