Fun at the Old Cedar Point Book Review
Imagine being able to travel back in time to visit your favorite amusement park during its earliest years. Or to be able to experience all of the rides that made up an amusement park from the 1930s. Fun at the Old Cedar Point by Glenn D. Everett is a fantastic trip back in time to experience Cedar Point in 1935 from the perspective of a frequent visitor and amusement operator.
I know I’ve dreamed of visiting the Magic Kingdom in the early 1970s to see how the park transformed firsthand. For years I’ve scoured maps and brochures to get a feel for a visit to Walt Disney World from the first decade. Often, people will leave comments on posts here or on my YouTube channel talking about their WDW vacations from the first few decades. It’s so much fun to be able to experience WDW vicariously.
Cedar Point in 1935
Fun at the Old Cedar Point is a reprint of a title originally released in 1989. Ken Miller, the author of Rolling Through the Years, worked with Mr. Everett’s estate to have the out-of-print title re-printed and included some updated photos.
The book is an incredibly detailed visit to Cedar Point from 1935. Mr. Everett worked at Cedar Point as a teen and his father owned The Tumble Inn funhouse. This gave Mr. Everett the time to experience every nook and cranny of Cedar point during the 1930s. He also spends a good portion of the book explaining, in rich detail, the entire funhouse experience. Honestly, the description of the rides are worth the cover price of the book!
There are so many inside stories about the rides, games of chance, and general atmosphere of Cedar Point, that you will feel like you’re on the visit as well. And if you’ve ever been curious about how some of the carnival games worked, Mr. Everett does pull back the curtain to explain how they worked. Many of the rides can’t be experienced any longer, so the opportunity to read a narrative about them is priceless.
The Cedar Point Beach, the Breakers Hotel, and Other Points of Interest
After touring all of the attractions offered during the 1935 summer season, the author takes us to the beach to experience another facet of Cedar Point. This was well before the time when you could wear your bathing suit under your clothes. Back then, you were required to rent a bathing suit and use the many bathhouses to change. Mr. Everett also shares what it was like to frolic on the beach.
We also get short visit to the Breakers Hotel and see how visitors and staff enjoyed the resort. Mr. Everett pulls back the curtains and shares details about the infrastructure of the resorts, including bringing 100-pound blocks of ice, coal, and food to the resort for guests and staff.
Mr. Everett finishes up the trip to the past with a look at big bands, the penny arcade, and the peep shows of the time. It’s interesting to see how morals and societal expectations changed through time. Sadly, we have to end our trip, and Mr. Everett shares what it was like to leave Cedar Point as we board the G.A. Boeckling and head towards Sandusky across the bay.
Why Should I Buy Fun at the Old Cedar Point?
The book is a treasure trove of information about Cedar Point from the 1930s. Obviously, any fan of Cedar Point will cherish the title. Amusement park historians and fans will devour this title and use it as a touchstone for information about the rides, how’s, and experiences of a golden era amusement park. This book will be adored for many years to come. Honestly, my only issue with the book is the lack of an index (but after co-authoring the Magic Kingdom encyclopedia, I understand the amount of work an index requires). I also would have loved more photos, but photos can be difficult to obtain.
So, yes, grab a copy of this book and enjoy the trip back in time to 1935 Cedar Point. It’s a wonderful trip through time and I am so glad that Mr. Everett wrote it and 1870 Publishing Group for re-printing the title.
Grab your copy now and enjoy the trip!
When Was Your Earliest Visit to Cedar Point?
My first visit to Cedar Point included a power outage!