Status Closed Cost USD$50,000 Height 20 m Max speed 52 km/h Park Geauga Lake | Opening date 1925 (1925) Type Wood Closed 16 September 2007 Track length 817 m Designer John Miller | |
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Closing date September 16, 2007 (2007-09-16) Model Out and Back roller coaster Address 7350 N Aurora Rd, Aurora, OH 44202, USA Similar Raging Wolf Bobs, Double Loop, Villain, Giant Dipper, Beaver Land Mine Ride | ||
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.
History
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.
The Big Dipper was later listed for sale on internet auction website eBay in 2010 with a starting bid of $9,500 and a "buy it now" price of $65,000. The auction ended on September 6, 2010, without a single bid. On September 30, 2010 two roller coaster enthusiasts teamed up to buy the roller coaster, but the deal fell through on January 11, 2011, as a result of various legal issues surrounding the sale. The enthusiasts had intended to disassemble and store the coaster in an area close to the park. The roller coaster had been standing but not operating since its closure in 2007. On September 21, 2016, it was reported that Cedar Fair was planning to dismantle and remove the ride. In early October 2016, a Bainbridge County trustee confirmed that demolition would begin within several weeks. The ride was demolished on October 17, 2016. Cedar Fair personnel have said part of their motivation to demolish the Big Dipper was to stop efforts to save it.