<P> Cedar Point's normal operating season runs from early May until Labor Day in . The park then reopens only on weekends until the end of October or early November for a Halloween - themed event known as HalloWeekends . Other attractions near the park include a one - mile - long (1.6 km) white - sand beach, an outdoor water park called Cedar Point Shores, an indoor water park called Castaway Bay, two marinas, an outdoor sports complex called Cedar Point Sports Center, and several nearby resorts . </P> <P> The park has reached several milestones . It is the only amusement park in the world with six roller coasters taller than 200 feet (61 m)--Magnum XL - 200, Millennium Force, Wicked Twister, Top Thrill Dragster, Valravn, and Steel Vengeance--and is the only park with roller coasters in all four height classifications . Cedar Point also received the Golden Ticket Award for "Best Amusement Park in the World" from Amusement Today for 16 consecutive years from 1997--2013 . The park is the most visited seasonal amusement park in the United States with an estimated 3.6 million visitors in 2017 . The park also has several buildings that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places . </P> <P> In the mid-19th century, the south shore region of Lake Erie was a popular vacation destination for the emerging middle class in the United States . The lake's islands, such as Kelleys Island and South Bass Island, were gaining a reputation for their freshwater bathing resorts . The Cedar Point peninsula, named for its abundance of cedar trees, was originally known for its fishing . Local fishermen leased land and built living quarters there . Sandusky, which featured an important shipping harbor and two railroads, transformed into a major economic center over the next three decades . Railroad and steamship travel supported an emerging tourism industry, and rapid development of the area began . </P> <P> In the 1860s during the American Civil War, housing for a battery of four field artillery pieces was constructed at the tip of the peninsula . It was used to defend a prison for Confederate soldiers on nearby Johnson's Island . Louis Zistel, a German immigrant, built two boats to transport the prisoners . In 1870, he began to ferry locals to the Cedar Point peninsula, which was regaining popularity as a summer picnic destination . Zistel opened a bathhouse on the north shore of the peninsula and the same year built a beer garden with a small dance floor . He charged 25 cents per person to ride from Sandusky to Cedar Point on his boat, Young Reindeer . This marked the beginning of commercial tourism on the Cedar Point peninsula . </P>

Where does cedar point get its name from