GateKeeper at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio is a steel wing coaster built by Bolliger & Mabillard that opened on May 11, 2013. Positioned directly at the park’s historic front entrance, it greets every arriving guest with a signature sight: a 170-foot lift hill followed by a 164-foot wing-over drop that sweeps riders at 67 mph straight toward the midway below.
Since its debut, GateKeeper has broken seven world records and become one of the most-photographed roller coasters on Earth. Whether you’re checking the height requirement before a family trip, comparing stats against other Cedar Point coasters, or just curious how tall and fast it really is, here is every GateKeeper number and fact in one place.
Quick Answer
GateKeeper is 170 feet tall, drops 164 feet at 67 mph, and has 6 inversions. It opened May 11, 2013 as a B&M steel wing coaster. Riders must be between 52 and 78 inches tall to ride.
GateKeeper Height Requirement
GateKeeper’s height requirement is 52 inches minimum and 78 inches maximum. That upper limit is unusual — most Cedar Point coasters only set a minimum — but it exists because of how the wing coaster’s over-the-shoulder restraints and open-air seating are engineered to fit riders securely for the ride’s inversions.
There is no accompanied-rider exception below 52 inches on GateKeeper; the minimum is a hard cutoff enforced at the entrance with a height-check station. Riders close to either limit should expect to be measured on-site, since Cedar Point’s stated inches are official and consistently enforced.
How Tall Is GateKeeper at Cedar Point?
GateKeeper stands 170 feet tall at its lift hill — the highest point on the ride and the crest of its signature wing-over element. From that peak, the track immediately drops 164 feet in a rotating dive, which is why GateKeeper’s height and drop numbers are so close but not identical.
That 170-foot apex is also where GateKeeper set a world record: it was the highest inversion on any roller coaster anywhere when it opened in 2013, a record it held until June 2019.
When Was GateKeeper Built?
GateKeeper was officially announced on August 13, 2012, with construction beginning that September. Cedar Point built the ride in roughly eight months, erecting track through the winter before GateKeeper opened to the public on May 11, 2013 — one of the fastest B&M wing coaster builds at the time, reportedly costing around $30 million.
GateKeeper was the sixth wing coaster B&M had built worldwide and remains the tallest, fastest wing coaster in the Cedar Point lineup more than a decade later.
How Fast Does GateKeeper Go?
GateKeeper reaches a top speed of 67 mph. That speed is hit during the wing-over first drop, as the train rotates 180 degrees off the 170-foot lift hill and dives 164 feet toward the midway — the single fastest point anywhere on the 4,164-foot layout.
GateKeeper Stats and Specs
Park: Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio. Manufacturer: Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M). Type: Steel wing coaster. Opened: May 11, 2013. Height: 170 feet (52 m). Drop: 164 feet (50 m). Top speed: 67 mph (108 km/h). Track length: 4,164 feet (1,269 m). Inversions: 6. Capacity: approximately 1,710 riders per hour. Minimum height: 52 inches. Maximum height: 78 inches. Restraints: over-the-shoulder harness with seat belt.
Wing coasters position riders in pairs on both sides of the track with nothing above or below the seats. GateKeeper runs three trains, each carrying 32 riders across eight cars of four seats — two per side — so every seat sits fully exposed with no floor and no overhead structure blocking the view.
All 6 GateKeeper Inversions, in Order
GateKeeper has 6 inversions, in this sequence: (1) Wing Over Drop — the 170-foot crest with a 180-degree rotation into the 164-foot descent; (2) Immelmann Loop — a sweeping half-loop with a roll at the apex; (3) Corkscrew — an oversized flat-spin element; (4) Zero-G Roll — a weightless barrel roll; (5) Inclined Dive Loop — a tilted loop bringing the train toward ground level; (6) Inline Twist — a final roll before the brake run.
Most traditional sit-down steel coasters carry one to three inversions. Six on a wing coaster — where every seat sits on the outer edge of the train with nothing overhead or underneath — makes each element feel considerably more intense than the same inversion on an enclosed-track coaster.
World Records GateKeeper Broke at Opening
When GateKeeper opened in May 2013, it broke seven world records for a wing coaster: tallest, fastest, longest track, longest drop, most inversions, and the highest roller coaster inversion in the world at 170 feet. It held that highest-inversion record until June 2019.
While some individual wing-coaster records have since been surpassed by newer rides globally, GateKeeper remains the benchmark B&M wing coaster and an anchor attraction in Cedar Point’s lineup.
GateKeeper Logo and Theme: The Golden Griffin
GateKeeper is themed around a mythical griffin — half eagle, half lion — rendered in the logo as a golden creature with wings spread, standing guard at Cedar Point’s front entrance. Each train’s nose is sculpted as a griffin head with LED-illuminated eyes, a first for any Cedar Point coaster at the time. The track runs azure blue with white supports, and the two 100-foot keyhole towers at the main entrance double as themed portals the coaster physically threads through.
Best Spots to Watch and Photograph the GateKeeper Drop
GateKeeper’s front-gate placement creates photo angles no other Cedar Point coaster can match. From the plaza between the keyhole towers, the train swoops directly overhead. The midway offers the widest framing with Lake Erie in the background, and early morning — before crowds fill the entrance plaza — gives the cleanest shot of the wing-over drop.
GateKeeper Cedar Point height, speed, build date and stats FAQs
What is GateKeeper’s height requirement at Cedar Point?
Riders must be between 52 and 78 inches tall. Both the minimum and maximum are enforced at the ride entrance with no accompanied-rider exception below 52 inches.
How tall is GateKeeper at Cedar Point?
GateKeeper’s lift hill rises 170 feet, which is also the height of its signature wing-over drop crest — briefly the highest roller coaster inversion in the world when it opened in 2013.
When was GateKeeper built?
GateKeeper was announced August 13, 2012, built over roughly eight months starting that September, and opened to the public on May 11, 2013.
How fast does GateKeeper go?
GateKeeper’s top speed is 67 mph (108 km/h), reached during its 164-foot wing-over first drop.
How many inversions does GateKeeper have?
GateKeeper has 6 inversions: a wing-over drop, Immelmann loop, corkscrew, zero-G roll, inclined dive loop, and inline twist.
What are GateKeeper’s full stats?
170-foot height, 164-foot drop, 67 mph top speed, 4,164-foot track length, 6 inversions, roughly 1,710 riders per hour, and a 52-78 inch height requirement. It’s a B&M steel wing coaster that opened May 11, 2013.
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