Mean Streak was a wooden roller coaster at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, that opened on May 11, 1991, in the park’s Frontier Town section. Designed by Curtis D. Summers and built by the Dinn Corporation from more than 1.5 million board feet of treated southern yellow pine, it debuted as the tallest and fastest wooden roller coaster in the world at 161 feet and 65 mph, also boasting the longest drop of any wood coaster at the time.
For 25 seasons, Mean Streak thrilled riders with a 155-foot first drop and a twisting 5,427-foot layout that wound through Cedar Point’s Frontier Town section. Cedar Point closed the ride permanently after the 2016 season, and in 2018 Rocky Mountain Construction transformed its wooden structure into the steel-tracked hybrid coaster Steel Vengeance.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Cedar Point
- Manufacturer: Dinn Corporation
- Opened: May 11, 1991
- Closed: September 16, 2016
- Height: 161 ft
- Top speed: 65 mph
- Length: 5,427 ft
- Inversions: 0
The Ride Experience
Riders climbed a 161-foot lift hill before plunging down a 155-foot drop at up to 65 mph, the opening salvo in a layout that wound through Cedar Point’s Frontier Town section for nearly 5,430 feet of track. True to its wooden-coaster roots, Mean Streak was known for a rough, rattling ride that grew rougher with age, a trait that divided park fans even as it drew crowds for a quarter century.
Aboard its three seven-car trains, Mean Streak delivered a ride of well over two minutes packed with airtime hills and tight turns, a marathon layout that stood out even among Cedar Point’s dense lineup of record-breaking coasters.
From Wooden Giant to Steel Vengeance
By the mid-2010s, Mean Streak’s rough ride and aging wooden structure had become a liability, and Cedar Point closed it for good after the 2016 season. Rather than demolish it outright, the park partnered with Rocky Mountain Construction, which reused portions of the original wooden framework while adding RMC’s steel I-Box track.
The rebuilt coaster reopened in 2018 as Steel Vengeance, a hybrid ride that set multiple world records for hybrid coasters and is widely regarded as one of the best coasters in the world, a dramatic second act for the structure that began life as Mean Streak.
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Mean Streak FAQs
Is Mean Streak still open?
No. Mean Streak closed permanently on September 16, 2016, and its structure was rebuilt into the hybrid coaster Steel Vengeance, which opened in 2018.
How tall was Mean Streak?
Mean Streak stood 161 feet tall, making it the tallest wooden roller coaster in the world when it opened in 1991.
Who built Mean Streak?
Mean Streak was designed by Curtis D. Summers and built by the Dinn Corporation, opening at Cedar Point on May 11, 1991.
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Photo: Tim from Ithaca via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)