Millennium Force opened at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, on May 13, 2000, and immediately redefined what a roller coaster could be. Built by Swiss manufacturer Intamin, it stood 310 feet tall, a height that earned it the distinction of being the world’s first “giga coaster,” a term coined specifically to describe steel coasters exceeding 300 feet.
The ride broke multiple world records upon its debut and briefly held titles as the tallest and fastest complete-circuit coaster on the planet before Steel Dragon 2000 opened later that same year. More than two decades later, Millennium Force remains one of the most celebrated steel coasters ever built, having won the Golden Ticket Award for Best Steel Coaster multiple times.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio
- Manufacturer: Intamin
- Opened: May 13, 2000
- Height: 310 feet
- Drop: 300 feet
- Top speed: 93 mph
- Length: 6,595 feet
- Inversions: 0
The Ride Experience
Riders are pulled up Millennium Force’s 310-foot lift hill by a cable lift system rather than a traditional chain, offering an almost silent ascent before plunging down an 80-degree, 300-foot drop at speeds reaching 93 mph. The out-and-back layout stretches 6,595 feet across Cedar Point’s peninsula, weaving over Lake Erie with sweeping overbanked turns and a signature high-speed tunnel near the ride’s finale.
Despite having zero inversions, Millennium Force delivers intense airtime and lateral forces through its high-speed turns. The ride lasts about 2 minutes and remains a benchmark for hypercoaster and giga coaster design worldwide.
Legacy and Records
Designed by legendary coaster engineer Werner Stengel, Millennium Force set the template that every giga coaster since has followed. It still ranks among the tallest, fastest, and longest roller coasters in operation today.
For years, Millennium Force traded the top spot in Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket Awards for Best Steel Roller Coaster with Superman the Ride (which opened in 2000 as Superman: Ride of Steel and ran as Bizarro from 2009 to 2015) at Six Flags New England, a rivalry that became one of the most closely watched competitions among coaster enthusiasts. The back-and-forth helped cement Cedar Point’s reputation as America’s roller coast capital and inspired a wave of giga coasters at parks around the world.
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Millennium Force Photo Archive: 2002, 2003 & 2007
These are original ThrillZing photos of Millennium Force taken on May 5, 2002, July 16, 2003 and September 29, 2007, restored and upscaled from the original camera files. They show the Intamin giga coaster in its early seasons: the entrance sign, trains climbing the 310-foot lift hill, the overbanked turns above the midway, the station and queue, the tunnel on the island, and two views from above with Lake Erie behind. All photos are free to reuse under a CC BY 4.0 license with credit to ThrillZing and a link to this page.
Millennium Force FAQs
How tall is Millennium Force?
Millennium Force stands 310 feet tall, making it the world’s first coaster to be classified as a “giga coaster” when it opened in 2000.
How fast does Millennium Force go?
The coaster reaches a top speed of 93 mph during its initial 300-foot drop.
Does Millennium Force have any inversions?
No, Millennium Force has zero inversions. It relies on height, speed, and sweeping turns rather than loops for its thrills.
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