Power Tower is a four-towered thrill complex at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, that opened on May 9, 1998. Built by S&S Power of Logan, Utah, it remains the only ride of its kind in the world to combine two Space Shot towers, which rocket riders skyward under compressed air, with two Turbo Drop towers, which hoist riders up before releasing them into free fall.
At the time of its debut, Power Tower’s 300-foot steel structure made it the tallest ride of its type on earth, a record it held only briefly before Knott’s Berry Farm’s Supreme Scream opened later that same year. More than two decades later, its square footprint and connecting archway remain a recognizable landmark near the center of the park.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Cedar Point
- Manufacturer: S&S Power
- Opened: May 9, 1998
- Ride height: 240 feet
- Total structure height: 300 feet
- Top speed: About 50 mph
- Ride duration: About 45 seconds
- Towers: 4 (two Space Shot, two Turbo Drop)
The Ride Experience
Riders choose between two very different sensations. The Space Shot towers use blasts of compressed air to launch riders straight up at speeds near 50 mph before gravity pulls them back down. The Turbo Drop towers flip the sequence, hoisting riders to the top of the tower first and pausing briefly before releasing them into a sudden free fall.
Both experiences top out around 240 feet in the air, giving riders a brief but sweeping view over Cedar Point and Lake Erie before the ride cycle ends. With four towers running in tandem, Power Tower can move roughly 1,700 riders per hour, making it one of the park’s higher-capacity thrill attractions.
A Cedar Point Landmark Since 1998
When Power Tower opened, it was the first S&S attraction to reach the 300-foot mark and briefly stood as the tallest vertical thrill ride in the world. Its square layout, with four towers joined by an overhead marquee, was also unique among drop towers, which typically use a single or paired-tower design.
Nearly 30 years on, Power Tower still anchors a central section of Cedar Point’s midway, standing alongside newer record-chasing rides like Top Thrill 2 as a reminder of the park’s long history of pushing vertical thrill rides to new extremes.
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Power Tower Photo Archive: 2002–2007
These are original ThrillZing photos of Power Tower taken at Cedar Point between 2002 and 2007, restored and upscaled from the original camera files. They show the S&S drop and launch towers from the midway and the lagoon. All photos are free to reuse under a CC BY 4.0 license with credit to ThrillZing and a link to this page.
Power Tower FAQs
How tall is Power Tower at Cedar Point?
Riders reach a height of about 240 feet, while the full steel structure stands roughly 300 feet tall.
What is the difference between the Space Shot and Turbo Drop towers?
The Space Shot towers launch riders upward using compressed air, while the Turbo Drop towers lift riders to the top and then release them into a free fall back down.
When did Power Tower open?
Power Tower opened at Cedar Point on May 9, 1998, and was manufactured by S&S Power.
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Photo: Larry Pieniazek, User:Lar, en:User:Lar (primary) / CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons.