The Sealand/Aquarium BIG mystery
I have noticed over the years after much exhaustive investigation that none of the more popular CP sites or books (including David Francis' CP:Queen of the American Watering Places) can agree or even list the year that the old Sealand "officially" opened. His book lists the opening as 1970 as other sites do also but this is impossible since the 1968 CP park brochure has a picture of it inside. This has now become the "Twilight Zone" question of CP history and nobody I know of can agree on this. The earliest souvenir map I own is 1970 which has a picture of it on it. I know the Pirate Ride, Earthquake, Rotor, Funhouse were opened late 60s but not announced with this opening.. **Can someone once and for all settle this mystery with some concrete proof and also update your history section to help other CP fans? Any help would be appreciated. Walt, Jeff,OldCPfan?? Anyone?
That's an educated guess, but I think it's correct. CPFan is right, it wasn't 1970 because it is in the 1968 brochure.
It is not on the 1964 map or the 1966 map, but there is an actual picture of it in the 1968 brochure. So, I made the educated guess that it was installed in 1967.
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Virtual Midway
http://www.virtualmidway.com
*** This post was edited by Gemini 11/22/2002 8:45:19 AM ***
Does anyone remember that the Sealand aquarium actually had a small auditorium? They had a sea lion show and at the end there was an electric eel demonstration. They somehow measured how many volts the eel produced on a big meter. I only remember fragments of the show, but I remember enjoying it.
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Florida may have Disneyworld and Key West,
but Ohio has Cedar Point and Put-In-Bay.
It's great to live in Ohio!
I did a little research this morning. Sealand did open in 1967, along with the Hollywood Wax Museum, Cedar Downs, and the 'second' Rotor. All opened on May 29, the park's opening day. Shoot-the-Rapids opened later in the year.
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Virtual Midway
http://www.virtualmidway.com
*** This post was edited by Gemini 11/23/2002 11:32:32 AM ***
I remember a long time ago as young chile amazed (still amazed) at Cedar Point... the Pirate ride, and the aquarium. Dolphin show (I miss it) I got pictures though... Such a sad memory. And that green water, lol ;)
Walt, thanks for the info. I appreciate it as this has been boggling my mind. Curious, where did you get your hands on the 1964 and 1966 maps? I've never seen anything earlier than 1969 on Ebay or in collections. What year are the "earliest" souvenir park maps? I'm betting 1964 except for the one in the old Town Museum which is from the 30's(?) but was never put up for sale to the public that I know of.
Thats a good question about the souvenir maps, talking about the full size color ones. I am not sure what the earliest of those is. I think I have a late 1970's one of those. I have brochures with earlier maps including one from 1959 (I promised Walt I would scan it and send it to him, I haven't forgotten) that shows that for at least a period of time Cedar Point was thinking of being both an amusement park and a housing development.
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