Best Roller Coaster Lover — David Kaman
Relive the thrill of a lifetime as a dedicated fan shares his passion for roller coasters and amusement park history in a one-of-a-kind museum in Sandusky, Ohio.
In his youth, Sandusky, Ohio, native David Kaman worked at Cedar Point, climbing up the Space Spiral — for years the tallest building in the park — to replace light bulbs. He moved away from his hometown, but has returned after his retirement, and the park still has a hold over him.
Kaman founded the Downtown Sandusky Cedar Point Historical Museum, which officially opened to the public earlier this year and has already become a hit with fans — and donors. Kaman said that when he opened the museum — in a former storage room at the Sandusky Merry-Go-Round Museum — it reflected about 90 percent of his collection. Now, it’s about 60%.
“It’s just been an avalanche of people donating things,” he says.
Following the closure of Cedar Point’s Town Hall Museum, Kaman wanted to set up a place that would show off the lengthy history of the park, which celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2020. The museum is not affiliated with the park, but has permission to use the Cedar Point name, Kaman says.
On display are an array of souvenirs, including from its early days as “Queen of American Watering Places,” when visitors could take home China, carnival glassware, milk glassware and pennants. There are even a few World War I doughboy helmets that were given to veterans who had a picnic at the park.
There are also photos of long-gone attractions, including the Grand Pavilion Switchback, the Upside Down House, the Fascination game (air-conditioned, Kaman notes, so it could provide some respite from the summer heat), the Demon Drop and Disaster Transport.
And there are ribbons from the ribbon-cutting of the latest roller coasters, including Banshee, Mantis and Rougarou, as well as souvenirs given to early riders that are prized among roller coaster enthusiasts. “It’s so neat to see all the smiles,” Kaman says.
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