{"nrhp_refnum":"90000626","name":"Great American Racing Derby","other_names":["Cedar Downs Racing Derby"],"category":"structure","location":{"address":"Midway, Cedar Point Amusement Park","address_restricted":false,"city":"Sandusky","county":"Erie County","state":"OH","lat":41.48064720800005,"lon":-82.68251879399998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1990-11-08","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Engineering"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A rotating Racing Derby amusement ride with a large wooden roof structure, located on the Midway at Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, Ohio. It was built in 1922 by Prior & Church for the Humphrey Company of Euclid Beach, Ohio.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is a rare surviving example of an early 20th century rotating amusement park ride, developed as a variation of the carousel with horses that move back and forth to simulate a race. Only three such machines are said to survive, the others being in Toronto and Rye Beach, N.Y. Although moved to Cedar Point in 1969, it is said to retain integrity of design, materials, workmanship and setting.","narrative":"Great American Racing Derby is a rotating amusement ride on the Midway at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. Built in 1922 by Prior & Church for the Humphrey Company of Euclid Beach, Ohio, it was moved to Cedar Point in 1969 when the Euclid Beach park closed after 47 years. A flattened wooden dome roof with sixteen tapered panels, racing flags and lanterns covers a 90-foot turntable. Sixty-four colorfully painted horses, placed four abreast, move back and forth as the platform turns, simulating a race and carrying 128 riders at once. The ride grew out of the carousel tradition. Prior & Church built several Racing Derbies during the 1920s, but the Depression ended their manufacture and many machines were broken up and sold to horse collectors. Only three are known to survive, including this one. It was recognized for its architectural and design value as a rare early twentieth century amusement ride that retains its materials, workmanship and midway setting.","period_of_significance":"1922","architect_builder":"Prior & Church; Royle C. Williams","architectural_style":"No Style","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Still used as an amusement park ride at Cedar Point, moved there from Euclid Beach in 1969.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:14.534888-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/90000626.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/90000626/50f59206ef-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/90000626/50f59206ef-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Wdzinc","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cedar_Downs_Racing_Derby.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Wdzinc</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cedar_Downs_Racing_Derby.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71985006","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cedar_Downs_Racing_Derby","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q133586422"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/erie-county/great-american-racing-derby-90000626/"}