Cedar Point debuts the new Creepy, Kooky, Castle Cafe

Friday, 07 October 2005

Cedar Point Press Release

SANDUSKY, Ohio, Oct. 6, 2005 – The new Creepy, Kooky, Castle Café at Cedar Point amusement park/resort’s 9th annual HalloWeekends will serve dinners, a few tricks and some real treats. This freakishly fresh dining experience in the transformed Macaroni’s restaurant is the best way to grab a bite to eat – if you dare.

Themed as a haunted castle, the Creepy, Kooky, Castle Café is divided into several rooms such as the “playroom/dungeon” containing several devious toys and devices adorning the walls, and the “library” with its old battered books that haven’t been read in hundreds of years.

Some of the intriguing features of the Café are its “off-the-wall” décor including a talking deer head with a personality of its own, paintings in the “gallery” that seem to watch your every move, spiders that crawl along the wall in the entry and the fireplace mantle that boasts some frightening facial expressions. More than 100 pieces of Cedar Point memorabilia, ranging from old chairs from other park restaurants to various props and figures from the retired Shooting Gallery, are found in the Café. Guests who have visited Cedar Point over the years will recognize props from the old Western Cruise boat ride, the former Fun House in Kiddieland and wallpaper from the Silver Dollar restaurant (now Game Day Grille).

One of the Café’s centerpieces is the ghoulishly gothic pipe organ played by a stiff, spiritless scary skeleton. The organ is flanked by old pipes from past shows in the Red Garter Saloon and various other findings from the park including a large piece from an old mechanical clock. Every so often, the organ is brought back to life with macabre melodies floating throughout the Café.

Guests will find one of the Café’s creepy inhabitants getting her hair sculpted by an authentic electric hair curler from the 1940’s. This real prop is a rare oddity that collectors will appreciate.

“We wanted a new, mysterious dining experience for our guests this year,” said John Taylor, manager of graphic services and HalloWeekends’ “Master of Mayhem.” “We’ve brought old park props to life and married them with a décor you have to see and experience for yourself.”

The ambiance is medieval; the food is modern. The Café features an all-you-can-devour family-style pizza buffet (served on hospital gurneys) with food items such as traditional and specialty pizzas, salads, beverages and desserts. Guests can grab their salads and desserts in the “library” where gelatin is molded into hands and a talking hyperphysical head mocks your every move.

Guests will find many other fall food fares throughout the park including apple cider, hot chocolate, fresh pumpkin rolls and candy caramel apples.

Cedar Point’s HalloWeekends is a spectacular fright-fest that takes over the historical amusement park/resort during weekends in September and October. The event features three haunted houses, three creature-inhabited fright zones, live entertainment, a costume contest for the little ones and devilish decorations throughout the 364-acre park. HalloWeekends runs every Friday night, Saturday and Sunday now through Oct. 30. For more information, guests can visit the official HalloWeekends website or call 419.627.2350.