The Cedar Point & Lake Erie Railroad was introduced in 1963, offering Civil War-style train rides through primeval woodlands alive with wild life. From all apparent records, what we know as Boneville was named Ghost Town when first introduced.

As guests rode the C.P. & L.E. Railroad around the park, they encountered various scenes being played out by animated skeletons. There was even a portion of the ride where guests encountered live masked bandits attacking the train. It must have been a thrilling and immersive experience like no other!

During the 2019 Winter Chill Out event, Cedar Point had on display the original concept art for the Boneville attraction. It is a fascinating look into what the artist anticipated the scenes to display. So we thought it might be interesting to compare how some of these scenes look today.

Boneville Fire Scene

The fire scene is very close in representation to the original concept work, with a skeleton sliding down the banister and one out the saloon style door.

Could we see the addition of some new skeletons jumping out the window?

Boneville Medicine Show

This is an interesting scene of a skeleton Indian playing the drum alongside the medicine man and gypsy. This show scene was never implemented from what we can tell.

Boneville Fence Signs

The fence signs do exist today, only they have evolved to show different art of the years.

Boneville Flasher

This is an interesting scene that is not currently in Boneville, but we’d love to see added. It shows a skeleton in a trench coat, only to reveal there is no body when he opens the coat.

Boneville Flying Machine

This show scene of the flying machine is reminiscent of the now-defunct Paddlewheel Excursions ride with Sir Delbert Feinstein, a local inventor whose famous flying machine was jokingly made out of “flypaper.” Of course today, the scene lives on in the Professor Delbert’s Frontier Fling along the Frontier Trail. Therefore, we think it unlikely the scene would be recreated for Boneville.

Boneville Sun Bathers

This is a cute little scene we could easily see recreated in the pond where the train goes over the bridge near Snake River Falls. For the 2018 season, we saw the introduction of a new Boneville scene with a fisherman sitting on the dock in the same area.

Boneville Railroad Workers

The Gandy Dancers on Cedar Junction Spur exist today along the C.P. & L.E. Railroad route through Boneville, though they do seem to be adjusted each season slightly, given they come inside for the winter months.

Our favorite element that we have not seen displayed in several years, is a railroad worker riding the rail bike into a tree at the end of the line.

Boneville Depot

You just got to love the romantic couple sitting on the bench waiting for their departure of a lifetime…

The depot scene is relatively the same since concept, with the slight exception of the skeleton revealing himself in the luggage.

Just beyond the Depot is the outhouse scene.

Boneville City Limits

Are you old or young enough to remember being slightly scared as a young child when you entered the Boneville city limits and saw the skeletons greeting you on the journey? Please say someone else was traumatized by the skeletons, only to grow up loving them!

Boneville Ghost Town

Of course the signature City Limits scene leads into the Boneville Ghost Town. Scenes include School, U.R. Dade Funeral Parlor, Dirty Bill’s Saloon Cafe, Overland Freight Ticket Office, and Anville Steele Blacksmithing.

Ghost Town also features the animated gun fight showdown scene and horse-drawn Undertaker.

Boneville Native Americans

While we do not have many memories of Paddlewheel Excursions, we imagine this scene was more reminiscent of something that was portrayed on that ride instead of in Boneville.

For several of the scenes that are not presently on display at Cedar Point, we would love to see some of them implemented on the route from the Main Station to the Frontier Town Station, where currently there are no Boneville scenes.

Boneville Family

This is another Boneville scene not currently on display at Cedar Point, but we would love to see implemented. The scene shows papa rocking in a hammock. Momma is scrubbing cloths, as the dog watches the child riding on the bicycle.

Boneville Music & Dancers

Could you hear the music playing and the dancers kicking their legs. Another playful scene that could be really neat if implemented with the show lights in the background.

Boneville Elopement

We always envisioned the backstory of the skeleton shooting at the male skeleton climbing the fence while the female skeleton climbs in the window being a story of a cheating spouse. However, the concept art revealed another story, where the couple must be sneaking out from her parents house to get married and the dad must not have been too happy.

Today the scene shows the groom climbing the fence. During the 1970’s, the scene showed the groom climbing over the wall.

The honeymooners scene would be an easy modifications to make with a car and the “Getting Married” sign to better relay the backstory.

Boneville Dock Scene

The dock scene is another layout that must have been better used in the Paddlewheel Excursions ride. Not sure this scene makes too much sense today to be implemented.

Boneville Hitchhiker

The hitchhiker scene, while currently not on display, is another that could easily be implemented near the Gemini midway grade crossing, and could even be a great photo opportunity.

Boneville Moonshiners

This scene featuring Hawkin’s Refreshments is one of the signature scenes on display in Boneville. It has also been interesting to see it evolve over the past couple of seasons.

Boneville Indian Attack

The Indian attack scene was supposed to be constructed on the rear of Fort Sandusky. Due to sensitivities, we highly doubt we will ever see this scene implemented.

There also are several scenes throughout Boneville in which concept art is not currently available.

Boneville Billy Bob’s Sawzall Mill

The Sawmill is one of the scenes where concept art was not obtained, but of course a favorite to see and hear the chainsaw sound as you ride past.

Boneville Mr. Possum and His Polecat Pickers

Perhaps our personal favorite scene from Cedar Point’s Boneville is Mr. Possum and His Polecat Pickers. As we have been saying for years, “did you really come to Cedar Point if you did not see the Polecat Pickers?”

Boneville Music Hall

One of the rare Boneville scenes no longer at Cedar Point is that from the Music Hall. From what we can tell, the Music Hall scene was located where Cedar Creek Mine Ride is located today.

The 1970s Cedar Point video also shows the Music Hall around the 1:05 second mark.

The ultimate question, is that now that the Boneville concept art has been revealed, and will we presume be on display for the 150th Cedar Point anniversary, could we see any of the scenes modified to spark new interest? We can only hope so, as a ride through Boneville is always one of our families favorite activities when visiting Cedar Point.

You could always build your own Boneville backyard garden scene like that was on display in 2013 at the Cleveland Home & Garden show.

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