Rocky Point Amusement Park
Encyclopedia
The Rocky Point Amusement Park was a highly popular amusement park
on the Narragansett Bay
side of Warwick, Rhode Island
. It operated from the late 1840s until its close in 1995. The following year, the park filed for bankruptcy.
From the 1950s through the 1980s, Rocky Point Amusement Park was the most popular attraction in Rhode Island. It featured rides such as the Skyliner, Corkscrew Loop Roller Coaster, Log Flume, and the Freefall (similar to the identically named ride at Six Flags Magic Mountain
), which fell 13 stories at 55 mi/h.
Records filed with the Federal Bankruptcy Court in Worcester, Massachusetts state:
These facts were published by The Providence Journal
and the Warwick Beacon during the bankruptcy periods of 1995-1997.
Another fire started on October 16, 2006 around 11 a.m., this time in an executive building on the waterfront. Smoke could be seen billowing up more than 2000 feet (609.6 m) in the air from miles away. Police reported no injuries in either fire. It is unclear if this fire was caused by arson.
On May 7, 2007, demolition of the remaining midway officially began with a press conference at the park. Prior to this, a handful of stands and minor buildings had already been demolished.
On September 7, 2007, a documentary film about the park, You Must Be This Tall: The Story of Rocky Point Park, had its world premiere at the Stadium Theatre in Woonsocket, Rhode Island
. The film garnered a five-star review from The Providence Journal
and played to a sold out crowd of 1,100 people.
In February 2008, the city of Warwick secured a federal grant to purchase about half of the 82 acres (33.2 ha) remaining Rocky Point Park, including much of the view of the bay. The city officially took title to 41 acres (165,921.3 m²) shoreline of the former park in August 2008.
On November 2, 2010, a ballot proposal passed to issue state funding to "acquire the title to land in and around what used to be Rocky Point Park to establish the land as a public park."
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
on the Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound. Covering 147 mi2 , the Bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor, and includes a small archipelago...
side of Warwick, Rhode Island
Warwick, Rhode Island
Warwick is a city in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. It is the second largest city in the state, with a population of 82,672 at the 2010 census. Its mayor has been Scott Avedisian since 2000...
. It operated from the late 1840s until its close in 1995. The following year, the park filed for bankruptcy.
History
Rocky Point was an idea first thought of by Captain William Winslow in the 1840s. By 1847, he had purchased a portion of the land and began to offer amusements and serve dinner.From the 1950s through the 1980s, Rocky Point Amusement Park was the most popular attraction in Rhode Island. It featured rides such as the Skyliner, Corkscrew Loop Roller Coaster, Log Flume, and the Freefall (similar to the identically named ride at Six Flags Magic Mountain
Six Flags Magic Mountain
Six Flags Magic Mountain is a theme park located in Valencia, California north of Los Angeles. It opened on Memorial Day weekend on May 30, 1971 as Magic Mountain, by the Newhall Land and Farming Company. In 1979, Six Flags purchased the park and added the name Six Flags to the park's title. In...
), which fell 13 stories at 55 mi/h.
Final years
In the early 1990s, Rocky Point's financial situation became shaky. The privately-held company that owned the park began to lose money as it attempted to keep the park up to date. Critics accused the company's shareholders of trying to wring every last penny out of the park. Rocky Point closed in 1995, then reopened briefly in 1996 as a farewell to patrons. Rides such as the Flume and Corkscrew were sold in an auction and are now in use at other amusement parks.Records filed with the Federal Bankruptcy Court in Worcester, Massachusetts state:
- For a number of years Rocky Point was making large loans to unrelated companies that were also owned by the RP shareholders. Those companies were put into Chapter 11 and Rocky Point could not collect repayment.
- Finally in 1991 Rocky Point was severely over-leveraged, again, to loan $6 million to other unrelated companies owned by the RP shareholders. Those companies were then put into Chapter 11 so Rocky Point could not collect on those loans either.
- Staggering under this heavy debt load, which was not its own debts, Rocky Point simply could not pay its own bills to survive.
These facts were published by The Providence Journal
The Providence Journal
The Providence Journal, nicknamed the ProJo, is a daily newspaper serving the metropolitan area of Providence, Rhode Island and is the largest newspaper in Rhode Island. The newspaper, first published in 1829 and the oldest continuously-published daily newspaper in the United States, was purchased...
and the Warwick Beacon during the bankruptcy periods of 1995-1997.
Post-business era, vandalism
After the Rocky Point land was purchased for $8.5 million in 2003, the park's main building, known as the "Big House", was hit by vandals who lit it on fire on September 2, 2004. Police said the fire was suspicious, because the building had no electricity at the time.Another fire started on October 16, 2006 around 11 a.m., this time in an executive building on the waterfront. Smoke could be seen billowing up more than 2000 feet (609.6 m) in the air from miles away. Police reported no injuries in either fire. It is unclear if this fire was caused by arson.
On May 7, 2007, demolition of the remaining midway officially began with a press conference at the park. Prior to this, a handful of stands and minor buildings had already been demolished.
On September 7, 2007, a documentary film about the park, You Must Be This Tall: The Story of Rocky Point Park, had its world premiere at the Stadium Theatre in Woonsocket, Rhode Island
Woonsocket, Rhode Island
Woonsocket is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 41,186 at the 2010 census, making it the sixth largest city in the state. Woonsocket lies directly south of the Massachusetts border....
. The film garnered a five-star review from The Providence Journal
The Providence Journal
The Providence Journal, nicknamed the ProJo, is a daily newspaper serving the metropolitan area of Providence, Rhode Island and is the largest newspaper in Rhode Island. The newspaper, first published in 1829 and the oldest continuously-published daily newspaper in the United States, was purchased...
and played to a sold out crowd of 1,100 people.
In February 2008, the city of Warwick secured a federal grant to purchase about half of the 82 acres (33.2 ha) remaining Rocky Point Park, including much of the view of the bay. The city officially took title to 41 acres (165,921.3 m²) shoreline of the former park in August 2008.
On November 2, 2010, a ballot proposal passed to issue state funding to "acquire the title to land in and around what used to be Rocky Point Park to establish the land as a public park."
The Re-opening
On June 25, 2011 Rocky Point was once again opened to the public and features a new asphalt mile long walking path along the shore of Narragansett Bay although much of the area of the original amusement park itself is still fenced off and closed to the public, including the Shore Dinning Hall.External links
See also
- List of amusement parks in New England
- List of defunct amusement parks
- Amusement rideAmusement rideAmusement rides are large mechanical devices that move people to create enjoyment. They are frequently found at amusement parks, traveling carnivals, and funfairs.-Notable types:*Afterburner*Ali Baba*Balloon Race*Booster...