Abandoned Rocky Point Amusement Park | Rhode Island Icon

Rocky Point Amusement Park is legendary in Rhode Island history for so many reasons. It was the place to be every summer with rides, games, concerts, and the largest shore dinner hall in the world. It had everything you could want. Rhode Islanders loved this place, but it closed for good in 1996 after nearly 150 years in business… and almost 30 years later we still never stop talking about it.

Filmed/Edited/Narrated by Jason Allard

Follow me on Instagram: @Jason__Allard
Drone: DJI Mini 3 Pro | Fly More Plus
Main Camera: Sony A7S III | Sony f/1.2 50mm
Editing: Final Cut Pro w/ custom plugins

Sources:

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Today, Rocky Point has mostly returned to nature, and it’s hard to imagine a loud, bustling amusement park once stood right here. It’s wild seeing it like this, considering Rocky Point once hosted famous bands, a president, generations of visitors, and most importantly ME in 1994.

Also, with Rocky Point Park being on the list of abandoned Rhode Island icons, it continues the tradition of most places from my childhood being abandoned, like my old middle school…the largest on the east coast of America, or the baseball stadium I went to every summer to watch the Pawtucket Red Sox, and even another amusement park from my childhood, the Enchanted Forest.
But today we’re talking about a place near and dear to everyone in Rhode Island. A place whose history stretches from the 1840s all the way to 1996, with a lot happening in between. Welcome to the abandoned Rocky Point Amusement Park.

Rocky Point Park's history dates back to 1847, evolving from a modest resort to a sprawling amusement park that attracted visitors from far away lands like Massachusetts. Throughout its existence, the park underwent many transformations, from changes in ownership to devastating natural disasters like the Hurricane of 1938 and Hurricane Carol in 1954.

One of the park's enduring legacies is its iconic attractions, including the Rocky Point Clam Dinner, which drew crowds with its legendary feasts. Over the years, new rides and amenities were added, cementing Rocky Point's reputation as a premier destination for entertainment and leisure.

Rocky Point always persevered, though, thanks to dedicated owners like Conrad Ferla, who became synonymous with the park during his tenure. For decades Rocky Point was like having Disney World in our backyard. Rides like The Corkscrew, Musik Express, Free Fall, and Skyliner were hits with visitors, along with concerts like Beastie Boys or AC/DC at the Palladium? Hot damn.

Okay, if Rocky Point was so huge, then why was it abandoned?

In May of 1990 the failing Bank of New England demanded payment of nearly 5 million dollars in mortgages that Rocky Point’s owners had taken out on the park and several unrelated businesses. Money that wasn’t owed yet and that the owners didn’t have on hand.

Scrambling to obtain other financing in 1991, the owners of Rocky Point quickly entered into a lending relationship with Fairway Capital Corporation, where Fairway loaned Rocky Point $5,395,000 at 15.5% interest per year over twenty years. That’s $900,000 per year in interest alone. Damn, they’d have to sell like a million clam cakes to break even, which… they didn’t.

In October of 1995, a reorganization plan was approved by a federal judge who authorized a restructuring of the debt. The plan allowed the owners to either operate the park on a razor thin budget or liquidate it and sell off the park’s assets.  Viewing the business as non-viable, the owners chose the second option.

In the years following its closure, Rocky Point stood abandoned, a haunting reminder of its former glory. Yet, in 2014, the City of Warwick reclaimed the land, transforming it into a state park, preserving its natural beauty for future generations to enjoy.

While the amusement park may never return, the memories of Rocky Point endure, immortalized in documentaries, books, and the shared recollections of those who experienced its magic firsthand. As Rhode Islanders reminisce about their time at Rocky Point, they hold onto the cherished memories that will forever remain a part of the state's history.

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[JasonAllard]

What was your favorite ride at Rocky Point? (please don’t say the flume 😭)

[travisauto]

As a lifelong Rhode Islander, I would like to say that I really really enjoyed this video, it brought me back to the fun times of my childhood thank you

[King-SAY]

This place wasn’t just popular with RI’ers, it was a New England staple!

[markrichards]

I grew up in Massachusetts. Our annual trip to Rocky Point was a highlight of our summer. The rides were fun, but being with cousins I didn't see very often was the best part. Rocky Point was small enough that the adults could keep track of us, and it was in a good location, to get out of our urban / suburban environment for the day. I have a lot of Happy memories from RP.

[pices]

I miss Rocky Point. When I do go there to walk the paths or look at the ocean, there seems to be the spirit of old in the air. It's almost like you can hear the people still screaming with fun and smell the food from all the cooking spots of the time.

[TheCoasterLisa]

Part of your beloved park still operates at our local park Wild Waves Theme Park in Federal Way, Washington. The owner purchased the Corkscrew and several flat rides from Rocky Point. The coaster was renamed as Wild Thing and continues to thrill kids today. I think the Scrambler and Paratrooper also still operate as well. I’ve ridden these many times since the late 1990’s. Although we don’t visit the park like we used to, it’s always a good feeling knowing that what was once a part of someone’s joy-filled memories continues to live on even if it’s across the country.

[williamgleeson]

Rocky Point was an end of the school year field trip in grammar school in the mid 70's! All the way from Boston!!

[LindaB]

Thank you, Jason, for your wonderful tribute to Rocky Point!
In the 50's, my parents would go there on dates. They married and would bring my brother and I to the park at least once per summer, not just for the rides, or the shore dinner, but also the 4th of July fireworks display. As a teen, I too went there on dates.
After I grew up, I began taking my child there. Our last visit was around 1990, and our last ride was The Freefall.
Personally, my favorite ride was the Corkscrew, but I very much enjoyed those quiet moments gliding through the air and up into the trees on The Skyliner.

[carolinecrane]

Watching from Florida and this made me homesick. White chowder will always be the best no matter where I live.

[lwhealthyeater]

Brings me back to a happier time in life when the world was a better place. Thanks for the memories.

[helenelauzier]

I'm originally from fall River, ma. I couldn't wait till we went to Rocky Point....I remember the day history went up for auction...It was a family place....I miss my dad who took my mom and 5 kids every year. ..my dad has passed but glad to have all the best memories

[satxpa]

Just graduated high school in 1992 and was scheduled to go to Army Basic Training later on in July. My last big hoorah was with three of my life-long friends at Rocky Point. As I remeber, we had a blast and it was a fitting send off. Discounting reunions, it was thr last time we would all be together before real life set upon us. Great memories

[littlered]

From a Rhode Islander, Thank You, Nuff Said

[marylaber]

I grew up going to Crescent Park in Riverside RI, where the lovely Loof Carousel still resides. But nothing bring back memories like a boat ride from Barrington to Rocky Point where my parents would tie up and get clam cakes and chowder and we kids would go ride the rides. Nothing put the thrill in Summer like a trip to Rocky Point Park. My kids remember it fondly too. My youngest actually has the lobster logo tattooed on his leg. He also collects paraphernalia. Thank you Jason for bringing it back, a bittersweet look at a wonderful time gone by.

[cherylmailloux]

It was the bomb baby!!! We practically lived there most of our summers. We lived in south Boston and that was our family fun park go to ❤❤❤😊.good times, good times 😊

[ZiddersRooFurry]

I grew up in RI and from when I was a kid until it closed I visited Rocky Point Park almost every weekend it was open. I must have gone there hundreds if not thousands of times and remember every nook and cranny. My sister and I would go every weekend and spend two whole days riding the log flume and Corkscrew roller coaster and my favorite rides the House of Horrors and Musik Express. When I found out Weird Al was playing there in July of '94 we decided to make it an all-day occasion.

The six of us all got into my friend's Subaru Rat (a really tiny car-we were uncomfortable but since it was a short ride we didn't care) and when we got there we got more than a few looks as we spilled out of it like clowns out of a clown car. I remember hitting the arcade first as I always did and then when my arcade money had run out it was House of Horrors and Musik Express all the way. I loved these rides and even now just thinking about never getting to ride them again makes me tear up.

Then it happened. As we were walking away from the log ride and towards the HoH for another trip we saw him. Weird Al was walking down the long road between the roller coaster and log ride and the rest of the rides. Looking at one another we were hesitant to say hi but my being Mr. Extrovert I couldn't keep from saying hi. It wasn't just that. Al's always been there for me whenever I've been feeling down. Even as young as I was I felt deeply indebted to him and felt the overwhelming urge to thank him for all the smiles. Going up to him I said, "Hey Al! We really love your music!" I cringed inwardly. It wasn't very polite or anything like how I'd wanted to address this childhood hero of mine but fortunately, my use of his first name didn't seem to matter. Al leaned forward and with his eyes wide he looked at us and in the most Al way imaginable he asked, "Oh you DO? Well then COME ON!"

He then waved us towards the roller coaster and took off for it. Joe and I looked towards one another and, gripped by curiosity and overwhelming fannish delight, we obeyed. Al ushered us onto the roller coaster with a bunch of other fans and we spent the next three or four trips around the Corkscrews undulating twists and turns alternating between asking us questions about ourselves and screaming at the top of his lungs. After we all got off the coaster he was too busy signing autographs to acknowledge us but while I never managed to get one for myself or Joe we didn't mind. Both of us have a Weird Al memory we'll be reliving (and retelling) for the rest of our lives.

Here's the setlist of songs from that July '94 show

[bernielarrivee]

Thanks for this. I worked there from '68 - '71? And yes, I have stories. Worked the Skyliner, Trabant, Shooting Gallery, and worked on the construction crew for the Flume.

[Scorn]

As a native Roe Dylander, I CAN talk about Rocky Point, and it WILL always be referred to as, "Where Rocky Point used to be." My dad took me out to the parking lot when I was learning to drive a standard, and he put me on the slopped part of the lot, back to the bay, and said, "Don't put us in the water - go." And so many clam cakes were ordered and eaten from Shore Dinner Hall. Thank you for this video!

[Vhs_Stacks]

My girlfriend and I loved this video so much we drove 2 hours today to see the park for ourselves! I kept saying “this is like in the video!” And it helped knowing about what to expect there and the significance of what we were seeing. Thanks so much for such a great video! Because of your hard work you helped two more people make great memories at Rocky Point!

[jasbas]

I was born in R.I and i will die in R.I Rocky point was my childhood. I grew up in south Providence and my dad took me to the salt water pool all summer. As I grew older the rock concerts we the best. In 1976 I seen the band Boston. They just started touring. All you needed was 6 twizzlers rappers. That summer they were playing at the Providence civic center warming up heart and jeff beck. What a great memory.