They had this one ride I can't remember the name but It was little "space rockets" with a molded metal space ray on the front. The rider would sit in the cock pit and could pull back on a lever to make the rocket go up or push it forward to make the rocket go down as the rockets would spin in a circle. In wasn't the fastest or scariest ride but when I was a kid, I dreamed about being a fighter pilot. That rocket ride was as close as I ever came lol !
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
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.
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.
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.
Wow, seeing how many Rhode Islanders moved to FL is kind of wild. We're neither in R.I. or FLA anymore, but I've been back to visit both a couple of times!
I’m from Southeastern Mass and I went to Rocky Point so many times as a kid throughout the 80s and early 90s. It was either Rocky Point or Canobie Lake in NH. Awesome memories, thank you for this!
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.
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 /playlist?list=PL87cTEZmYr0-YO6xg9GiIHCRE-_bRjG7L
@@brazilianfernie Oh, nice! Hello, fellow Weird Al at Rocky Point veteran! I was Just two years older than you were at the time. :D Proof our youth wasn't all THAT bad.
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
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.
Damn Jason you knocked it out of the park with this one. The writing and editing is the best yet, great balance of fun, curious and sentimental. It actually made me really emotional at some points. I only went once or twice but I have some great memories from Rocky point, It's really special that we can all come to this video and remember it together. You're doing some amazing work for the Rhode island community we're so lucky to have you!
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!
Went here many times as a child in the late sixties and early seventies but my most memorable visit was in the eighties as a young adult. I worked construction in Connecticut and we got rained out so my GF and I decided to visit the shore dinner hall for lunch. We were the only two people in this giant building other than staff and we were treated like royalty! Another favorite was the motorcycles in the cage, fearless riders!
I grew up in Massachusetts. My family would go to amusement parks every summer. It was usually the two closest ones, Whalom Park (closed in 2000) and Canobie Lake Park (still open) but I did go to Rocky Point a couple of times in the eighties. I was little when I went. The memories I had were the type where you wonder if you may have imagined or dreamt them. I remembered the giant dining hall the most. It wasn't until I saw a documentary about Rocky Point where the memories I had became clear. I think about the many places of entertainment and fun in New England that are no longer around. I wish I could visit these amusement parks or seaside attractions (Salisbury Beach comes to mind) I went to as kid just one more time.
This was a really well done mini doc. Thanks so much for taking the time to put this together. I was only 6 when it shut down but I vividly remember clam cakes and chowder with my parents there and watching my dad ride the corkscrew.
I spent every summer at the pool and the park. I have such fond memories. I also saw some incredible bands there including Boston. It will always be very special to me.
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.
We had a summer cottage at Rock Beach, and I worked at Rocky Point from 1972 until 1975, the last two years as the operator of the Music Express. I was also a relief operator, so I learned how to run all the rides. Those were fantastic years, even having worked 10 to 12 hours a day, 6 days a week
Oh, goodness! I wish they had at least preserved the sign! How I remember seeing that sign up ahead with such kid joy! And as my father’s car passed under it I knew that I was about to have the most amazing time of my life at Rocky Point! Like the time I ran up and down the ramp to ride the flume in the light rain, over and over again! And it was just me and the rain soaked operator looking on plainly as I jumped into one of those plastic logs! I got completely soaked and loved it! My family practically owned the park that day! What memories! Thank you so very much for making this video! 🙂
I remember a day similar to yours. The weather was iffy and the park was pretty empty but we (kids) piled into the car to head up to Rocky Point from MA. I light drizzle didn't keep us from going on flume ride after flume ride that day. We'd get off, go down the stairs, and then back up the entrance stairs just to get right back on. After we were good and soaked from the light drizzle and splashing we rode the gondola over the park and dripped on everyone below us. We rocked the boat and broke just about every rule the flume ride had at the time. Ahh memories and the good ole' days. Yea, too bad they didn't at least keep the sign.
I used to live right down the street from Rocky Point when I moved to RI back in 1993 after my mother passed away. My parents used to take me there when I was a kid when we lived in Mass. Miss the park.
I lived in R.I for 6 years as a kid from January 1974 until January1980 until moving to Arizona. As a kid, I went there a few times. My mom didn't have much money, so the two times or so that I went there were fun. I don't recall to many of the rides, but I remember eating at the dining hall land having clam cakes and chowder. I haven't been back in 44 years as I still live in Arizona, but I have looked at pictures of what remains.
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 😊
I worked at Rocky Point in the summer of 1991 operating the Corkscrew. Thanks for this video, it brought back so many memories for me. Certainly that was an unforgettable summer.
I still remember the theme song on the radio "we'll have amusement park fun in the Rhode Island sun come on down to Rocky Point! Loved it when Electric Boated rented it out once a year for just EB employees and families
I was born and grew up in Rhode Island. So I remember Rocky Point. My family and I went to the shore dinner Hall and I can remember going out a lot of these rides with my dad. I can also remember hearing stories from my dad and my grandfather and My Mom. You did a very good job on this video. I subscribed and liked Thank you for showing the good parts of Rhode Island. It brought back a lot of happy memories. Both my grandfather and my dad would tell me stories about Rocky point and how they went there when they were kids. It broke my heart when I heard that they had closed but I'm glad that nothing else was built in its place they kept it a state park and it looks like they did a nice job with it.. Thank you for doing this video
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!
wow!! some of the best memories of my life ,my father operated rides at rocky point from the 80s until i think 93, he would take me pretty much everyday with him to work in the summer,i thought i was pretty cool as a kid because my father worked at rocky point lol seeing this gets me sad because my father passed a few years back and seeing this makes me think of him and those good times i had at rocky point as a child, great video by the way!!! brought back so many memories !! thank you
I remember going to Rocky Point as a kid. My aunt and uncle took my brother and I there. We had so much fun. I loved the flume, and the corkscrew was the first roller coaster I ever rode. I also love listening to my mom and dad share memories about when they were young and went to Rocky Point. It really is sad and tragic what happened to cause its closure. This video honestly made me cry. I wish we had it back so I could take my son there. Thank you for making this.
ive been in Warwick born and raised since '97, didn't get to see it in the abandoned state. i have seen it grow, but now since they've made it a big park there's been a lot of interest in it. they've honestly done a pretty decent job at making a nice walking path around the park for people to walk, jog, or my favorite, walk the dogs. there's been a lot to do there, most recently everyone gathered there to view the eclipse. always respectful people fishing and cleaning up after themselves.
Thank you Jason! For preserving another outstanding piece of RI heritage. And for giving the only RI native who sadly never visited RP, the perfect tour of everything I missed!!
I was lucky to have gone there 3 times in the middle to end of of the 1980s. Always had a fun time. My favorite ride--of course it was the roller coaster followed by the flume ride. Happy memories
Born in RI and did go there several times but I spent my first 15 summers at our camp at Matunuck so the opportunities were not there for summer fun. I do remember eating at the big hall which was a once a year thing in my family. I’m a lot more familiar with Aunt Carries and George’s and my dad always took us to see the tuna during the annual tournament. We also took the Block Island boat trip several times. We were at the beach during Hurricane Carol and had a harrowing experience. I was only 4 then but I still remember it vividly. Thanks for the memories!
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
Ahhhh Rocky Point Amusement Park was a great part of my childhood and teenage years back in the 70's and 80's my favourite ride was the Musical Express and the floon water roller 🎢 coaster and of course the food 🦞🌭🍔🍟🍕🍦🧋🥤 RIP Rocky Point 😢❤❤
I was 10 maybe 11 when I visited Rocky point with my family, along with a few families from our neighborhood in the projects, where I grew up about 5 miles north of Boston. I remember on the ride up, I got to sit next to my crush. That alone was one of the most exciting rise of my childhood and then the park was so amazing had so much fun. It was one of those perfect days from your childhood❤
The best memories as a childhood were at Rocky Point! My favorite though was hearing them call your families name over the loud speaker then running to eat what seemed like an endless supply of Clam Cakes and both New England and Manhattan Clam chowder!! ❤❤❤❤❤
Many memories made at Rocky Point as a kid/teen. I went there all the time (Used to live in Cranston), Played a lot of arcade video games there and I think the corkscrew was one of my favorites. I moved out of RI a long time ago but, could never forget the place, Thanks for showing some memories here.
I’m from MA originally and now live in Rhode Island. I’d never heard of Rocky Point before I moved here (even though I lived on the border of RI). I was a toddler when it closed so I suppose it makes sense I didn’t know about it. I asked my partner if they remembered Rocky Point (they’re quite a bit older than me) and they said that they went there about 100 times in childhood. So thanks for sharing a bit of RI history that’s no longer around.
Was the place to be every Summer! Crappy old dangerous rides. The spider. The Flume. The drop! And Don't forget Fishing. Those where the good year's when you was bored. Meet girls. Was the best ! Thanks I enjoyed it.
Bunch of us back in high "late 70's-81" school always went to Rocky Point quite a few times a year to see concerts. J. Geils Band, Cheap Trick, Nazareth etc. etc.. Drive down from Central Mass. Drinking age was 18 back then so we always had a good time at Rocky Point.
I remember seeing a performer there who went by JT. He handed out CDs which I still have. Lincoln Park is another icon long lost which was not too far away.
We had fun at all of the parks, Lincoln Park, Crescent Park, Rocky Point, they were the fun places to go, back in the day. Rocky Point, I remember the triple loop, roller coaster, which my husband and I were not sure we would survive. My husband was the last one on board, the ride took off before the safety bar locked into place, he had to hold the bar back the entire ride so we didn’t fall out. My grandmother loved going to these parks, playing the games. The smell of the food, was in the air. Those clam cakes were the best, the chowder was great also.
Me and my wife went last summer to check this shit out bring back so many childhood memories even though the last time I went was 1993 and they closed in 96 I was 13 in 93 going back to look at things in my 40s it's crazy. I never knew we had a pool shit bugged me out standing over top of it
I went to Rocky Point growing up. I moved away and then heard it was closed. The video made me smile…and cry. I remember the red clam chowder and the best clam cakes!
This is the first time I have heard of this amusement park. It looked like it was a great time. Where I live in MD we had something similar. It was a lot of fun, but it fell just like this park did. So many memories. Great video sir. Thank you.
Oh man. I remember seeing Ministry, Sepultura, and Helmet in the Palladium, there during Ministry's "Psalm 69" tour. I remember looking over and seeing the roller coasters and wishing that I had arrived for the show when the amusement park part of it was open. It looked fun. I can't believe it's all gone now.
I saw Jane's Addiction, Pearl Jam, RHCP and Beastie Boys there, not to mention Quiet Riot!! The House of Horrors scared the Bejesus out of me all the way up to High School! You could'nt find better Clam Cakes or Chowder Anywhere!!!! Sigh.
Yes, white chowder is the best chowder. HOWEVER. Only at Rocky Point would I ever eat red chowder. Those giant metal tureens it came to the table in, forever etched into my brain. The House Of Horrors was always my favorite. I was a tiny kid (I'm only 5' as a 43 year old adult lol) so it wasn't until the last year or two of the park that I was tall enough to ride the Corkscrew, and my other favorite, the Enterprise. I *fawned* over that thing for years as a kid wanting to ride it. I'll never forget the sound of everyone's change and loose objects that had fallen out of their pockets as I stood and watched the ride. The tilt-a-whirl and scrambler were my favorites to go on with my dad. And my mom got terrible motion sickness so she couldn't do any of the crazy rides, but she LOVED the train. We went to a lot of different parks in the summers as a kid and the train was always mom's favorite. I wish they'd kept the big Rocky Point sign at the main entrance. I think not just the local community, but people throughout the state would have donated to have it refurbished so it could remain. That thing was iconic. I remember seeing the clip on the news when they tore it down. I cried then and it still made me cry seeing it today. This place was absolutely legendary. This was by far my favorite video you've ever put out. Thanks for the nostalgia trip. ❤
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.
One can always tell, when a story is being narrated by someone with intimate memories and love for a place such as Rocky Point. Where I live, we had an amusement park. It went through many changes, but people still thronged to it for many years. Attendence began to decline in the early 80’s until the Flood of ‘85. That sounded the death-knell for Lakeside Amusement Park. Those of us old enough to have gotten to go there hold a special memory that kids now couldn’t fathom.
Again over the top well done video Mr Jason every video you make is better than the last video All the beautiful places Rhode Island had to offer over the years are just about all gone Hey 150 years in the business not bad at all considering all the many hurricanes that bashed down Rocky Point many times over the years ... And yes Mr Jason if it was a hot summer's day The Flume was the top ride LOL 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣.. A little fun fact Island Park in Portsmouth had a smaller version of an Amusement Park back in it's day until the 38 hurricane said sorry pal i don't want you there anymore and that Amusement Park got washed out to sea and never to seen again .. Mr Jason you are the best of the best at what you do
Thank you so much for telling a wonderful and complete story of Rocky Point. I have fond memories as a youngster going there with my family. I moved away from Rhode Island in 1973 and never knew what had happened to the amusement park. Even the locals I spoke to weren't clear after all these years. Your story filled in all the gaps. Well done!
I have a copy of the documentary David Bettencourt did. I still watch it every now and then when I need a hit of nostalgia. I was born in 1995 though, so I was never able to experience the park itself. Only finding out about it years later when it had been demolished. Tbh, I love abandoned places and would have loved to see it abandoned at some point. I remember coming across all these cottages one day near the park. I guess people rented them out for the summer, or they were for employees. While I do enjoy the You Must Be This Tall documentary, I do feel like it was very rushed and they skipped over a lot of things. They never talked about what took place that led up to the park closing. They never talked about the financial difficulties in the 80’s and 90’s of the park. Never mentioned how Six Flags opened in Agawam and that killed a lot of their traffic. This documentary shines way more of a light on things and I love the use of After Effects!
I met my wife at Rocky Point in the summer of 1995, proposed to her in 1997 while we were still in high school, got married in 1998, and July 11 2024 we will be celebrating 26 years of marriage. Rocky Point will always be incredibly special to us❤
What was your favorite ride at Rocky Point? (please don’t say the flume 😭)
WELL I SPENT MORE TIME AT CRESCENT PARK,RIVERSIDE RI..THANK YOU,GREAT JOB
I liked the yo-yo
Jason is going to be very wet and he doesn't know it 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣sorry buddy the flume was top ride
They had this one ride I can't remember the name but It was little "space rockets" with a molded metal space ray on the front. The rider would sit in the cock pit and could pull back on a lever to make the rocket go up or push it forward to make the rocket go down as the rockets would spin in a circle. In wasn't the fastest or scariest ride but when I was a kid, I dreamed about being a fighter pilot. That rocket ride was as close as I ever came lol !
Spider and corkscrew, i remember when that opened
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
You can sill experience them. Just take a ride to Salem, New Hampshire.
You should watch the local documentary, “Must Be This Tall To Ride” showed greta historical footage and had some good interviews
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.
This place wasn’t just popular with RI’ers, it was a New England staple!
Truth!
Mostly Rhode Island though
Exactly... We used to travel there from Central, MA
Rocky Point was an end of the school year field trip in grammar school in the mid 70's! All the way from Boston!!
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.
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.
Brings me back to a happier time in life when the world was a better place. Thanks for the memories.
Watching from Florida and this made me homesick. White chowder will always be the best no matter where I live.
We moved to FL .The one thing I miss about New England is the seafood .
Wow, seeing how many Rhode Islanders moved to FL is kind of wild. We're neither in R.I. or FLA anymore, but I've been back to visit both a couple of times!
And clam cakes!
First place i ever had french fries with vinegar on them.
we’re in the same boat
I’m from Southeastern Mass and I went to Rocky Point so many times as a kid throughout the 80s and early 90s. It was either Rocky Point or Canobie Lake in NH. Awesome memories, thank you for this!
Same, same, same ✌🏽
BRINGS BACK OLD MEMORIES
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.
From a Rhode Islander, Thank You, Tears!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nuff Said
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 /playlist?list=PL87cTEZmYr0-YO6xg9GiIHCRE-_bRjG7L
That’s awesome!! I was at that weird Al show! I was 17! 😊
@@brazilianfernie Oh, nice! Hello, fellow Weird Al at Rocky Point veteran! I was Just two years older than you were at the time. :D Proof our youth wasn't all THAT bad.
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
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.
Went ever summer from about 83 to 95 when I graduated Highschool. I knew that park like the back of my hand. Great video! loved it!
Omg I keep reading the years here. My days spent there were the 70's. Every Friday night
Damn Jason you knocked it out of the park with this one. The writing and editing is the best yet, great balance of fun, curious and sentimental.
It actually made me really emotional at some points. I only went once or twice but I have some great memories from Rocky point, It's really special that we can all come to this video and remember it together. You're doing some amazing work for the Rhode island community we're so lucky to have you!
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!
I miss not having a local amusement park like this anymore. Rocky point and Lincoln park 😢
This video made me happy and sad at the same time. I too have fond memories of Rocky Point.
Went here many times as a child in the late sixties and early seventies but my most memorable visit was in the eighties as a young adult. I worked construction in Connecticut and we got rained out so my GF and I decided to visit the shore dinner hall for lunch. We were the only two people in this giant building other than staff and we were treated like royalty!
Another favorite was the motorcycles in the cage, fearless riders!
I grew up in Massachusetts. My family would go to amusement parks every summer. It was usually the two closest ones, Whalom Park (closed in 2000) and Canobie Lake Park (still open) but I did go to Rocky Point a couple of times in the eighties. I was little when I went. The memories I had were the type where you wonder if you may have imagined or dreamt them. I remembered the giant dining hall the most. It wasn't until I saw a documentary about Rocky Point where the memories I had became clear.
I think about the many places of entertainment and fun in New England that are no longer around. I wish I could visit these amusement parks or seaside attractions (Salisbury Beach comes to mind) I went to as kid just one more time.
Salisbury beach, Salem Willows and of course Canobie Lake Park are my childhood 💜
This was a really well done mini doc. Thanks so much for taking the time to put this together. I was only 6 when it shut down but I vividly remember clam cakes and chowder with my parents there and watching my dad ride the corkscrew.
I go walking out at Rocky point an just remember how much fun we had
Maybe you can close your eyes and imagine all the noise and screams from kids having fun.
I go there sometimes just to sit on the rocks on the shoreline , and remember better times.
I grew up going to RP every summer. I had my prom at the Palladium and remember wanting to leave to go on the rides. So many memories!
Loved that place as a kid. 50 years old now. Clear chowder is the best chowder in ri. Awesome documenty.
I spent every summer at the pool and the park. I have such fond memories. I also saw some incredible bands there including Boston. It will always be very special to me.
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.
We had a summer cottage at Rock Beach, and I worked at Rocky Point from 1972 until 1975, the last two years as the operator of the Music Express. I was also a relief operator, so I learned how to run all the rides. Those were fantastic years, even having worked 10 to 12 hours a day, 6 days a week
I grew up in Connecticut, Rocky Point and Riverside Park were a big part of our summers. Hampton Beach will always remain my favorite place🐾
Hampton Beach was one of my favorites. The huge arcades and all the spots for “fair” type food.
Thanks for the memories. I went to Rocky Point with my first love every summer. It was the late 80's and early 90's. Feels like a different lifetime.
Oh, goodness! I wish they had at least preserved the sign! How I remember seeing that sign up ahead with such kid joy! And as my father’s car passed under it I knew that I was about to have the most amazing time of my life at Rocky Point! Like the time I ran up and down the ramp to ride the flume in the light rain, over and over again! And it was just me and the rain soaked operator looking on plainly as I jumped into one of those plastic logs! I got completely soaked and loved it! My family practically owned the park that day! What memories! Thank you so very much for making this video! 🙂
I remember a day similar to yours. The weather was iffy and the park was pretty empty but we (kids) piled into the car to head up to Rocky Point from MA. I light drizzle didn't keep us from going on flume ride after flume ride that day. We'd get off, go down the stairs, and then back up the entrance stairs just to get right back on. After we were good and soaked from the light drizzle and splashing we rode the gondola over the park and dripped on everyone below us. We rocked the boat and broke just about every rule the flume ride had at the time. Ahh memories and the good ole' days. Yea, too bad they didn't at least keep the sign.
I also went on a drizzly day, got to ride the corkscrew about 14 times in a row that day! There was nobody at the park! Great times
I thought the same thing, they should've left it standing
I used to live right down the street from Rocky Point when I moved to RI back in 1993 after my mother passed away. My parents used to take me there when I was a kid when we lived in Mass. Miss the park.
Great "shout out" to WBRU. LOVED that station!
I lived in R.I for 6 years as a kid from January 1974 until January1980 until moving to Arizona. As a kid, I went there a few times. My mom didn't have much money, so the two times or so that I went there were fun. I don't recall to many of the rides, but I remember eating at the dining hall land having clam cakes and chowder. I haven't been back in 44 years as I still live in Arizona, but I have looked at pictures of what remains.
Loved this place! It looks so small without all the rides and buildings.
18:33 watching that sign come down is like watching my childhood ending.
😢😢😢
Me too😢
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 😊
I can still hear the loose change rattling around in the Rock n Roll.
I worked at Rocky Point in the summer of 1991 operating the Corkscrew. Thanks for this video, it brought back so many memories for me. Certainly that was an unforgettable summer.
My fondest memories are riding in the bumper cars with my grandfather then driving the bumper cars on my own when I got older.
I still remember the theme song on the radio "we'll have amusement park fun in the Rhode Island sun come on down to Rocky Point! Loved it when Electric Boated rented it out once a year for just EB employees and families
I was born and grew up in Rhode Island. So I remember Rocky Point.
My family and I went to the shore dinner Hall and I can remember going out a lot of these rides with my dad.
I can also remember hearing stories from my dad and my grandfather and My Mom.
You did a very good job on this video. I subscribed and liked Thank you for showing the good parts of Rhode Island.
It brought back a lot of happy memories.
Both my grandfather and my dad would tell me stories about Rocky point and how they went there when they were kids.
It broke my heart when I heard that they had closed but I'm glad that nothing else was built in its place they kept it a state park and it looks like they did a nice job with it..
Thank you for doing this video
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!
wow!! some of the best memories of my life ,my father operated rides at rocky point from the 80s until i think 93, he would take me pretty much everyday with him to work in the summer,i thought i was pretty cool as a kid because my father worked at rocky point lol
seeing this gets me sad because my father passed a few years back and seeing this makes me think of him and those good times i had at rocky point as a child, great video by the way!!! brought back so many memories !! thank you
I remember going to Rocky Point as a kid. My aunt and uncle took my brother and I there. We had so much fun. I loved the flume, and the corkscrew was the first roller coaster I ever rode. I also love listening to my mom and dad share memories about when they were young and went to Rocky Point. It really is sad and tragic what happened to cause its closure. This video honestly made me cry. I wish we had it back so I could take my son there. Thank you for making this.
Today, it is one of the most peaceful and beautiful walks you can take.
Oh I loved rocky point . My mimi would take me there every summer . Great memories. Thank you for a great video and remembering such fond memories.
We went many times in the 50s. Also went to Cresent Park and the famous Merry go Round. Best times ever!
He merry go round was a genuine antique one with real horse hair tails
ive been in Warwick born and raised since '97, didn't get to see it in the abandoned state. i have seen it grow, but now since they've made it a big park there's been a lot of interest in it. they've honestly done a pretty decent job at making a nice walking path around the park for people to walk, jog, or my favorite, walk the dogs. there's been a lot to do there, most recently everyone gathered there to view the eclipse. always respectful people fishing and cleaning up after themselves.
From Connecticut, We went there every summer! I remember skipping school with my friends and ending up at Rocky Point! Great times.
Thank you Jason! For preserving another outstanding piece of RI heritage. And for giving the only RI native who sadly never visited RP, the perfect tour of everything I missed!!
I was lucky to have gone there 3 times in the middle to end of of the 1980s. Always had a fun time. My favorite ride--of course it was the roller coaster followed by the flume ride. Happy memories
My childhood was spent here. Friday night concerts were great. My fiance (former) and I took his kids here in 1996. They loved it as much as we did.
Please bring Rocky Point back! 🙏
Wow!!!!! The memories as a kid Rocky Point was a great place to visit....
Best Clam Cakes ever!
My childhood
Born raised and lived in RI
1964- present
Thx for the memories
Born in RI and did go there several times but I spent my first 15 summers at our camp at Matunuck so the opportunities were not there for summer fun. I do remember eating at the big hall which was a once a year thing in my family. I’m a lot more familiar with Aunt Carries and George’s and my dad always took us to see the tuna during the annual tournament. We also took the Block Island boat trip several times. We were at the beach during Hurricane Carol and had a harrowing experience. I was only 4 then but I still remember it vividly. Thanks for the memories!
This made me smile and tear up but mostly warm inside …. Thank you !!
I love going there with my friends back in the 80's
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
This video is GOLD for so many...it is sacred ground! Can't wait to visit the site, now knowing it's RICH history!
Ahhhh Rocky Point Amusement Park was a great part of my childhood and teenage years back in the 70's and 80's my favourite ride was the Musical Express and the floon water roller 🎢 coaster and of course the food 🦞🌭🍔🍟🍕🍦🧋🥤 RIP Rocky Point 😢❤❤
This brings back so many memories. I used to go there in the 70s and the best part was the clam cakes, the best in the world! Thanx for uploading
Thank goodness for memories. As long as there are people with them, then the Amusement park exists if only in memory.
I was 10 maybe 11 when I visited Rocky point with my family, along with a few families from our neighborhood in the projects, where I grew up about 5 miles north of Boston. I remember on the ride up, I got to sit next to my crush. That alone was one of the most exciting rise of my childhood and then the park was so amazing had so much fun. It was one of those perfect days from your childhood❤
The best memories as a childhood were at Rocky Point! My favorite though was hearing them call your families name over the loud speaker then running to eat what seemed like an endless supply of Clam Cakes and both New England and Manhattan Clam chowder!! ❤❤❤❤❤
I saw Pantera at the palladium Brothers. Vulgar tour. Thankyou for that serious memory. 2nd best concert of my life.
Fantastic story here of a place that touched so many’s lives including my own ❤
Many memories made at Rocky Point as a kid/teen. I went there all the time (Used to live in Cranston), Played a lot of arcade video games there and I think the corkscrew was one of my favorites.
I moved out of RI a long time ago but, could never forget the place, Thanks for showing some memories here.
I’m from MA originally and now live in Rhode Island. I’d never heard of Rocky Point before I moved here (even though I lived on the border of RI). I was a toddler when it closed so I suppose it makes sense I didn’t know about it. I asked my partner if they remembered Rocky Point (they’re quite a bit older than me) and they said that they went there about 100 times in childhood. So thanks for sharing a bit of RI history that’s no longer around.
Was the place to be every Summer! Crappy old dangerous rides. The spider. The Flume. The drop! And Don't forget Fishing. Those where the good year's when you was bored. Meet girls. Was the best ! Thanks I enjoyed it.
Bunch of us back in high "late 70's-81" school always went to Rocky Point quite a few times a year to see concerts. J. Geils Band, Cheap Trick, Nazareth etc. etc.. Drive down from Central Mass. Drinking age was 18 back then so we always had a good time at Rocky Point.
Fantastic video. Spent many summer days as a kid at that park. Nice job.
Going to Rocky Point was the thrill of the year when i was young. It was our Disneyland. I even saw the great 3 Stooges there in the 60s.
I remember seeing a performer there who went by JT. He handed out CDs which I still have. Lincoln Park is another icon long lost which was not too far away.
We had fun at all of the parks, Lincoln Park, Crescent Park, Rocky Point, they were the fun places to go, back in the day. Rocky Point, I remember the triple loop, roller coaster, which my husband and I were not sure we would survive. My husband was the last one on board, the ride took off before the safety bar locked into place, he had to hold the bar back the entire ride so we didn’t fall out. My grandmother loved going to these parks, playing the games. The smell of the food, was in the air. Those clam cakes were the best, the chowder was great also.
Me and my wife went last summer to check this shit out bring back so many childhood memories even though the last time I went was 1993 and they closed in 96 I was 13 in 93 going back to look at things in my 40s it's crazy. I never knew we had a pool shit bugged me out standing over top of it
I went to Rocky Point growing up. I moved away and then heard it was closed. The video made me smile…and cry. I remember the red clam chowder and the best clam cakes!
This is the first time I have heard of this amusement park. It looked like it was a great time. Where I live in MD we had something similar. It was a lot of fun, but it fell just like this park did. So many memories. Great video sir. Thank you.
Oh man. I remember seeing Ministry, Sepultura, and Helmet in the Palladium, there during Ministry's "Psalm 69" tour. I remember looking over and seeing the roller coasters and wishing that I had arrived for the show when the amusement park part of it was open. It looked fun. I can't believe it's all gone now.
I saw Jane's Addiction, Pearl Jam, RHCP and Beastie Boys there, not to mention Quiet Riot!! The House of Horrors scared the Bejesus out of me all the way up to High School! You could'nt find better Clam Cakes or Chowder Anywhere!!!! Sigh.
The' House of Horrors' ride always smelled like urine, even back in the 50s when I was a kid...
And it wasn't white!
Awesome video so nostalgic!! 👍🏻
Lived nearby Rockys cousin Lincoln Paaark. Saw Blue Oyster Cult at Rocky Point. Good times.😊😊😊
It blows my mind Janis Joplin and AC/DC performed there
I remember seeing BOC at the park too. My girlfriend at the time, my wife of 40 years today, went on a date to see the show. Cool memories!
I saw joe Walsh at top when I was around 9or 10
Me too! So many memories!
Yes, white chowder is the best chowder. HOWEVER. Only at Rocky Point would I ever eat red chowder. Those giant metal tureens it came to the table in, forever etched into my brain.
The House Of Horrors was always my favorite. I was a tiny kid (I'm only 5' as a 43 year old adult lol) so it wasn't until the last year or two of the park that I was tall enough to ride the Corkscrew, and my other favorite, the Enterprise. I *fawned* over that thing for years as a kid wanting to ride it. I'll never forget the sound of everyone's change and loose objects that had fallen out of their pockets as I stood and watched the ride. The tilt-a-whirl and scrambler were my favorites to go on with my dad. And my mom got terrible motion sickness so she couldn't do any of the crazy rides, but she LOVED the train. We went to a lot of different parks in the summers as a kid and the train was always mom's favorite.
I wish they'd kept the big Rocky Point sign at the main entrance. I think not just the local community, but people throughout the state would have donated to have it refurbished so it could remain. That thing was iconic. I remember seeing the clip on the news when they tore it down. I cried then and it still made me cry seeing it today. This place was absolutely legendary. This was by far my favorite video you've ever put out. Thanks for the nostalgia trip. ❤
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.
This one hits right in the feels of everyone who grew up in Rhode Island at that time. Thank you.
I remember my dad talking me into to riding that coaster that dropped straight down, told me it was a train ride…😂
omg 😂🤣
Jason, I loved this video. Thank you so much for sharing and adding the personal touches. It's the New England I grew up in.
Excellent documentary and very well produced sir! 👏💯
Nice job as always man! Awsome watch
One can always tell, when a story is being narrated by someone with intimate memories and love for a place such as Rocky Point. Where I live, we had an amusement park. It went through many changes, but people still thronged to it for many years. Attendence began to decline in the early 80’s until the Flood of ‘85. That sounded the death-knell for Lakeside Amusement Park. Those of us old enough to have gotten to go there hold a special memory that kids now couldn’t fathom.
Another great film, Jason! Thank you!
Great memories great fun never forget Rocky Point😊❤
Again over the top well done video Mr Jason every video you make is better than the last video All the beautiful places Rhode Island had to offer over the years are just about all gone Hey 150 years in the business not bad at all considering all the many hurricanes that bashed down Rocky Point many times over the years ... And yes Mr Jason if it was a hot summer's day The Flume was the top ride LOL 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣.. A little fun fact Island Park in Portsmouth had a smaller version of an Amusement Park back in it's day until the 38 hurricane said sorry pal i don't want you there anymore and that Amusement Park got washed out to sea and never to seen again .. Mr Jason you are the best of the best at what you do
Awesome video about the History of Rocky Point!!! Nice job, Jason!!!
Thank you so much for telling a wonderful and complete story of Rocky Point. I have fond memories as a youngster going there with my family. I moved away from Rhode Island in 1973 and never knew what had happened to the amusement park. Even the locals I spoke to weren't clear after all these years. Your story filled in all the gaps. Well done!
I have a copy of the documentary David Bettencourt did. I still watch it every now and then when I need a hit of nostalgia. I was born in 1995 though, so I was never able to experience the park itself. Only finding out about it years later when it had been demolished.
Tbh, I love abandoned places and would have loved to see it abandoned at some point. I remember coming across all these cottages one day near the park. I guess people rented them out for the summer, or they were for employees.
While I do enjoy the You Must Be This Tall documentary, I do feel like it was very rushed and they skipped over a lot of things. They never talked about what took place that led up to the park closing. They never talked about the financial difficulties in the 80’s and 90’s of the park. Never mentioned how Six Flags opened in Agawam and that killed a lot of their traffic.
This documentary shines way more of a light on things and I love the use of After Effects!
Damn that song brings back so many memories 😢
I met my wife at Rocky Point in the summer of 1995, proposed to her in 1997 while we were still in high school, got married in 1998, and July 11 2024 we will be celebrating 26 years of marriage. Rocky Point will always be incredibly special to us❤
Oh wow, I forgot Rocky point was open in 1995 still?
@@isaboteur2562 closed in 96
I'm reading the years you were there and thinking wow. My friend and I would go every Friday night back in the 70's. I lived about 2 miles away
Great memory's you got. Good stuff
Did you guys ride the corkscrew together? You should take a trip to Washington state the ride is still in operation