Ocean View Amusement Park 1978

This is a short Super 8mm home movie of Ocean View Amusement Park (Norfolk, VA) on August 31, 1978. This was the last week in operation for the park in the 1978 season. It was ultimately the last year in operation as it closed for good after the 1978 season. The amusement park was used as the filming site in the summer of 1979 for the ABC made for TV movie "Death of Ocean View Park". Parts of the park, especially the roller coaster, were destroyed for the disaster movie. The movie starred Mike Connors, Martin Landau, Diana Canova, Mare Winningham, and several other stars of the time. The majority of the movie was shot in Norfolk, Virginia, with some footage shot in Virginia Beach. The park was also used in 1977 movie "Roller Coaster". A roller coaster car from that movie can be seen above the entrance, in the opening shot.

[@trantgaynor3601]

Who remembers this ocean food roller coaster

[@Trey45S]

The nostalgia is heavy here for me. So many perfect summer days were spent here with my family. Those days are so far behind me.

[@Missglam67]

I feel your loss. It always saddens me when a beloved park and especially an iconic wooden roller coaster gets demolished. Our very own Colossus at Six Flags Magic Mountain could have suffered a similar fate. I greatly miss the classic Colossus which was the heart of the park regardless of all the steel coasters and hyper coasters that started popping up in the park over the years. But I would rather see it get the hybrid makeover it got than see it demolished completely!

[@nulandcox5059]

Wow to be young again and back at ocean view amusement park that would be awesome

[@scotts-land]

Thanks for sharing. Ocean View and the Rocket were classics that should've survived.

[@nleavenworth3064]

Brings back good memories

[@montezoomasrevenge]

Wow, Great footage. Thank you Bill.

[@videobill1974]

Thank You.

[@JazzzyBill]

Awesome job Bill!!!

[@videobill1974]

Thank you.

[@chrisphares4772]

Then,after the accident,the park went to 31st street in Va .Beach,where I was 5 then

[@fairfaxcat1312]

Why was the park torn down?

[@videobill1974]

It was not as well attended as it had been in years past and it likely didn't help that it was also competing with the newly opened and much larger Busch Gardens in Williamsburg and Kings Dominion near Richmond. It permanently closed at the end of the season in 1978 and was used as the setting for the made-for-TV movie "Death of Ocean View Park" in June of 1979.

[@fairfaxcat1312]

@@videobill1974 Thanks. Watched the movie.

[@johnwaffleh2p70]

Why did this place close and not that stupid coasterless Funland boardwalk park