Looking Back at My Childhood in Rhode Island: How Visiting Rocky Point Became an Unforgettable Experience

As I found out after I moved away, growing up in Rhode Island was a unique experience. It was its own little world, where I'd constantly run into someone I knew, no matter what part of the state I was in. There's no state quite like Rhode Island with its quirks, community, incredible restaurants, and even its own vocabulary. It's also one of the most beautiful states in the country. While Rhode Island is seemingly defined by the coastal city of Newport and its Gilded Age mansions, it's more than that, so much more!

Looking back on my childhood in Rhode Island, I have so many incredible memories. Of course, there were day trips to Newport and Narragansett, ferry rides to Block Island, days at the beach, visits to Lincoln Woods, hanging out with friends on Thayer Street in Providence after school, apple picking at Jaswell's Farm, etc. And then there were those summertime trips to Rhode Island's one and only amusement park—Rocky Point.

Remembering those visits to Rocky Point Amusement Park with my parents and sister as a kid makes me incredibly nostalgic. Riding all the rides like the Flume, the Corkscrew and Cyclone Rollercoasters, and the Skyliner was incredibly fun, but I can't even recreate these memories as an adult. Why? Well, Rocky Point closed for good in the mid-1990s. While this fact makes me a little sad, the property where the amusement park once stood is now a state park.

The property of Rocky Point Amusement Park has a longstanding history. It was first opened in the 1840s and became a popular destination along Narragansett Bay, starting with a ferry pier and shore dinners, and then a few amusement rides were added a few years later. As time marched on, more changes, additions like a dining hall, and ownership were made, and its popularity grew.

In the 1950s through 1995, Rocky Point Amusement Park became the go-to place for summer fun for Rhode Islanders. Those of us who grew up within that timeframe hold fond family memories of trips to this amusement park. For some, a day at Rocky Point was an annual summertime trip filled with thrilling rides and a visit to the park's Shore Dinner Hall for clam cakes and chowder.

In 1995, Rhode Islanders suffered a devastating blow when Rocky Point Amusement Park was shut down permanently. The owners took out loans on the property to fund other business ventures and couldn't repay the bank. Certain amusement rides, such as the Flume, the Corkscrew, and the Cyclone, were sold at auction.

Oddly enough, when my mom and I visited Prince Edward Island in Canada several years ago, we passed by Sandspit Cavendish Beach. This amusement park had purchased Rocky Point's Cyclone Rollercoaster. I was able to take a picture of this amusement park ride, which I loved so much as a child. While it certainly brought back memories, it was also like seeing an old friend. While The Cyclone was no longer in Rhode Island, it still made me happy to know that it's creating memories for new generations in Canada.

In 2014, Rocky Point was turned into a state park. I was thrilled to learn that this property was being preserved rather than developed as a housing development. I've returned a few times to stroll the Rocky Point Walking Path. Where concrete, rides, and other amusements used to stand, there's now a large green space complete with ghostly remnants of certain rides that nature is reclaiming.

Throughout the park, interpretive signs state what structure or ride once stood there. Coming here as an adult is a trip down memory lane, and reading the signs takes me back to the thrill of a summertime day trip to Rocky Point. And if I close my eyes, I can almost hear the screams of those on the rollercoasters and feel the joy and laughter that we all experienced at the beloved amusement park that once was.

I look back fondly at many moments from my childhood in Rhode Island and realize that spending a day at Rocky Point during the summer was such a special time. Did you spend time at Rocky Point Amusement Park when it was open, and have you visited it since it became a Rhode Island State Park? If Rocky Point was a part of your childhood, I urge you to go back and visit the property where it once stood.