22-05-2025
The first theme park in RI opened almost 200 years ago. Here's its story
As the weather gets warmer, it's almost time to return outdoors to some of your favorite summer attractions, including beaches, festivals and theme parks.
While it might be custom today to travel outside of Rhode Island and over to Massachusetts for a day at the amusement park, nearly 200 years ago, the state was home to one of the oldest theme parks in the country. Though closed now, Rocky Point Amusement Park was one of the state's biggest attractions during its near 150-year run.
Here's the story of the oldest theme park in Rhode Island: how it started, where it went and what remains of Rocky Point today.
Rocky Point Amusement Park dates back to the 1840s, when steamboat captain William Winslow purchased the park's property and started hosting picnics there.
Various owners throughout the following decades added attractions, including a baseball field where Babe Ruth once played and a ballroom that hosted performers like Janis Joplin. Meals also continued to draw crowds to Rocky Point, which became known for its clambakes at the Shore Dinner Hall.
Rocky Point grew into a success as an amusement park in the 1950s-60s, with popular rides including a Ferris wheel, the Corkscrew Loop Roller Coaster, the Log Flume and the Castle of Terror.
However, throughout the 1980s, attendance at the park declined, and financial struggles pushed Rocky Point Amusement Park to close in 1994. The following years saw rides sold and demolished, leaving nothing but scattered parts and memories in the Warwick lot.
Today, the old grounds of Rhode Island's first theme park stand as Rocky Point State Park, a 120-acre park that offers hiking, fishing, biking, picnicking, birding and more. While the former amusement rides have been removed, some structures still remain on the grounds for exploration, along with plaques explaining the old rides.
Rocky Point Amusement Park is free to visit daily from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. The park is located at 1 Rocky Point Ave., Warwick.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: What was the first theme park in RI? It closed in the 90s
