Carousel

Love this shot!!! I wonder where the carousel horses went? Sold off, I would imagine. Thanks again, Motts, for feeding our obsessions!

Staring into this photo, I can picture the happy kids of another time, eating their cotton candy and listening to the merry-go-round music.

Note the yellow tape around the carousel. It looks like it's a crime scene or something.

Was the motor gone? You can't tell from the pictures. If the carousel was as old as the park, there's a good chance that the horses were made of wood - that jacks up their value a lot.

Oops! I wish I had looked ahead. Nevermind - I see that the whole thing is empy.

Thanks, Motts. I looked at the link you provided, and found out what happened to the horses.

I can hear the kids voices and the music too........ Yes I know that carousel horses are a real commodity.

It was a crime, the horses got swiped!

IT looks so sad and lonely.

The horses .. or whatever other carousel animals were there ... were most likely salvaged by antique dealers/restorers. There is a HUGE market for those things.

betcha they have them on E-bay

I'm gonna check that out.

yes, there are many collectors that will pay big bucks for those old horses. I wonder if this carosel had a callopie (spelling?) in its day?

I used to work there in the mid 80's. My first job...so sad now...

The Carousel House is one of the original structures from 1847. Originally this building has big wooden doors that sealed off the carousel during the harsh Winters in Rhode Island. I am amazed that this, one of the original structures is still standing. All through the 1970's and 80's we visited this great park.

The Carousel was preserved as it was an original ride, hand carved and very collectable. They removed the carousel and stored it. Later it was restored and set up in a park in Westerly, Rhode Island. The Log Flume ride was sold to Enchanted Kingdom Theme Park, Laguna, Luzon, Philippines. The Corkscrew Coaster I think went to a park in Ohio. The only rides that didn't sell during the auction was the House of Horrors and the SkyLiner.

These photos have a dramatic impact on our family, all us kids grew up at Rocky Point. We spent every Summer visiting the park.

Do you think that this place may be haunted?

I dont think that this place is haunted, there are too many people who have happy memories from here. But there were a few people who did get killed on the rides.

There was a ride called the Yo Yo which was basically swings riding at about 30 mph. One night a persons swing broke free from the ride and the person crashed into another ride killing them.

This is where the carousel was. I can remember the summer where I was tall enough to ride this (I am 6'3 now) and getting on the horse (which were all made out of wood) and holding onto the leather bridal and having the mane of the horse blowing around me on that hot summer day.

There was an auction to get rid of the park's inventory but the horses were sold to private bidders

My heart breaks to see this. I spent many special times there when I was a kid =(

i wonder if it lights up at night!....pretty scary

LOVE OLD AMUSEMENT PARK!!!!!!!ESPECIALLY ABANDONED ONE!!

I have great memories of my own rides on the carousel and, then, the thrill of standing next to my own child for his first "horsie" ride.

I just saw this...there is nothing standing here, its just the steps still painted.

I remember being there about 35 years ago. Was wondering if the place was still open. We had some good times there.

I haved wished for years that I could gain access to this park to look around. I don't have the guts to sneak around though

That's the fun part , Dave, sneaking around. My daughter and I used to go to all kinds of places and explore. Those were the best times of my life!

I went into the park this past summer and this carousel building had collapsed. There was nothing left but a pile of splintered wood. That might be why it was taped off... it was ready to fall in on itself.

This photo breaks my heart. This carousel was beautiful!! I can still hear the happy tunes blasting from it's band organ in my mind.

I remember when they were auctioned off it's wooden animals. (I think it was Sotherby's NY that had the auction). I knew the demise of the park was not far behind.

Thanks for posting these incredible but sad photos.

Actually the carosual was at the dels lemonade stand on plainfeild pike right near the landfill kids used to ride it but i think the sold the horses seperatly to people

Lynne, I just had to thank you for all your incredible insight on all the hospital photos. They have really added to my enjoyment of this wonderful site. Kudos to all!

As far as I know both carousels are still in operation. The big one stripped of it's original animals is running at Misquamicut, and Ernie stated that the kiddie carousel with it's metal horses was operating at Del's (best lemonade around!!). Last I heard it was operating at a dairy/ice cream stand. It was a small portable ride, so I could see it making the rounds (no pun intended! ;-)

There's two of us here named Lynne. I didn't make any of the above comments. :-)

Hi Lynne,
I am the other Lynne the antique carousel enthusiast :-) I also posted a few notes in the Worcester State Hospital area since I had a lovely view of it from my condo window :-)

Hiya!

Come on over to the Forum and chat with us!

Hi Lynne, I will sign up in the forum :-)
I noticed a few comments about TAPS from the other posters (Ghost Hunters is my favorite show!). They should be coming back on the air in June. Run DUDE RUN!! LOL! :-D

I am missing TAPS on the SciFi Channel! When are they coming back in Maryland? Thanks!

The original wood horses were sold well before the park closed, and for the last severl years metal horses were used. That was a clear sign the park was doomed, alas.

Two of the horses are for sale on mycarousel.com. The Armored horse and the Indian horse. The Stork was also for sale on the site at one time.

I knew the park was doomed when the figures were sold. I did see the metal replacements on my last visit there. The magic of that carousel was gone once the original figures were sold. And of course a few years later a wonderful park was closed perminantly.

My absolute favorite place in the world. There is no other place to compare. I'm currently living in Indiana, but also cherish the memories of riding this carousel in the fifties and sixties.

This was my favorite ride, the carousel. This carousel was very unusual. It not only had horses but it had all types of animals. The outside row had very large standing animals and there were two inner rows that moved up and down. I would assume at one time it had a brass ring machine since the outside animals were stationary. I was sad to hear that this carousel was being auctioned off.

Unfortunatley RP Park never maintained it properly and the wooden animals were in pretty rough shape last time I seen it. The damp salt air took it's toll on the animals.

Now the animals are in the hands of collectors and this ride is only a pleasant memory for me.

Hey other Lynne,

This ride was reinstalled elsewhere, albeit with the replacement animals. Not the original wooden horses. If you're interested I can find out specifically where. I believe it was either at Misquamicut beach or a, believe it or not, a Dairy Queen.

Hi John Black,

The ride is operating at Misquamicut /Atlantic Beach Park. It has metal replacements and a few of the original MC Illion horses that were on the original Misquamicut carousel.

The small kiddie carousel that used to be at Rocky Point is operating in Cranstion at a Dairy Queen.

I am glad to see these two carousels still in operation. It is too bad the large carousel was broken up for collectors. The replacement animals are just not the same as the originals.

It looks awsome

there is actually a documentary about Rocky Point Park. Check it out at www.rockypointmovie.com

to the person who asked if the carousel had a 'calliope', it had a band organ the first time I went there, although the bass drum and glockenspiel portions of it weren't working. It was replaced by an electronic-sounding 'organ' with lots of flashing lights. I wonder where the original organ went?

Lynne, are you from Rhode Island or the surrounding area? Sounds like you are pretty familiar with this park. (The Lynne who always steps up to the plate when people start speculating a little too much about "mental illness treatments" of years gone by; and also helps us keep the soap dispenser thread alive!

The person who is familiar with this site (R.I.) is "The Other Lynne" and not this Lynne. :-)

Nothing keeps people out better then yellow caution tape

Love it. =D

Carousel horses go for a lot at auction. Older the better.
Some RARES are worth thousands +

i grew up in warwick going to rocky point alot i remember the ride down as soon as we saw the sign we would start to scream with excitment the last time i went was before it closed and it turned into more of a traveling carnival i miss the park so many fun times of my childhood

I used to live in the red house directly next to the sign, we used to sneak in and akate around the park right after it closed. i miss that place all the way from texas.

"skate'' sorry....

Hey all,being an aussie(love us or hate us) i love how patriotic amusement park rides are painted,the way u guys love your country is great. Motts u capture this American spirit in your shots so your a legend in my books DG...

The red house directly next to the sign is also an abandonment now (or at least it was when I was last in that part of RI last summer). It too was owned by the park.

My first thought is "Carnival of Souls"

To the people who are wondering what happened to the original band organ from Rocky Piont Park: I own it! It left RI for a few years and became lost. I then found it in the posesion of an old man in Maine who sold it to me! I am in the process of getting it to run again. Today, it is in Little Compton, RI at the Antique Stove Hospital

I wanna ride the carosuel! where is it?

I came up with this idea where the kids from the Disneyland Fun Sing Along video rode the carousel at Rocky Point. It does sound a bit weird, but I made it take place in 1990. What do you think of this idea? Do you like it???

Wow! I always wondered what happened to that park! I used to go there as a kid, and I remember when they were going to close it. But I never dreamed that they would just leave it there to decay. So sad. Too bad the horses are gone-I love horses! : )

Me too MARIE, CMT I like horsie rides too!!!!!

I rode a horsie at Six Flags Great Adventure on Wedneday, MARIE. IT WAS A VERY FUN HORSIE RIDE!!!!!!

@ilovehorseyrides-Six Flags is a great place! I went to the one in Agawam, MA years ago! I love horses because that's probably the first animal I saw as a baby. My dad had a beautiful arabian mare who was a very gentle and good horse. I used to kiss her on the nose! : )

That's cute Marie. Are you talking about Six Flags New England? Great Adventure is in Jackson, NJ.

@ilovehorseyrides-Hi! Yes, I was refering to the Six Flags New England. My favorite rides are roller coasters-I love the front seat! : ) I've been on a lot of coasters in my day, once I went down (front seat) on the Locknesh Monster at Bush Gardens in Virginia. It's a ride that goes straight down! Very scary, but oh, what a rush!

I have never been to Bush Gardens, Marie. I love roller coasters, too, but I don't ride the ones that go upside down for my own safety.

This dseign is incredible! You most certainly know how to keep a reader amused. Between your wit and your videos, I was almost moved to start my own blog (well, almost…HaHa!) Excellent job. I really loved what you had to say, and more than that, how you presented it. Too cool!