Ocean View Amusement Park

Coordinates: 36°57′14.91″N 76°15′2.53″W / 36.9541417°N 76.2507028°W Ocean View Amusement Park was located at the end of Granby Street at Ocean View Avenue in Norfolk, Virginia. The amusement park and its wooden coaster, "The Rocket," were featured in the 1977 movie Rollercoaster. The park closed Labor Day 1978.^[1] The Rocket was destroyed as part of the making of The Death of Ocean View Park in 1979.^[1]

Ocean View Amusement Park had five coasters, including "The Southern Belle", "Leap The Dips", "Figure Seven", and "The Rocket". The history of the park is featured at the Ocean View Station Museum in Norfolk, Virginia.

Vintage Features and Attractions Once Found In The Park

The Dance Hall

In the park's heyday, this was a perfect place for young singles and couples to meet and socialize. Located at the West end, outside of the Promenade, it featured live bands and a large wooden floor for dancing. It became, and remained one of the most popular attractions to the park from around the turn of the century through the 1950s. During the 1960s, it fell into disuse, and was eventually closed down.

The Lawn And Bath Houses

The extreme East end of the park was once occupied by a row of public Bath Houses, where beach-going park visitors could shower and change into and out of their swimwear. Surrounding the Bath House complex, as well as the area which would later be occupied by the more modern mechanical rides, was an extensive green lawn with walks and benches, where visitors could mill about, socialize, rest, or simply observe the park, other visitors, or the beach. Additionally, a Ferris wheel was situated behind the Bath Houses, offering riders a bird's eye view of the bay.

The Casino

On the immediate north side of the main coaster, which at that time was, "Leap the Dips", and facing the area of the Lawn and Bath Houses, once stood a large Casino, where various games of chance were the order of the day before gambling was outlawed in Virginia. (According to Colonial Williamsburgs website^[2] gambling was not legal at this time, perhaps the Casino was used for games that did not involve gambling as other ocean front casinos at the time.^[3]

Flying Aeroplane / Rocket Tower

Built around the turn of the 20th century, the Flying Aeroplane/Rocket ride served as another main attraction at the park for over fifty years. Taken out of operation by the early 1960s, and stripped of its rocket cars and cables, the main tower itself remained standing as a landmark in its original location until it was finally demolished on camera as part of the climax of the 1978 feature film, "The Death Of Ocean View Park".

Kiddieland

The Kiddieland area was initially much larger, and situated east of the Aeroplane Tower, and behind the Bath Houses, with a small coaster, and a miniature train, but was eventually relocated to a smaller, roofed over area closer to the main promenade, next to the ice cream and cotton candy house. There it included miniature boats, miniature race cars, a miniature version of Disneyland's flying teacups, Bulgy the Whale - a miniature "Flying Coaster", and a small merry-go-round.

Miniature Train Ride

Once located in the original Kiddieland, to the east of the Flying Aeroplane tower, was a miniature train ride, powered by an authentic, fully functional, scaled down diesel locomotive engine, which ran along a generally oval, but slightly meandering path on a similarly authentic, scaled down steel and timber railroad track. Operated by a suitably costumed engineer, who sat on top and astride the engine, it pulled a number of 4 person, open cars, and a red caboose, behind it.

The Skyrocket

A large wooden rollercoaster was always the centerpiece and primary attraction at the now defunct Ocean View Amusement Park. First built around the turn of the century, the original coaster was known as, "The Southern Belle". Some time later, after an extensive re-design, it was dubbed, "Leap The Dips". The most recent, and final design was a much speedier and thrilling coaster, called "The Skyrocket". Shortly before its final demise the name of this coaster was abbreviated to "The Rocket" for use in the role it played in two Hollywood feature films.

Built in 1927 by Edward Vettel,^[4] the Skyrocket served to entertain and thrill the residents of eastern Virginia & North Carolina for many decades. It usually had two heavy trains of iron framed, wooden cars simultaneously on the track, which served a steady stream of passengers, and they would plummet down the first drop of probably 60–70 feet at a breath-taking pace. Shaking, rattling, and kicking up sparks over successive hills, drops, and tight radial turns, it often gave its riders the feeling that the cars would "skip the track", and send them flying in all directions.

In February, 1958, a fire which destroyed a large portion of the West end of the park also caused extensive damage to the western end of the Skyrocket. The coaster was rebuilt by Herbert Schmeck.^[4] It remained the favorite ride of many people throughout the years, and riding it - especially without holding on - became something of a "badge of courage" for many a brave youth in the "Tidewater" area of Virginia.

Age and size restrictions were often enforced. Children under 6 years old were refused entry, and children over 6 years old were refused entry without an accompanying adult. Pregnant women, and the infirm were also discouraged from boarding this ride. Hats and wigs were also prohibited, and due to an incident where a woman actually lost her wig on the ride, it became a long-standing custom for the operator to keep a woman's wig on the ride's main release lever as a humorous reminder.

Other Features and Attractions Found In The Park

West End Attractions

The Sky Slide

On the extreme West end of the park, adjacent to the defunct dance hall, was an outdoor "Sky Slide". It was a tall, metal structure, probably 40–50 feet tall at its highest point, with perhaps five to seven separate stainless steel slides with three bumps along their path down to ground level. Sliders would climb a long staircase to reach the top of the slide, where each one was issued a burlap sack on which to sit on the way down. It was the last permanent attraction added to the park, and was first installed in the mid to late 1960s.

The Promenade

A long, open air, but covered promenade, at one time called the "Fun Pavillion", was located to the North of The Skyrocket, and ran parallel to the coaster and along the beach. The length and breadth of it closely matched that of the rollercoaster. Beneath its gabled roof, framed by open wood posts and beams, were situated a variety of free standing wood frame and masonry buildings, separated by a wide concrete walkway, each housing a number of secondary amusements including:

Dodgem Cars

Located near the West end of the Promenade were the Dodgem Cars. For a general description of this ride, see article titled: "Bumper car"

The Tunnel Of Fun

Located near the center of the Promenade area, the Tunnel of Fun was a "dark boat ride", where patrons were beckoned by the voice of a mechanical Red Devil to board and ride, unrestrained, a small wooden boat at the base of a large, wooden, functional waterwheel, which forced a steady stream of water that slowly propelled the boats through a mostly dark, quiet, meandering tunnel. At various stages of the trip, the passing boat would trigger lighted scenes of "fright" and sound intended to surprise and startle the travelers, eliciting many shrieks and laughter which could sometimes be heard over the din of the waterwheel by the waiting or passing crowd outside. The beckoning Red Devil was situated in a glass covered pocket high up in the wall, to the observer's left of the large waterwheel, and for a time, was accompanied by a "Laffing Sam" who occupied a similar niche on the right side of the wheel. Each character had his own loudspeaker, which was attached to the outside of the wall, and over their head.

"Laff in the Dark"

A few yards East of the Tunnel of Fun was "Laff in the Dark", a more conventional "dark ride", where patrons would sit behind a safety bar in a high backed, cutaway cylindrical car which moved forward, rotated, stopped, or reversed in a seemingly random fashion as it followed a fast and erratic course through a darkened room filled with a variety of surprising, and brightly lit "flash frights", triggered by the position of the car, by which the hapless passengers were forced to confront up close and personal. Drawing attention to this ride was "Laffing Sal", another mechanical device in the form of an overweight, and rather homely-looking female who did no more than emit a constant stream of insane laughter, while doubling over again and again to the delight of all, excepting a few frightened children.

Also located in the Promenade were:

The Shooting Gallery

Where adults and children alike would shoot actual 22 caliber rifles and pistols at both fixed and moving targets in order to test their marksmanship and win various prizes, the Shooting Gallery was also prominently featured in the Rollercoaster film, as the character played by Timothy Bottoms is shown in an early scene winning a stuffed animal, and receiving praise from the operator for his marksmanship before remotely setting off a bomb on the coaster.

The "Penny Arcade"

Located nearly opposite "Laff in the Dark", was the Penny Arcade, where patrons found various coin-operated amusements such as a Punching Ball, a "Strength Meter", a mechanical "Fortune Teller", an "Electrocution" machine, ", "Skee Ball" games, Souvenir Photo Booths, various coin-activated gum and candy machines, and an antique, "Peep Show" - which was a coin operated, crank-driven, photo-flipping, "Cail-O-Scope" featuring, among other themes, a Circa 1880's dance routine by "Little Egypt". (Contrary to what is shown in the feature film, Rollercoaster, there was no live belly dancer appearing in the park.)

East End Attractions

Guess Your Weight

Just East of the center of the park, outside of the Promenade, stood a giant scale, where an operator would try to guess the weight and age of park visitors.

The Hammer and Bell

Across the walkway from the giant scale was a hammer and bell, where men would test their strength and try to win a cigar or other prize by using a sledgehammer and lever to drive a small cylindrical weight up a wire to ring a bell fixed to a high wooden backboard.

The Swinger

Resembling a much smaller version of the Flying Aeroplane/Rocket tower, this ride carried a total of 24 individual wooden seats suspended in pairs from cables and revolved at a moderate speed around a central steel tower. It was situated directly in front of the east end snack bar, but was later removed to make way for other attractions.

The Skyliner

The Skyliner was a relatively recent addition to the park, installed in the mid-1960s. Very similar in design and operation to a ski lift, it carried passengers in double seats with a single safety bar, suspended by a cable, at a slow and easy pace along a straight path and back again, affording them an aerial view of the park and the beach beyond.

Ferris wheel

There were a number of different Ferris wheels present in the park throughout its history, both movable and fixed.

The Roll-O-Plane

The popular name of the Roll-O-Plane was "The Salt & Pepper Shaker", due to the fact that patrons sometimes reported losing various amounts of loose change or other items from their pockets during the ride.

Round Up

The Round Up was a cylindrical platform ride wherein standing riders were spun around at a high rate of speed until centrifugal force increased to the point where the riders were pressed against the wall behind them with such a force that they could not move or fall forward. A control arm would then raise the cylinder to nearly a half-vertical position for a set period of time before the ride was leveled again, and slowed to a stop.

The Paratrooper

The Paratrooper was a small, portable "Umbrella Ride", which was installed in the mid-late-1960s when the popularity of the park began to decline.

The Trabant

The Trabant was an older version of the Wipeout ride, and can be seen in its original location in the Rollercoaster film in a wide-shot scene where the various rides in the park are slowing to a stop following the crash of "The Rocket".

The "Snakes Alive!" Reptile House

The site of the old turn of the century Bath House was eventually occupied by the "Snakes Alive!" reptile house in the 1950s & 60s, featuring an exhibit of live snakes, and for a time, a fully grown, adult alligator.

The Snack Bar

A sizable snack bar was located on the east side of the area containing the various mechanical rides described above, and served hot dogs, hamburgers, cold drinks, candy, and other treats.

The 1960s Atmosphere Of Ocean View Park

The smell of popcorn, cotton candy, hot dogs, soft drinks, machine oil, and electric motors mixed with the salt air of the Chesapeake Bay served to give the park an aroma all its own. The noises of grinding gears, whirring motors, clattering chains, and iron wheels on metal covered wooden tracks combined with the incessant sounds of music, chatter, the shooting gallery, laughter, and gleeful screams from the crowds formed an irresistible cacophony of delight to the young, and the young at heart. Some of the more memorable sounds were those of the talking Red Devil at the "Tunnel Of Fun" boat ride, and the "Laffin' Sal" from the "Laff in the Dark" ride (Who later took up residence outside of a certain "fun house" on Atlantic Avenue in Virginia Beach.)

Tickets And Passes

In the earlier days of the park's operations, each attraction had its own ticket booth, but later on, tickets could generally be purchased for most of the other attractions at any one of these booths.

In the waning years of its operation, general admission, whole park passes were issued at a single booth located at the park's main entrance, which was at the sidewalk, near the area of the entry to the Skyrocket. These passes consisted of a colored string, fastened around the wrist of the patron with a small metal clasp, and at one time were sold for the now incredible price of a single dollar. Initially, these passes were good for entry into all of the rides in the park, excepting the Skyrocket, but near the very end of operations, entry to that ride was included as well.

The Death Of Ocean View Park

In the mid-1970s, the park was slated to be torn down, but was saved from total oblivion by having its rollercoaster featured in at least two Hollywood disaster films. One was 1977's "Rollercoaster", starring George Segal, Henry Fonda, and Timothy Bottoms, which featured Ocean View Amusement Park as one of many around the nation which were being targeted by a mad terrorist bomber (Bottoms). The other film was "The Death Of Ocean View Park", a "Playboy" production, starring Mike Connors (Mannix), in which the actual destruction of the coaster served as the climax of the film.

A testament to the strength of the old ride's wooden structure remains fixed in the memories of those who witnessed its demolition. When the time came for the filming of the movie's climax, the primary supports of the coaster were fitted with explosive charges. At the signal of the director, one of the wooden trains, filled with mannequins, was sent for its "last" ride down the aged track. The charges were set off, blowing the large wooden posts to smithereens, while at the same time, huge, fiery gasoline explosions were set off for visual effect. The coaster refused to budge. The somewhat melancholy crowd watching from across the street broke into spontaneous laughter, and applause, for their beloved, and defiant coaster. Inspections were made, new charges were set on the secondary supports, and the scenes were re-staged. The charges went off, the coaster remained standing, and the crowd cheered.

Unwilling to spend any more time or money on explosives, the movie company finally devised a way to bring down the Rocket once and for all. A bulldozer, off-camera, and fitted with cables tied to strategic points along the track, finally did what the dynamite couldn't do, and amid the smoke and fire of one final gasoline bomb, as well as the jeers and tears from the crowd, it slowly dragged the coaster to the ground.

Present Day Disposition Of The Park Area

After Ocean View Amusement Park was torn down, the area it once occupied was replaced by a residential condominium, a residential housing development, and a public park and beach.

The coordinates given above represent the approximate point where riders would board and exit "The Skyrocket" throughout its history, before its final demolition in 1978. Many of the other attractions seen in the Hollywood films, including the famous Salt & Pepper Shaker Ferris wheel, and the much older Rocket Plane Tower were located in the area of the now existing 3 winged high rise condominium to the immediate East of this point. The Shooting Gallery, the Penny Arcade, the "Tunnel Of Fun" boat ride, and "Laff in the Dark" were situated in the now green areas to the North, adjacent to the boardwalk which runs along the border of the public beach.

References

1. http://www.virginialiving.com/virginiana/history/sand-and-spectacle/
2. "Gambling". http://www.history.org/Foundation/journal/Autumn08/gamble.cfm. External link in |website= (help);
3. "Caseno Arcade". http://www.beachboardwalk.com/casinoarcade/. External link in |website= (help);
4. Marden, Duane. "Ocean View Amusement Park (Norfolk, Virginia, USA)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 24 August 2013.

External links

• Ocean View Station Museum
• Internet Movie Database: The Death of Ocean View Park
• Internet Movie Database: Rollercoaster
• Roller Coaster Database: Ocean View Amusement Park
• The Ocean View Nickel Tour