350:, 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 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
365:", where patrons sat 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, which the hapless passengers were forced to confront. 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.
578:
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 crowd watching from across the street broke into spontaneous laughter and applause. 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.
25:
594:
Rocket Plane Tower, were located in the area of the now existing three-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.
427:
Resembling a much smaller version of the Flying
Aeroplane/Rocket tower, this ride carried 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
259:
In the original
Kiddieland, to the east of the Flying Aeroplane tower, was a miniature train powered by a scaled-down steam locomotive engine, which ran along a generally oval but slightly meandering path on a scaled-down steel-and-timber railroad track. Operated by a costumed engineer who sat on top
581:
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 could not, and amid the smoke and fire of
435:
The
Skyliner was 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
391:
Located nearly opposite "Laff in the Dark" was the Penny Arcade, where patrons found coin-operated amusements such as a
Punching Ball, a "Strength Meter", a mechanical "Fortune Teller", an "Electrocution" machine, "Skee Ball" games, souvenir photo booths, coin-activated gum and candy machines and an
323:
A long, open-air, but covered promenade, at one time called the "Fun
Pavilion", was located to the north of The Skyrocket, and ran parallel to the coaster and along the beach. Its length and breadth closely matched those of the roller coaster. Beneath its gabled roof, framed by open wooden posts and
272:
was always the centerpiece and primary attraction at the park. First built around the turn of the 20th century, the original coaster was known as The
Southern Belle. Some time later, after an extensive re-design, it was named Leap The Dips. The final design was a much speedier and thrilling coaster,
237:
Built around the turn of the 20th century, the Flying
Aeroplane/Rocket ride was another main attraction at the park for over 50 years. Taken out of operation by the early 1960s and stripped of its rocket cars and cables, the main tower remained as a landmark until it was demolished on camera as part
527:
In the declining 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
593:
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 Salt & Pepper Shaker Ferris wheel and the much older
577:
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 director's signal, one of the
295:
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, after an
276:
Built in 1927 by Edward Vettel, The Skyrocket entertained and thrilled the residents of eastern Virginia and 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
471:
increased to the point where they 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.
250:
The Kiddieland area was initially much larger, east of the Aeroplane Tower and behind the bath houses, with a small coaster and a miniature train, but was eventually moved to a smaller, roofed-over area closer to the main promenade, next to the ice cream and cotton candy house. There it included
314:
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.
212:
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. Surrounding the bath house complex, as well as the area which was later occupied by the more modern mechanical rides, was an extensive lawn with walks and
375:
Adults and children could shoot .22 caliber rifles and pistols at both fixed and moving targets to test their marksmanship and win prizes. A series of severe injuries aver the years gave this attraction a bad reputation. The Shooting Gallery was also prominently featured in the
277:
down the first drop of probably 60–70 feet at a breathtaking 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.
419:
Across the walkway from the giant scale was a hammer and bell, where men could 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.
203:
In the park's heyday, the dance hall was a place for young singles and couples to meet and socialize. At the west end, outside of the Promenade, it featured live bands and a large wooden floor for dancing. During the 1960s, it fell into disuse and was closed down.
528:
with a small metal clasp, and at one time were sold for one dollar. Initially, the passes were good for entry into all of the rides in the park, except the Skyrocket, but near the very end of operations, entry to that ride was included as well.
315:
Sliders climbed a long staircase to reach the top of the slide, where each one was issued with a burlap sack on which to sit on the way down. It was the last permanent attraction added to the park, in the mid- to late-1960s.
507:
The site of the old turn of the century bath house was occupied by the "Snakes Alive!" reptile house in the 1950s and 1960s, with an exhibit of live snakes and, for a time, a fully grown, adult alligator.
189:
The amusement park had five coasters, including the Southern Belle, Leap the Dips, Figure Seven and the Rocket. The history of the park is described at the Ocean View Station Museum in Norfolk, Virginia.
644:
Seaside Park will open about May 30 under Jack L. Greenspoon and Dudley Cooper operation. (..) Ocean View Amusement Park, which the pair operates in Norfolk, is scheduled for opening Palm Sunday, April
524:
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.
396:
which was a coin-operated, crank-driven, photo-flipping "Cail-O-Scope" featuring, among other themes, a circa 1880s dance routine by "Little Egypt". Contrary to what is shown in the feature film
296:
incident when 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.
516:
A sizable snack bar was located on the east side of the area containing the mechanical rides described above, and served hot dogs, hamburgers, cold drinks, candy and other treats.
590:
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.
784:
280:
In February 1958, a fire that 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
354:
who occupied a similar niche on the right side of the wheel. Each character had its own loudspeaker, which was attached to the outside of the wall, and over their head.
324:
beams, were a variety of free standing wood frame and masonry buildings, separated by a wide concrete walkway, each housing a number of secondary amusements including:
536:
In the mid-1970s, the park was scheduled to be torn down, but was saved from total oblivion when its roller coaster appeared in at least two Hollywood disaster films.
251:
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.
384:
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.
412:
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.
273:
called The Skyrocket. Shortly before its final demise, the name was abbreviated to The Rocket for use in the role it played in two Hollywood feature films.
804:
225:
On the immediate north side of the main coaster — at that time, it was Leap the Dips — and facing the area of the lawn and bath houses, there was a large
42:
789:
552:, used Ocean View Amusement Park as one of many around the US which were being targeted by a mad terrorist bomber (Bottoms). The other film was
454:
was "The Salt & Pepper Shaker", because patrons sometimes reported losing loose change or other items from their pockets during the ride.
799:
794:
779:
89:
123:
61:
108:
485:
was a small, portable "Umbrella Ride", which was installed in the mid-late-1960s when the popularity of the park began to decline.
68:
46:
75:
500:
film in a wide-shot scene where the various rides in the park are slowing to a stop following the crash of "The Rocket".
57:
582:
one final gasoline bomb, as well as the jeers and tears from the crowd, it slowly dragged the coaster to the ground.
35:
172:
493:
292:— became something of a "badge of courage" for many a brave youth in the "Tidewater" area of Virginia.
713:
443:
There were a number of different Ferris wheels in the park throughout its history, both movable and fixed.
269:
660:
162:, USA, opened in 1905 and operated by Jack L. Greenspoon and Dudley Cooper. The amusement park and its
82:
638:
615:
481:
678:
754:
743:
468:
159:
633:
610:
467:
was a cylindrical platform ride where standing riders were spun around at a high speed until
549:
463:
381:
281:
176:
but closed on September 4, 1978. The Rocket was destroyed as part of the making of the
163:
155:
773:
571:
260:
and astride the engine, it pulled a number of 4-person open cars and a red caboose.
567:
557:
541:
451:
361:
A few yards East of the Tunnel of Fun was "Laff in the Dark", a more conventional "
214:
167:
284:. It remained the favorite ride of many people throughout the years, and riding it
621:
NORFOLK, Va.—Ocean View Amusement Park here opened April 13 with a fireworks show
545:
351:
334:
24:
177:
138:
125:
362:
347:
748:
737:
764:
346:
Located near the center of the Promenade area, the Tunnel of Fun was a
562:
226:
574:, in which the actual destruction of the coaster was the climax.
331:
Located near the West end of the Promenade were the Dodgem Cars
759:
217:
was behind the bath houses, offering riders a view of the bay.
611:"Norfolk's Ocean View Dolls Up Front, Back; Adds Fishing Pier"
18:
708:
400:, there was no live belly dancer appearing in the park.
496:
ride, and can be seen in its original location in the
709:"Ocean View Amusement Park (Norfolk, Virginia, USA)"
655:
653:
158:
at the end of Granby Street at Ocean View Avenue in
49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
760:Roller Coaster Database: Ocean View Amusement Park
642:. 23 February 1957 – via Google Books.
8:
785:Defunct amusement parks in the United States
229:before gambling was outlawed in Virginia.
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
619:. 13 May 1957 – via Google Books.
492:The Trabant was an older version of the
602:
238:of the climax of the 1978 feature film
702:
700:
685:. The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
16:Closed amusement park in Virginia, USA
288:— especially without holding on
7:
634:"Progress at Ocean View and Seaside"
47:adding citations to reliable sources
368:Also located in the Promenade was:
805:1978 disestablishments in Virginia
556:, a "Playboy" production starring
14:
504:The "Snakes Alive!" Reptile House
380:film, as the character played by
194:Vintage features and attractions
23:
790:1958 fires in the United States
233:Flying Aeroplane / Rocket Tower
34:needs additional citations for
300:Other features and attractions
166:, the Rocket, appeared in the
1:
800:History of Norfolk, Virginia
795:Economy of Norfolk, Virginia
739:The Death of Ocean View Park
554:The Death Of Ocean View Park
240:The Death Of Ocean View Park
183:The Death of Ocean View Park
182:
780:Amusement parks in Virginia
428:way for other attractions.
332:
58:"Ocean View Amusement Park"
821:
765:The Ocean View Nickel Tour
152:Ocean View Amusement Park
139:36.9541417°N 76.2507028°W
450:The popular name of the
208:The lawn and bath houses
714:Roller Coaster DataBase
144:36.9541417; -76.2507028
392:antique "Peep Show"—
270:wooden roller coaster
661:"Sand and Spectacle"
404:East End attractions
372:The Shooting Gallery
305:West End attractions
255:Miniature train ride
43:improve this article
416:The Hammer and Bell
135: /
520:Tickets and passes
388:The "Penny Arcade"
358:"Laff in the Dark"
667:. 4 January 2011.
540:(1977), starring
469:centrifugal force
409:Guess Your Weight
343:The Tunnel of Fun
160:Norfolk, Virginia
119:
118:
111:
93:
812:
726:
725:
723:
721:
704:
695:
694:
692:
690:
675:
669:
668:
657:
648:
647:
630:
624:
623:
607:
586:Present day site
447:The Roll-O-Plane
395:
348:"dark boat ride"
338:
291:
287:
150:
149:
147:
146:
145:
140:
136:
133:
132:
131:
128:
114:
107:
103:
100:
94:
92:
51:
27:
19:
820:
819:
815:
814:
813:
811:
810:
809:
770:
769:
734:
729:
719:
717:
707:Marden, Duane.
706:
705:
698:
688:
686:
677:
676:
672:
665:Virginia Living
659:
658:
651:
632:
631:
627:
609:
608:
604:
600:
588:
550:Timothy Bottoms
534:
522:
514:
506:
491:
478:
476:The Paratrooper
460:
449:
442:
434:
426:
418:
411:
406:
393:
390:
382:Timothy Bottoms
374:
360:
345:
330:
321:
312:
307:
302:
289:
285:
282:Herbert Schmeck
266:
257:
248:
235:
223:
210:
201:
196:
143:
141:
137:
134:
129:
126:
124:
122:
121:
115:
104:
98:
95:
52:
50:
40:
28:
17:
12:
11:
5:
818:
816:
808:
807:
802:
797:
792:
787:
782:
772:
771:
768:
767:
762:
757:
746:
733:
732:External links
730:
728:
727:
696:
670:
649:
625:
601:
599:
596:
587:
584:
533:
530:
521:
518:
513:
510:
405:
402:
320:
317:
311:
308:
306:
303:
301:
298:
265:
262:
256:
253:
247:
244:
234:
231:
222:
219:
209:
206:
200:
199:The dance hall
197:
195:
192:
164:wooden coaster
156:amusement park
117:
116:
31:
29:
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
817:
806:
803:
801:
798:
796:
793:
791:
788:
786:
783:
781:
778:
777:
775:
766:
763:
761:
758:
756:
752:
751:
750:Rollercoaster
747:
745:
741:
740:
736:
735:
731:
716:
715:
710:
703:
701:
697:
684:
680:
674:
671:
666:
662:
656:
654:
650:
646:
641:
640:
635:
629:
626:
622:
618:
617:
612:
606:
603:
597:
595:
591:
585:
583:
579:
575:
573:
572:Martin Landau
569:
565:
564:
559:
555:
551:
547:
543:
539:
538:Rollercoaster
531:
529:
525:
519:
517:
512:The Snack Bar
511:
509:
505:
501:
499:
498:Rollercoaster
495:
490:
486:
484:
483:
477:
473:
470:
466:
465:
459:
455:
453:
448:
444:
441:
437:
433:
429:
425:
421:
417:
413:
410:
403:
401:
399:
398:Rollercoaster
389:
385:
383:
379:
378:Rollercoaster
373:
369:
366:
364:
359:
355:
353:
352:"Laffing Sam"
349:
344:
340:
336:
329:
325:
319:The Promenade
318:
316:
310:The Sky Slide
309:
304:
299:
297:
293:
283:
278:
274:
271:
264:The Skyrocket
263:
261:
254:
252:
245:
243:
241:
232:
230:
228:
220:
218:
216:
207:
205:
198:
193:
191:
187:
185:
184:
179:
175:
174:
173:Rollercoaster
169:
165:
161:
157:
153:
148:
127:36°57′14.91″N
113:
110:
102:
91:
88:
84:
81:
77:
74:
70:
67:
63:
60: –
59:
55:
54:Find sources:
48:
44:
38:
37:
32:This article
30:
26:
21:
20:
749:
738:
718:. Retrieved
712:
687:. Retrieved
682:
673:
664:
643:
637:
628:
620:
614:
605:
592:
589:
580:
576:
568:Diana Canova
561:
558:Mike Connors
553:
542:George Segal
537:
535:
526:
523:
515:
503:
502:
497:
488:
487:
480:
475:
474:
462:
457:
456:
452:Roll-O-Plane
446:
445:
440:Ferris wheel
439:
438:
432:The Skyliner
431:
430:
423:
422:
415:
414:
408:
407:
397:
387:
386:
377:
371:
370:
367:
357:
356:
342:
341:
327:
326:
322:
313:
294:
279:
275:
267:
258:
249:
239:
236:
224:
215:Ferris wheel
211:
202:
188:
181:
171:
151:
130:76°15′2.53″W
120:
105:
96:
86:
79:
72:
65:
53:
41:Please help
36:verification
33:
546:Henry Fonda
489:The Trabant
482:Paratrooper
424:The Swinger
335:Bumper cars
333:(see also:
328:Dodgem Cars
213:benches. A
142: /
99:August 2017
774:Categories
679:"Gambling"
598:References
246:Kiddieland
221:The casino
178:television
69:newspapers
720:24 August
639:Billboard
616:Billboard
363:dark ride
186:in 1979.
464:Round Up
458:Round Up
436:beyond.
268:A large
180:program
689:30 July
683:History
532:Closing
494:Wipeout
394:
290:
286:
154:was an
83:scholar
563:Mannix
227:casino
170:movie
85:
78:
71:
64:
56:
90:JSTOR
76:books
755:IMDb
744:IMDb
722:2013
691:2014
570:and
548:and
479:The
461:The
168:1977
62:news
753:at
742:at
645:13.
566:),
45:by
776::
711:.
699:^
681:.
663:.
652:^
636:.
613:.
544:,
339:.
242:.
724:.
693:.
560:(
337:)
112:)
106:(
101:)
97:(
87:·
80:·
73:·
66:·
39:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
