Sand and Spectacle

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PRECIOUS MEMORIES

I grew up in Va. Beach and lived near the Navy base. I had gone to the park several times. I heard of them talking about tearing it down. I was working at a bar called The Diamond Lounge in the early '70s. I went by when the park was being torn down. So sad. There is nothing that comes close to that amusement park now!

Linda (Garrett) Tuttle more than 2 years ago

Good Memories

I grew up on Wells Pkwy and every Saturday night was spent watching fireworks and of course going to the park. I was 17 when they tore down The Rocket. I was in that crowd across the street on that day. OV Amusement Park was very much a part of my childhood . Lots of fond memories.
Traci O

Traci volenec more than 2 years ago

Windows breaking

I was only 9 years old, but I'm pretty sure the windows didn't break until the last try. I was there the first couple of times they tried and people just laughed because it didn't fall. I wasn't there when the windows were blown out of all the nearby stores, but it was a hot topic of conversation in the close neighborhoods. At least, that's how I remember it, but I was 9 so...

John B more than 2 years ago

Memories

My grandmother lived across the street in the Pinewell Apartments in the 1950's and would take me and one my younger brothers to the park everytime we visited. Brother and I were always dress with a tie and hat. When I became a 60's teenager and could drive there from Norview where we lived, it was white shirt and tan pants, always ......
Webb Klinefelter was a maintenance person at the park who I hunted with during the 1970's and 1980's. His stories would keep us laughing many an evening.

RB more than 4 years ago

Good memories.

My father worked for the Virginian Pilot and he would often get a fistful of tickets. Walking the promenade was always fun with all the gaudy sights, bright colors and noises. Particularly liked the two tunnel rides. When older would sometimes skip school to ride the Rocket over an over again. Bumper cars were fun, too. Much simpler times and I wish I could relive them.

Thomas Michael more than 4 years ago

Teenage hangout on fri nights

I grew up in Norfolk in my teen years and rode that wooden rollercoaster over and over again on Friday nights. I love the ferries wheel overlooking the ocean. So many memories from hanging out there.

Tami more than 6 years ago

pyrotechnics

Just a note from the original pyrotech hired in Hollywood and flown to Virginia Beach to blow down the end of the coaster we had only a few hours the first day and the explosions that were thought to be failures were not. The initial explosions were for promotion film and magazine work and had nothing to do with destroying the coaster for the movie. The next week we came in and dynamited the coaster with Tidewater Explosives Co. whos owner had ridden the coaster with his wife right after the World War 2 So if any questions see www.spfxinc.com Wayne Beauchamp I am now 69 and retired almost in Atlanta Georgia.

james wayne Beauchamp more than 6 years ago

Carousel

Do I understand that the rides esp. the carousel were destroyed as well?

Billie Hurst more than 6 years ago

Memories

I am writing a book and included is my time in the early 1950s when I was lucky enough to visit the park many times. At first I lived only a short distance away. Next we moved to Little Creek but I still went to the park. I started going to the Holy Trinity School and road city bus changing buses across the street from the park so I still to went as often as possible. I also became a catty at the golf course just down the street and still found time to visit the park. I only rode the Roller Coaster, Rocket and small air planes, once. They all scared me. My favorite was the building housing the animals out back. I spoke many times about the rattlesnake eating the rabbit. I was there the day the python got loose and went under the building. It was shut down, to my dismay, for a few days until the snake was caught and put back inside. I have fond memories of the park.

Gator L more than 8 years ago

great article

Enjoyed learning about the park

eulysses roldan more than 9 years ago

Memory

Early 1960's my best friend, myself and our fiancés did a weekly rental on the beach near Ocean View and, along with swimming and body surfing in NJ, had some wonderful times at the Park. The Rocket made a few slight creeks but was quite evidently solid...... I don't believe any of us expected the slip-shiny spectacle that area and rest of the U.S. was to become. There was really an American Dream and it will return.

Pablo Harrison more than 10 years ago

update to comments

My e mail address is happystreetrod@wmconnect.com.My home town is Portsmouth.

happystreetrod@wmconnect.com more than 11 years ago

Movie death of ocean view park

Do you have this D.V.D. available?Or know where I can get one.AS I grow older I remember the fun I had at the park.

Phillip Harris more than 11 years ago

Days gone forever

I enjoyed reading this article and remembering the times I went as a child growing up there in the 60s. Unfortunetly, I was too young to ride the roller coaster then, yes, Im guilty, we went to Bush Gardens and Kings Dominion for the bigger thrill. After seeing “Rollercoaster" on TV recently, I found this article and it brought up many wonderful memories and even brought new thoughts and feelings as I tried to imagine how it must have been to be a visitor in the glorious years of the 50s. Or the painful years of the 30s. I had no idea it began so many years before, in 1902 or before. The article wasn’t clear. It’s sad that places like Myrtle Beach and New York still enjoy their historical amusement parks while we had to let ours be destroyed. Thank you for writing about such a wonderful place.

Larry Pritchard more than 12 years ago

Sad

I agree so sad a way to keep it was not found very sad

Violet Hairr more than 2 years ago

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