Ocean View Amusement Park

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. The Rocket was destroyed as part of the making of television's The Death of Ocean View Park in 1979.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 ParkThe Dance HallIn 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 HousesThe 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.