New England is home to several abandoned amusement parks like Lincoln Park, Rocky Point, Crescent Park, Paragon Park, and Whalom Park. These parks are a testament to the region’s rich history and are sure to delight thrill-seekers of all ages, just as they did when they were operational.

If you’re weary of New England leaf-peeping and sampling clam chowder from dozens of restaurants that all claim to do it best, why not spice up your road trip by traveling to some abandoned amusement parks?

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Lincoln Park

Location: Dartmouth, MA

Opened: 1894

Abandoned since: 1987

What is the story of Lincoln Park?

Not to be confused with the early-aughts rock band, Lincoln Park first opened as an amusement park back in the early 1920s with all the usual trappings: a merry-go-round, a tilt-a-whirl, plenty of games, and a very special wooden roller coaster, Comet.

The park accrued great success—it even attracted visitors like President John F. Kennedy! Lincoln Park fared spectacularly until 1986, when a fatal accident happened on the Comet roller coaster, killing a rider.

Despite this tragedy, the park chose to repair Comet instead of closing it entirely. Comet was operational for another year until 1987, when one of the cars fell off the tracks. Luckily, no one was hurt that time around, but this incident (combined with mounting property taxes) caused Lincoln Park to close its gates for good.

How to visit Lincoln Park

Today, you won’t find merry-go-rounds and old arcade games at the site of Lincoln Park. The park has been entirely torn down and replaced with

The Residences at Lincoln Park

, an upscale apartment complex.

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Rocky Point

Location:

Warwick

, RI

Opened: 1847

Abandoned since: 1996

What is the story of Rocky Point?

When Rocky Point first opened in 1847, it quickly made a name for itself as one of the most popular attractions in

Rhode Island

. Along with the rides and games, visitors enjoyed grabbing a bite at Shore Dinner Hall, which served up fresh clam cakes, steamers, and (of course) bowls of “chowdah.”

More than just an amusement park, Rocky Point was also a concert venue for big names like Weezer, Pearl Jam, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The good vibes kept rolling until 1996, when the park officially declared bankruptcy. Its rides were sold off at auction and now are in amusement parks as far away as

Seattle

, Washington.

How to visit Rocky Point

The Rhode Island government purchased the Rocky Point fairgrounds in 2013 to establish

Rocky Point State Park

. Visitors can now enjoy some of Rhode Island’s stunning coastline conveniently located just 10 miles from downtown Providence.

If you’re fiending for a taste of what Rocky Point was like, check out

The Tales of Rocky Point Park

. After the park’s closing, a group of documentary filmmakers claims to have found spine-tingling evidence that Rocky Point was cursed. This film is not for the faint of heart!

Crescent Park

Location:

Riverside

, RI

Opened: 1886

Abandoned since: 1979

What is the story of Crescent Park?

Crescent Park was named after the semicircle shape of Rhode Island’s Narragansett Beach. Atop the Crescent Park ferris wheel, you’d be greeted with sweeping views of the Providence river as it opens up into the mouth of the Atlantic ocean.

Crescent Park is also home to the

Crescent Park Looff Carousel

, named for famed Danish carousel carver (yes,

it's a thing

) Charles D. Looff. It was the park’s first-ever ride and is still fully operational today—German organ, hand-carved camels, and all.

The park never closed completely, but private real estate developers purchased most of the land from the owners. The area has since been declared a National Historic Landmark.

How to visit Crescent Park

Although most of Crescent Park was sold off for real estate development (the beachfront views made the property highly sought after), you can still visit the Crescent Park Looff Carousel.

You can do more than take a spin around on this National Historic Landmark: the space is now used for local concerts and car shows.

Unfortunately, the Carousel itself closed for some much-needed restorations, but you can take a peek at their upcoming

performances

and

other events.

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Paragon Park

Location: Hull, MA

Opened: 1905

Abandoned since: 1984

What is the story of Paragon Park?

Like its neighbor Crescent Park an hour down the road, Paragon Park also boasted gorgeous beach front views. Back in the day, a trip to Paragon park was a way to kill two birds with one stone; it had the dual benefit of being an amusement park and a classic beachfront boardwalk.

Visitors could relax by the water in the morning, take an afternoon thrill ride on a giant wooden roller coaster, and scour the boardwalk for a hot dog or some salt water taffy.

In its heyday, the park was complete with a penny arcade, bumper cars, a dark ride called “Kooky Kastle,” and even a ferris wheel with a mini golf course beneath it.

Paragon Park met an end common to many abandoned amusement parks: the land was turned into residential complexes. In 1984, real estate developers began eyeing the prime views along Nantasket beach. As it turns out, the land had more value as a residential living area than it did as an amusement park, so it was sold.

How to visit Paragon Park

The

Paragon Park Carousel

is still in operation, although it no longer resides on the old theme park grounds. Nowadays, you can head over to the old Hull train station and clock tower to host a birthday party, snap some engagement photos, or throw a catered event.

Whalom Park

Location: Lunenburg, MA

Opened: 1893

Abandoned since: 2000

What is the story of Whalom Park?

Whalom Park has the special honor of being the 13th-oldest amusement park in the country and the second-oldest trolley park. Trolley parks were all the rage in Europe, specifically Denmark and England, at the turn of the century. And Americans caught on fast—at one point, there were 1,500 trolley parks spread across the United States.

Trolley parks primarily featured streetcars. At the time (we’re talking the early 1900s here) people were a little intimidated by this new technological feat. They were hesitant to use streetcars as a means of public transportation, but with trolley parks, they learned to feel comfortable riding them.

Whalom Park may have survived the devastating Great Depression and persisted for over 100 years, but it too met the same end as many other amusement parks. You guessed it: Whalom Park is now a

condo complex

How to visit Whalom Park

You can still visit Whalom Park by way of a rad eighties music video! The Cars

"Touch and Go"

music video was shot at Whalom Park and captures a small glimpse of what the park (and eighties fashion style) was like.

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