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You Must Be This Tall

Rocky Point was the place to go when I was a kid. Created by Captain William Winslow in the 1840s on the coast of Rhode Island, Rocky Point eventually grew into a thriving amusement park and food hall.

I can remember taking boat rides there as a kid just for the chowder and clam cakes.

You Must Be This Tall, by director David Bettencourt, is the award-winning story of Rocky Point as told by the people who were there. Something I learned: the first phone call by a president was made from Rocky Point by Rutherford Hayes.

Sadly, Rocky Point closed its doors in 1995 after years of financial mismanagement by its shareholders (source: Wikpedia). The rides were auctioned off, some of them finding homes in other parks, and the park fell into disrepair.

The land was originally planned to be turned into condos, but I just learned that it has instead been turned back into a state park. Sadly, the decaying park still stands, fenced off from the public.

Learn More

  1. The "You Must Be This Tall" website
  2. Rocky Point on Wikipedia
  3. The Rocky Point Foundation