Enchanted Forest

A kid-friendly family theme park with storybook characters and amusement rides that closed in 2005.

images of this Property

Photo from Facebook user Keith Elliott; undated (Possibly of a different Enchanted Forest – see the anecdotes)
Photos by Lou Fancy
Photos by Lou Fancy
Photos by Jim Brueckner
Photos by Jim Brueckner
Photo by Kerri-Ann Pontifice
Photo by Kerri-Ann Pontifice
Photo by Kerri-Ann Pontifice
Photo by Kerri-Ann Pontifice
Photo by Kerri-Ann Pontifice
Photo by Kerri-Ann Pontifice
Photo by Kerri-Ann Pontifice
Photo by Kerri-Ann Pontifice
Photo by Kerri-Ann Pontifice
Photo by Kerri-Ann Pontifice
Photo by Kerri-Ann Pontifice
Photo by Flickr user Down-pointing-finger (☟)
Providence Historical Aerial Viewer 2002-2003
Providence Historical Aerial Viewer 2011
Providence Historical Aerial Viewer 2018

20 images: Press to view larger or scroll sideways to see more. Contributions by Lou Fancy, Jim Brueckner, Kerri-Ann Pontifice, and a Flickr user

About this Property

Reason for Abandonment

The Enchanted Forest was a kiddie-land amusement park on Route 3 in Hope Valley, Hopkinton RI. As most kids in RI, I went to it as a child. They had a “StoryBook Land” where plastic (ceramic?) sculptures of Fairy Tale stories came to life. They had the House that Jack Built (all lopsided) and Humpty Dumpty on a wall, and a bunch of other stuff I can barely remember… the 3 Little Pig House, Goldie Locks and the Three Bears, the Old Lady who lived in a Shoe’s house was a slide, etc…

The park wasn’t demolished as much as it was left to rot and allow nature to overcome it. The sign that was once in the parking lot is gone. Most of the rides were sold when the park was closed in 2005, and anything left became part of the forest once again. The property is PRIVATE and therefore we strongly recommend that no one explore here anymore.

History

Pieced together from a few internet sources

The Enchanted Forest opened in June 17, 1972 as a fairy tale themed village theme park for kids. The park was created by Marcus Jones and Philip Herlle. There was a small petting zoo with goats, lambs, rabbits, baby cows, peacocks, llamas, ponies you could ride and more.

Hoping to avoid the roadside tourist-trap image, they built The Enchanted Forest around a pond, with waterfalls at either end. They preserved trees, shrubs and protected mountain laurels. Chariho¹ High School vocational students built the displays and buildings. The rides that came over time included bumper cars, swirling teacups, a Ferris Wheel, The Scrambler, and others. A go-kart track and mini-golf course figured prominently next to the parking lot.

Harold Fera, owner of Rockwell Amusements and the last owner-operator of the Forest, decided to close the park in 2005 due to year over year low attendance. Fera said, “It’s very hard for amusement parks to survive with the economy in this region,” particularly short-season parks.

Chariho is a portmanteau that stands for the three “Charleston Richmond Hopkington” towns in Rhode Island. ↩

15 Anecdotes from people like you

My old man has pictures of me and him at this park in ‘93 sometime when we went back to visit family in Coventry. The only memories i have of this place are in these photos but it’s still very disheartening to see what it became

Justin Bourassa February 26, 2024

I am sure that the picture of the Enchanted Forest Theme Park Next Exit sign (credited to Facebook user Keith Elliott) is of the Enchanted Forest in Oregon. Contrast the coniferous trees of the Oregon park with the deciduous trees of the RI park. A web search of “Enchanted Forest Oregon” should convince.

Ward Weathers April 16, 2023

The sign is still there, but all the buildings and fixtures on the site were razed in 2014

Mike P February 27, 2015

went to visit the site November 2014 only two buildings remain, seen in picture 1 (bottom left) and the gocart track still seems to be in good shape as pictured in photo 6. the golf course is still there but quite overgrown and the sign remains but the humpty dumpty has been taken, pretty sad, as another fun place for familys to go is lost, such as rocky point park, but it will live on in our memories

bob February 2, 2015

Went to The Enchanted Forest many years with both grandmothers and my brother. It was a summer tradition we all looked forward to. So sad to see the pictures and read of the lack of care given to this wonderful place that gave so many children such happy memories.

Jen Martin October 24, 2013

I went here as a kid with my parents and 4 of my siblings. Im 24 now, I was probly 7 the last time I was there. We have a homevideo of us running around playing there and my sister getting scared on the rollercoaster (they actually stopped it so she could hop off).

Meagan Mahoney May 21, 2013

This is so sad to see. I can remember bringing my son there when he was little (he is now 19). Just another ruined family fun place.

Brenda August 15, 2012

You can still get into the place. I went there on 05/22/11. It’s very overgrown but a few of the buildings are still standing. There is no fence around the place so anyone can go visit it if they want to check it out. (A.I.R.: Don’t go there anymore, neighbors have the cops on speed dial)

JPX May 22, 2011

As I was house-hunting today (5/31/2010), I ran across this 31-acre property. It has a for sale sign on it and it is overgrown with many of the buildings gutted out. If it had a large enough building to make into a residence, I would have considered offering something for it. It will take the next owner a lot of work and funds to transform this place.

Don May 31, 2010

I agree with Krissy – picture 11 (now photo 2, top left) is a sad one. I remember that slide well. (Oh – as a side note it is In, not near, Hopkinton which is one of the towns that make up Washington County. It is near The center of Hope Valley which is a village in Hopkinton) (A.I.R.: Fixed in the description).

I worked there as my first job – at 15 years old. I worked for the then owners Mr Hurley and Mr Jones. I was “The Farmer” – the job to have. The Farmer was responsible for all the daily maintenance of the park, kitchen and rides and care of the animals in the petting zoo as well as giving each ride worker thier lunch break – the “fixit” guy. I worked there from around 1984 till the end of 86 when I got into a big arguement with Mr Hurley over the care of the animals and walked out, apparently using a little bit more than a capfull of detergent to clean the animals barn floor cost too much. Went back about two weeks later when asked to come fix the main bearing on the scrambler by the manager (she was a family friend – and how I got the job).

Mr Jones and Mr Hurley sold the park to a couple of guys that ran a go cart track out on the Cape. That is when the park began to go to pieces – they just wouldn’t spend any money at all on anything (even worse than Mr Hurley) and I left permanently after that. Took my kids there around 2002, and it was a far cry from what it had been.

When I worked there they had the Roller Coaster, the Ferris Wheel, the Mary Go Round, the Scrambler, the Octopus, the little battery powered bumper cars (not the remnents of those in one of the pictures), and a small little boat ride thing down near the shoe. Oh, and of course the very annoying kiddie music that blared throughout the park every day over and over and over.

Eric Scantlebury June 23, 2009

I think the saddest picture is #11 (now photo 2, top left), that was the foot of the old woman who lived in a shoe slide. I remember looking in that window as a kid and seeing the “old woman” and her kids. I also remember sliding down the metal slide out of the top of the shoe! To agree with Anne, to a small child… it was amazing. There is a picture of me in the petting zoo area near a cow at 3 years old, the cow was sniffing my head… for years later, I thought that was why I had a cowlick in my hair :)

Krissy April 5, 2009

I have a lot of video from that park. Took my kids there when they were little, around 1991. It was a funky little place, most of the buildings were based upon nursery rhymes. The “shoe” with a slide, the little school house, etc. It was a nice setting for very small kids, but not much to do beyond running in and out of the buildings and pay a quarter for a handful of pellets to feed the goats in the pen. The last time we went, they’d put in that little roller coaster. It didn’t look very safe, so we passed on that one. They had a small go-cart track, and one of those boat rides that go in a circle in a litle bit of water. Kids rang the boat bells until the head explodes. Sorry the park is gone, but then I was crushed when Crescent Park and Lincoln Park closed. I loved places like that.

Dan January 11, 2009

I went there every year that I can remember from 1977 to 1985 and again with my own child from 2003 to 2004. Say what you will about peeling paint and food poisoning, but to a 2-7 year old kid it was a fantasy world of unlimited rides and little lines. Once the place closed we spent way more on pay as you go rides closer to home than we ever did on an outing to enchanted forest. There have been rides there as long as I can remember but the last company did add quite a few more of the cheesy kid rides (that kids happen to like). There was a tilt-a-wirl and I kind of remember this ride that would whip you around the turn in a large oval.

Anne January 3, 2009

I remember The Enchanted Forest vividly from my childhood. I was born in 81 and my parents would take me every year; all the time. The Enchanted Forest had many fun rides, such as the Ferris wheel, the swing-out merry go-round, a Tilt-a-Whirl, etc. Around 2001 I worked there and it was nothing even close to the same. Rockwell Amusements took it over and basically ran it into the ground. I remember working the coaster one day and as it went up the hill, it caught on the chain and fell back down the hill injuring a couple of people. The owner of the park told me to tell them to leave if they had a problem. They also imported boring rides such as helicopters, some fish thing that went in a circle and a train without enough horsepower to go around the track. You would have to go and push it around the track; and this was for $8 an hour at a summer job. The gokarts would spark and the Titanic slide they bought collapsed on numerous occasions. Word of mouth killed that place. Also the animals were terribly mistreated and there were food poisoning outbreaks from the kitchen. All in all I would say may the Enchanted Forest rest in peace; finally.

Jeff Warhurst December 20, 2008

I’m pretty sure there were small rides there prior to 2003. I remember going there mid-90’s and they had a small roller coaster, some bumper cars, and I think a little train that went around the park.

Alex November 23, 2008

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About this Property

#Reason for Abandonment

#Links

#History

Reason for Abandonment

Links

History