Most of us have fond memories of Rhode Island’s Rocky Point Amusement Park which thrived for more than a century. Strolling the midway, taking a thrilling ride on the Corkscrew, and feasting on clams linger as distant recollections for those who visited this shoreline destination before it closed over 20 years ago.

The park was a destination where cares were cast aside and fun was purchased with a ticket. However many happy-go-lucky park-goers never realized that a sinister killing had once taken place at this cheerful spot. The tale of the Rocky Point Amusement Park deaths is a chilling story that many have never heard.

Rocky Point Amusement Park which operated from the 1840s until its closing in 1995 was a much-loved destination for family outings. Park-goers young and old would enjoy the rides and then indulge in clam cakes and chowder at the Shore Dinner Hall.

Wikimedia Commons/“Tichnor Quality Views”, Reg,U.S.Pat.Off., Made Only by Tichnor Bros., Inc., Boston, Mass.

In August of 1893, Maggie Sheffield, a five-year-old girl, was taken to the theme park by her father, Frank. The visit would not end well.

Wikimedia Commons/“Tichnor Quality Views”, Reg,U.S.Pat.Off., Made Only by Tichnor Bros., Inc., Boston, Mass.

Frank Sheffield, a former school principal, had suffered a head injury in a freak accident around the time of his daughter’s birth. To make matters worse, Maggie’s mother passed away from complications of birth just a week after the child was born.

Wikimedia Commons/Unknown

Sheffield was clearly unstable and confessed to his doctor on several occasions that he was going to kill his daughter. He was put on cocaine and opium which were legal drugs during the late 1800s.

Wikimedia Commons/“Tichnor Quality Views”, Reg,U.S.Pat.Off., Made Only by Tichnor Bros., Inc., Boston, Mass.

On that particular day, Frank and Maggie Sheffield had a meal at the Shore Dinner Hall. It was Maggie’s final meal.

Wikimedia Commons/“Tichnor Quality Views”, Reg,U.S.Pat.Off., Made Only by Tichnor Bros., Inc., Boston, Mass.

Afterward, the father walked his daughter away from the dining hall and over a hill toward the shore. At the edge of the bay, Frank Sheffield picked up a rock and smashed it into his young daughter’s head, killing her.

Google/Aaron Little

The murder was reported in the newspapers at the time but quickly forgotten as Rocky Point Amusement Park gained popularity. The killing of Maggie Sheffield is the only murder ever documented at the theme park.

Wikimedia Commons/S. Langsdorf & Co.

After the park’s closure in the 1990s, the rides were auctioned off and the park remained abandoned for over a decade.

Google/Bonnie Sweeney

In 2011, Rocky Point was reopened as a state park with a shoreline walking path and plenty of open green space where the amusements once thrilled patrons.

Google/Joe Lancellotta

Take an extensive look at the history of the Rocky Point Amusement Park:

Wikimedia Commons/“Tichnor Quality Views”, Reg,U.S.Pat.Off., Made Only by Tichnor Bros., Inc., Boston, Mass.

Wikimedia Commons/Unknown

Google/Aaron Little

Wikimedia Commons/S. Langsdorf & Co.

Google/Bonnie Sweeney

Google/Joe Lancellotta

Did you know about the Rocky Point Amusement Park deaths? Did you know there is a rumored Rocky Point Amusement Park haunted cave? You can also check out this footage of the coastal theme park to see it in all of its glory before it was shut down.

 

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.

Address: 1 Rocky Point Ave, Warwick, RI 02889, USA

The OIYS Visitor Center

The Creepiest Places in Rhode Island February 03, 2023 William Suphan What are the most haunted hotels in Rhode Island? The most haunted hotels in Rhode Island include:

The Graduate Hotel. Once known as The Biltmore, this hotel was built in 1922 and financed by a Satanist. It is said there were animal sacrifices here and that there are angry spirits. Castle Hill Inn. Built in 1875, this inn was once a naval base in World War II and it is rumored that a female ghost throws china dishes around. Jailhouse Inn. Located in Newport, this inn was a jail that was built in 1772 and people report feeling an eerie presence here. Villa 120. Guests who stay here say that the ghost of the original owner roams here and that they hear a disembodied woman’s voice.

Discover more about the most haunted hotels in Rhode Island.  What are the most terrifying places in Rhode Island? The most terrifying places in Rhode Island include:

Belcourt Castle. This 100-year-old estate has tours of rooms that are reportedly haunted and is known as one of the most haunted places in Rhode Island. The Breakers Mansion. Located in Newport, this mansion was constructed by the Vanderbilt family and is said to be haunted by Alice Vanderbilt. Old Brook Farm. This place is the inspiration behind the movie The Conjuring and the Perron family that lived here claimed to have many paranormal experiences. The Looff Carousel at Crescent Park. This carousel is over 100 years old and is said to be haunted by children who died in a fire nearby.

Learn more about the most terrifying places in Rhode Island. What are the most abandoned places in Rhode Island? The most abandoned places in Rhode Island include:

Pawtucket and Central Falls Train Station. This train station was built in 1916 and shut down in 1981 and has been left empty ever since. Seekonk River Bridge. This rusty bridge was first built in 1908 and has been left decaying since it fell into disuse in 1976. Fort Wetherhill. Located in Jamestown, this abandoned Rhode Island coastal defense battery has tunnels one can explore, but it is dark and scary. The Bells at Brenton Point. This was a carriage house known as “The Bells” that was wrecked by a hurricane and is now becoming overgrown.

Find out more about the most abandoned places in Rhode Island. 

The OIYS Visitor Center

The Creepiest Places in Rhode Island

February 03, 2023

William Suphan

What are the most haunted hotels in Rhode Island? The most haunted hotels in Rhode Island include:

The Graduate Hotel. Once known as The Biltmore, this hotel was built in 1922 and financed by a Satanist. It is said there were animal sacrifices here and that there are angry spirits. Castle Hill Inn. Built in 1875, this inn was once a naval base in World War II and it is rumored that a female ghost throws china dishes around. Jailhouse Inn. Located in Newport, this inn was a jail that was built in 1772 and people report feeling an eerie presence here. Villa 120. Guests who stay here say that the ghost of the original owner roams here and that they hear a disembodied woman’s voice.

Discover more about the most haunted hotels in Rhode Island.  What are the most terrifying places in Rhode Island? The most terrifying places in Rhode Island include:

Belcourt Castle. This 100-year-old estate has tours of rooms that are reportedly haunted and is known as one of the most haunted places in Rhode Island. The Breakers Mansion. Located in Newport, this mansion was constructed by the Vanderbilt family and is said to be haunted by Alice Vanderbilt. Old Brook Farm. This place is the inspiration behind the movie The Conjuring and the Perron family that lived here claimed to have many paranormal experiences. The Looff Carousel at Crescent Park. This carousel is over 100 years old and is said to be haunted by children who died in a fire nearby.

Learn more about the most terrifying places in Rhode Island. What are the most abandoned places in Rhode Island? The most abandoned places in Rhode Island include:

Pawtucket and Central Falls Train Station. This train station was built in 1916 and shut down in 1981 and has been left empty ever since. Seekonk River Bridge. This rusty bridge was first built in 1908 and has been left decaying since it fell into disuse in 1976. Fort Wetherhill. Located in Jamestown, this abandoned Rhode Island coastal defense battery has tunnels one can explore, but it is dark and scary. The Bells at Brenton Point. This was a carriage house known as “The Bells” that was wrecked by a hurricane and is now becoming overgrown.

Find out more about the most abandoned places in Rhode Island. 

The OIYS Visitor Center

The OIYS Visitor Center

The most haunted hotels in Rhode Island include:

  • The Graduate Hotel. Once known as The Biltmore, this hotel was built in 1922 and financed by a Satanist. It is said there were animal sacrifices here and that there are angry spirits.
  • Castle Hill Inn. Built in 1875, this inn was once a naval base in World War II and it is rumored that a female ghost throws china dishes around.
  • Jailhouse Inn. Located in Newport, this inn was a jail that was built in 1772 and people report feeling an eerie presence here.
  • Villa 120. Guests who stay here say that the ghost of the original owner roams here and that they hear a disembodied woman’s voice.

Discover more about the most haunted hotels in Rhode Island. 

What are the most terrifying places in Rhode Island?

The most terrifying places in Rhode Island include:

  • Belcourt Castle. This 100-year-old estate has tours of rooms that are reportedly haunted and is known as one of the most haunted places in Rhode Island.
  • The Breakers Mansion. Located in Newport, this mansion was constructed by the Vanderbilt family and is said to be haunted by Alice Vanderbilt.
  • Old Brook Farm. This place is the inspiration behind the movie The Conjuring and the Perron family that lived here claimed to have many paranormal experiences.
  • The Looff Carousel at Crescent Park. This carousel is over 100 years old and is said to be haunted by children who died in a fire nearby.

Learn more about the most terrifying places in Rhode Island.

What are the most abandoned places in Rhode Island?

The most abandoned places in Rhode Island include:

  • Pawtucket and Central Falls Train Station. This train station was built in 1916 and shut down in 1981 and has been left empty ever since.
  • Seekonk River Bridge. This rusty bridge was first built in 1908 and has been left decaying since it fell into disuse in 1976.
  • Fort Wetherhill. Located in Jamestown, this abandoned Rhode Island coastal defense battery has tunnels one can explore, but it is dark and scary.
  • The Bells at Brenton Point. This was a carriage house known as “The Bells” that was wrecked by a hurricane and is now becoming overgrown.

Find out more about the most abandoned places in Rhode Island.