Rhode Island’s Enchanted Forest Was Once Magical for Children

HOPKINTON, RI (WBSM) — Once upon a time, there was an enchanted forest in the small state of Rhode Island that brought joy to children for decades, but the magic has been gone for about a generation now.

The village of Hope Valley in Hopkinton, Rhode Island was once the home of the Enchanted Forest, a small amusement park built around a fairy tale theme that was quite literally in a forest.

The park encompassed 31 mostly wooded acres surrounding a pond with a waterfall at each end. It was a classic roadside do-it-yourself attraction that despite its small size felt as big and special to local youngsters as a Disneyland or a Six Flags.

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Its mascot was Humpty Dumpty sitting atop his brick wall, and other features included the House That Jack Built, the Old Woman’s Shoe, a petting zoo, miniature golf and children’s amusement rides.

From what we could find online, the park opened on June 17, 1972 and was built by original owners Marcus Jones and Philip Herlle.

The park operated for more than 30 years, welcoming generations of southern New England families to experience the quaint spot.

It may not have had the catchy theme song of Warwick's Rocky Point, but it was just as iconic for Rhode Island kids.

Its final owner-operator, Harold Fera, closed the park in 2005. In 2014, there was an issue when it was discovered that the social security numbers of former employees and other sensitive information remained behind in the park.

After that, the animals from the petting zoo were given away and the amusement rides were auctioned off.

Reportedly, some of the rides ended up at Edaville Family Theme Park in Carver, Massachusetts.

READ MORE: Carver's Beloved Edaville Still Has Vintage Decorations

The original admission price was $1.25 for children and $1.50 for adults. In a YouTube video from 1988, the prices were listed as $5.50 per person, with children under two years of age admitted for free.

Still a heck of a deal for a day of fun in the Reagan era.

These days, you can still see the Enchanted Forest sign along Route 3, mostly concealed by the overgrowth of the forest.

Not much remains of the once-beloved amusement park.

The land has been sold and is now in private hands, so you should not trespass on the property.

The Enchanted Forest and other homemade New England parks such as King's Castle Land in Whitman, Massachusetts may be physically gone, but their magic will always remain.

READ MORE: Whitman's King's Castle Land Was a Magical Place for Massachusetts Kids