newStandard 7/13/97

Rocky Point carousel gets new home

By Joann Loviglio, Associated Press writer
For more than a year, the carousel that delighted generations of Rhode Islanders sat in pieces inside a trailer.
The Rocky Point Amusement Park carousel was sold, as was most of the park's nostalgic contents, at a bankruptcy auction last year.
But the attraction from the 155-year-old Warwick park has been brought back to life to entertain children enjoying it for the first time and their parents who remember it from their youth.

It was purchased by Allen Cicchitelli, president of Nature's Best Dairy, and erected just outside Dairy World, a museum about milk in Cranston, R.I.
"Many people in the state -- myself included -- visited Rocky Point over the years, so we were happy that we were able to purchase a piece of Rocky Point," Mr. Cicchitelli said. "We're glad it didn't have to leave the state like a lot of things from Rocky Point did."
The 30 brightly painted aluminum horses and two chariots date to about 1945, dairy spokeswoman Carol Wilcox said. Rows of horses three deep suspended above a wooden floor move up and down to recordings of player piano and xylophone tunes.
The carousel was designed by Allen Herschell, whose creations at one time could be found at parks around the country.
The amusement ride has been reassembled and running for just a couple of weeks at the 58-year-old dairy, next to a dairy barn that serves ice cream and other sweet treats.
"People are just starting to find out it's here," Ms. Wilcox said. "We've been inundated with calls and lots of people have been stopping by."
Dairy World seemed to be a natural place for the carousel.
"To see the demise of Rocky Point was very depressing," Ms. Wilcox said. "We're pleased we can keep a little bit of the park, and we're a Rhode Island tradition too, so it's a great fit."
More than 7,000 visitors from across the country have visited Dairy World, which opened its doors in March, Ms. Wilcox said.
Dairy World has a 45-seat theater that shows animated movies about where milk comes from and how it's made safe for drinking. Visitors can watch milk being processed, see inside a life-size cow replica -- complete with innards that light up -- or browse through the museum's "Cowlection Corner" gift shop.
Mr. Cicchitelli said the carousel completes his vision of making his dairy a fun and inexpensive place for families to visit.
"We've got the museum, we have the carousel and we have an ice cream barn too," he said. "Ice cream always helps

The dairy soon will begin collecting $1 for admission to the museum. The fee for the carousel has not been set.
Dairy World is located at 2032 Plainfield Pike, one mile west of Exit 4 off Interstate 295. For more information, call (401) 946-1122 or 1-888-315-TOUR.

Photo by The Associated Press
Edward Fargnoli stands on the Rocky Point Amusement Park carousel that now is located at Dairy World, a museum in Cranston, R.I. Mr. Fargnoli, who assembles carousels for a living, brought the Rocky Point one back to life.