Virginia's Once-Thriving Seaside Amusement Park And Resort Is Now A Scenic Public Beach With Idyllic Bay Views

The modern incarnation of an amusement park stands wholly apart from what these joyful places once represented. The scream machines and adrenaline overdoses offered at today's parks are a far cry from what was common during the first half of the 20th century, when places like Buckroe Beach Park thrived. That seaside amusement park is long gone, with the site now home to the scenic Buckroe Beach and Park, with idyllic bay views on the eastern edge of Hampton, Virginia.

The once-thriving seaside amusement park and resort opened at the end of the 19th century, beginning as a bathhouse and hotel. A businessman with a business plan extended the trolley line to Buckroe, beginning its transformation into a seaside amusement park. At its height in the 1950s and 1960s, Buckroe Beach Park was a major attraction, its wooden coaster, Ferris wheel, bumper cars, dance pavilion, and other rides drawing crowds until competition from Busch Gardens and others led to a decline in attendance. The newer amusement parks drew crowds with their promise of more — more rides, more attractions, more space, more modernity.

Somehow, Buckroe Beach Park continued operating until 1985, despite years of declining attendance and financial difficulties. Left derelict, it was largely gobbled up by scrapyards. The few vestiges left of that amusement park serve as reminders of what was lost. Its antique 1920s wooden carousel now sits in downtown Hampton, Virginia, cutting an anachronistic figure with its restored hand-carved horses and band organ. Taken together, Buckroe Beach — sans the amusement park — remains a destination for all the same reasons. Its current incarnation as a three-quarter-mile sandy beach on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay and an adjacent community park gives families plenty of room to play, explore, and bond during a trip to the Chesapeake Bay.

The site of Buckroe Beach Park is now home to a scenic community park with a beach offering soothing vistas typical of the Virginia shoreline. Its roots as an amusement park have largely disappeared, but hawk-eyed observers will inevitably notice small nods to that past, like the "Coaster Way" street commemorating the roller coaster, as well as several other signs. Around the beach, you'll find picnic shelters, tables, and grills for a classic day out with the family. The beach's playground is a far cry from Buckroe Beach Park's many rides, but its nautical theme is enough to keep the kids busy, and a handful of seasonal food vendors help fight off hunger. Keep heading a few miles south, and you'll eventually hit Fort Monroe, Virginia's secret peninsula neighborhood with its waterfront dining and hidden beaches.

Despite the beach's diminutive size, it offers some idyllic bay views. The beach is generally quieter than the busy resorts of Virginia Beach, and it allows for an unobstructed view of Chesapeake Bay, which is equal parts scenic escape and active stretch of water. "It is a great place to relax, meditate, fish, or get a workout in without the noise and crowd of busier beach spots," one visitor wrote in a review on Google Maps. "The atmosphere is calm, the setting is beautiful, and even the birds seem to enjoy the peace. This is a great beach for anyone looking for a quiet, chill experience." If you want to enrich your escape to the Virginia coast even more, head over to Poquoson. It's one of the state's safest cities, known for its seafood and coastal charm, and it's just 30 minutes away.

A day or weekend spent at Buckroe Beach can mean bringing plenty of gear, but if you're coming empty-handed, don't worry. Chesapeake Bay can and should be explored, and relying only on your feet limits your options. Hit the water instead. Green Wave Watersports offers a mix of gear for getting out on the water — kayaks, paddleboards, and more — and beach chairs are available to rent through the city to keep the sand out of all the wrong places. Anglers should head to the James T. Wilson Fishing Pier (or Buckroe Fishing Pier). The on-site bait-and-tackle shop and fish-cleaning stations let you show up gear-less and still go home with bluefish, mackerel, or flounder, subject to regulations.

While it's a good place to reel in fish, a beach is not the ideal place to spend the night. The nearby city of Newport News, a vibrant coastal city with attractions and arts, is only 13 miles away and offers a range of chain hotels and accommodations. Alternatively, you can base your entire trip out of Norfolk, the bustling port town with a scenic waterfront garden. It's within driving distance, about 31 minutes away from Buckroe Beach, with plenty of places to spend the night.

While Buckroe Beach and Park offers plenty to see, it hardly merits booking a flight. If you're within driving distance or are passing through, be sure to make it a stop along the way. There's technically no wrong time to visit, since the boardwalk and park grounds are open year-round, but beach season runs from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day. The urge to get in the water should dictate your timing, and if you want to go for a swim, visit in the summer. For a spectacular sight, get there early to see the sun rising over Chesapeake Bay.