Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Pennsylvania New Castle Cascade Park

Cascade Park

This public space is speckled with the eerie remnants of a defunct amusement park.

New Castle, Pennsylvania

Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Recycled Cascade Park rollercoasters.   pennsyloco/cc by 3.0
Ruins of a rollercoaster at Cascade Park.   Jon Dawson/cc by-nd 2.0
The old dance pavilion.   Pianotech/cc by-sa 3.0
The former train station at Cascade Park.   Pianotech/cc by-sa 3.0
The waterfall at Cascade Park.  
Remnants of the old rollercoaster.  
Entrance  
  SpottedAngel / Atlas Obscura User
The old carousel building. The park was named by a 10-yr-old in a contest.   BrittanyZ / Atlas Obscura User
  grayskyman / Atlas Obscura User
  SpottedAngel / Atlas Obscura User
The remnants of the last coaster that first went into the gorge.   BrittanyZ / Atlas Obscura User
Old swimming pool.   BrittanyZ / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

New Castle, Pennsylvania, was a booming town at the turn of the 19th century, when the local amusement park, Cascade Park, attracted people from around Pennsylvania and Ohio. Officially opened on May 29, 1897, the park had a dancing pavilion (once the largest in the state), an outdoor theater, a rollerskating rink, Caterpillar and Dodg'em rides, a grandstand, and an indoor a rollercoaster called "the Figure Eight." Folks would ice skate in the winter and swim in the pool in the summer.

Unfortunately, in the summer of 1927, a tragic accident occurred that would mark the beginning of the end for the park. Two guests died that were riding in the first car of the rollercoaster, which dipped through a gorge in the park. Some accounts said the victims were thrown from the car, while others said they were standing up in the car. After the deaths, the park put buckle straps onto the ride to prevent further issues, and the rollercoaster was eventually demolished due to termites.

In 1954 a new rollercoaster was built, taking roughly the same journey as the previous ride. Still, in the decades that followed the park experienced many periods of poor maintenance, resulting in many rides being closed for safety or lack of insurance. Vandalism was rampant during the 1980s, even while the park was still open, including someone stealing 15 carousel horses. 

The second rollercoaster met its demise when a falling tree caused damage deemed too expensive to repair in 1982.  The '90s saw the park begin to look more like it does today: a nature park with picnic shelters, a playground, a restored carousel house, and fitness trail. While efforts have been made to repair the swimming pool as recently as 2014, you can still find the pool, closed, and in disrepair.

Today, many different relics of what used to exist at Cascade Park can be found, including supports for the rollercoaster along the creek in the gorge (leading to a very pretty waterfall), the remnants of the dam that created the lake, several buildings, seemingly not in use, and random concrete slabs. Still, the park remains in use today for concerts, events, weddings, or a simple leisurely stroll among the remnants of the abandoned rides.

Related Tags

Abandoned Amusement Parks Abandoned Parks Waterfalls Nature History Water

Know Before You Go

The park remains open to the public for exploring. The gorge has some very large rocks that can be hard to navigate, but it is well worth the trek. There is often a fair amount of trash caught behind the waterfall, so be careful. The park is just off Route 422 and 65 South.

Community Contributors

Edited By

janwo, daveletender, Meg, BrittanyZ...

  • janwo
  • daveletender
  • Meg
  • BrittanyZ
  • grayskyman
  • SpottedAngel
  • Jparker72

Published

June 19, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://lawrencecountymemoirs.com/lcmpages/91/cascade-park-of-years-past-new-castle-pa
Cascade Park
1928 E Washington St
New Castle, Pennsylvania
United States
40.978321, -80.319825
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Old No. 8 Schoolhouse

New Wilmington, Pennsylvania

miles away

Iron Soup

Campbell, Ohio

miles away

Harmony Cemetery

Zelienople, Pennsylvania

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

United States

Places 417
Stories 28

Nearby Places

Old No. 8 Schoolhouse

New Wilmington, Pennsylvania

miles away

Iron Soup

Campbell, Ohio

miles away

Harmony Cemetery

Zelienople, Pennsylvania

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

United States

Places 417
Stories 28

Related Stories and Lists

A World Tour of Abandoned Amusement Parks

List

By Jonathan Carey

Related Places

  • Ash Cave.

    Logan, Ohio

    The Caves of Hocking Hills State Park

    Rare recess caves fill this unbelievably beautiful Ohio park.

  • Basin from above

    Lincoln, New Hampshire

    The Basin

    Even Henry David Thoreau found this glacial pothole irresistible.

  • Wormsloe Historic Site tree canopy.

    Savannah, Georgia

    Wormsloe State Historic Site

    The tabby ruin is Savannah’s oldest surviving structure.

    Sponsored by Visit Savannah
  • Remains of the flume supports

    Naples, Utah

    Dry Fork Flume Site

    This hiking trail is scattered with the remains of a failed attempt to provide water to farmers in Dry Fork Canyon.

  • Cascade Falls

    Ouray, Colorado

    Cascade Falls Park

    Let Ouray’s tallest waterfall sweep your breath away on a dealer’s choice of scenic hikes.

  • After extensive renovations in the 1990s, the mine was opened to the public.

    Scotia, Nebraska

    Happy Jack Chalk Mine

    After sitting abandoned for decades, this historic mine is now the only publicly accessible chalk room and pillar mine in North America.

  • Johnson Beach, part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore.

    Pensacola, Florida

    Johnson Beach

    A pristine beach on the Gulf of Mexico with deep ties to Pensacola’s Black community.

  • Webber Falls

    Sierraville, California

    Webber Falls

    A little-known, but surprisingly large waterfall on the Little Truckee River in the northern Sierra Nevada.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.