This Hidden Destination In South Carolina Is A Secret Only Locals Know About
Robin Jarvis
Author
Ask anyone from Lancaster, South Carolina about “Springs Park” and you’ll get an ear full of nostalgia, delivered with a huge dose of happiness that’s also coupled with a little sorrow. That’s because this once thriving and lively destination in their own backyard is now slipping all alone into a state of ruin and decay.
Somewhere off the beaten path in Lancaster, about 10 miles out of town, lay the remains of Springs Recreation Park, a rare sort of park built in the early 1900s by Springs Mills primarily for the enjoyment of their mill workers and their families. Very little “official” information exists about this park, except that it opened somewhere around 1925 and closed before the end of the summer season in August of 1989.
The park was elaborate and boasted a massive concrete swimming pool complete with a triple-decker diving platform and a concrete viewing stadium fit for a mini olympic venue. It was, by all accounts, the best pool in the whole state. At 16 feet deep, it may also have been the deepest!
In addition to the gargantuan pool and stadium, the park boasted several “amusement” rides, including a small ferris wheel and a miniature ride-on train.
As if all this wasn’t enough, Springs Park also had a skating rink, a miniature golf course and a bowling alley. Is it any wonder folks in Lancaster remember this park with such pride and fond memories? We say “folks in Lancaster” used this park, but people came from all over South Carolina for decades to Springs Park. It was the place to be and the place to be seen for a long, long time.
Take a look at some of what remains of this park that’s now abandoned in the woods near Lancaster.
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Springs Park was at the heart of many family outings and those memories remain deeply embedded in the hearts of those who regularly enjoyed this wonderful park.
Did you know about this (former) destination in South Carolina? And were you one of the lucky ones to have enjoyed this park when it was open? We’d love to know in our comments and see your vintage photos if you have them!
While this abandoned park is intriguing, we don’t condone trespassing. If the signs are up, please heed the warning.
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