Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
Caucasus - Geghard Monastery, Armenia
Armenia • 15 days, 14 nights
Caucasus Road Trip: Azerbaijan, Georgia & Armenia
from
View all trips
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 Indiana Jungle Park Speedway
AO Edited

Jungle Park Speedway

The overgrown remains of one of the premier auto-racing speedways in the Midwest—and also one of the most deadly.

Bloomingdale, Indiana

Added By
John Cinnamon
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Entrance to Jungle Park Speedway.   johncinnamon / Atlas Obscura User
The only remaining grandstand at Jungle Park Speedway.   johncinnamon / Atlas Obscura User
Small areas of the origianl track surface peek through the grass.   johncinnamon / Atlas Obscura User
What was once a high-banked oil and gravel surface has been retaken by nature.   johncinnamon / Atlas Obscura User
This historical marker stands at the entrance to Jungle Park Speedway.   johncinnamon / Atlas Obscura User
10-3-24   Darrell Powers / Atlas Obscura User
10-3-24   Darrell Powers / Atlas Obscura User
Race Day!  
Crash!  
10-3-24   Darrell Powers / Atlas Obscura User
10-3-24   Darrell Powers / Atlas Obscura User
10-3-24   Darrell Powers / Atlas Obscura User
10-3-24   Darrell Powers / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Mention Indiana and auto racing and the first thing that comes to mind is probably the Indy 500. Indeed, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and its annual 500-mile race are famous the world over. And while that two-and-a-half-mile oval may be considered one of the premier racing venues in the sport, there’s another track in the Hoosier state that has an equally famous—or infamous—history.

About 50 miles west of Indianapolis, nestled among the trees of the Wabash River valley, is what remains of Jungle Park Speedway. Built in 1926 by Indiana entrepreneur Earl Padgett, the track hosted some of the best sprint-car drivers of the day. Three-time Indianapolis 500 winners Wilbur Shaw and Mauri Rose took their turns on the half-mile oval. In total, eight drivers who competed at Jungle Park went on to win at Indy. That is, eight who survived competing at the notoriously dangerous speedway. Even though it drew America’s most skilled racers, Jungle Park was deadly. 

In only its second year of operation, Jungle Park Speedway had its first fatal accident when a track manager was struck and killed while trying to repair a divot in the dirt track during the race. The following year, a driver and a spectator were killed. By 1931, three more drivers would lose their lives.

Track safety was not a high priority in the first half of the 20th century. Early on, Jungle Park had little or no fencing between the track and the spectator grandstands, and there was no outer wall around the high-banked oval. Drivers who lost control often found themselves in the trees that circled the track or in the waters of Sugar Creek, which bordered the backstretch.

Despite the dangers, Jungle Park continued to host races for more than 25 years, with a pause during World War II. Over the years, some improvements were made: a gravel and oil mix was added to the dirt to give the track a more asphalt-like surface, and protective fencing was added to the grandstand. Still, that wasn’t enough to minimize the carnage. More accidents and dwindling crowds led to Jungle Park shutting down in 1955. It opened briefly for one midget car race in 1960, but sadly, that ended in tragedy, as well. A 37-year-old woman from Terre Haute was killed when a race car hit a pothole in the track, lost control, and flew through the fence, landing on top of her.

Little is left of the original complex. Only one of the five grandstands remains and the track surface has been retaken by grass and trees (although a narrow strip of that oil and gravel mix still can be seen along the main straightaway). A testament to the significance of Jungle Park Speedway, a state historical marker stands at the entrance, just off Highway 41 in western Indiana.

Related Tags

Abandoned Automotive History Races Cars

Know Before You Go

There is limited parking at the entrance just off U.S. Highway 41 and signs are posted reading "No Trespassing" and "Beware of Dog."  A metal barrier prohibits vehicles from entering the property, but doors on the wooden gate are typically wide open.

Community Contributors

Added By

johncinnamon

Edited By

Darrell Powers, phlthy

  • Darrell Powers
  • phlthy

Published

November 2, 2021

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.speedwayandroadracehistory.com/jungle-park-speedway.html
  • https://www.indystar.com/story/life/2016/05/25/legend-notoriously-deadly-jungle-park-speedway/83040816/
  • https://historicindiana.weebly.com/jungle-park-speedway.html
  • http://www.speedwayandroadracehistory.com/jungle-park-speedway.html
  • https://www.indystar.com/story/life/2016/05/25/legend-notoriously-deadly-jungle-park-speedway/83040816/
  • https://historicindiana.weebly.com/jungle-park-speedway.html
Jungle Park Speedway
8449 N US Highway 41
Bloomingdale, Indiana, 47832
United States
39.886795, -87.230556
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Myers Dinner Theater

Hillsboro, Indiana

miles away

Carnegie Museum of Montgomery County

Crawfordsville, Indiana

miles away

Rotary Jail Museum

Crawfordsville, Indiana

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Indiana

Indiana

United States

Places 147
Stories 18

Nearby Places

Myers Dinner Theater

Hillsboro, Indiana

miles away

Carnegie Museum of Montgomery County

Crawfordsville, Indiana

miles away

Rotary Jail Museum

Crawfordsville, Indiana

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Indiana

Indiana

United States

Places 147
Stories 18

Related Places

  • AVUS-Tribüne

    Berlin, Germany

    AVUS-Tribüne (Automobile Traffic and Practice Road)

    The world's first motorway was used as a racetrack until the late 1990s.

  • Bernd Rosemeyer Gedächtnisstätte

    Mörfelden-Walldorf, Germany

    Bernd Rosemeyer Memorial

    A memorial for a racecar driver who died while trying to set a land speed record on the autobahn.

  • A vacant shell in 2017 awaits future tenants.

    Washington, D.C.

    Embassy Gulf Service Center

    Behind an abandoned storefront is an example of pioneering 1930s gas station architecture.

  • Old Car City in White, Georgia.

    White, Georgia

    Old Car City

    One of the world's largest automobile junkyards is a unique landscape of metal and moss.

  • Car at the car graveyard

    Tingsryd SV, Sweden

    Kyrkö Car Cemetery

    A peat bog in southern Sweden provides a cozy and photogenic home for junked Volvos, Saabs, and the occasional American muscle car.

  • Racers

    Wildwood, New Jersey

    The Race of Gentlemen

    Vintage cars and motorcycles race for glory in a throwback motorsport celebration on the Jersey shore.

  • Muscle car in front of the pits.

    Gueux, France

    Reims-Gueux F1 Circuit

    A road that ends in the middle of a farmer’s field is one of the only remnants of this once-famous racetrack.

  • Douglas, Arizona

    Art Car World

    Dozens of elaborate works of automotive art have been preserved at this Arizona museum.

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.