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
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Midas Tümülüsü (Tumulus MM)
The Devil's Column
Weightlifting Hall of Fame
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
Customize your bowl with sliced pork, pork balls, fish cake, and offal.
Rung Rueang
Pasties are an Upper Michigan tradition dating back to mining days.
Lehto’s Pasties
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
3 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
4 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
5 days ago
Cely’s map is not only accurate, but captures the unique characteristics of Congaree’s trees and waterways.
How One Biologist Drew a Hyper-Accurate, Ranger-Approved Map of Congaree National Park
6 days ago

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 Iowa Dubuque Union Park

Union Park

The remains of a bustling turn-of-the-century park built to showcase the wonders of electricity.

Dubuque, Iowa

Added By
Jon Uzel
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Stairs to the theater   Asrugan / Atlas Obscura User
Stairs to the theater   Asrugan / Atlas Obscura User
Postcard of the park   Asrugan / Atlas Obscura User
One of the grand fountains   Asrugan / Atlas Obscura User
The wading pool, infamous for the pavilion where some took shelter from the major storm and were washed away by the flood.   Asrugan / Atlas Obscura User
One of the grand fountains   Asrugan / Atlas Obscura User
Olympic size pool, reportedly used by Johnny Weissmuller   Asrugan / Atlas Obscura User
The Theater   Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
The back wall of the theater   Asrugan / Atlas Obscura User
The end of the bowling alley   Asrugan / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

At the turn of the 20th century, a grand park was built in Dubuque, Iowa, and used as a way to show off electricity to the common man. Union Park was the hub of the area's social life in the early 1900s, with pools, fountains, dance halls, band pavilions, a cave, and a wooden roller coaster, all illuminated by this modern invention.

The park changed owners a few times in the late 1800s, eventually falling into the hands of General Electric. The company spent the next 10 years turning the park into a beloved attraction showcasing the wonders of electric light. It built the roller coaster, added electric lights to the cave, and added the Mammoth Theater and pools. The park flourished.

In 1919, a storm and flood hit the area, killing several people and destroying much of the park's infrastructure. It opened back up soon after, but its popularity diminished. A dance pavilion was built using the floor of the Mammoth Theater, and an Olympic-sized pool was added in 1923, but attendance never picked back up. Union Park limped on until finally closing in 1934.

Now only traces of its former glory are still visible: The overgrown remains of the theater walls, some paths and stairs, and the swimming pool foundation. The area is now a zip-line course owned and operated by the YMCA.

Related Tags

History Electricity Floods Pools

Know Before You Go

You can get a good view of the remnants from the zip-line installed in 2011. Tours are available.

Community Contributors

Added By

Asrugan

Edited By

Collector of Experiences

  • Collector of Experiences

Published

December 22, 2017

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.encyclopediadubuque.org/index.php?title=UNION_PARK
Union Park
11764 JFK Rd
Dubuque, Iowa
United States
42.537572, -90.718059
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Fenelon Place Elevator

Dubuque, Iowa

miles away

Dubuque Shot Tower

Dubuque, Iowa

miles away

Crystal Lake Cave

Dubuque, Iowa

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Dubuque

Dubuque

Iowa

Places 4

Nearby Places

Fenelon Place Elevator

Dubuque, Iowa

miles away

Dubuque Shot Tower

Dubuque, Iowa

miles away

Crystal Lake Cave

Dubuque, Iowa

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Dubuque

Dubuque

Iowa

Places 4

Related Places

  • An unusually large Roman Bath with a curved side.

    Sliema, Malta

    Roman Baths of Sliema

    Despite the name, these small saltwater swimming pools have nothing to do with the Romans.

  • The Ghost Chimney Monument, Senju-Motomachi.

    Tokyo, Japan

    Ghost Chimney Monument

    Once known for its eerie appearance, this semicircular monument is all that remains of a Tokyo industrial icon.

  • curious denizens

    Nashville, Tennessee

    8th Avenue Reservoir

    In 1912, a broken section of the reservoir wall released millions of gallons of water and destroyed many homes downhill.

  • Engine at NMIH

    Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

    National Museum of Industrial History

    A former plant in one of the hubs of U.S. steelmaking has been turned into this museum celebrating the history of American industry.

  • Grange-over-Sands, England

    Grange Lido

    Abandoned for over 20 years, this Art Deco seaside swimming pool is a magnificent waste.

  • The ruins of the Ritter Lumber Company’s sawmill at Hazel Creek near Proctor.

    Bryson City, North Carolina

    The Lost Town of Proctor

    The scant remains of this flooded historic village can be explored in one of the most remote areas of the Great Smokies.

  • The last remaining in situ Huddesteen in the Eenhoorn lock.

    Amsterdam, Netherlands

    Huddesteen

    The last of Amsterdam's original sea level markers remaining in place.

  • Majestic white exterior of the House of Wonders

    Zanzibar, Tanzania

    The House of Wonders

    In Zanzibar, a historic 19th-century palace is a reminder of the world's shortest war.

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.