Union Park, established in 1890, was an amusement center located in a valley north of Dubuque. The park was the heart of Dubuque's summer life that included a theatre, dance pavillion, mine cave, roller coaster, fish pond, bowling alley, playground and a small zoo.

     On April 27, 1891, when the park officially opened, passengers dressed in their Sunday best paid 15 cents to board the Union Electric Co. trolley for a 33-minute ride to Union Park. They were left off at the loading station near the park turnaround, also known as the "Loop." Here the tracks turned around near the entrance, which was also the only way in and out of the park. The trolley arrived every 10 minutes, with a bell sounding the arrival of a new trolley.

     A flourishing center of entertainment for young and old alike, it all came to a disasterous end on July 9, 1919, when a flash flood swept through the valley. The flood claimed the lives of five persons, four of them children. Afterwards, Union Park never quite recovered. The park struggled for another fifteen years and finally folded in 1934.

     Today, all that is left are the building foundations, a crumbling swimming pool shell, and broken sidewalks. For the 6th graders in Mr. Coleman's and Mr. Hickey's class, it has become an annual expedition as part of their "Blast to the Past" unit of study. Students are divided into four groups and explore Wonder Cave, conduct an archeological dig in the fish pond, take measurements of what was once the largest pool in Dubuque, and revisit Mammoth Theatre and the "Loop."

    Click below to see the highlights as they "blasted to the past!"
Wonder Cave    Archaeology Dig    Mammoth Theatre    Swimming Pool

Your comments and questions regarding this Web page are welcome. Please e-mail to:

Janann Dostal -- jdostal@dubuque.k12.ia.us
Sandy Hanley -- shanley@dubuque.k12.ia.us

Last update: April 2, 2009