Springs Park, Lancaster, SC
There are soooo many bees and spiders in this place!
Ok, So I posted that picture while I was still at the park, and from my phone of course. The good news is this is some new content for this site. It isn’t anything too spectacular, but it was an interesting trip. The bad news is that my poor camera has finally bit the dust I think. The little doors that cover the lens wouldn’t open completely, so each picture has a little dark spot at the top right and bottom left. I suck.
These pictures were taken at Springs Park in Lancaster, SC. Springs Park was an old company park. I believe the company was the Springs company, but I may be off. I’m still catching up on the research. The park has been around since the 1920′s, and grew over time to include basic carnival type rides, the huge pool you see here, and several other attractions.
The park closed in 1989 and the contents were mostly auctioned off. A boat landing has been built right near the park, overlapping an old entrance to the park in fact. Today most of the contents are either gone, or in complete disrepair. I’m surprised that they haven’t filled the pool as it is extremely deep on the diving end. They have cut the trees around the park, I assume to prevent fires.
I headed out to the park unsure if anything was still there. I followed what I assumed to be the trail back toward the park, clearly aware by then that there were freshly cut trees and a nice new boat landing with parking lot. I assumed this probably meant the park was gone. Much to my surprise, a short walk back in to the woods found what you see posted below… There were bees everywhere, especially those huge bumble bee ones that look fat and buzz loud. I’ve heard they don’t sting, but there were so many, that I believe they could have taken the form of a large knife and stabbed me. It also seemed that no matter where I walked, I walked through some sort of spider web. Some of the spiders down here are about the size of some people I’ve met, so you have to watch. Overall it was a nice afternoon wandering around the South Carolina woods, in the intense heat, taking some pictures with a broken camera… and you wonder why updates are rare.
Really cool update. Beezzz are SCARY! Doesn’t sound like they got you though – good deal! Thanks much for sharing!
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Bees__My_god__5800.jpg
I was exploring your site/blog looking for things late at night and was surprised that this was the first to show up! I live in Lancaster, SC about 5-10 minutes from the Old Springs Park. It’s now being converted into a boat landing. I took some pictures down in there last summer, and it seems to have only gotten worse
So cool though, that you would have some pictures of something so close to home.
Really cool update thanks!
Awesome stuff! Glad the updates are back…. or were back, haha!
Look forward to more entries
the ARGUS!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOO
These pictures made me real sad I used to swim in that pool. Springs took care of their employees back then and this park was part of that.
This place looks like it was lots of fun in it’s prime.
my dad took us there almost every sunday to swim, ride the train, ride the merrygoround, get on the old airplane, ride the ponies, slide down the long slide and buy cotton candy. what great memories. thanx for the pictures. ihave often wanted to go there to see the place. thanx again
Wow I remember going there as a kid it was a fun place to go
Can’t believe it looks like this. I spent many summers there and at the Springs Mills picnic events. The last time I came through was after Hugo and all the trees were down. Out of curiousity, I may take a trip home just to look at this. Thanks for the update.
It is so sad to see this. I remember this place with fond memories. My Dad’s family is from Lancaster. Some of my family are still there, the Helms & Steele’s.
Back in 1978 I went to Springs Park for a week long camp. It was for kids from the local counties that worked at the school during the summer, I was 11yrs old at the time. At this camp we stayed in little cabins that had a bathroom and could sleep up to I think 8 kids, each cabin had an Indian name ours was Arapaho (wow still remember that) Each morning we would get up and meet all the other campers at the flag pole, then go to dinning hall for breakfast. After that we would have events to do until lunch, and more classes and events till dinner. This place had a skating rink, horse back riding coning, paddle boats and the largest coolest pool I had ever seen in my life. I made friends with some of the kids there that I am still friends with today, I met my oldest son’s mom there ( he was born in 1992). I have often thought of that place, and to see these pics really makes me sad. If anyone was there during the time i was there please leave a comment.