George and Eleanor Butler donated the land for Glen Providence Park in the summer of 1935, and work started on October 31, 1935 – making Halloween Glen Providence Park’s birthday! Coincidentally(?), some spooky-strange tales from local folklore take place in and around the park, and it has hosted some spook-tacular Halloween events.

It was the local ghost and witch stories recounted in the early 1900’s by Dr. Anna E. Broomall that led us to discover the rich pre-park history of Glen Providence, from the time it was called Scroggie Valley!  Dr. Broomall was the daughter of Judge John M. Broomall, who had owned the land that is now Glen Providence Park from about 1864 until his death in 1894.  

“Back in the early days of this region before civilization had turned too strong a light on things occult, the neighborhood was peopled with its full quota of goblins and ghosts and witches…” You can read the rest of Dr. Broomall’s telling of the 1700’s story of newlywed ghosts haunting the park, and the 1800’s story of three witch sisters tormenting the local miller, and of their Witches’ Ride in the park.  Both stories are annotated with our historical research and maps.

In the 1980’s, Delaware County Parks & Recreation held frightening Halloween Hauntings in Glen Providence, with Freddy Kruger, a chain saw man, Dracula, and even water creatures in the pond! My favorite newspaper description stated, “After completing the eerie walk, visitors will receive a cup of cider and the director’s assurance that no one will follow them home.” 

Those hauntings were apparently scary enough to help inspire Penncrest grad Gary Dauberman, the horror screenwriter of the 2017 adaptation of Stephen King’s novel “It”! He spoke about it in interviews, telling the Delaware County Daily Times, “I remember going on haunted walks at Glen Providence Park in Media every Halloween, which helped to foster my love of horror at a very young age. So did driving by the Heilbron Mansion on the school bus every day…”

To honor the 80th Anniversary of Glen Providence Park in 2015, we held a Halloween Birthday celebration at the stage, with Hedgerow Theatre enacting Edgar Allen Poe’s The Raven, and the park’s Ghost and Witch Stories! It was an enchanting evening, with the audience dressed in costumes, ready to head off for trick-or-treating immediately following the performance. 

Halloween events are just some of the park’s wonderful array of activities and events since it opened in 1935. That tradition of community events, and the elegance of the park’s design and structures built by the Works Progress Administration, are why Glen Providence Park was determined eligible for the National Register of Historic Places!  What a marvelous history it has had…

Happy 85th Birthday, Glen Providence Park!

And, Happy Halloween!

Click on the links in the article above for photos and much more information!

Thirty years ago, werewolves, ghouls, and monsters filled Glen Providence Park on October nights for the annual Halloween Haunting. The descriptions in the newspapers are fantastic – my favorite is from 1986: “For 50 cents, the brave of heart can hike a half-mile through [Glen Providence Park] to enjoy being scared by actor Freddy Kruger,… water creatures, a chain-saw man, Dracula and his bride, and more. A magician will entertain those waiting in line along State Street.  After completing the eerie walk, visitors will receive a cup of cider and the director’s assurance that no one will follow them home.”

Delaware County Parks & Recreation held the Haunted Woods in Glen Providence Park from 1981 to at least 1991.  It was quite a production, with dozens of volunteer actors channeling Dracula, Frankenstein, Wolfman, Phantom of the Opera, monsters, ghosts, goblins, and of course Freddy Krueger.  A “ghoul usher” led visitors along trails lit with pumpkins, past the entrance and pavilion that had been transformed into macabre scenes, with creatures jumping out from behind trees, under footbridges, and even from the pond! The evening ended with refreshments at a witches’ den.  

Not surprisingly, we have heard this was pretty scary! Based on the comments on our Facebook page when we have shared these descriptions, it would seem that the “swamp man” (in scuba gear!) in the pond made the most memorable impression. In one vivid description, Matthew O. recounted, “I was about 11-13 and somebody in the pond grabs my leg and tries to drag me in the drink. If I didn’t heavily resist I would have gone in for sure. I don’t think the event was regulated for safety.”

A call for volunteers in the Philadelphia Inquirer in 1991 – “Volunteer ghouls needed for haunting” – is the latest record we have found of the Halloween Haunting. Much like the past 4th of July fireworks in the park, it would likely be unrealistic to bring back the Halloween Hauntings, due to liability and crowd management concerns. But October will always be special in Glen Providence Park – Halloween is Glen Providence Park’s birthday!

In the spirit of Halloween, you can read the park’s spooky-strange 1700’s Newlywed Ghost Story and 1800’s Witches Ride from local folklore.

Happy 81st Birthday, Glen Providence Park – and Happy Halloween!!!

If you have any photos or memories of the Halloween Hauntings in Glen Providence Park  that you are willing to share, please email me at FriendsoftheGlen [at] gmail [dot] com!

Sources – Philadelphia Inquirer articles:

October 24, 1982
October 23, 1983
October 28, 1983
October 26, 1984
October 19, 1986
October 29, 1987
October 20, 1988
October 14, 1990
October 10, 1991

Goblins, ghosts, and witches returned to Glen Providence Park for its Halloween 80th birthday party! Amidst the deepening shadows on the last evening in October, more than 160 revelers came out to celebrate the 80th birthday of Glen Providence Park. 

Witches, scarecrows and the young at heart, making their way toward the glimmering stage filled with jack o’lanterns, descended from the main entrance to Glen Providence Park along a path lighted with glowing luminarias. Trees in full fall splendor reflected the glow of sun setting into the valley below. Lions and tigers and bears clambered up a trail out of the glen to join the spectacle of other brightly colored merrymakers anticipating the first Halloween event in the park in more than twenty-five years.

The lilting voice of Hedgerow’s Grey Kelsey, accompanied by her guitar, filled the air with a medley of spooky songs warming up the crowd for an evening of both tricks and treats by the resourceful and talented actors of Hedgerow Theatre in Rose Valley, America’s first repertory theatre.

The entertainment took a dramatic turn with the narrative “Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore, While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping…” During his spellbinding performance, Brock Vickers’ footsteps hammered out across the stage, the haunting syncopated rhythm of Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Raven”. Vickers captivated the audience – that spanned all ages, from the first line to the last ‘nevermore.’ Still one of the most memorable poems of all times, it was published by Poe in 1845.

Following the lively “Witches’ Play” with Susan Wefel, Glen Providence Park Board President Stephanie Gaboriault invited the children on stage to blow out a candle on one of the cupcakes commemorating the park’s birthday. Cupcakes were then distributed among the audience and actors who still had room for a little more sugar!

Work started on Glen Providence Park on October 31, 1935 – a fitting birthday considering the glen’s haunted past, as recounted in 1909 in a scrapbook of prominent local physician and historian Dr. Anna Broomall. Two stories of local folklore documented in that scrapbook took place in Glen Providence Park long before 1935, back when it was called Scroggie Valley: a 1700’s Newlywed Ghost Story and the 1800’s Witches Ride. The Hedgerow Ensemble enacted both of these eerie tales,  also recreating a scene from the tavern in one of the stories, with Hedgerow Executive Director Penelope Reed as Dr. Anna Broomall.

Twilight enveloped the park as the evening concluded with Grey Kelsey leading the audience and Hedgerow actors in singing the Hallowe’en song. A parade of costumed characters departed the park for a night of trick or treating on the town.

This celebration exceeded all our expectations and we are so grateful for the many people and organizations that supported this wonderful community event.

Thank you to our Event Sponsor Sterling Pig, the exciting new restaurant and brewery located on the border of Glen Providence Park, just one block from the main entrance. The amazing ensemble actors of Hedgerow Theatre, our wonderful partner in this dramatic event, made the experience fun and brought history to life. Delaware County Parks & Recreation restored the historical stage this summer for the park’s 80th anniversary. They have cared for Glen Providence Park since its creation in 1935, and their support makes our events possible.

And a special round of applause to the many families, friends, neighbors and members of the community who participated whole heartedly in this event!

See the wonderful photos by George Tate for a taste of this bewitching event! Click on any for a closer look, or scroll through them all…

Most photos by George Tate, with additional photos by Stephanie Gaboriault, Holly Hoffmann, and Friends of Houtman Park.