Trinity Loop

The ghosts of better days haunt Trinity Loop, Newfoundland and Labrador. It was once a vital transportation link, and later a beloved amusement park. Today, its famous train loop, Ferris wheel, and other attractions lie in ruins, damaged by vandals and a devastating hurricane.

Before it became an amusement park, the train loop near Trinity was part of the Newfoundland Railway. Trinity is surrounded by steep hills, and the railway looped around a pond to gain elevation to reach the town.

The Newfoundland Railway shut down in 1988, outpaced by improvements in the island's highway and air networks. After some wrangling over ownership of the land, the site was converted into an amusement park. For many years, its miniature train was the only locomotive still operating on the island.

Locals fondly remember trips to Trinity Loop in the 1980s and '90s, when visitors could ride trains, boats, and ponies, dine in a railcar restaurant, or see the entire pond from the top of the Ferris wheel. The park also featured live entertainment, miniature golf, a museum, and a petting zoo. When it ceased operations in 2004, the site was abandoned to the elements.

Today, Trinity Loop is a sprawling maze of dilapidated train tracks, graffiti-filled ruins, and ghostly murals. Vandals have wreaked havoc on the train cars and outbuildings, and flooding following Hurricane Igor washed out much of the railway. People still visit the site to swim, fish for trout, and film amateur horror movies.