Abandoned Paterson Hinchliffe Stadium | Urban Exploration

Overgrown concrete grandstand of the abandoned Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson, New Jersey, weeds pushing up through the terraces.

Explored two stadiums in one day. This was the first one I explored out of the two and the second abandoned place of the day earlier in July 2016. Upon entering, tall weeds and bushes dominated the framed crowd control columns seen at the beginning of the episode. This stadium was larger than the other football stadium. Instead of one sweeping stadium seating, this one was more oval and more designed for the immersion of the crowd towards the action in the center. The concession stand, bathrooms, and commentator’s box were all neatly located behind the seating area. This was once a grand stadium when it was open.

The oval bowl of the abandoned stadium seen from the stands, the field reclaimed by grass and brush.
Framed crowd control columns at the stadium entrance, overrun by tall weeds and bushes.

It’s rare you can explore an empty stadium once teeming with screaming supportive fans, fresh beer, and juicy hot dogs. A few still remain in the United States in Detroit and Ohio. Although, the one in Detroit is to be demolished soon or is already fallen to the demolition crew. This stadium once hosted local football and baseball games but fell into disrepair during an era of declining funding. In addition, this sports stadium is only one of the remaining stadiums to ever hosted an important national game during racial segregation.

Rows of empty seating inside the abandoned stadium, paint flaking from the concrete risers.
The derelict concession stand behind the seating area, counters stripped and walls weathered.
Interior of the stadium's commentator's box, windows broken and fittings gone.
Curving concrete structure of the abandoned stadium with the field beyond, nature taking the terraces back.

Update: Feb 2023 the historic stadium has been renovated after being vacant for 25 years. The New Jersey Jackals Minor League baseball team will call home one of the few remaining Negro League stadiums still standing in New Jersey.

📋 Reader Records
🏟️ Did you sit in these stands?

Did you watch a game here before the gates closed, or play on this field? Ticket stubs, programs, team photographs, scorecards and newspaper clippings would all help, and so would anything from the Negro League years or from the local football and baseball seasons that followed. If you worked the concession stand or the commentator's box, I would like to hear about it. Full credit given to all contributors.

⬇️ Keep Reading
🏟️ The other stadium, and more of New Jersey
Paterson's mills below the falls, Trenton's wireworks, and the rest of the state left standing empty.
🏈 Abandoned Newark Ironbound Stadium (Urbex) The other stadium from that same day. Celanese contamination found in 1986 emptied it; it is Eddie Moraes Stadium now. › 🏭 Colt Gun Mill & Allied Textile Printing (ATP) The mill from the same day, directly below the stadium under the Great Falls. Shored up, fenced off, and promised a vista park. › 🧵 Inside the Abandoned National Silk Dyeing Co.: Paterson's Forgotten Textile Mill Inspectors counted more than 904 drums of chemicals at 6 Piercy St. A five-alarm fire gutted the oldest sections. › ⚙️ John A. Roebling's Sons Company Upper Works Flat Shop No. 1 lost its exterior wall in 2026. The mayor is salvaging the iron star plates instead. › 🔒 A Life Sentence in Old Essex County Jail Built in 1837 to John Haviland's design, closed in 1970, and still fighting off the wrecking ball. › 🚂 The Decaying McMyler Coal Dumper at Port Reading Big Mac, built 1917, tipped 25 railcars an hour with 12 men. It ran until 1983. ›
📍 Hinchliffe Stadium sits above the Great Falls in Paterson, New Jersey, and is one of the few surviving Negro League ballparks in the country. It reopened in 2023 after roughly 25 years vacant.

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