I always love walking across swinging bridges, so when I heard there was a hidden on in Butler, PA, I knew I needed to check it out.
The swinging bridge in Butler is located behind the historic Pullman Park. Pullman Park was built in 1934 and once housed minor league teams for the New York Yankees, the Pittsburgh Pirates, Detroit Tigers, and the Cleveland Indians (now Guardians).
Today, it’s home to a collegiate summer league team, the Butler BlueSox, and is quite an impressive stadium.
Butler’s swinging bridge is most easily accessed from behind the stadium. To reach it, simply drive or walk around the gravel road to a small parking area directly behind the centerfield wall.
This spot can be found at the following coordinates: 40.858528, -79.904917. You can also use the stadium’s address: 100 Pullman Park Pl, Butler, PA 16001.
Another option for parking is at the end of West Diamond Street, down the hill from the Butler County Courthouse. There’s no official parking area here, but there is street parking along the street.
Use the following address if approaching from this direction: 529 West Diamond Street, Butler, PA 16001
It’s worth noting that while I’ve visited a few times over the years, I’ve never been there on a game day. It’s likely that you’ll have to park a bit further away and walk in if a baseball game is happening at the stadium during your visit.
The swinging bridge in Butler isn’t overly long, less than 100 feet, but is quite a fun spot to visit as you can really get it swaying back and forth with little effort.
It crosses over Sullivan Run, though the waterway here is normally pretty narrow, so most of its distance is actually over dry land. Despite its size, though, I saw a fair number of small fish in the water below the bridge.
I could find very little in my research about the history of this bridge. It has certainly existed for decades, and I did see a couple of unsubstantiated comments that listed a date of 1910, but I can’t confirm that.
The bridge did get a refurbishment in late 2023, and when I revisited in late 2024, the bridge was looking quite nice. Hopefully it stays that way for many years to come.
It is interesting to me that it appears to be the only suspension bridge in Butler County, which is the county where John Roebling, the inventor of suspension bridges resided for many years. (There’s a great museum dedicate to Roebling in Saxonburg.)
Overall, the swinging bridge in Butler is not the sort of site that you’ll want to plan a trip around. However, if you find yourself in this part of Butler County, it’s definitely a fun spot for a quick visit. I know I enjoyed my visits to this spot.
Looking for more spots to visit nearby? Check out the Maridon Museum, the Hyde Park Walking Bridge, and the Jennings Environmental Education Center.
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