diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
index 6efc4871542c..e69de29bb2d1 100644
--- a/.gitmodules
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -1,6 +0,0 @@
-[submodule "cpp/submodules/parquet-testing"]
-	path = cpp/submodules/parquet-testing
-	url = https://github.com/apache/parquet-testing.git
-[submodule "testing"]
-	path = testing
-	url = https://github.com/apache/arrow-testing
diff --git a/cpp/submodules/parquet-testing b/cpp/submodules/parquet-testing
deleted file mode 160000
index d914f9d28948..000000000000
--- a/cpp/submodules/parquet-testing
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Subproject commit d914f9d289488c7db1759d7a88a4a1b8f062c7dd
diff --git a/testing b/testing
deleted file mode 160000
index 860376d4e586..000000000000
--- a/testing
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Subproject commit 860376d4e586a3ac34ec93089889da624ead6c2a