A process is disclosed for converting dicyclopentadiene to cyclopentane and/or cyclopentene, wherein dicyclopentadiene is fed to a catalytic distillation column, the dicyclopentadiene is cracked to cyclopentadiene in the catalytic distillation column, the cyclopentadiene is hydrogenated to cyclopentane in the catalytic distillation column, and the cyclopentane is recovered from the catalytic distillation column. The dicyclopentadiene is fed into and cracked to cyclopentadiene at the bottom of the catalytic distillation column. Hydrogen is then fed to the catalytic distillation column below the catalytic zone, where cyclopentadiene is hydrogenated as it is produced, thus suppressing polymerization of the cyclopentadiene. The resulting cyclopentane and/or cyclopentene vapor phase stream is condensed, thereby producing a liquid stream of cyclopentane and/or cyclopentene and a vapor stream of hydrogen and other off-gas by-products.