Scranton

Scranton brings together several distinct experiences: railroad history, trolley excursions, workshops at the Scranton Cultural Center, and the David Wenzel Treehouse in Nay Aug Park. When planning your trip, it helps to first decide which themes you want to shape your stay. The options described range from historic collections and buildings to a short train ride and an excursion featuring notable route highlights.

Steam and Electric Railroad History

Steamtown National Historic Site preserves, interprets, and protects the history of steam railroading in America. This historic railroad site also includes collections. One notable feature is the Roundhouse: it has thirteen stalls, was built in 1902, and expanded in 1937. It is still used operationally to display and maintain historic locomotives. Construction history and present-day use come together in this building; anyone interested in the development and preservation of railroads will find a tangible way to explore the subject here.

The Steamtown train experience adds a ride to this historical perspective: it consists of 30-minute trips through the park’s historic railroad site. This distinguishes it from exploring collections and buildings. The stated ride duration gives you a clear point of reference if you would rather learn about railroad history on the move than solely through exhibits.

Electric railroads are represented, too. The Electric City Trolley Museum has a collection that represents their history in eastern Pennsylvania—from the Philadelphia region to Northeastern Pennsylvania. Scranton therefore offers two distinct areas of focus: steam railroad history at Steamtown and electric railroads in the Trolley Museum’s collection. This distinction can help you tailor your visit to the historical subject that interests you most.

Trolley Excursion, Architecture, and Park

The Electric City Trolley excursion follows a section of the former Lackawanna & Wyoming Valley Railroad line, the Laurel Line. Its described route highlights include the section running parallel to Roaring Brook, the Historic Iron Furnaces, and the 4,747-foot-long Crown Avenue Tunnel. These details make clear how this excursion differs from a ride through the historic railroad site at Steamtown: here, the route description is shaped by the former line, the brook, the furnaces, and the tunnel.

The Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple combines historic architecture with practical workshops. The “School & Group Experience” includes a tour of the center’s historic architecture for all age groups. It also includes a choice of two workshops, with instruction in theater, dance, drawing, mixed media, music, or magic. For groups looking to include architecture and a range of creative subjects alongside railroad history, this format offers a distinct focus.

The David Wenzel Treehouse is located in Nay Aug Park. It opened on Friday, May 25, 2007, and overlooks the gorge from a height of 150 feet. This adds a place with a clearly described view over the gorge to the selection, alongside Scranton’s railroad history and cultural attractions.

Depending on your interests, you can focus your trip on steam or electric railroads, a trolley excursion, architecture and workshops, or the Treehouse. For comparing other places, see Moosic, Old Forge, and Dunmore.

For the broader travel overview: Lackawanna.