5 Must-See Historic Sites in Scranton, PA

Go down in history as you travel 300 feet underground into an anthracite coal mine. A former miner leads the award-winning tour through the old Slope #190, which opened in 1860. Visitors unload from the mining car and travel by foot through winding tunnels past three veins of coal. No matter the weather on the surface, the temperature here is always a constant 53 degrees, so dress appropriately. While you walk, listen to stories of everyday hardships faced by miners and see vignettes that explain the different roles involved in mining- from the mule boy to the hewers and nippers.

This is the only national park in the country solely dedicated to the history of steam railroading in America. The 52-acre park in downtown Scranton opened in 1995. Steamtown National Historic Site features displays of historic railroad locomotives, freight cars, cabooses and more. Inside the state-of-the-art complex visitors may tour the Visitors Center, History and Technology Museums to see artifacts, interactive exhibits and displays. There’s also a Locomotive Repair Shop where visitors can see restoration in action.

Find out how Scranton earned its nickname- the Electric City. The museum commemorates the first successful electric streetcar system in America, which happened in downtown Scranton in 1886. Housed in a repurposed 19^th century mill building, Electric City Trolley Station and Museum sits opposite Steamtown National Historic Site. Inside visitors will find an impressive collection of restored vintage trolley cars, a 50-seat theatre, artifacts, memorabilia, interactive displays and a large hands-on children’s activity area.

Dedicated to the people behind the industry, this museum explores the lives of the immigrant workers who called Northeast PA home. Exhibits offer a slice of life look at the mines, mills, factories and families of the coal mining era. Visitors can see re-creations of a factory setting, a typical coal miner’s home, a neighborhood pub and church. The collection of artifacts pays tribute to the cultures and traditions of the region’s diverse population, which hailed from places such as Ireland, Italy, Poland, the United Kingdom and Russia.

A tour of this 1912 Tudor Revival style home in Scranton offers a glimpse at how the city’s wealthier citizens lived. The former residence of prominent citizens George and Helen Catlin is now headquarters to the Lackawanna Historical Society. Architect Edward Langley designed the 16-room building, which still boasts original walnut woodwork, molded plaster ceilings, brass fixtures and three-paneled stained glass windows. On the first floor, visitors may tour rooms decorated with original furnishings and décor from the late 19^th and early 20^th Centuries.