While the ongoing federal government shutdown may have temporarily derailed operations at the Steamtown National Historic Site, the neighboring Electric City Trolley Museum continues to serve visitors in Scranton.
TO LEARN MORE
● Information about the Electric City Trolley Museum, including open hours, trip times, and ticket prices, can be found on the museum's website and Facebook page.
● While the neighboring Steamtown National Historic Site is currently closed due to the ongoing federal government shutdown, you can learn more about the facility on its website.
● For a comprehensive list of events and attractions throughout Northeast Pennsylvania, visit DiscoverNEPA.
The trolley museum has a special Halloween Fest set for this Sunday, Oct. 19 (read more below), regular runs through the end of the month, and other special events are scheduled for November and December.
The Lackawanna County-operated trolley museum at 300 Cliff St. shares the same National Park Service land as the Steamtown National Historic Site in downtown Scranton. Steamtown remains closed due to the budget impasse, but the county and the National Park Service reached an agreement to keep the trolley museum operating.
Its collection of trolleys and related artifacts tells the story of electric rail transportation in eastern Pennsylvania, from Scranton and the anthracite region to Philadelphia.
About the trolley museum and the ride
- The museum: The museum's interpretive center, which includes historic exhibits, a gift shop and restrooms, is located in a restored 19th century mill complex. This also is where guests must purchase tickets for the trolley ride, which departs from a platform in the Steamtown rail yard. Tickets are not sold on the cars.
The ride: Excursions aboard vintage electric trolley cars built in the 1920s and '30s are the focal point of ECTM's operation. Rides depart from a platform at the Steamtown site and transport guests on a scenic 10-mile round-trip to the museum's restoration shop adjacent to PNC Field in Moosic, where skilled craftspeople are working to bring more historic trolleys from Northeast Pennsylvania and other parts of the state back to running condition.
Along the way, riders travel through woods, over and alongside Roaring Brook and Stafford Meadow Brook, beneath Interstate 81, past St. Mary's Cemetery, and through the 4,747-foot-long Crown Avenue tunnel under South Scranton. The mid-section of the line traverses part of a scenic 436-acre parcel of land in Scranton's East Mountain section that in recent years was added to the Pinchot State Forest.
- Regular runs: During the regular operating season, which runs through October, trolley trips are scheduled for 10:30 a.m., noon, 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays. Reservations for regular runs are welcome, but not necessary.
Halloween Fest set for Oct. 19
Sunday's special event at the museum includes art activities (10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.) and a costume contest (winners announced at 12:30 p.m.), and riders can greet Melinda the Magical Witch on the trolley.
Rides with Melinda will be offered at 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:45 p.m., and 1:30 p.m.
Reservations are required by calling 570-963-6590.
Santa on the trolley in November, December
Trolley rides with Santa Claus will be offered on the weekends of Nov. 29 and 30, Dec. 6 and 7, Dec. 13 and 14, and Dec. 20 and 21.
Excursion times on those dates will be 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:45 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Kids will be able to send letters to Santa by depositing them in a box on the trolley.
Visitors also can tour the museum and vote on their favorite Christmas trees decorated by students from around Lackawanna County.
Reservations are required by calling 570-963-6590.
