Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton is now free year-round
From a press release:
Effective Oct. 1, the Steamtown National Historic Site will no longer charge a park entrance fee.
Since 2005, the National Park Service charged a $7 admission fee for visitors 16 and older. After conducting a detailed analysis of costs associated with collecting and managing park entrance fee revenue, it was determined by NPS regional fee program coordinators and park management that the park could increase visitation and reduce costs by not collecting admission to the site on a daily basis.
“This was really an easy decision to make. The goal in dropping our park entrance fee is to encourage more people to come and visit this great historic site,” Park Superintendent Debbie Conway stated.
The park will continue to offer seasonal train rides for a fee. The fee for short train rides remains the same at $5 for everyone ages 6 and older. Excursions to locations outside the park boundaries will also continue to have a fee.
“We will continue to charge fees for train services and for special events and programs in order to recover our operating costs. If folks just want to come and enjoy an afternoon picnic at the park and stroll through the museums, they can free of charge,” Conway said.
Park management and staff are in the process of developing special programs in conjunction with other area museums. Those new programs may charge a fee, depending on what the presentation entails.
“For example, the park will charge a fee for its annual Railfest event, but what the fee is and what it includes is yet to be determined,” she noted.
The Steamtown NHS (350 Cliff St., Scranton) is open daily from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. From I-81, follow exit 185 (Central Scranton Expressway), then follow the brown and white signs to the park entrance at Lackawanna and Cliff Avenues (GPS: N 41.41, W 75.67). General park information is available by calling 570-340-5204 during regular business hours or by visiting the park website.
Photo by NPS/Kenny Ganz
