Free Scranton history walking tours add ‘red-light district’ tour, run June 5-Sept. 10
From a press release:
As summer approaches (however slowly), the Lackawanna Historical Society is preparing for the return of its architectural walking tours of downtown Scranton in June.
Visitors can learn more about Scranton’s impressive building stock, and residents can be tourists in their hometown and learn more about the neighborhoods they pass by every day. A new tour this year that starts at the Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel will focus on the city’s commercial heart along Lackawanna Avenue, touching on the wholesale block and former red-light district.
“You get to learn interesting historical tidbits, like the Albright Memorial Library was built to look like a museum in Paris. Then you learn some of the little architectural details that, if you didn’t stop and look up, you would never notice, like the Ritz Theater. It’s a beautiful Art Deco building, but if you don’t cross the street and look at it, you won’t see it. There are interesting architectural details that tell part of the story of the city,” Lackawanna Historical Society Executive Director Mary Ann Moran-Savakinus said in an interview about the annual tours.
“The people who live here don’t know what an architectural treasure the city of Scranton is, so if you get to stop for a minute and look up, then they appreciate not just the architecture, but the wealth and substantial role that Scranton played in the nation’s history.”
These free 90-minute guided tours will be offered on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings, with each focusing on a different thematic region of the Electric City.
Downtown Scranton summer walking tour schedule
Saturday, June 5 at 11 a.m.: Meet at Courthouse Square, corner of N. Washington Ave. and Linden St.
Friday, June 18 at 6 p.m.: Meet at Lackawanna College, corner of N. Washington Ave. and Vine St.
Saturday, July 10 at 11 a.m.: Meet at Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel, 700 Lackawanna Ave.
Saturday, July 24 at 11 a.m.: Meet at Elm Park Church, corner of Jefferson Ave. and Linden St.
Saturday, Aug. 7 at 11 a.m.: Meet at Courthouse Square, corner of N. Washington Ave. and Linden St.
Friday, Aug. 20 at 6 p.m.: Meet at Lackawanna College, corner of N. Washington Ave. and Vine St.
Friday, Sept. 10 at 6 p.m.: Meet at Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel, 700 Lackawanna Ave.
The schedule is subject to change to meet ever-changing COVID-19 guidelines. All tours are limited to eight people, and face masks will be required of all participants in accordance with recommendations from the office of Governor Tom Wolf.
“It’s a nice tool for the Historical Society because we get to teach history in an interesting way. It’s also nice for summer tourism,” Moran-Savakinus noted.
“It’s a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon. If you work in the city all day on the weekdays, you can stop by and get a tour of the city on the weekend and get a whole different perspective.”
Call the society at 570-344-3841 for reservations. For more information, email lackawannahistory@gmail.com.
Founded in 1886 as the Lackawanna Institute of History and Science, the Lackawanna Historical Society provides the community with a record of local history through its museum and library collections, exhibits, and programs. In 1942, from the bequest of George H. Catlin, the society established its permanent home at Catlin’s 1912 residence at 232 Monroe Avenue in Scranton.
In 1965, Lackawanna County designated the Lackawanna Historical Society as the official county historical society, and the society continues to serve the county as a center for local history resources. It receives funding from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, the Catlin Memorial Trust, Lackawanna County, and memberships.
