About Scranton

Scranton, PA, is a city full of vitality and rich in history. With nearly 82,000 residents, Scranton is the third largest metropolitan area in Pennsylvania. By blending a vision of the future with an appreciation of its historic past, Scranton retains its traditional values and appeal. While many other industrial-based cities view today’s economic change as an obstacle, Scranton has seized the challenge as an opportunity to revitalize itself into a thriving haven for business, art and tourism. A strong inter-city and intra-city transportation system, a two hour proximity to Philadelphia and New York City, and an International Airport located only nine miles away has helped attract residents, businesses and tourism to Scranton. and national averages.

Stroudsburg and East Stroudsburg play host to a community of visual artists, dancers, and musicians. Under the direction of the Monroe County Arts Council, Scranton offers entertainment and cultural activities that include the Ballet Theatre of Scranton, the contemporary performers at East Stroudsburg University, the epic productions at the J.J. Ferrara Performing Arts Center, or an evening at the historic Keystone Theatre. The magic of magician Harry Houdini lives on at the Houdini Museum, which was featured in a segment of the Travel Channel in 2003 and has been called one of the most unique museums and attractions in the world.

History buffs will find no shortage of activities in the Scranton area. The Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel is a historic train station transformed into a four diamond hotel with modern amenities. The hotel’s central location is ideal for exploring the past and discovering the new - Scranton. The award-winning Lackawanna Coal Mine features tours that descend 300 feet under ground and explore the tunnels where early Pennsylvania miners toiled. Steamtown, U.S.A celebrates the heyday of the American Railroad and offers rides on a real steam locomotive. It is within walking distance of the Cultural Center and Steamtown National Historic Site, and provides a complimentary shuttle to sites such as the Masonic Temple a unique example of Neo-Gothic architecture.

For those who prefer a more active life-style, whitewater rafting, hiking, nature photography, or camping are available in and near these quiet mountains and streams, and ski resorts such as Camelback Resort, and Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort offer the arts as well as skiing. The Mall at Steamtown offers plenty of activity for those sports minded window-shoppers.

Scranton is the county seat for Scranton/Lackawanna County and was recently voted to be one of the "Top Ten Small Markets" in the United States by World Trade magazine. The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce has helped the area strengthen and reshape its economy by attracting many important business and community projects. Today, Scranton is home to a $100 million downtown shopping mall, a $24 million baseball stadium, a $70 million national park, golf courses, ski resorts, technology parks and corporate campuses.

Among the many advantages enjoyed by Greater Scranton residents, is a cost of living that is significantly lower than all other Middle Atlantic metropolitan areas. Scranton boasts 13 colleges, universities, and technical schools, and an average student to teacher ratio in public schools of 16 to 1 has resulted in high school graduation rates well above state and national averages.

Wilkes-Barre

At first glance, you would not expect to find the Wyoming Historical and Geological Society Museum in PA.  But the museum has been Wilkes-Barre's pride and joy since it opened, and Wilkes-Barre is in the heart of Luzerne County, PA.  Still in the original building (1893),  the museum's permanent exhibit includes local Native American artifacts, such as stone implements of the Archaic period, as well as rocks, minerals, fossils and local coal-mining industry information.  The name stems from a series of brutal raids conducted up and down the Wyoming Valley by the Indians and Tories during the Revolutionary War.  Wilkes-Barre was the breadbasket of the area, and strategically important.  The raids culminated in this area in what came to be called "the Wyoming Massacre."  The River Common area, where many Revolutionary War battles were fought, is now a 35 acre park. Luzerne County Courthouse (c 1770) is located on park grounds.

John Wilkes and Isaac Barre, who were Colonial sympathizers and members of the British Parliament, are remembered with the name of the town, Wilkes-Barre, and with a monument to them in the town square.

Wilkes-Barre has a diversified economy now, cultural, recreational, tourist, manufacturing and service industries, but it's economic start was with rural farm areas and as a hub for anthracite coal mining.  Appropriately for the city of coal, Wilkes-Barre saw the first known successful burning of anthracite coal in an open grate in 1808.  Excellent education opportunities abound with Kings College and College Misericordia.

Adjacent to the lovely Poconos Mountains, Wilkes-Barre boasts many attractions such as the Wyoming Valley Raceway, The Luzerne County Historical Society research library, museum, and historical homestead setting, the Wyoming Valley Sports Dome, Wilkes University, F.M. Kirby Center, Knoebels Amusement Park, The Lion Brewery (since 1901), Northeast Pennsylvania Philharmonic, The Houdini Museum, The Lackawana Coal Mine Tour, Pocono International Raceway and 5 golf courses.

Wilkes-Barre's new 10,000 seat arena, The Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza is the home of the American Hockey League's Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins.