Welcome back to National Parks and other public lands with T!
Railfest➢
After a Covid hiatus, Steamtown National Historic Site brought back Railfest over Labor Day weekend in 2024. My friend Patty and I took the 90 minute drive out to Scranton on the Saturday of the event. Railfest celebrated the past, present, and future of railroading through live demonstrations, exhibits, musical performances, ranger programs, and special displays. Highlights included Caboose Hops, Yard Shuttle rides, and limited guided tours of the historic Lackawanna Railroad Station, now the Radisson hotel. We enjoyed touring the railroad yard and signed up for the steam train trip to Lackawanna Station.
Steamtown National Historic Site➢
Steamtown National Historic Site is a railroad museum and heritage railroad in downtown Scranton, Pennsylvania. It sits on 62.48 acres at the former Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad yards. The museum centers on a working turntable and a reconstructed roundhouse from 1932 remnants. Several original outbuildings from 1899 to 1902 also remain. All buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
F. Nelson Blount, a New England seafood businessman, originally collected most of the site’s equipment. In 1964, he founded the Steamtown Foundation and opened a museum and excursion business in Vermont. The foundation moved the museum to Scranton in 1984 as part of a redevelopment effort. Visitor numbers fell short, and the museum faced bankruptcy within two years.
In 1986, Congress approved $8 million to begin converting it into a National Historic Site. Critics questioned the collection’s quality and the use of public funds. Supporters argued the site reflected U.S. industrial history. By 1995, the National Park Service took control and invested $66 million in upgrades.
The park has since removed some items from the Blount collection and added others with stronger regional ties. A sign at the entrance reads,
The National Park Service has retained the industrial working character of this historic Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad yard to present the Steamtown visitor a realistic portrayal of steam-era railroading.
Patty and I explored the roundhouse, trains and museum displays while we waited for our excursion to board. After our train ride returned, we toured the workshops and saw some live demonstrations.
Railfest Posts➢
- Steamtown
- Lackawanna Railroad Station
Location: 350 Cliff St, Scranton, Pennsylvania
Designation: National Historic Site
Date designated/established: October 30, 1986
Date of my visit: August 31, 2024
Steamtown is a must-see for all railfans. Good post.
Thanks so much!
So cool! Train travel sure has changed.
🙂
There is a great railroad museum in Sacramento, which was the terminus for the first Continental Railroad.
Cool! Will check it out if I ever get back there.