Training Loop: Downtown Scranton, PA

Distance:

4.5 mile loop around Scranton, PA

Highlights:

In addition to some requisite stops for any fan of The Office, we’ll also hit all three historic train stations:

Starting Line:

If you’re going to be staying overnight in Scranton, the Radisson is a great option. It’s affordable, centrally located, and pet friendly. There’s also ample parking. Plus, it’s gorgeous. Built in 1908 as the Lackawanna Station, most of its original decor is intact—including a Tiffany stained-glass ceiling.

Route:

Across the street from the the hotel parking lot is a multi-use building that, amongst other things, houses the Lackawanna County Visitors Bureau & Welcome Center. Here, you can pick up a map for the official The Office self-guided tour—which also includes our first stop: The Office Mural, created by Hagopian Arts.

To get there, turn right out of the visitors bureau (or left out of the hotel parking lot) to follow along Jefferson Avenue as it becomes Lackawanna Avenue.

Fuel up for the afternoon at Coney Island of Scranton on your left. Their menu is short, but what they do, they do well (and they’ve been doing it well for almost one hundred years).

In another block, The Office Mural will be on your right. Then, in another two blocks, the entrance to the Marketplace at Steamtown will be on your left. This mall is also a stop on the self-guided The Office tour. Additionally, the Electric City Aquarium & Reptile Den takes up practically the entire first floor and is worth a visit. Before you leave, make sure to head up to the second floor to see the iconic “Scranton Welcomes You” sign.

Back outside, keep heading down Lackawanna Avenue past the bus terminal. Make a left on Cliff Avenue. There aren’t sidewalks and the road is curvy, so stay aware. Technically, this is only the entrance to the Steamtown National Historic Site and the Electric City Trolley Museum—so it’s unlikely anyone is joyriding. That the National Park Service isn’t better-prepared for pedestrians, though, is concerning.

Also concerning is that the Steamtown website hasn’t been updated since 2022. Try to coordinate your visit to align with a guided tour (from personal experience, they were scheduled for 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.), but the huge roundhouse offers a lot to explore regardless.

Then, just across the parking lot is the Electric City Trolley Museum. Compared to Steamtown, its collection is a bit quaint—but, the museum is located in an old mill (which is cool to see), the history provided is pretty fascinating (like that Scranton offered the first successful streetcar system? Not San Francisco or New Orleans? Am I the only one who mistakenly thought that?), and they offer scenic excursions in warmer months (even to baseball games).

After you’re done exploring the interactive exhibits, head carefully back around the curve of Cliff Avenue. While watching for cars, take a moment to look up at the rear of the Trolley Museum. The United Silk Mills signage remains visible.

Back at the intersection with Lackawanna Avenue, make a left to cross the Lackawanna River. On the other side of the street is the Central Railroad Of New Jersey Freight Terminal. Built in 1890, this station was the end of the line for the Central Railroad of New Jersey out of Jersey City (whose terminal is now part of Liberty State Park). Unfortunately, the passenger terminal burnt down in 1910. Even more unfortunate, the freight terminal now stands vacant despite proposed projects over the years to repurpose it.

Stay on Lackawanna Avenue until North 7th Avenue, and then make a left. The entrance to the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail (which you just crossed over after the river) will be on your left. The trail stretches for about 70 miles, but we’ll stay on it for 1 mile heading north. Then, exit the trail at the next parking lot and make a right onto West Olive Street.

Our next stop is the instantly recognizable (to any fan of The Office) Pennsylvania Paper & Supply building. From West Olive Street, make the next right onto Gordon Avenue. This will loop around onto Mifflin Avenue, which you may have to look up to confirm. The street sign was raised after multiple attempted thefts. Mifflin Avenue turns into Vine Street (less desirable) as you stay to your left. By this point, though, you’re in the shadow of the Penn Paper Tower—one side of which even says Dunder Mifflin! During normal business hours, you’re welcome to go into the lobby to check out some memorabilia from the show.

Continue down Vine Street and then make a left on North Washington Avenue. After two blocks, you won’t be able to miss a pirate ship and a lighthouse popping out of what is actually a historic train station on your left. This amalgamation of buildings makes up Cooper’s Seafood House. Inside, the venue is a kitschy maze of everything from The Office souvenirs to sea monsters and mermaids. Every hallway (of which there are several) and room (of which there are many) is eclectically packed from floor to ceiling. Among other spaces, there’s a tiki bar, a whale room, and even an authentic train room—which used to be The Erie and Wyoming Valley Railroad Depot. Built in 1887, the line primarily served as a connection to nearby Wilkes-Barre, but in its prime saw over 4 million passengers a year. Since the restaurant opened in 1948, the former station has been part of Cooper’s.

Beyond its memorable decor and historic architecture, there’s a lot to love about Cooper’s. For fans of The Office, the restaurant has not only been mentioned and/or featured in six different episodes, but in real life it also boasts the largest Office gift shop in the United States. Secondly, the food itself is unnecessarily good. It’s an old-school seafood house, and it does the traditional dishes with classic sides exceptionally well. Finally, the business recently expanded to include a microbrewery called Cooper’s Family Brewing. If Victoria the Vicious is an indicator of what they can brew, they’re off to a fantastic start.

After you’re done feasting and perusing, head back the way you came on North Washington Avenue. In about three blocks, Scranton City Hall will be on your left at the intersection with Mulberry Street. The world’s biggest Dundie is in the lobby, awarding Scranton “Best Hometown of The Office.” Check out how the agency Smash Design manufactured the giant statue here.

Continue on North Washington Avenue. At the intersection with Spruce Street, there’s an easy-to-miss marker commemorating the opening of the first location of what would become Rite Aid drugstores (at the time, in 1962, it was called Thrift D Discount Center). Like that Scranton offered the first successful streetcar system, it’s another piece of fun, random local trivia.

Finish Line:

In less than a block, Mutant Brewing will be on your right. With over-the-top neon decor (“inspired by the Mutant Ape Yacht Club NFT collection”… whatever that means) and unique beer flavors like banana bread and white chocolate macadamia cookie, it’s the perfect place to toast to a packed tour of Scranton.

Plus, it’s only about a quarter mile from the Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel Scranton. Continue down North Washington Avenue until its intersection with Lackawanna Avenue; then, make a left. You’ll see The Office Mural on your left and Coney Island of Scranton on your right (another chance to stop by, if it wasn’t open yet when you passed the first time!). As Lackawanna Avenue literally turns into Jefferson Avenue, on your righthand side you won’t be able to miss the gorgeous historic train station-turned-hotel.

Manda Miles