Scranton Coal Mine Tour – Trip on a Tank

The kids will be back in school before you know it, and if you’re trying to squeeze to the very last drop what’s left of summer and are looking for something both fun and educational to do with your little humans, how about a trip to the Lackawanna County Coal Mine?

On Monday, I traveled to Scranton with some friends from Townsquare Media (parent company of 98.1 The Hawk) as well as with my little guy to take a step back in history and discover what coal mining was really like.

We’ve all seen the movies, such as ‘Coal Miner’s Daughter,’ where the guys go to work in the mine early in the morning and don’t come home until dark and are exhausted and covered in black gunk. And it’s hard to wrap our heads around what it must have been like to work in such conditions, but once the movie has ended, we forget about it and go on with our daily lives.

But to experience it firsthand! Now, that was an incredible experience and one that I won’t soon forget. I could feel the air starting to change as we dipped below the earth’s surface and deep into the Lackawanna County Coal Mine in a mine car. The sky disappeared and the air grew cooler. It took us a few minutes to creep to almost 300 feet below the earth and during the descent, I found my thoughts wandering to all of the men who’d taken the same trip over 150 years ago when the anthracite coal mine first opened. I wonder if they were scared to forge so deep into the earth or if they brushed those fears away knowing they had families to care for. And the kids who worked in the mine too. What about them? Did you know it's wasn't uncommon for kids as young as 5 to work for the mining companies sorting pieces of coal?

Once we reached “the foot,” we walked about half a mile over the course of about an hour alongside a mining tour guide who explained to us the fascinating methods used to extract the coal and what it was like for workers involved in obtaining this natural resource. The tour was both fascinating and informational and definitely one I’ll be taking my son on again when he’s a little bit older to understand.

The Lackawanna Coal Mine Tour is absolutely family friendly and suitable for all ages. One bit of advice though- if you have a little one who can’t walk and who is too little for a toddler type folding stroller, bring a baby carrier of some sort and be sure to dress them in pants and a sweater because the temperature drops to 53 degrees, where it remains year round.  Comfortable walking shoes are definitely recommended. This isn’t a tour you’d want to take in heels and probably not one you’d want your kids taking in flip-flops, although there’s no rule that either can’t be worn, but you should know there are some slippery spots because of dripping water.

The Lackawanna Coal Mine Tour is open April 1st through November 30th and is closed on Easter Sunday and Thanksgiving Day.  The box office opens at 10am. Admission prices are subject to change, so be sure to check before you go.

To get to the coal mine from Binghamton, take route 81 S to Exit 191B (formerly 57B) then take the McDade Expressway to the Keyser Avenue exit.  Take right onto Keyser Avenue, go 3 miles and follow the signs. Parking is free at the Coal Mine Tour in lots adjacent to the Shifting Shanty.

To learn even more about the Lackawanna County Coal Mine tours or to plan your visit, call 1-800-238-7245.