The 23 best parks and gardens in Scranton

Always loved this place since I was so young. It's definitely gone downhill in more ways than one throughout the years, but I've almost always enjoyed coming back. A nice, quiet, historic part of PA to escape to every once in a while.

I’ve lived in Scranton for around 1 year, but this is my first time visiting this park. This public park is very spacious, with a beautiful waterfall, and it’s a perfect place to visit during the fall foliage season. I brought my cat for a walk — there are so many squirrels here, and my cat was so happy watching them run around.

I was a first-time visitor to Nay Aug Park on Wednesday June 11, 2025. There is something for everybody in this city-owned public space. The day I was visiting there was a health fair being presented and I picked up some valuable information. The trails leading to the water seemed very treacherous to me. Maybe there is an easy trail but I did not find it. Check out the cool tree house platform. Apparently at this time of year the foliage obscures the water from the tree house. Apparently there is a parking lot on location reserved for hospital staff.

Beautiful place to take a walk or a hike. Be careful in some areas, as the last major storm caused some of the paths to get washed out. Wear good shoes and you'll be able to get around well. Don't forget to check out the coffee shop near the hospital, Blackwatch Coffee. Excellent coffee, cute little bistro/cafe as they also sell breakfast and lunch items. Would go back to try their specialty "monthly" coffee selections.

Love visiting here when back in Scranton. Hikes can be difficult with how steep things are and a lot of uneven ground, wet leaves etc. There are some paved paths but still pretty steep if physically compromised or not in fair health. We had some older people in our group and were able to navigate the terrain, though moderately challenging, with some caution. The scenic views are worth the trek.

This area is beautiful for walking. We parked at the end of Mulberry Street and followed the trails to the bridge, overlook, and falls. It's a great spot to spend some time in nature.

Easy to access via bus, jump off at Geisinger. If you can catch the mine tour, it's well worth it. Plenty of hiking trails and picnic areas. There's gazebos and usually decent parking. Don't miss the treehouse overlook!

Earhart has a very wide range of exhibits with a significant folk art collection, natural history displays, geological displays with a focus on local artists (which I love). Tickets are very reasonable and free for Military. We were expecting a small discount but since they were free we made a donation equal to or above ticket costs. The museum is well maintained and staffed with knowledgeable and pleasant staff. The grounds were in good shape but I could see more work was needed on the grounds. Back to the museum, we enjoyed all exhibits. Local artists are also featured at the basement level, near the restrooms so please don’t miss the basement. Museum has a small elevator and easy stairs, and a total of 3 floors. We were sad we will miss upcoming “The Office” exhibit. A very nice museum for a small-ish town.

This was our first visit to this museum. It was a good collection of local history and a good display on the man who created the museum. The third floor was a collection of art work from local artists. We visited for about 2 1/2 hours. They did not have any facilities to eat lunch and there was only one bathroom on the ground floor. One thing they did have was a bathroom for the handicap which I rarely see in museums. I am severely limited with my mobility and anything like that helps. That being said, if you have mobility issues you will need to enter from the rear of the building. You need to ring the bell and someone will let you in. There is an elevator that will go to each floor. I have an electric scooter for these visits and I did find that the doorways between each room or gallery was very tight. Considering it is an old building, I had few challenges. The museum staff was very kind and helpful.

Tells the story of a local physician, naturalist, taxidermist, philanthropist and his gift to the community. The collection of 700 or so preserved bird specimens is impressive. The museum is a regional gem.

A great piece of Scranton history. I highly recommend stopping in, even if you’ve been before. My friends joke it’s a good spot for a date, there’s nothing more romantic than the bird room.

Very good place, however, the only drawback that it is small... the museum has a quite large collection of birds, and some dinosaur fossils... the top floor is an art place, however, the collections there are... some are interesting, and others are... Overall not bad, hence the 4 stars, however, it's really three with an extra star for the birds...

Not going to lie. I didn’t have big expectations. I grew up in Scranton and went here as a kid many times. My big memories were the dinosaur fossils (cast), bird room, shrunken head, mineral/stones under black light and the bees that used to be in the basement. Some of that is still there and some of it is not (the worker bees apparently abandoned their Queen at some point; the shrunken head was taken out to investigate if it was actually human remains, in which case it would not be able to be displayed). But it’s been really well cleaned up since my childhood and even the early 2000s which was probably the last time I was there. It feels very modern, very clean, freshly painted with galleries deserving of a museum. There are some very nice modern works that I enjoyed seeing. It’s a bit of a miracle that the museum has survived so many decades and so many ups and downs that the city has gone through financially and that it is so beautiful. I’m glad I visited on this last trip back to Scranton and I’m proud to have it in my hometown.

Beautiful bird display, probably the biggest one I have seen in the US so far. Admirable work of art done here, the painting collection is not so big but is good art from scranton.

Located inside the Steamtown Mall. Parking was $1/hr. Went in a group of 14 (15+ for group rate). Self paced reptile and aquarium exhibits. Check the schedule for the educational class for the kids (Nice job Arthur 👏🏾) and special feeding/touching opportunities. Spent about 1.5 - 2 hours here. Clean bathrooms. Plenty of hand sanitizer. Will definitely return with other family members.

Was such a nice day out. A smaller aquarium but covers the basics. Tons of beautiful fish to see, some sharks as well, jellyfish, octopus, you can even feed the sting reys! They offer a shalow touch tank with coral, urchins, many types of starfish, horseshoe crabs, & snails. Also have an impressive reptile section, a few monkeys and other rainforest animals.

It is located inside the mall and was a bit smaller than I expected, but they pack a lot of exhibits in the space. You’ll see turtles, snakes, fish, lizards, and more. They even have a touch tank with stingrays. It only took us a little over an hour to go through, but there was a lot to see. Definitely glad we went!

Was in the area for a vacation, was looking for something to do in-between what was on the itinerary. This came up in my search. Best part of the mall. Cool little aquarium, worth the visit. Great variety of animals, a couple of touch tanks, its really nice.

We had a great time on Mother's Day. I like that Mother's were Free, but we got our tickets the week before and they gave us 2 tickets to come again. It was also my daughter's first Mother's Day ❤️❤️❤️

As avid animal lovers we were kind of skeptical about an aquarium in a mall but boy were we wrong this is definitely a hidden gem. We've been twice already this year despite us living almost 3 hours away from Scranton. Highly recommend this place we've told so many people about it so far.

my fiancée and i are huge aquarium enthusiasts and this one has always been our favorite. such a charming little hidden gem with wonderful staff that goes above and beyond for guests, and animals that are obviously well-taken care of & loved. we love coming here and we will definitely be back again! (this guy is my favorite alongside the rays!)

Loved it, but I wish they had more sandwiches, esp warm ones, and such. There were refrigerated sandwiches available (2 options) but nothing else. I'd also enjoy more plain old teas. My spiced chai was quite spicy. Very cozy atmosphere and cute seasonal decorations. Will definitely recommend.

had time to kill and was delighted to find this coffee shop attached to the park! i got a tasty lavender iced coffee and took a short hike to the waterfall. i even sat back inside the shop to cool off in the a/c. i loved the vibe/atmosphere! felt like i was in a fantasy book! indoor and outdoor seating. clean bathroom inside.

Such a cute place. Seasonal coffee was so delicious and cute. I was visiting family and can not wait to go back. It was pretty busy when we went but totally worth it!!

This is the cutest coffee shop I have ever seen and I live in NYC where there are hundreds of shops! The outside space is beautiful, facing the park, seating area was well spread out and it was such a cute place to sit and chat. The indoors was very nice and they have a bathroom which was very clean.i loved the indoors, it felt like going inside a cozy little cabin from a children’s book. I highly recommend this place!

Love this place! It was the best place to go for coffee on Halloween morning. Love the vibe and decor.

Easily my favorite coffee shop to come to either with friends or by myself. The interior of the store is so cute, and they have lots of yummy sandwich options. In the warmer months, I definitely recommend utilizing the outdoor seating. The location is perfect, definitely take a walk through Nay Aug if you come! Can't wait to come back.

Really cute coffee shop right in Nay Aug. I got some iced matcha and enjoyed it. Friendly staff

Brooks mine is an excellent little tour. Free to go on but donations recommended. The mind is a little example of what a real coal mine would have been this one was never used for mining just for tours. It will take you about 30 minutes ago through definitely worth it if you're in the area especially if you just came from the Lackawanna Coal Mine.

Great tour. Our guide was Mark and he was so knowledgeable, informative and passionate about the history of coal and miners. Very interesting information and also sad - It is important to know what miners have gone through and how their sacrifices have helped us today. Thank you, Mark, for your kindness and your mission to keep telling their stories.

This is a very important part of American history. The sacrifices of the miners helped fuel the industry revolution and helped to make the United States of America an exceptional nation. Our tour guide, Mark, did an excellent job explaining the importance of anthracite coal, the working conditions, and the laws that were created to protect future generation workers. The anthracite coal found in Pennsylvania was truly a blessing form God.

The UGM crew were so informative and delightful! They spent time explaining the structure and history of Lehigh Valley Mining system! Very educational and great part of history to pay respect to!

Yep, I visited a month early to my hometown to tour this coal mine. As my grandfather and his brothers were Irish Scranton coal miners, I love to explore the open coal mines. Okay, be back for the season.

Amazing place! My kids and I enjoyed it so much. It was very interesting, and the staff were incredibly patient and friendly. Thank you!

Mark was a very helpful guide and we learned a lot about coal!

Great scenic Bridge. They do heavily enforce staying on the on the proper walking paths. There are cameras for your safety and others. No garbage cans for your picnic, but there are benchs to do so.

No one is watching you silly people. Walk where you want. I came across two men doing it in the woods and none was said. No one cares where you go. Beautiful place though.

If you're visiting Scranton, you really must stop by this hidden gem. The lush ed scenery almost makes up for the constant highway noise in the background. It's part of a walking trail, but it's worth a visit in its own right. Just down from the playground and the treehouse.

Nice trail that takes you to a nice gorge

Beautiful, peaceful, family oriented. A nice place to take the kids for a day trip.

Nice spot to enjoy the gorge at Nay Aug Park as the bridge sits right about the stream and affords you wonderful views of the gorge

Great hike area. Small but nice bridge.

Very pretty park, but can hear the highway from almost every path. The waterfall is beautiful and definitely a must see.

Trails are well maintained and easy to trek. So beautiful out there. Love the tree house, gorge, and bridge.

Very beautiful place to explore! Definitely don’t swim, very dangerous area!

Go to the old train tunnel and yell.. I guarantee a ghost will make a loud booming noise. Go to the gorge and jump off into the water.. Then appreciate the sounds and sights from the pedestrian bridge and the look out nest.

Went for Green festival. I have never seen so many stoned cops in my life...(in one place)

I loved the view. A great place to hike to.

Fun with friends ;)

Group of us went on a Monday for the $15 entry. We had preteens and 6 year old with us. Everyone had a blast! Barely any wait times for the slides. The lazy river wasn't over crowded. Slides are a blast! Food prices are a bit ridiculous for the amount you get. Chicken tenders are tiny. 3 small tenders for 9$

Cool outdoor venue. We saw Three Days Grace and Breaking Benjamin. Great show from both bands. Sound was great! 4 stars just for the absurd concession prices. It’s not just this venue but all venues these days. It’s getting ridiculous and almost unaffordable to attend events anymore.

Paid the $15.00 weekday price and it was the best deal.. we also reserved a cabana and it was perfect right next to the wave pool and big slide so the kids had many options. The place is big enough for the kids to have plenty to do but small enough for parents not to worry about the kids going to far away. I would def recommend getting the $15 weekday ticket and get there early

Visited in mid January and had excellent snow conditions. Used the Indy Pass and had no issues obtaining tickets. Sad to hear they have since departed the Indy revolution.

Was here today with a group. And while the water park is fine, you should really think about a better handicap accessible way to get to the park. There was no clear clear signs and the rock path is VERY ROUGH and bumpy especially when a child needs to be pushed along. We found a roadway to walk up after we were done however again no clear signage. I understand maybe not everyone has a special needs child with them but maybe something to work on next year to just be a smidge more accommodating?

Great mountain for a day trip. The double black slopes on the Phoebe show lift are really cool, especially White Lightning, which is seriously steep. You could easily do laps on that lift for a few hours.

Took a 3hr drive to a wedding consultation that got canceled mid drive via email. Obviously not checking emails while driving, so here we are 3 hrs from home with nothing to see. Sarah had our phone number but never called. First impression fail. We definitely won’t be back to book a wedding. Thanks for nothing Montage.

Very interesting information about mining. Our tour guide was great. The tour started earlier than we anticipated, so no wait. We enjoyed the tour and learning about things we didn't know. Well worth the low entrance fee!!!!

Beautiful well maintained park with a children's area, basketball, and tennis courts. There is a soccer and baseball field and areas to barbecue and picnic. Benches are spread through the park to take in the gorgeous views. Many walk their dogs here and there is a mine to tour. Highly recommend if you are in the area.

Excellent park to take a walk or just sit and enjoy the views, it has a pool, playground, tennis 🎾 court, basketball 🏀 picnic area and more. Love it!

Beautiful park offering a coal mine tour for only $10 for adults, seniors 62 + free. Museum, gift shop, small café on site while you wait for a tour you can sit and watch an informative video on the coal mine.

Subject: Urgent Safety Concerns at McDade Park Playground ⚠️ I recently had the opportunity to visit McDade Park in my hometown. Although I no longer reside in the state, I have many nieces, nephews, and friends with young children who frequently visit this park. I was disheartened to see that the playground is in a state of significant disrepair. There are several broken and hazardous elements, including large holes and sharp, protruding plastic on the slides. The playground flooring also has extensive cracks and tears, creating tripping hazards. Most concerning is a large exposed metal pole sticking out of the ground, which poses a serious safety risk. McDade Park was one of my favorite places to visit as a child, and it’s still one of the largest and most frequented parks in the area. It has great potential, but regular maintenance and attention to safety are essential to preserve its value for the community. I believe the park deserves to be restored to a safe and welcoming space for children and families. I sent a message on to the lackawanna county visitors bureau and asked for further guidance on where exactly is the right place to speak up about these issues. I’m urging fellow parents and community members to speak up and report these issues to city and state officials. If more voices come forward, we have a better chance of getting real improvements made. This park should be a safe and enjoyable space for all families in the community. Let’s help make that happen.

Now this is an awesome park. We’re just visiting, but I would absolutely walk our dogs here every day!

The mine tour was excellent. The ride down the mine shaft was quite an experience! The video and gift shop were OK. Drove around the rest of the park, and it's very pretty and quaint.

As working parents that work 9-5 we are unable to utilize the indoor pool with our kids since there are no hours. I get life guards are hard to find but make family swim at least one week night or weekend. Sad!

It's a great park very clean. People walk their dogs. There is also a playground and baseball court.

Nice fun place went multiple times going today love it

Where I go for my 4 to 6 times walkaround the field ..Relaxation and quiet and a nice looking park ..and there is a lot of activity inside ..

We were at an indoor pool party here in the winter. The party room was just big enough for a few tables, good for a very small gathering. The locker rooms to change in were large with plenty of showers, but they smelled like stinky old mildew. I was surprised that the locker rooms weren't adjacent to the pool, so after everyone got changed they had to walk through the building in their towel. It was kinda weird, but even worse after swimming and going from the pool area out to the cold hallway and dripping all over the carpeted hallway to find the locker rooms. The building seemed quite old as well, not modern at all.

The Irish boxing club is great and really affordable.. I'm going to try the family indoor swimming but I wish you could go any day and time and I wish it was all year long.. The outdoor pool gets too crowded with undesirables

Pleasant runs on the 1/4 mile track...nice open spaces for outdoor recreation...soccer fields...indoor swimming...good for young birthday parties involving swimming...basketball courts are swarmed in the summer tho...takes away the enjoyment due to the crowds...overall a nice place to enjoy

This is a small cute park. It's great for smaller kids to ride their bike on the "paved road". It has some fun things for kids. You can see the whole park , so you can watch your child from any spot.

The location is nice for my family. It's in walking distance of our residence. I liked the aspect of being close to nature. It was a relaxing setting. With the exception of which it was left unmaintained, and there was a large wasp nest in the center of the park. Also, some litter. A couple of weeks ago a little girl went missing there too. It's not a bad place but, you need to really keep an eye out as there is a busy road on one side and the river on the other. I wish they would add more activities for preschool age children. My daughter enjoyed it. Nevertheless, I will revisit this park in the future.

This is such a nice playground for all ages even the adults and fur babies !

Neat idea for a play area using natural materials. Lots of space and a fun road/track that's safe for little kids to ride bikes.

Hidden gem in Scranton! So fun especially for older kids who love to ride scooter and bikes to enjoy their trail

Neat park, unique in design, love the paved path for kiddos to ride bikes, scooters etc.

Great place to bring a toddler. Very well kept.

We were visiting the town and encountered this park our dog enjoyed the space.

Pretty nice dog park, went here with my friend with her big old fluffy doggo. Dog seemed to like it so maybe yours will too! Not noise at all at least when I went here and it’s pretty chill. Great to walk around with your best friend and your doggo.

It's definitely a wonderful thing to have for the kids, the only downfall is that the playground needs to be updated. There is a broken slide that hasn't been touched in months, the only thing they did was Block it, it's very outdated the kids need something that they can actually interact with

I just decided to visit the park. I haven't been there since I was a kid. A lot nicer now. They have a huge dog park, a playground for the kids, and a little walking trail.

I run my dogs here daily, or at least try too...There is a dog park but my dogs r highly energetic....Dogs and I explore the woods and terrain, great place for "OFF LEASH" exercise w or w out dogs.Trails r numerous and exciting...

Nice park to walk around and and take your dogs

The Anthracite Bicycle Coalition has a nice place at Connell park

Park is decent; however allowing racial slurs on a children’s park is disgusting. I can tell this isn’t brand new either. What an amazing introduction to this city.

Tripp Park is really beautiful and fun for the kids. It has slides and jungle gym with swings, and a full basketball court ! Across the street is a track and baseball field too! My suggestion to maintenance is to clean the park weekly because there are messy people who use this park ( u know who u are 😤) and throw garage all over that the kids step on and makes it look dirty. Also, keep up with the mulch, it tends to get worn down. The community center is a great spot for party rentals with a good price!

Decent playground with shade, but no one was wearing masks or cleaning up after their kids used the equipment, so we kept our son off the main play area.

Love playing here!! Bathrooms are great. Always good food trucks. Parking is fabulous

Great small park to bring the kids. It is well maintained and there are a lot of families that visit it. The people here are very friendly, good place to make new friends.

Only off street parking inside a neighborhood, the fields are in great shape.

Excellent facility, clean and well maintained.

Great local little park, lot's of play options as well as a give and take book donation cabinet for children and adults alike Unfortunately, it is in a part of town that can rough and at night who knows what happens there. Frequent broken glass and drug paraphernalia. I try to pick up what I can, but it is gross. When it is clean, it is great.

A nice park to take your kids to let them burn off some energy. They also have event there throughout the year to bring the community together and support each other and local businesses.

Nice little park close to home hardly any kids there mine play by themselves alot wish more kids would go to the park

Always love going here... just wish that older kids would be more aware of their surroundings and understand that there are babies, toddlers and younger kids that play in the park as well

The park is well maintenance is very clean child friendly great place to go to when you want to get out and let the kids run around

Fun Park the kid digs it not enough swings and the foul mouthed teenagers are a bit much sometimes. But all in all its well maintained the jungle gym is cute

Scranton school did a great job, the park was nicely done. But I do think there should be more swings, and sliding boatd

Great park with a nice playground, basketball court/pickleball court, pavilion, and walking trails. My kids (3 and 1) love the playground/swing set and walking around Mountain Lake or Lake Scranton nearby when we want a longer walk.

Pretty nice place. A nice out-of-the-way place for people who live on East Mountain to take their kids. There are 2 swing sets, one with big swings and one with 2 big and 2 small. There are 2 slides (one big, one small), some monkey bars, a bridge, and a rocking table. Also some really tall bars on chains hanging vertically that I've never seen before. There's a basketball court too. The park is getting older, but still a great place to take kids. As a bonus it's right near Mountain Lake.

Cute for the little ones. Basketball court on side. Could use a little tlc

Lot full of overgrown weeds. Don’t know here they got the pix of playground equipment and fish.

This lame you could walk around in 5-10 minutes. It’s more or less a place for kids to drink. Last time I was there, there was a metal chair in the lake, a few broken bottles and my dog came home with ticks. Just be careful your pets are protected and you wear jeans.

It’s a fine enough place. The fiancé and I went there for a picnic. The grounds were yucky and the bugs were TERRIBLE. We couldn’t really stay at the picnic benches to eat anymore without the gnats getting into our noses and mouths. They should consider spraying especially if the ground is constantly so wet. Lots of trash everywhere. An unloved park.

Nice little play ground. Has a basketball court and trails behind it. Bring my younger daughters here and have never had a problem when older kids are hanging out here. Nice neighborhood playground.

Saw the state senator there he was great. A little flamboyant but a great person. Told me all about his precious Angela. Anywho the gardens are a great place to meet with someone. 🙏🏽🇺🇸

Students & staff were welcoming & friendly. This is making it easier for my daughter to transition in her freshman year!

No parking. No signage. Not really an arboretum, just a campus with trees. By that rationale my yard is also an arboretum.

The Botanical Gardens, Scranton's hidden gem. Don't eat any berries you don't recognize.

A beautiful garden, but could use more trees

My alma mater .... Great university

Just trees. Boring. Go for a hike instead

Park hidden away. Lived here since 2002, this was the first visit. Great park. Has been vandalized like so many other parks for kids. Thanks to the Gerrity's for such a wonderful little park!

It's a great little park in a nice neighborhood, a true gem. It has a few good picnic areas in the shade and out. It's very clean, it's great for kids 12 and under.

Good good, just whatever you do don't visit this park with ur gf, because then, when ur gf leaves u!!! Need I go on? I cry every time I visit this park, now.

It's good but jest don't bring your girl there for your first date because if u go back after she lives u then it will be a pain to be there

Old play park not much to do but there is room to run and it's by the river

Very nice park, kept clean. We enjoyed it!!!

Great, it was great let kids run off energy.