Lackawanna County Haunted Trail
Are you afraid of the dark? Uncover the mysterious and paranormal side of Lackawanna County with the Lackawanna County Haunted Trail. We compiled our area's most haunted and spooky locations. Follow along the map as you read about the bone-chilling tales of ghostly figures and unexplainable phenomena, many with unique historical backgrounds. You just may have an otherwordly experience of your own... you know what they say, history loves company.
Looking for a guided tour?
The Lackawanna Historical Society offers Scranton After Dark Haunted Walking Tours that cover most of the walkable Downtown Scranton locations on our map. Guided tours run every Friday throughout October.
• 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗧𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗡𝗼𝘄 - 𝗧𝗜𝗖𝗞𝗘𝗧𝗦 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗕𝗘 𝗣𝗨𝗥𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗦𝗘𝗗 𝗜𝗡 𝗔𝗗𝗩𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘 •
👻 INTERACTIVE MAP 👻
Plan your ghostly self-guided tour... if you dare.
1. Catlin House • Lackawanna Historical Society
This stately three-story English Tudor Revival building dating from 1912 is the home of the Lackawanna Historical Society. Designed by prominent Scranton architect Edward Langley, the sixteen-room building was the private residence of Scranton banker & lawyer George Catlin and his wife, Helen. The Catlin House contains hundreds of artifacts and period furnishings donated to the Historical Society by Lackawanna County residents.
In recent years, the Catlin House has been the site of paranormal activity of various types. Unusual occurrences include unexplained shadows and uneasy, creepy feelings in the second-floor fashion room. A volunteer working in this room experienced a “vortex,” which transported her back in time for a few seconds after hearing a train whistle in the closet. Another volunteer sensed eyes looking at him, after which he thought he saw one of the nearby antique gowns floating above him.
Walk through the rooms of this beautiful building and see whether you sense the spirit of the Catlin’s or any other supernatural guests who may never have left the premises.
2. The Colonnade
In 1870, The Colonnade was built as Colonel Austin Blair’s residence. This stately Victorian residence was the scene of many lavish parties for Scranton’s prominent residents. Blair entertained many local socialites at his parties. The building fell into ruin after being neglected for years before the current owners restored it to its former glory. The Colonnade now serves as a bed and breakfast and special events venue. It is also the site of one very well-documented apparition.
The ghost of a little boy has visited the Colonnade. He appeared in a photo while the building was under restoration. This young boy was not present while workers took the picture but appeared after it was developed. To our knowledge, this young boy has not been seen or photographed again. The identity of the little boy remains unknown. However, unseen children’s voices were heard on the upper floors years ago.
Stop by for a visit to see if you can catch a glimpse of this young visitor from another era. Whether you see him or not, you can still appreciate the beauty of this historic building.
3. Scranton Public Library
Scranton Public Library (Albright Memorial Library Building) was completed in 1893 by businessman John Joseph Albright, who constructed this elegant building in the style of the famous Cluny Museum in Paris.
The library has been the site of many paranormal activities. Mysterious shadows are often spotted in the basement, doors opening and closing with no one present, orb sightings on the staircases, and books falling from shelves. Did the unseen hands of ghostly visitors push them? No one knows. Paranormal Investigators recently discovered many instances of supernatural activity throughout the building, including the basement.
Stop in for a visit, read a book, or look around this historic building to see if you feel the presence of any otherworldly spirits.
4. Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple
The Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple is a regional center for arts, education, and community activities in Scranton, PA. This grandiose building was completed in 1930 as a Masonic Temple of the Scottish Rite and constructed of Indiana limestone. This material is purported to store large amounts of residual paranormal energy.
The 180,000 sq. ft. building is "home" to Sarah, a little girl who sometimes watches the performances from the left balcony. Strange lights, shadows, and sometimes a transparent image of a little girl have been seen on the balcony. This one haunted tale barely scratches the surface of paranormal occurrences in the building.
Sounds of children laughing and playing, along with footsteps, can often be heard from the theatre's upper rows. Visitors and performers sometimes think they hear an object being dragged across the stage when no one is there. There have also been sightings of a ghostly apparition in the library. Plan a visit to see for yourself... the spirits may leave the ghost light on for you!
5. AV Restaurant & Lounge
AV Restaurant & Lounge, formerly Eisner and Sons Dry Goods and later the Banshee pub, is home to several supernatural occurrences. This popular restaurant is located along the Penn Avenue Historic District with its many restored buildings that showcase the architecture of 19th Century Scranton’s commercial district.
AV was named the most haunted restaurant in Pennsylvania by the Food Network in 2019. The building’s basement was used as a temporary morgue during the 1918 Influenza epidemic, which claimed the lives of hundreds of local residents. There are unexplained cold drafts and numerous reports of visitors being touched by an unknown presence in the basement, along with sitings of a ghostly figure that floats above the second-floor stairway.
Stop in and see for yourself. Enjoy a fine dinner with friends in a beautiful setting where you just might be visited by an otherworldly apparition. Maybe they just came to enjoy a delicious dinner!
6. Hotel Jermyn
The former Hotel Jermyn, constructed in 1895, now serves as residential apartments. The hotel was once top-rated and hosted many famous actors, historical figures, performers, and businessmen. However, the hotel carried an eerie aura from the start. During construction, a carpenter named Charlies Weiss fell 80 feet to his death. But it doesn't end there!
Staff members and residents have experienced a spirit named "Eleanor," who is believed to be an actress from the 1930s. She either jumped or was pushed off a balcony on the sixth or seventh floor of Hotel Jermyn, leading to her death. Eleanor tends to play pranks on people in the building, such as misplacing and hiding others' personal items.
A paranormal team investigated the theater in 2010 and contacted Eleanor. During the session, the spirit revealed that her last name began with the letter "B" and that the date of her death was May 2, 1940. There are no records of anyone with her name that died on that date. To this day, Eleanor still remains a mystery.
7. The Ritz Theater
The Ritz Theater was built in 1906 and was originally named The Poli. The theater hosted several famous performers such as Harry Houdini, W.C. Fields, and Will Rogers. Throughout its history, the building has experienced many changes, including remodeling, renaming, and rebranding, creating more opportunities for spectral entities to stick around.
There had been reports of faint footsteps on the stairs, eerie singing in the attic, and unearthly apparitions in the hall. This paranormal activity in The Ritz resulted in several paranormal investigations and was even featured on an episode of "Ghost Hunters."
The Ritz is now home to the Creative and Performing Arts Academy of NEPA, an arts program for all ages, and the Ritz Mainstage Players, a semi-professional theater company. We encourage you to see a show and take in the building's unique architecture. When the curtain closes and the lights turn down, you may just hear the supernatural sounds of past performers.
8. Jason Miller Memorial Bust
Here lies the memorial bust of Jason Miller, the actor who played Father Damien Karras in "The Exorcist" (1973). Although unexplainable apparitions don't necessarily visit this location, we know that horror fans would find it interesting to know that this classic film has ties to Scranton, PA. Jason Miller spent most of his life residing in Scranton and even graduated from The University of Scranton before starting his journey to fame.
After reprising his role in "The Exorcist III," he moved back to Scranton in 1982 and became the Scranton Public Theatre's artistic director. One can say he was "possessed" by the arts. Miller went on to direct the film adaption of his famed play, "That Championship Season," which was based and filmed in Scranton.
On May 13, 2001, he suffered a heart attack at the former Farley's Eatery & Pub, which is now City Market and Cafe in Downtown Scranton. To commemorate his life and outstanding accomplishments, the bronze memorial of the late actor lives in the heart of Downtown Scranton, in Courthouse Square.
9. Andy Gavin's Eatery & Pub
This well-known local eatery and pub was originally built as a private home and physician's office around 1890. The building served as many other businesses until Andy Gavin's was established in 1960 and changed ownership in 1988. Since then, there have been reported encounters with spirits in the building, especially during the building's renovation.
The pub is said to be haunted by a ghost named "George," who enjoys teasing the staff and patrons. People have witnessed flickering lights, tables and chairs moving after hours, and glasses flying off the shelves. Some even say the stall door locks on its own with no one inside, followed by an unexplainable flush!
George, who has frequented the pub for many years, means no harm to anyone who visits. He's a mischievous ghost who's just having some fun with patrons. Be sure to stop by Andy Gavin's for a bite to eat and a couple of drinks; you may just meet George!
10. Forest Hill Cemetery
Forest Hill Cemetery was chartered in April 1870. This historic cemetery holds about 350 Civil War veterans, a few Confederate soldiers, and Vietnam War veterans. Other notable people buried here include some of Scranton’s earliest businessmen and founders. For obvious reasons, Forest Hill is one of the most haunted cemeteries in our area.
Throughout the years, visitors have reported seeing various ghostly figures wandering through the cemetery. More commonly, visitors have reported having an eerie yet peaceful feeling while walking through this sacred burial ground. Strangely enough, many people find comfort in these old gravestones. It is not uncommon to run into other living visitors enjoying a stroll through Forest Hill.
Although Forest Hill Cemetery is home to the departed, nature and foliage seem to thrive here. Keep an eye out for plush moss, beautifully overgrown greenery, and various species of mushrooms. Experiencing this cemetery in the fall is something otherworldly in and of itself.
11. The Theater at North
The Theater at North is located in the former North Scranton Junior High School, which was built between 1922 and 1924. After the school's closure in 1987, it was renovated in 2015 and now serves as 58 senior-living units, leaving the fully restored theater in the heart of the building.
Locals that have attended this school back in the day can tell you many haunted tales and unexplainable occurrences that have taken place in this building. Some will say these tales are legitimate, while others claim it was just lore created by junior high school students. Local paranormal investigators have visited The Theater at North and found evidence of unseeable forces in certain areas.
The Theater at North frequently hosts many live shows and performances. So the next time you're sitting in the audience, keep an eye out for apparitions or random gusts of cold air. Did you get goosebumps from watching an excellent performance, or is there a ghostly figure enjoying the show behind you?
12. Carbondale City Hall
The city of Carbondale constructed its first City Hall in 1851, but a fire destroyed the wooden building. The structure was rebuilt in 1860, and the three-story section and iconic clock tower were added in 1895. Although this building has many unique structures, one feature sets it apart. There are jail cells in the basement that are over a century old.
There were two alleged deaths inside these prison cells. Several paranormal investigators have reported feeling pockets of cold air, eerie noises, and unsettling feelings while exploring the building. In past investigations, the technology used to capture paranormal activity has detected spirits saying foreboding things like "fear" and "run."
Most people cannot visit certain locations, like the basement in Carbondale City Hall. However, local ghost hunters sometimes host events granting you access to these haunted areas. Visitors have still felt and heard unexplainable things in other common areas of the building.
