Berks Connect
Caves and mine toursCoal region and northeast Pennsylvania

Lackawanna Coal Mine Tour

Scranton, PA · 2 hours 8 minutes from Reading · Under $20 a person

lackawannacounty.org|Day trips from Berks County

Open for the 2026 season through November 30; closed December through March.

Lackawanna Coal Mine Tour

Plan the day

Drive2 hours 8 minutes from Reading, 98 miles2 hours 2 minutes from Boyertown · 1 hour 52 minutes from Hamburg · 2 hours 29 minutes from Morgantown
WhereMcDade Park, Bald Mountain Road, Scranton, PAOpen in maps →
OpenApril 1 to November 30, Thursday through Monday; Tuesdays and Wednesdays reserved for groups; closed Easter Sunday and ThanksgivingTicket office opens 10 AM; last tour goes down at 2:30 PM, arrive by 2 PM (earlier on busy days)
AdmissionAdults 13 to 64 $12, seniors 65+ $10, military $10, children 12 and under $9 (2025 rates posted on the county page; 2026 rates not confirmed there)
Plan onAbout an hour underground plus the 3 to 4 minute descent
Good forbig kids, teens, adults, older adults

The Lackawanna Coal Mine Tour is a county-run trip 300 feet underground into an anthracite mine at McDade Park in Scranton, PA, by mine car down the original slope.

A mine car carries the group down the slope in three to four minutes, then a guide leads a walk of about half a mile past three veins of anthracite in a mine that opened in 1860. The walking part lasts about an hour at a steady 50 to 55 degrees, and the whole thing runs on a fixed schedule with the last trip down at 2:30 PM.

Before you go

Bring a light jacket, the mine stays at 50 to 55 degrees, and wear comfortable shoes. Parking is free with motor coach and accessible spaces. Guests with disabilities need a companion, and personal wheelchairs cannot ride the mine car. Arrive by 2 PM for the last tour.

Coming up

The 2026 season runs through November 30, Thursday to Monday, then the mine closes until April.

Official site →

Checked October 8, 2026 on the official site. Hours, prices and seasons change, so confirm there before a long drive.

More caves and mine tours worth the drive

Indian Echo Caverns
Caves and mine toursHershey, Harrisburg and Lebanon

Indian Echo Caverns

Hummelstown, PA · 1 hour 16 minutes from Reading · $20 to $50 a person

Indian Echo Caverns is a show cave on Swatara Creek in Hummelstown, PA, open to the public since 1929. The grounds, called Echo Dell, add gem mining at Gem Mill Junction, a petting barnyard, a playground and free picnic areas.

See every one of the caves and mine tours on the list →