Things to do in the Poconos

By: Kristina Malmstrom, Head of Operations

Planning your trip to the Poconos, but trying to decide what you want to do? Look no further than this comprehensive list of the best things to do around the Poconos. We’ve compiled activities across all four counties, so no matter where you are in the region you can find something you’ll enjoy!

Escape Rooms

What’s a better way to escape the cold than by challenging your brain? Escape rooms are puzzle experiences where you have to solve through a set of clues to accomplish your mission. The Poconos is home to several escape rooms, but Trap Door Escape Room is the best by far.

Below we featured some of our favorite Trap Door Escape experiences. So, be sure to check them out!

We're All Mad Here

Don’t be late for the mind bending adventure of a lifetime! Inspired by the world of Wonderland, Trap Door invites you to become Patients of the Red Heart Mental Institution. While staying in our Asylum Escape Room, you and your team will travel down the rabbit hole and experience a brand new world that just keeps getting curiouser and curiouser. This experience has over 12 rooms and is 4,000 square feet + in size!

F5

Can your team make it to the barn in time to ride out this epic storm? You’ll have to climb, crawl, push, pull, and, of course, think your way through this highly immersive escape room obstacle course. From wind, to rain, to incredible projections of Tornados that move along the course of the experience, you have never seen anything as spectacularly immersive as F5

Cure Z

Our Cure Z game finds you in the middle of the zombie apocalypse. You’ll have to find and recreate the cure to the zombie virus. Along the way you’ll make your way through an abandoned city and a laboratory as you try to save the whole world.

Explore Nature
Pictured: Bushkill Falls

Huge trees, calming water, cute wildlife- need we say more? Take a break and relax in the outdoors at a nature park or trail! The Poconos have an abundance of options with the Pocono Mountains, but we’ve selected some of our favorite spots!

Bushkill Falls

Bushkill Falls: On the eastern end of the Poconos, Bushkill Falls is a massive park filled with hiking trails and waterfalls. Known as “The Niagara of Pennsylvania”, Bushkill Falls features eight waterfalls over four hiking trails. They even rank the trails by length and difficulty, so you can decide which trails are best for you and your party.

Hickory Run State Park

Hickory Run State Park: This beautiful park boasts over forty miles of hiking trails, which make for a pretty break from the real world. This park has also been named one of “25 Must-See Pennsylvania State Parks” by the DNCR and Bureau of Parks. Plus, with swimming lakes and frisbee golf, there’s plenty of activities besides just hiking.

Delaware Water Gap

Delaware Water Gap: With over 67,000 acres of land to explore, it’s easy to waste an entire day here. They feature over 100 miles of hiking trails along streams, ridges, and ravines. Plus, you can even see historical buildings and landscapes from the colonial era!

Meet Some Animals
Pictured: Claws N Paws Zoo

Claws N Paws is an animal park in the Poconos that features many fun activities with their residents. Their activities are particularly geared for children, but people of all ages who love animals are still likely to enjoy themselves! 

The Petting Zoo

They have a petting zoo with deer, goats, and sheep, as well as “Turtle Town” where you can pet tortoises. The adventurers will want to visit the Dino Outpost, where you can excavate fossils and learn about prehistoric creatures. Lastly, they even have a wildlife show where you can meet and learn about a variety of animals.

Go on a Mining Adventure

One of the more interesting histories of Pennsylvania is coal mining! There are plenty of places that offer activities and resources related to this, but we’d definitely recommend you at least go to Eckley’s Miners Village, which is both a great educational resource as well as a fun place to see. In addition, why not mine some coal of your own?

Eckley's Miners Village

Eckley’s Miners Village is a large-scale museum that represents the lives of immigrant coal miners and their families. The community was founded in 1854 as a coal “patch town” that provided mining families with basic necessities and amenities. 

The current community consists of 45 buildings, and you can wander these on your own, or you can take a guided tour and go inside select buildings. Some of these include Immaculate Conception Church (built 1861), Eckley Sports and Social Club (1946), Slate Pickers House (1854), Laborers Dwellings (1854), and Company Store (1968).

Other Suggestions

There are also many place in the Poconos where you can buy a bag of ‘mining rough,’ and run it through water to mine rocks and gemstones! These can make a fun side-trip after a day at Eckley’s Mining Village as a DIY experience of what you just learned about! Some places in the area that offer these activities are: Bushkill FallsThe Great Wolf Lodge, and Mountain Vista.

Quiet Valley Living Musem
Pictured: A spinner hard at work at Quiet Valley Living Museum.

Take a trip back in time to learn about our history at Quiet Valley Living Museum. Its history began in the mid 1760s, when the Depper family decided to leave the Palatinate region of Germany to travel to America. Once they arrived, they ended up settling in Quiet Valley, where the family property was passed down generation to generation until 1958.

Brief History

Alice and Wendall Wicks purchased the property at this time with intentions of developing the land. However, they are captivated by the cultural and historical significance of it, as there were few signs of modernization across the entire property. Instead of developing, they restore the buildings and open Quiet Valley Farm Museum in 1963.

Quiet Valley Now

Today, Quiet Valley Living Museum is a frozen piece of time from the 19th century. The farm is filled with interpreters dressed in the attire of the time, performing daily tasks and demonstrating to guests how life worked back before indoor plumbing and smartphones. 

They have buildings such as a one room schoolhouse, a bank barn, and a farmhouse that were all built during the 19th century. The atmosphere is great for creating an immersive but educational environment where you truly feel transported back in time.

Pocono Raceway
Pictured: Pocono Raceway, for those who like to live life fast!

Fans of fast-moving cars have to take a pit stop at Pocono Raceway! Known as the “Tricky Triangle,” this popular racetrack is home to several large events each month, and each features many different activities to do and see that you’ll never get bored.

History

Their first race was in 1968 on the three-quarter mile track. After that, their first 500 mile Indy race was in 1971, and their first NASCAR 500 race was in 1974. The track itself had a bumpy history, with several periods of near bankruptcy. Pocono Raceway was ultimately saved by Bill France Sr., Annie B., and Bill Jr. Pocono Raceway was gradually rebuilt over a course of 10 years, to the beautiful course it is today.

Race Day

 We definitely recommend stopping by this massive stadium, especially on a race day. These are, of course, the best days, where the Mattioli family holds true to their motto, “Back to the Good Old Days,” which refers to the original style of racing cars on horse racetracks, with the ambiance of a traditional state fair.  Recently, Trap Door was there as they unveiled a community center and playground on the infield, a great place to take kids on race days!

Adventure Parks
Adventure Parks are great for those who like challenges and aren’t afraid of heights!

 

Thrill-seekers, adrenaline junkies, and anyone who likes heights should make sure they check out an adventure park– especially one in the Pocono Mountains. These are one of the more thrilling activities to do around the Poconos. 

How They Work

In an adventure park, you’re strapped into a safety harness and set loose through an obstacle course in the tree-tops! Most parks include trails that vary in height and difficulty, so you don’t have to do the more extreme pieces if they scare you. Some obstacles typically found in adventure parks are walking across a horizontal ladder, climbing up a cargo net, or taking a joy-ride down a zipline!

While there are several options for adventure parks in the Poconos, here’s two that we recommend. Although, parents be careful- some of these activities may not be suited for children under ten years old.

Skytop Lodge Treetop Adventure Course

Skytop Lodge Treetop Adventure Course: Attached to a lodge that boasts a variety of other activities, Skytop’s course is over 3,000 feet total, and you pay based on how long of a course you want to go on.

Pocono TreeVentures

Pocono TreeVenturesThis adventure course features over 90 obstacles along eight different courses, and takes place up to 40 feet above the ground! They even have a mini course for kids aged 4-7.

F.M. Kirby Center for Performing Arts

You’ll have to plan to see a show at the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts during your stay! This historic theater first opened its doors in 1938 with a showing of the movie Alexander’s Ragtime Band. When it first opened, the theater held the largest capacity in the area (2,000 patrons) and was technologically advanced for its time. It was often described as an art-deco dream, complete with “Giant Lavaliere,” a glorious chandelier that still hangs there today.

Outdoor Skating

After a series of ups and downs, the theater has been open for over 30 years since its restoration and reopening in 1986. Since this reopening, where it was also refurbished to look like the original theater, it has held over 2.5 million people. 

Today, it hosts a wide variety of musical and other performances. Its musical acts range from grand opera to musicals to contemporary musicians. Of course, they also host performances from plays to comedians to acrobats. With their wide range of genre of performances, we’re certain they have an upcoming event that you’d be interested in!

Indoor Skating

Ice skating at an indoor rink is overall the safer choice, as the conditions are constantly controlled. Plus, it’s much easier to take breaks and escape to the warm indoors and enjoy refreshments.

Go on a Shopping Spree
Pictured: The Crossings Premium Outlets

The Pocono Mountains are home to some of the best shopping in the area, so why not take advantage of that? Here we’ve assembled some of our favorite shopping places throughout the Poconos for you to visit!

The Crossings Premium Outlets

The Crossings Premium Outlets: This is by far the largest shopping center in the area! With over 100 brand name and designer outdoor outlet stores, there’s plenty of savings to be had. Plus, for those who don’t know, outlet stores sell their own products directly to you, so they often have lower prices and better deals than when you buy them from a separate company. 

Here you can find a wide range of stores, including Ralph Lauren, Forever 21, Nautica, Under Armour, Kate Spade, and much more! We can guarantee everyone in your party will like at least one store here.

Antiques

Hawley Antiques Shopping: The town of Hawley is well known for its abundance of antique shops! With over a dozen within walking distance of each other, it’s pretty accurate to call them the antique center of the Poconos. Some of our recommended stores are Dorchester House Antiques, Hawley Antique Exchange, Miss Elly’s Antiques and Such. Anyone who’s looking for vintage products is sure to find something they love!

And More

Country KettleThis eclectic store can only be described as colorful. Established in 1986, they’re a unique retail store that offers a variety of products. Some of their more popular items include candy, jewelry, collectibles, and candles.

Even More

These are only a handful of some of the fun things to do around the Poconos, and we plan to cover more of them! Stay tuned for our next Poconos blog post, which will focus on summer activities for your group to do after your experience at Trap Door Escape Room!

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Related Content
Mentioned Experiences
Poconos Escape Room Asylum

Travel down the rabbit hole and experience a brand new world that just keeps getting curiouser and curiouser in our asylum escape room.

$60 Per Player

You have 120 minutes to escape the theme at $60 per person plus tax. This is the largest escape room in the country, spanning upwards of over 4,000 square feet of playing space each! Large Private Groups are welcome, as these experiences allow player dispersement with ease. All bookings for this asylum escape room are private.

F5 Poconos Escape Room

A Tornado is heading straight for Todd Farms. Get to the Barn and strap into the water main pipes to ride out the storm. 

$39.99 Per Player

You have 60 minutes to escape the theme at $39.99 per person plus tax. At a minimum of 1,000 square feet of playing space, these themes are sure to provide a thrilling adventure. 3X Larger than the average Escape Room Experience. All bookings are private.​

Poconos Escape Room

The City is locked down and it is up to you to find a cure for the Zombie virus. 

$50 Per Player

This Zombie Escape Room spans over 10 rooms and 2 Hours at $50 per person plus tax. These are the largest Escapes in the country spanning upwards of over 3,000 square feet of playing space. All bookings are private.

Trap Door Escape Company

Trap Door Escape Room has 4 locations: 3180 Route 611 in Bartonsville, PA in the Poconos; 60 White St. in Red Bank, NJ; 34A Speedwell Ave. in Morristown, NJ: and 77 Wind Creek Blvd in Bethlehem, PA. The Red Bank location was the first of the 4 locations, opening in the fall of 2015. Morristown followed in the summer of 2017, and Bartonsville opened during the holiday season of 2018. Wind Creek is currently undergoing construction and will be opening in September 2022.

History

The idea came to Tone Purzycki back in 2011 after he wrote a screenplay that developed into a live-streaming game. The game revolved around an actor trapped in a situation and the audience had to solve puzzles to figure out where he was trapped. The “Find Me Event” had more than 1,000 people playing over the course of several hours. After the success of several other streaming events, the idea of an escape room was born.

Location

Each location has different rooms from which to choose. Our Morristown location is home to Day of the DeadWitch Huntand The Greatest Freakshow. In Bartonsville, you’ll find Cure ZF5 Tornado EscapeFear the BogeymanMad Hatter’s Tea PartyWe’re All Mad Here, and Prisoner Z. In Red Bank we currently have Everest – our first 2 story escape room. Ripper of London is also available at this location. Our pirate themed games will soon be open at Wind Creek.

Trap Door Escape Room also offers team buildingstreaming events, and birthday parties. For more information on any of our games, prices, and locations, explore our website or call 570-234-3366