PP here, sorry for the confusion. Yes I was talking about the Steamtown mall that is basically directly attached to the museum/park. Sorry I was confused and added confusion to this thread!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We visited Steamtown again this year while in NEPA visiting relatives. It's not what it was a decade ago. It's been bought out recently by a billionaire who will try to bring it back to some level of its former glory, but that hasn't happened yet. For now, it's dingy and unpopulated. Passing by outside, one big display window featured granny panties. Just thought that was funny.

Steamtown is a national park, so, no, it was not bought from US taxpayers by a billionaire.

Did you mean the shopping mall?

Op here. No I meant the national park. I'm thinking pp meant the shopping mall though-- because now she is talking about a food court? No, I wipeouts the drive all the way to Scranton to go to a mall.

Anonymous wrote:We visited Steamtown again this year while in NEPA visiting relatives. It's not what it was a decade ago. It's been bought out recently by a billionaire who will try to bring it back to some level of its former glory, but that hasn't happened yet. For now, it's dingy and unpopulated. Passing by outside, one big display window featured granny panties. Just thought that was funny.

Steamtown is a national park, so, no, it was not bought from US taxpayers by a billionaire.

Did you mean the shopping mall?

OP, PP who posted about billionaire investor here. I'm honestly surprised you had such a great experience, but good for you! When we went a few months ago, it was like a ghost town. Only like one or two out of six spaces in the food court had restaurants in them, and no trains were running near the mall. Anyway, I'm glad your kids had fun!

Beckley, WV also has an "exhibition coal mine." In case you're really into mining

Op here-- sorry, just noticed pp only said billionaire, not foreign investor! Still, no signs of that!

Op here. We went to Steamtown this afternoon. It was fabulous. No signs of it being "bought out by a foreign investor" and nothing was dingy at all. No signs of granny panties either?!?! My kids (there are four of them between the ages of 9-15) had a great time learning about the history and technology of the steam engine. My youngest got a junior ranger badge (my kids each have dozens from various national parks we have been to-- but there youngest was too young last time we were here.).

Then we had dinner at a great pizza place in Old Forge-- and now my kids are going for a swim in the hotel pool. I'm not sure why a previous poster thought this sounded "awful?"

Hmm. I've been seeing public-private partnerships for awhile. Most notably Gettysburg. This happens at many others too. Pretty wright brothers in Cinci and independence visitor center is like this.

Anonymous wrote:We visited Steamtown again this year while in NEPA visiting relatives. It's not what it was a decade ago. It's been bought out recently by a billionaire who will try to bring it back to some level of its former glory, but that hasn't happened yet. For now, it's dingy and unpopulated. Passing by outside, one big display window featured granny panties. Just thought that was funny.

A billionaire bought out a national park?!?!?!

On the way back swing through Bethlehem for Christmas.

We visited Steamtown again this year while in NEPA visiting relatives. It's not what it was a decade ago. It's been bought out recently by a billionaire who will try to bring it back to some level of its former glory, but that hasn't happened yet. For now, it's dingy and unpopulated. Passing by outside, one big display window featured granny panties. Just thought that was funny.