Looking for something fun and interesting to do this spring with no admission fee? Look no further than Downtown Scranton! Explore Scranton Tomorrow’s Mural Arts Program and embark on an audible historic walking tour to learn more about art, culture, architecture and history in your own backyard. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s walk!

The beauty of public art

There are four sites to explore through our Mural Arts Program, each offering unique subject matter, perspective and artistic style. Scan the QR codes posted at each mural to learn about the content of the piece, and the artist who brought the mural to life. Steve Ward, Safe, Clean, Green & Design Program Manager at Scranton Tomorrow, has mapped out an ideal pedestrian route that will take you on a 1.7 mile walk of the business district. Here’s what Ward recommends:

Step 1: The Dream

Begin your tour at The Dream mural on the corner of Mulberry Street and Adams Avenue.

Inspired by Martin Luther King, Jr., The Dream pays tribute to the American civil rights leader who changed the world. Artist Eric Bussart incorporated morning glory flowers into the design because they are resilient like his hero, MLK. With lettering by Emmanuel Wisdom, this mural spans about 1,200 square feet and sends a powerful, positive message to all those traveling along busy Mulberry Street.

Step 2: The Office: The Story of Us

You might want to pick up the pace and run to our next stop as if you were competing in Michael Scott’s Dunder Mifflin Scranton Meredith Palmer Memorial Celebrity Rabies Awareness Pro-Am Fun Run Race For The Cure (Season 4, Episode 1, The Office). Let’s visit the tribute to Dunder Mifflin at The Office: The Story of Us mural at 503 Lackawanna Avenue.

The largest mural in our program, The Office: The Story of Us by Hagopian Arts is 86’ wide by 27’ tall. This piece features realistic black-and-white portraits of 17 cast members from the popular NBC mockumentary that aired from 2005 to 2013, along with some of the show’s most memorable quotes and landmarks. The project was made possible with support from Universal Television and Peacock, and premier sponsor Lackawanna County Visitors Bureau.

This mural is attracting international attention as fans from around the world stop by to take selfie and explore The Office self-guided tour, created by the Lackawanna County Visitors Bureau. Download the map here and you’ll be ready for another day of cool sightseeing, but don’t leave Downtown just yet. There are two more murals we want you to see!

Step 3: The Good of the Hive

Shift gears and take in the natural vibe of The Good of the Hive mural on the back of the Scranton Civic Ballet Company building at 234 Mifflin Avenue.

Painted by world-renowned muralist Matthew Willey, The Good of the Hive mural is designed to raise awareness about the vital role pollinators play in our ecosystem. Presented by The Wright Center, this project contributed to Willey’s personal commitment to hand-paint 50,000 honeybees — the number of bees in a healthy, thriving hive — in murals around the world.

Step 4: Danseur de Corde

Dance your way back in time with our tribute to Scranton’s Vaudeville days at the Danseur de Corde mural at 328 Penn Avenue. Photo courtesy of Scranton Tomorrow.

Danseur de Corde (Rope Dancer) by internationally acclaimed artist and living master Joel Carson Jones pays tribute to a remarkable time in our history when Scranton was a stop on the Vaudeville circuit. The unique design of this piece showcases the artist’s mastery of trompe l’oeil. Meaning “to deceive the eye,” trompe l’oeil is a technique used to create an optical illusion that the subject is three-dimensional. This technique allows our lovely dancer to stand tall at 3-stories high (36′ x 100′) on Penn Avenue.

Audible history

During your tour, you may notice some interesting content on utility boxes at multiple corners throughout the business district. Those boxes are part of another public art initiative – one that will lead you on an audible walk-through history. Simply scan the QR codes on each box to trigger an audible 3–4-minute narrative of the historic landmark next to where you stand. Compare your present view in real time with the story and images of that site from 50 to 100 years ago. It’s the closest thing to time travel we’ve seen yet! To learn more, click here.

Where to shop and dine along the way

Of course, no good tour would be complete without a few stops to eat, drink and shop, so don’t forget to check out our Shopping and Dining Guides to plan your adventure! Downtown Scranton is also home to some exquisite buildings. Learn more about our story in architecture here.

To learn more about these programs and more, visit scrantontomorrow.org and be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Featured Image (top) courtesy of Scranton Tomorrow.