Monday, April 29, 2024

Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, Americas Best Adventure Towns National Geographic

mauch chunk opera house jim thorpe pa

The Stabin Museum is located on the outskirts of town, but it’s worth the distance to check out one of my favorite things to do in Jim Thorpe, PA. The Lehigh River in Carbon County is one of the most popular spots to go white water rafting in Pennsylvania, and on a busy weekend, you’ll see many people rafting down the river, especially if you head into Lehigh Gorge State Park. Regardless, if you stay the night in town, things calm down significantly in the evening and early morning, meaning you can really experience the quaintness of the town quite easily. The bottom of this article has a few suggestions for places to stay the night.

Switchback Railroad Trail

It features both national and local performers, and often offers free shows to spotlight upcoming artists. Located downtown, the opera house is surrounded by restaurants and artisan shops that visitors can enjoy while waiting for a show. Eager to get involved promoting the venue and the town, Hugos became the president of the Jim Thorpe Tourism Agency. He also managed the JimThorpe.org web site and partnered with WDIY to promote Jim Thorpe at Bethlehem’s MusikFest. In a poll conducted in 2009 by Budget Travel magazine, Jim Thorpe was awarded a top 10 spot on America's Coolest Small Towns.

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(The large municipal parking lot on Route 209 is your best parking option.) Because of this, I definitely recommend visiting on a weekday if you can. Old seats were removed and new ones installed, thanks to the hardworking Kirk Jacobsen of Great Eastern Seating in Breinigsville, who donated his time and expertise. There were carpet replacement projects, exterior painting, backstage renovations, and building maintenance. Sometimes it’s a lot of snow shoveling and toilet plunging,” Hugos said. The elevation of the Borough of Jim Thorpe ranges from 540 feet (160 m) at Broadway and Hazard Square downtown to 1,700 feet (520 m) above sea level 3 miles (5 km) northeast of the borough center near the Penn Forest Township line. It has a warm-summer humid continental climate (Dfb) and average downtown monthly temperatures range from 26.5 °F in January to 71.2 °F in July.

Too many seats

The opera house, built in 1881, needed constant restoration and renovation. Hugos spearheaded multiple capital improvement projects through the years. After receiving a grant from Senator Santorum’s office, they replaced the original 128-year-old standing seam metal roof, which leaked like a sieve. “In the early days, we had to tape off seats, so people didn’t sit and get a wet behind after it rained,” Hugos said.

Opera House Tries to Get Back on the Right Note - WNEP Scranton/Wilkes-Barre

Opera House Tries to Get Back on the Right Note.

Posted: Thu, 02 Jul 2015 07:00:00 GMT [source]

The band’s music includes elements of Americana, bluegrass and acoustic rock. As the opera house concerts expanded, Hugos continued to travel from NYC on weekends while managing the business. In 2005, he took the leap and moved to Jim Thorpe full time, keeping things afloat financially by working as a database programmer for PA companies like Air Products, PPL, Carpenter Steel, CompAid,  and DEKA Battery. “I was working full-time, non-stop, 7 days a week, but it was the only way to keep the opera house going,” he said. Jim Thorpe is located in the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania approximately 29 miles (47 km) northwest of Allentown, 83 miles (134 km) northwest of Philadelphia, and 117 miles (188 km) west of New York City.

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Film entertainment at the Capitol Theater had been dying a slow death. ”In 1960 the building was purchased by Berkeley Bags Company, a pocketbook manufacturer, and used for years as a warehouse.In 1974 it was obtained by the Mauch Chunk Historical Society for $1. They began a restoration project by building the current lobby and restrooms, adding a new stage, and starting the long process of returning the venue to its rightful place in the community as a performance venue.

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mauch chunk opera house jim thorpe pa

The Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company established its headquarters and a worker’s village on the Lehigh River that year. The village took the name of Mauch Chunk, which means “Bear Place” in the Munsee-Lenape Native American language of the region. A unique fundraising campaign, a world-renowned athlete, who never stepped foot in the town, and a U.S.

I’ve enjoyed great food from Stone Row Pub and Eatery, Molly Maguire’s Irish Pub, Woods Ice Cream, and Donerds Donuts, but there are many more great options spread throughout town. O’Brien’s side project, Ecospheres, will open the night, hitting the stage at 8 p.m. For nearly 20 years, the opera house has truly been Hugos’ baby – he gave birth to the idea, fed it, nurtured it, and watched it grow. Last month, the opera house volunteers and the Mauch Chunk Historical Society threw a big surprise retirement for Hugos last month at Memorial Park.

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Still, in an attempt to revive the area’s tourism, the community reached an agreement with Thrope’s wife to bury him in town if it was renamed after him. Tours take you through the solitary confinement area, the main cell block, the warden’s quarters, and more. The train ride offers a great way to explore the banks of the Lehigh River upstream of town. Today, there are many fantastic things to do in Jim Thrope, PA  ranging from peaceful shopping to historical sights and adrenaline-pumping adventures.

Construction began in August of 1881 and amazingly, the hall was formally opened on the evening of February 4, 1882. Soon, the Opera House became a regular stop on the old Vaudeville Circuit. Al Jolsen, May West, performed here regularly as well as John Philip Sousa, who delighted audiences with an annual show. The front tower was also removed, the victim of steady weakening by the floods that raged down Broadway from the Mauch Chunk River, before the dam at Mauch Chunk Lake was built in 1972. During the next three decades the Opera House became known as the Capitol Theater, a movie house.However, it officially closed on April 27, 1959.

Today, the revitalized Mauch Chunk Opera House has grown into one of the region’s top music venues and one of Jim Thorpe’s biggest attractions, drawing hundreds of fans into town every weekend. The former New York City to Buffalo Lehigh Valley Railroad across the river is a present-day very active freight hauling railroad operated by Norfolk Southern. By selecting these seats, I acknowledge that I have accessibility needs, or am accompanying someone who has accessibility needs.

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