The best camping near Steamtown National Historic Site

Give a toot about the Golden Age of rail travel in downtown Scranton, Pennsylvania. Steamtown lets you experience what it was like to ride an authentic steam train. This well-preserved rail yard displays several types of engines and cars. Each one has its own rich history.

The history museum showcases a timeline of railroads in the United States. A restored roundhouse keeps the old engines safe from the weather. The yard itself is where the action happens. That's where the locomotives huff, puff, and whistle while they work.

Sidetracks in the yard also contain beautifully restored train cars. Check out a mail car, a cut-out of a steam engine, a red caboose, and a Union Pacific Big Boy. The Big Boy was one of the largest engines ever produced. There are eight left in existence, and Steamtown has the only one east of the Mississippi.

Board a train for a short ride over the Lackawanna River or see the Nay Aug Tunnel. Rides cost $5 per person on a first-come, first-served basis. These shorter rides occur from April to December. These passenger cars are not air-conditioned, so dress appropriately.

Longer excursions in the fall head to the surrounding countryside on fall foliage tours. A special Steamtown Holiday Express takes kids to nearby Moscow to meet Santa during the last weekend of November. It's the perfect way to start the holidays.

Plenty of campsites outside of Scranton offer a place to rest after a long day. If you listen carefully as you drift off to sleep, you might hear an echo of a train whistle in the distance.