Archbald: Past, Present, and Future

(8 reviews)

Archbald, Pennsylvania audio tour: Archbald: Past, Present, and Future

This is a 1mi walking tour

It takes an average of 30 mins to complete.

Archbald, Pennsylvania

The United States

$4.99

Access all 10 locations offline with the VoiceMap app

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About the Tour

If you've lived in Archbald your entire life or are a tourist visiting the Blue Mountain Region, this tour is for you!

We meander along the picturesque Lackawanna River as you hear from our engaging storytellers.

We have selected the most interesting and unique aspects of Archbald to feature for you. This tour is certain to spark conversations with your family, friends and neighbors.

Some highlights include:

Insight into the lives of coal miners and garment factory workers
Architectural features of Archbald
The legend of Indian Cave Creek, a tale of forbidden love
Native wildlife and plants

... and much more!

Tour Producer

Sarah Gabriel and Kayleigh Cornell

1 tour

Sarah and Kayleigh founded the group, the Archbald Neighborhood Association, amid the global pandemic in 2020. Their goal was to amplify the best parts of their small town, Archbald Pennsylvania. By day, Kayleigh is an elementary science teacher and Sarah works in the healthcare field. They are both passionate about community development and volunteer their time to enhance their community.

Preview Location

Location 1

Start - Gilmartin St Trailhead

Hi, I'm Sarah, and I'm Kayleigh. We are founders of the community organization, Archbald Neighborhood Association. Our group aims to develop and implement creative community-based projects to encourage economic opportunity, building strong neighborhoods, and enhance the well b... Hi, I'm Sarah, and I'm Kayleigh. We are founders of the community organization, Archbald Neighborhood Association. Our group aims to develop and implement creative community-based projects to encourage economic opportunity, building strong neighborhoods, and enhance the well being of the residents. We love Archbald and want to share what we think is unique about it with you. Welcome to our guided tour!

You should be standing at the Gilmartin Street Trailhead.

During this tour, you will hear historical, environmental, and cultural information about Archbald. Kayleigh and I will be your guides, and but you will hear from many experts and movers and shakers throughout the Lackawanna Valley.

So, let's get going.

With the trailhead on your left, walk to the corner with Church Street, then turn right to cross Gilmartin and continue along Church, keeping the church parking lot on your right.

We'll share some history with you as you walk.

The borough of Archbald is nestled in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. As you look around now you will notice a landscape of evergreen and deciduous trees but the story of Archbald starts millions of years ago in the Paleozoic Era. Back then, it is believed that the Lackawanna Valley was once a giant crescent shape lake. Archbald was covered in dense tropical forests and jungles consisting of giant ferns...think Jurassic Park. As these jungles died out, plant debris covered the ground. Over millions of years, the plant debris was subjected to extreme heat and pressure from water and geological changes which eventually changed the plant debris into coal. Geologists estimate that it takes 10 feet of plant debris to form 1 foot of coal. Some areas of Northeastern Pennsylvania have coal deposits that are 150 feet deep, so you can image just how dense the plant matter would have been to create that. The Lackawanna Valley had a unique combination of vegetation and geological activity to produce vast amounts of anthracite coal. Anthracite coal is the highest rank of coal since it contains the highest amounts of Carbon out of all types of coal. Since it contains about 97% Carbon, it can contains the most energy and burns the cleanest out of all coal.

While you walk, we'll briefly explain how VoiceMap works.

It uses your location to play audio automatically, at the right time and place. This means that you can put your phone away now. Don't worry if I'm silent at times, when I'm not giving directions or telling stories. There's a map on your screen if you ever feel lost, and if you do get way off track without noticing, VoiceMap will let you know.

Continue walking along Church street, with the road on your left. You'll hear from us further ahead. Read More

View locations and route

How VoiceMap Works

Focus on your surroundings, not the screen

The VoiceMap app uses GPS to play audio automatically, at the right time and place, so you can focus on your surroundings, not the screen.

Follow a route with turn-by-turn-directions

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a fixed starting point. That lets us give turn-by-turn directions and use context to tell a better story.

Resume playback to go at your own pace

If you'd like to stop for a drink or go into a museum, end your tour then use the Resume feature to pick up exactly where you left off.

Listen as many times as you like

You can listen to your tours as often as you like using both the VoiceMap app and website.

Take virtual tours anywhere, like a podcast

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Tours work offline, so you don't have to pay roaming fees. Just download them over WiFi before you get started.

Major Landmarks

Lackawanna River
Maslar Park
Gravity Slope Colliery
Lackawanna River Heritage Trail

Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
524 N Main St, Archbald, PA 18403, USA
Total distance

2km
Final location
Archbald, PA 18403, USA
Distance back to start location

1km

Directions to Starting Point

This tour begins at the Gilmartin Street Trailhead near the intersection of Church Street and Gilmartin Street. Walk to the bridge where you should see blue and white signs indicating the Gilmartin Street Trailhead.

Show Directions

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

If you're in the mood to sit down, we recommend stopping at the Shifting Shanty since there are many benches and picnic tables in the area. There is also an pier overlooking the river which is a great place to catch a cool breeze and look for wildlife.

There are porter potties located at Maslar Park and the Shifting Shanty stops.

If you are looking for a place to eat after the tour, we recommend walking over to Barrett's Pub for pizza. Other great nearby restaurants and bars that are just a short drive away are The Moontower, Pete and Reenies, Pasquale's, Tiffany's, Loco Hombre, Rossi's and The Club at the Highlands.

Best time of day

From dawn to dusk; some areas may be icy or snow covered during the winter months.

Precautions

Bring a bottle of water, may want to bring sun screen, the tour is approximately 1 miles in length. When the tour is over you will have to turn around and walk the 1 mile back or arrange for someone to pick you up. Please be aware of other trail users who may be running or biking along the trail.

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“This app has become my go-to app for audio tours. I pretty much use it for every trip and it works wonderfully. I highly recommend VoiceMap for travelers to truly experience cities.”

App Store Review

“Great app. walk around at your own pace, stop where you want, move on or speed up when you want. Read the script before you go or during the commentary, speed it up or replay it. Repeat the tour whenever you like.”

Google Play Store

Questions and Reviews

4.9 / 5

8 Ratings

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