April 4, 2026 - Visitors are stepping back in time as the Lackawanna Coal Mine reopens its doors for tours near Scranton, PA.

The tours give people from near and far a chance to explore Northeastern Pennsylvania’s coal mining history. Miners say this work played a crucial role in The Industrial Revolution.

‘If it wasn’t for the coal in this area, we wouldn’t have The Industrial Revolution. A lot of coal came out of Northeastern PA and Southern PA,” Mine Foreman Bill Neidlinger said.

“If it wasn’t for coal, we wouldn’t be where we’re at today as far as our technology and the development of our industry and societies and everything,” Robert Davis of the Lackawanna Coal Mine Tours said.

For some workers here, there’s a deep family connection.

“This is my history. My ancestors were coal miners and came over from Wales. They were miners there and came here and settled in Taylor,” Davis said.

The tours also showcase the long hours and tough conditions miners endured; both in the past and today.

“Most people don’t understand what kind of work it entails, like underground, until they’re down inside in the mine and they see the size of the timbers and the work that they had to do,” Neidlinger said.

“You can read about it in the books. You can watch it in the videos, but until you come here and actually see it, this is where you really understand it,” Davis said.

Tour guides say they put in months of work over winter to make the tours as enjoyable as possible.