Family Fun and Amusements
Looking for the best family-friendly activities near Lake Wallenpaupack? Whether you're vacationing with toddlers, school-age children, or teenagers, the Lake Wallenpaupack and Hawley, Pennsylvania area offers endless opportunities for family fun. From animal parks and train rides to mini golf, amusement centers, state parks, and interactive museums, you'll find attractions that keep kids entertained while creating lasting memories. Explore our guide to the top kid-friendly attractions within 45 minutes of Hawley, perfect for weekend getaways, summer vacations, rainy days, and family road trips throughout the Pocono Mountains.
Bushkill Falls
Bushkill Falls, famously known as the "Niagara of Pennsylvania," is a premier outdoor adventure destination and scenic nature park nestled deep in the wooded Pocono Mountains. This iconic Keystone State attraction spans 300 acres and features a stunning network of eight cascading waterfalls—including the majestic 100-foot Main Falls—all accessible via four color-coded hiking trails, rustic wooden bridges, and elevated walkways designed for varying skill levels. Beyond world-class hiking, nature photography, and birdwatching, this family-friendly park offers seasonal entertainment including paddle boat rentals, fishing at Twin Lakes, gemstone mining, miniature golf, and educational wildlife exhibits. Open from April through November, it stands as a must-visit eco-tourism hub for weekend road trips, group excursions, and family outings in Northeast Pennsylvania.
Address: 138 Bushkill Falls Trail, Bushkill, PA 18324
Phone: +1 570-588-6682
Claws N Paws
Claws 'N' Paws Wild Animal Park in Lake Ariel, PA, is a premier seasonal "Zoo-in-the-Woods" and a top family-friendly attraction in the Pocono Mountains region. This interactive wildlife park features shaded woodland trails where visitors can get up close to over 120 exotic species, including majestic lions, white tigers, snow leopards, wolves, and bears. Renowned for its immersive, hands-on animal encounters, the park offers exciting public giraffe feedings, interactive lory parrot feedings, a popular petting zoo area, and an educational Dino Dig excavation activity for children. Open daily from May through mid-October, it provides the perfect outdoor destination for family summer vacations, weekend road trips, and educational school group field trips in Northeast Pennsylvania.
Address: 1475 Ledgedale Rd, Lake Ariel, PA 18436
Phone: +1 570-698-6154
Costa's Family Fun Park
Costa's Family Fun Park in Hawley, PA, is the premier seasonal outdoor amusement park and family entertainment center in the Lake Wallenpaupack region. Located on Route 6 in the heart of the Pocono Mountains, this high-energy attraction offers a diverse mix of family-friendly activities, featuring a challenging 18-hole miniature golf course, high-speed go-karts, laser tag, bumper boats, and exciting water slides. Boasting a full golf driving range, baseball batting cages, and an indoor video game arcade, it also provides an on-site snack bar serving classic burgers and hand-dipped Hershey's ice cream. Open daily from mid-June through Labor Day, it stands as the ultimate destination for kids' birthday parties, group packages, and summer staycations in Northeast Pennsylvania.
Address: 2111 US-6, Hawley, PA 18428
Phone: +1 570-226-8585
Dorflinger Glass Museum
The Dorflinger Glass Museum, nestled inside the scenic Dorflinger-Suydam Wildlife Sanctuary in White Mills, PA, is a premier historical and cultural attraction in Wayne County celebrating the rich heritage of American glassmaking. As a standout stop in the Pocono Mountains region, this highly rated museum showcases the nation’s largest public collection of Christian Dorflinger’s exquisite lead crystal, featuring over 1,000 brilliantly cut, engraved, etched, and enameled historic glassware pieces. Visitors can take guided tours to admire Gilded Age craftsmanship—including pieces created for U.S. presidents—explore local industrial history, browse unique art pieces in the museum gift shop, or walk the tranquil, 600-acre outdoor nature trails that surround the estate.
Address: 40 Suydam Dr, Honesdale, PA 18431
Phone: +1 570-253-1185
Electric City Aquarium and Reptile Den
The Electric City Aquarium & Reptile Den in Scranton, PA, is a premier indoor family attraction and educational conservation hub located inside The Marketplace at Steamtown. Spanning over 20,000 square feet of immersive wildlife exhibits, this top-rated Northeast Pennsylvania destination features fascinating land and sea creatures, including a vibrant Shark Reef, interactive stingray touch tanks, a Frog Swamp, and Gator Alley. Visitors can walk through the specialized Snake Den, Lizard Lair, and a lush indoor Rainforest exhibit home to tropical birds, monkeys, and a popular two-toed sloth. Perfect for weekend family outings, educational school field trips, and unique children's birthday party packages, it delivers hands-on wildlife entertainment in downtown Lackawanna County.
Phone: 300 Lackawanna Ave, Scranton, PA 18503
Address: +1 570-909-9631
Lacawac Sanctuary
Lacawac Sanctuary in Lake Ariel, PA, is a premier 550-acre nature preserve, ecological field research station, and public environmental education facility nestled on the southern shores of Lake Wallenpaupack. As a hidden gem for eco-tourism in the Northern Pocono Mountains, this pristine sanctuary features over nine miles of scenic hiking trails, a natural boreal bog, and the Wallenpaupack Ledges. At its core lies Lake Lacawac, a 52-acre glacial lake designated as a National Natural Landmark and celebrated as the most pristine, undeveloped glacial lake in the hemisphere. Visitors can enjoy birdwatching, outdoor photography, and year-round nature programs, or tour the historic 1903 Adirondack Great Camp complex and Watres Lodge listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Address: 94 Sanctuary Rd, Lake Ariel, PA 18436
Phone: +1 570-689-9494
Lackawanna Coal Mine Tour
The Lackawanna Coal Mine Tour in Scranton, PA, is a premier historical and educational industrial tourism attraction located inside the scenic McDade Park. As a top-rated cultural destination in Northeast Pennsylvania, this award-winning heritage site invites visitors to step inside a real mine car and plunge 300 feet beneath the earth's surface into the historic 1860s anthracite coal mine. Led by expert local guides, the underground walking tour takes you through winding subterranean tunnels to explore the grueling realities of 19th-century mining history, view massive machinery, and experience chilling geological formations. Boasting a fascinating on-site Pennsylvania anthracite heritage museum and gift shop, it delivers an unforgettable educational excursion perfect for family weekend road trips and school field trips in Lackawanna County.
Address: 1 Bald Mountain Rd, Scranton, PA 18504
Phone: +1 570-963-6463
Lahey's Family Fun Park
Lahey Family Fun Park in Clarks Summit, PA, is the premier seasonal outdoor amusement center and family entertainment destination in Lackawanna County. Nestled in a shaded, wooded setting off the Morgan Highway, this popular Northeast Pennsylvania attraction features 36 holes of challenging mountainside miniature golf across two unique courses, a fast-paced quarter-mile go-kart track, bumper boats, and nine professional batting cages. Boasting a newly updated indoor arcade packed with modern redemption games and a snack bar serving Hershey’s ice cream, it stands as the ultimate spot for stress-free kids' birthday parties, summer group outings, and affordable family weekend fun near Scranton.
Address: 500 Morgan Hwy, Clarks Summit, PA 18411
Phone: +1 570-586-5699
Raymondskill Falls
Raymondskill Falls, located near Milford, PA, is a premier outdoor recreation site and a crowning eco-tourism gem of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Famously recognized as the tallest waterfall in Pennsylvania, this breathtaking three-tiered cascade drops a spectacular 150 to 178 feet, making its combined height just a few feet shorter than Niagara Falls. Visitors can explore the short but steep 0.3-mile Raymondskill Creek Trail loop, which features two distinct, strategically placed wooden viewing platforms that offer exceptional photography opportunities of the upper and middle pools. Maintained by the National Park Service, this popular Pocono Mountains attraction provides a serene mountain escape for wildlife observation, nature hikes, and weekend day trips in Northeast Pennsylvania.
Address: 917 Raymondskill Road, Milford, PA 18337
Phone: +1 570-426-2452 (Park Headquarters)
Pennsylvania Rail Bike
Pennsylvania Rail Bike (formerly known as Soarin' Eagle Rail Tours) in Hawley, PA, is the premier outdoor recreation attraction and the Pocono Mountains' first electric-assisted railbiking adventure. Departing from the historic Hawley Train Depot, this high-utility family eco-tour allows visitors to pedal custom tandem (two-seater) or quad (four-seater) railbikes directly along old railroad tracks. The scenic, guided routes follow the picturesque Lackawaxen River, showcasing lush wooded landscapes, native wildlife like bald eagles, and deep local history. Equipped with optional electric pedal-assist motors to ensure an accessible, low-effort ride for all ages and fitness levels, the venue offers classic 10-mile and 20-mile excursions alongside popular weekend themed trips like their sunset "Rails & Ales" or family ice cream tours.
Address: 4 Columbus Ave, Hawley, PA 18428
Phone: +1 570-229-2147
Seven Tubs Recreation Area
Seven Tubs Recreation Area in Wilkes-Barre, PA, is a premier 500-acre outdoor eco-tourism site and geological wonder managed by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) within Pinchot State Forest. This highly-rated Pocono Mountains region destination is famous for its unique series of seven sandstone glacial potholes, or "tubs," carved over 12,000 years ago by continuously flowing meltwater. Visitors can hike the family-friendly 0.3-mile main loop or the 1.8-mile yellow-blazed Audubon Trail to witness the cascading waterfalls of Wheelbarrow Run as they rush through a moss-covered ravine. Complete with wooden footbridges, photography hotspots, and rugged hiking paths, it provides an exceptional, peaceful mountain escape just minutes from downtown Luzerne County.
Address: 900 Bear Creek Blvd, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702
Phone: +1 570-945-7133
Steamtown National Historic Site and Trolley Museum
Steamtown National Historic Site and the adjacent Electric City Trolley Museum in downtown Scranton, PA, form the ultimate heritage industrial tourism destination celebrating America’s rich transportation and railroading history. Located on a sprawling 62-acre active rail yard, Steamtown is a world-class National Park Service site dedicated to preserving the golden age of steam locomotives. Visitors can explore a functioning 1902 roundhouse, take seasonal steam train excursions, and marvel at a massive collection of engines, including the rare Union Pacific "Big Boy" No. 4012. Right next door, inside a beautifully restored late 19th-century mill building, the Electric City Trolley Museum brings Northeast Pennsylvania’s urban transit legacy alive. It features interactive model railroads, vintage streetcars, and a scenic 5.5-mile trolley ride that passes the historic Scranton Iron Furnaces and plunges through the historic Crown Avenue Tunnel. Together, these premier Lackawanna County museums provide an unforgettable educational experience and top-rated weekend family day trip in Northeast Pennsylvania.
Steamtown National Historic Site
Address: 350 Cliff St, Scranton, PA 18503
Phone: +1 570-445-1898
Electric City Trolley Museum
Address: 300 Cliff St, Scranton, PA 18503
Phone: +1 570-963-6590
Stourbridge Line
The Stourbridge Line in Honesdale, PA, is a premier heritage tourism attraction and a crowning historic rail experience operating in the Northern Pocono Mountains. Departing from Honesdale—proudly recognized as the birthplace of America’s commercial railroad—this iconic passenger train takes visitors on a nostalgic journey along 25 miles of historic trackage originally laid in the 1820s. Passengers relax inside beautifully restored vintage railcars that wind through the picturesque Lackawaxen River Valley, showcasing dense woodlands, native wildlife like bald eagles, and deep industrial revolution history. Operating from spring through the holiday season, this top-rated Wayne County destination offers a diverse calendar of themed train excursions, including scenic fall foliage tours, sunset dinner trains, interactive murder mysteries, and family-friendly holiday events.
Address: 812 Main St, Honesdale, PA 18431
Phone: +1 570-470-2697