You may have heard of a little historic town in Northeastern Pennsylvania called Jim Thorpe, formerly known as Mauch Chunk. It is the county seat of Carbon County and is popular among tourists for whitewater rafting, paintball, picturesque scenery, hiking, cafes antique stores, and tourist friendly Broadway Street. Jim Thorpe is known as the “Gateway to the Poconos” and “Switzerland of America”.
I first visited Jim Thorpe in 2014 and I feel in love with it. Since then, I have encouraged many family members to visit it with me during their travels to Eastern Pennsylvania. I do not work for Carbon County Tourist bureau and I am not paid to express my love and appreciation of this great town. However, I wanted to write this blog post to encourage you to visit Jim Thorpe this October, especially considering that this coming Friday is a Friday the 13th in the month of October and I can’t think of a more fitting place to enjoy it. In interest of full disclosure I should mention that I have never visited Jim Thorpe in October or even the fall, however the experiences I have had there in other seasons lead me to believe that fall would be an ideal time to visit due to the changing foliage and interesting sights.
5 Reason To Visit Jim Thorpe This Halloween Season (or anytime)
- The Old Jail Museum: Here is the number one reason to visit Jim Thorpe in October- The Old Jail is a must see! The Old Jail Museum is the former Carbon County Jail and was in use from 1870-1970’s. It it now a museum where visitors can take guided tours of the facility. Over its 100 year history as an operating jail it housed many interesting prisoners that visitors will learn about on the tour, but none more notable than many of the suspected Molly Maguires who were also hung on site. The Molly Maguires were a secret society of Irish immigrant coal miner who settled in Northwestern Pennsylvania. After a series of violent labor disputes with coal mine owners, 20 suspected Molly Maguires were executed by hanging in 1877 and 1878. Some of the hangings took place on ground of the Carbon County Jail, aka The Old Jail Museum. The photo above is of the gallows that that some of Molly Maguires were executed on, though it should be noted that the hangings took place on grounds of the jail not in the actual jail building.
The most famous story about the Old Jail is that a local tavern owner and suspected Molly Maguire Alexander Campbell proclaimed his innocence while being housed at the Carbon County Jail. He put his muddy hand print on the wall of his cell and declared his innocence. He said, “This is the handprint of an innocent man. It will remain forever to shame the county for hanging an innocent man.”
Legend has it that caretakers of the jail have not been able to wipe the hand print away. Every time it has been erased the hand print has returned to the same spot. Visitors to the jail can see the the “bloody hand print in cell #17.
I wanted to share with you some additional pictures of my visit to the Old Jail Museum. Some other highlights of the tour include a trip to the “dungeon” which is the dark cellar where inmates in solitary confinement were sent. The Old Jail Museum offers tours in the spring, summer, and fall. In October visitors can take a special evening “Ghost Tour”. Children under the age of 12 are not permitted on the ghost tour. Click here to get more details about hours and cost.
2. Jim Thorpe Memorial: James Francis Thorpe, born as Wa-Tho-Huk, translated as 
“Bright Path”, was an American athlete and Olympic gold medalist. He was a Native American who was born in Oklahoma and educated at the Carlisle Indian School in Carlisle, PA. He died in Lomita, California. Strangely enough though, he never lived in the town of Jim Thorpe. In 1953, while Jim Thorpe’s body was lying in state awaiting burial, Thorpe’s third wife, Patricia sold his remains to the boroughs of Mauch Chunk and East Mauch Chunk which were seeking to attract new business to the area. The boroughs combined and renamed themselves Jim Thorpe. The borough built memorial for Thorpe on the outskirts of town and his remains lie within the memorial. Jim Thorpe is considered by many to be the world’s greatest athlete. His memorial consists of three large statues and plaques. Every time I have ever visited the memorial, I have seen at least one other car has been in the parking lot. I have never noticed it to be unattended and often the cars have out-of-state plates. Thorpe’s family has tried to have his remains removed from this site several times and have his body returned to his native Oklahoma. His sons sued the borough to have his remains moved in 2010. The case moved through several courts and but in 2015 the United States Supreme Court refused to hear the case bringing the legal process to an end. Jim Thorpe’s body will remain in Jim Thorpe. I usually visit the Jim Thorpe Memorial when I visit the town, I have a fondness for him. When Jim Thorpe was awarded his Olympic Medals in 1912 by the King of Sweden Gustov, the King said “You, sir, are the greatest athlete in the world.” To which Thorpe replied, “Thanks King”.
3. Dimmick Memorial Library: From Broadway Street a visitor can take in a
street lined with ice cream stores, restaurants, antique stores, Victorian-era buildings, stone row-houses, and see some some impressive mansions on nearby hills. However, the building that stands out to me is the Dimmick Memorial Library. I find the exterior of the building to be interesting and historic but with an interior that is just as interesting. It is a small library with computers for the public, a small but mighty children’s department furnished with many toys, and bathrooms open to the public. What I like best however is the slightly haunted, old fashioned, two story look. See below. Visit the library’s webpage for hours.
4. Visit Broadway Street for Scenic Views, Cafes, Ice Cream Shops, Antique Stores and Souvenirs: An autumn visit to Jim Thorpe is not complete without a jaunt around Broadway Street and the surrounding streets for a snack or sip. A trip down Broadway will allow you to take in the Victorian-era buildings and do a little window shopping. Spend a pleasant afternoon taking in the sights and perhaps pick up some postcards while you are at it.
5. Lehigh Gorge State Park: Jim Thorpe is well known for its outdoor delights. Nestled in the Pocono Mountains and on the Lehigh River a visitor can experience the outdoors in the number of ways. Located just minutes away from downtown Jim Thorpe is Lehigh Gorge State Park. Here visitors can raft, canoe, bike, hike, and see the fabulous Glen Onoko Falls. In fact, on the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources site for Lehigh Gorge State Park there is a Top 10 List of all the Activities to Do at Lehigh Gorge. When I visited the park in 2014 I saw people biking on the bike trail and I made a mental note that I would have to come back and do that. Also my husband and I tried to find the trail with Glen Onoko Fall but we were unsuccessful. I know we will try again someday. I have some friends who took a fabulous ice hike there one early March day using crampons. On the day we visited and could not find the trail we ended up sitting along the Lehigh River and just enjoying it and it was still a great experience.
This is obviously not a comprehensive list of all the things there are to do in Jim Thorpe in the autumn but hopefully it is enough to get you started. If you do decide to visit Jim Thorpe comment below. Have you ever visited? What did you like to do there?
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