Monday, April 29, 2024

The Grand Finale: Dan Hugos, Co-Founder of Mauch Chunk Opera House Shows, Retires

mauch chunk opera house jim thorpe pa

While the mansion isn’t open for tours, it is a great bed and breakfast if you are looking for somewhere to spend the night. You can also visit on select Friday evenings for the Libations Lounge for a chance to peek inside. This nearly 3,000-acre park features a large lake with a fantastic swimming area. There are also several miles of hiking trails, including one that goes to the popular Wild Creek Falls, as well as one of the two covered bridges in Carbon County. This museum features 10,000 square feet of gallery space highlighting the work of artist Victor Stabin. Even if you, like me, haven’t heard of Stabin, if you appreciate fantastic art, you are sure to love this spot.

Asa Packer Mansion

Hugos’ main responsibilities were marketing, ticketing (he designed and programmed the first ticketing system) and managing the box office at every show since 2012. Hugos also booked bands along with DeGiosio and coordinated the team of volunteers. It started as a wistful late-night idea nearly 20 years ago while sitting on a front porch stoop.

Flagstaff Mountain Overlook

This waterfall is at the top of the mountain and can be reached via a two-mile loop trail that also passes by a couple of vistas. There are several outfitters that offer rafting on the river with Jim Thorpe River Adventures being accessible from in town. There are also displays related to the area’s great hiking, famous mansions, and Jim Thrope (the man). The shops here feature great art, antiques, and much more, and you are sure to find at least a few shops that will interest you.

Mauch Chunk Lake Park

Of the many ski resorts in the area, Blue Mountain—just half an hour away—is one of the Poconos' best. It boasts PA's highest vertical drop, three terrain parks, and fully lit trails for skiing late into the night (skibluemt.com). Mauch Chunk Lake Park rents cross-country skis to access its 18 miles (29 kilometers) of Nordic trails around the 330-acre (134-hectare) lake (/park). Experience live performances at the historic Mauch Chunk Opera House in Jim Thorpe.

After its days of mining use were over, it became a popular thrill ride for Victorian tourists, who came to the area to enjoy the great outdoors and admire the incredible mansions of wealthy industrialists like Asa Packer. Jim Thorpe's Broadway Street was then known as "Millionaire's Row." The company town was founded by Josiah White and his two partners, founders of the Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company (LC&N). It would thereby ship LC&N's coal to Philadelphia, Trenton, New York City, and other large cities in New Jersey and Delaware, and by ocean to the whole East Coast. Probably the most well-known spot is the Inn and Jim Thorpe, which is located right on Broadway and is a historic 19th-century hotel. The rooms here are completely modern, however, and this is a great central location to stay the night.

The 21 Best Things to Do in Jim Thorpe, PA - Uncovering PA

The 21 Best Things to Do in Jim Thorpe, PA.

Posted: Tue, 27 Sep 2022 07:00:00 GMT [source]

In 1881, the community of Mauch Chunk, PA called for a new market and town hall, as it had quickly outgrown the existing wood-frame structure. Initially, the Mauch Chunk Opera House featured both an open-air farmer’s market on the first floor and a second-story concert hall, and a magnificent Romanesque tower in the front of the building. Addison Hutton, a Philadelphia architect who often visited  Mauch Chunk, designed the building. The dedicated citizens of Mauch Chunk paid for and built the structure so they could enjoy professional performances in their own town.

mauch chunk opera house jim thorpe pa

Historic site preservation and modern day use

The Harry Packer Mansion is located next to the Asa Packer Mansion (Harry was Asa’s son) and is just as grandiose as the latter. And, if this mansion looks familiar, that’s because it was the inspiration for the Haunted Mansion at Disney World. Beltzville State Park is located a short drive from Jim Thorpe and is one of the region’s most popular outdoor destinations.

27.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.93. As of the census[32] of 2010, there were 4,781 people, 2,290 households, and 1,468 families residing in the borough. The population density was 332.1 inhabitants per square mile (128.2/km2). There were 2,193 housing units at an average density of 151.6 per square mile (58.5/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 98.4% White, 1.6% African American, 1.0% Native American, 1.3% Asian, 1.0% Pacific Islander, 1.0% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races.

Following multiple appeals, the case made it all the way to the U.S. The highest judicial branch denied the appeal, ruling for the remains to stay in Jim Thorpe in 2015. Using $10,000 from the fundraising campaign, the town erected an elaborate red marble mausoleum on a hill in East Mauch Chunk. An elaborate ceremony officiated in part by Native Americans honored the athlete.

While there are many great breweries in the Poconos, Bright Path Brewing is Jim Thorpe’s only craft brewery. Located outside of the main downtown area near Jim Thorpe’s grave, this spot is worth the short drive from town to check out. This abandoned railroad tunnel was built by the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company and was in use from 1866 until 1956. Today, visitors can carefully walk through this 400-foot tunnel until it ends at a fence overlooking the bridge piers and the Lehigh River.

There are many spots to stay in Jim Thorpe, but all the properties in town are either small hotels or bed and breakfasts. Eventually, this trail will be 165 miles from Wilkes-Barre to Bristol, PA, but today, a large portion of the completed trail extends from either direction centered on Jim Thorpe. Those with watercraft can also put them in on the lake and enjoy the sights of this beautiful spot. While the interior of the tunnel is now closed to visitors, you can still see it from both ends, and it’s worth a quick stop while you’re in the area. No visit to Jim Thorpe is complete without taking the time to explore the downtown area and the many great shops and restaurants along Broadway and Race Street. While world-renowned athlete Jim Thorpe spent much of his childhood at Carlisle, PA’s Indian Industrial School, he is never known to have visited Carbon County.

The town registered 3,920 votes to land the number 7 spot on the list. In 2012, Jim Thorpe was voted the fourth most beautiful small town in America in the Rand McNally/USA Today Road Rally series. Jim Thorpe is becoming a tourist destination, with many businesses catering to white water rafting, mountain biking, paintball and hiking. Trails in Lehigh Gorge State Park attract hikers from all over, with Glen Onoko Falls a top trail destination just north of downtown.

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