SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA CO. (WOLF) — The upcoming visit of Union Pacific’s Big Boy No. 4014 is already generating a tourism surge across northeastern Pennsylvania, with major Scranton-area hotels selling out and tens of thousands of visitors expected to travel to Steamtown National Historic Site.
Several prominent hotels in the Scranton area, including the Hilton Scranton & Conference Center, Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel Scranton, Courtyard by Marriott Scranton Montage Mountain and Comfort Suites Scranton Near Montage Mountain, are already sold out for key dates surrounding the locomotive’s June 13 arrival.
New information provided to FOX56 by Steamtown National Historic Site suggests the event’s economic impact could be substantial.
According to Steamtown officials, the park typically welcomes about 60,000 visitors annually and generates an estimated $5 million to $6 million in economic activity for the region each year.
For comparison, Union Pacific’s recent Big Boy stop in West Chicago attracted approximately 61,000 visitors over a single event — roughly equal to Steamtown’s annual attendance. But that was for a solo Big Boy 4014, but it’s already visited Chicago once before. All bets are off for the size of the crowds expected for the historic Big Boy 4014 and 4012 reunion.
The centerpiece of the visit will be the Big Boy Reunion on June 15 and 16, when Big Boy No. 4014 will be displayed alongside Steamtown’s own historic locomotives.
Steamtown officials said 28,500 tickets were released for each reunion day, for a total capacity of 57,000 tickets.
As of this week:
About 21,000 tickets had been claimed for June 15.About 10,000 tickets had been claimed for June 16.
That means approximately:
7,500 tickets remain available for June 15.18,500 tickets remain available for June 16.26,000 tickets remain available overall.
Steamtown officials also noted that another 11,000 tickets have already been reserved for visits between June 17 and June 30, with weekend visitation significantly outpacing weekdays.
The numbers suggest that Big Boy’s visit could bring attendance levels rarely seen in northeastern Pennsylvania, creating a significant boost for hotels, restaurants, retailers, gas stations and attractions throughout Lackawanna County and neighboring communities.
Big Boy No. 4014, the world’s largest operating steam locomotive and the only surviving operating Big Boy, has become one of the most sought-after railroad attractions in the country. Its appearance in Scranton marks the first time the restored locomotive has visited Steamtown.
For local businesses, the event is shaping up to be more than a railroad gathering — it could become one of the largest tourism events the region has hosted in years.