PA Museums

Exploring the Everhart Museum in Scranton

A collage showcasing various exhibits at the Everhart Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The top-left image features a reconstructed dinosaur skeleton in a dynamic pose. The top-right displays a collection of bronze busts. The bottom-left picture presents an array of bird taxidermy, and the bottom-right shows an art gallery with paintings hung on white walls, with a bench for contemplation. Each image captures the museum's diverse offerings, from natural history to fine arts, providing an engaging experience for visitors of all interests.

If you’re looking for information about visiting the Everhart Museum in Scranton, you’re in the right place!

A wide-angle view of the Everhart Museum's facade in Scranton, Pennsylvania, featuring a bronze statue of Dr. Isaiah Fawkes Everhart in the foreground. The museum, exhibiting classical architectural details, is adorned with two banners that promote exhibits on natural history, science, and fine arts. The main entrance is flanked by decorative engravings and two wall-mounted lanterns. The building is set against a clear sky, and a neatly manicured lawn lies in the front, inviting visitors to explore the treasures within. — Front entrance to the museum at Nay Aug Park.

The Everhart Museum is a natural history, science, and art museum founded in 1908 by Dr. Isaiah Fawkes Everhart, a prominent Scranton physician and passionate naturalist.

A close-up view of a bird exhibit at the Everhart Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The display features various taxidermied birds, including a prominent pelican in the foreground, along with a black duck and other waterfowl species, each with descriptive labels. The birds are mounted inside a glass display case with a white background, allowing for detailed observation. This exhibit showcases the diversity of avian life and the museum's dedication to natural history education. — Display case in the Bird Gallery.

Dr. Everhart’s initial love for natural history laid the foundation for the Museum’s diverse collections.

A Native American headdress on display at the Everhart Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The headdress, mounted on a mannequin head, features an array of brown and white feathers with beadwork and red fabric accents on the headband. Ribbons and additional adornments hang from the sides, adding color and texture to the piece. The headdress is showcased in a glass case, with its shadow cast on the wall behind it, which is also reflected in the glass, creating a layered visual effect. An informational label appears to the side, likely providing context about the headdress's origin and significance. — Native American headress.

Today, visitors can embark on a captivating journey through time and space, traversing galleries brimming with awe-inspiring exhibits.

A gallery of artwork related to Presidential elections on the second floor of the museum.

Directions | Hours | Admission Fees

The Everhart Museum is located at 1901 Mulberry St, Scranton, PA 18510, near the entrance to Scranton’s scenic Nay Aug Park.

The Museum’s hours are : Thursdays: 12 pm-5 pm, Fridays: 12 pm-5 pm, Saturdays: 10 am-5 pm, Sundays: 12 pm-5 pm.

A sign displaying the open hours for the Everhart Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The sign, placed on a glass door, reads "Open Hours: Thursdays: 12p-5p, Fridays: 12p-5p, Saturdays: 10a-5p, Sundays: 12p-5p". Below the hours, a note states "Wheelchair Accessible Entrance at Rear of Building" for accessibility information. — Museum hours.

Important to note: the Museum is closed in January for routine maintenance.

Taxidermy exhibit.

Admission fees to the Everhart Museum as of January 2024 are: Adults: $5.00, Seniors (60+) and Students: $3.00, Children 12 and Under: FREE.

A bronze statue of Dr. Isaiah Fawkes Everhart seated on a chair, placed before the entrance of the Everhart Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The museum's name is engraved above the entrance, with decorative engravings on either side of the name. The statue rests on a stone pedestal with a commemorative plaque. — Sculpture of Dr. Everhart in front of the museum that bears his name.

What You’ll See at the Everhart Museum

The bulk of the exhibits at the Museum are located on the first and second floors of the building, with the Natural History and Science galleries on the first floor and the Arts and Humanities galleries upstairs on the second floor.

An exhibit at the Everhart Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania, featuring a series of four bronze bust sculptures displayed in a glass case. Each bust portrays a detailed likeness of an individual, capturing unique facial expressions and hair textures. The sculptures are set against a neutral wall, complementing the artwork and allowing viewers to focus on the intricate details of each piece. A descriptive label next to the sculptures provides context for visitors, likely detailing the artist's name, the subjects' identities, or the significance of the works within the museum's collection. — Bronze bust sculptures.

Fossil Gallery

The Fossil Gallery includes actual fossil specimens, fossil casts of prehistoric animals, and artwork depicting dinosaurs and Ice Age mammals.

A stegosaurus skeleton exhibit inside the Everhart Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The skeletal replica is presented in a dynamic pose, surrounded by a red rope barrier on stanchions. It's set against a backdrop of illustrated prehistoric plants, creating a naturalistic setting. The exhibit is placed on a bed of rocks, and an information placard is visible in front of the display. — Stegosaurus.

Here you’ll come face-to-face with a colossal Tyrannosaurus rex skull, see the intricate detail of fossilized ferns, and trace the evolutionary path of life on Earth.

A prominent Tyrannosaurus rex skull replica is on display at the Everhart Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The large, detailed skull, showcasing the dinosaur's formidable teeth, is mounted on a stand at eye level for visitors. Behind the skull, two framed illustrations of dinosaurs provide a paleontological context. The colorful walls behind the exhibit, painted in shades of red and green, draw attention to the display. Informative plaques are placed in front of the skull, likely offering scientific facts and historical data about the T. rex to educate museum patrons. — Tyrannosaurus rex skull.

Rocks and Minerals Gallery

The Rocks and Minerals Gallery showcases an array of locally and globally sourced rocks and minerals, complemented by informative displays that illuminate their geological origins.

An educational exhibit on geology at the Everhart Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The display features informative panels about different types of rocks: sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous, along with examples of each type housed in glass cases below the descriptions. The central panel illustrates "The Rock Cycle," explaining the formation and transformation of rocks. Actual rock specimens, including igneous and metamorphic rocks, are presented in the cases with labels, allowing visitors to view and learn about the physical characteristics that distinguish these rock types. The exhibit is designed with dark gray walls that highlight the colorful educational materials and rock samples. — How rocks are formed.

Bird Gallery

In the Bird Gallery, alongside a collection of more than 700 preserved birds, visitors will also find a variety of taxidermized mammals, reptiles, and amphibians.

An exhibition room at the Everhart Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania, displaying a collection of bird specimens from around the world. Several tall, well-lit glass cases are arranged in rows, each one filled with various bird species in different poses. The room has terrazzo flooring, reflecting the overhead lighting, and a muted yellow and teal color scheme on the walls and upper part of the display cabinets. This setup allows visitors to view the birds up close and learn about their habitats and behaviors. — The Bird Gallery.

Numerous birds, mounted by Dr. Everhart himself over a hundred years ago, were donated to the Museum from his personal collection.

A display of taxidermied birds at the Everhart Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The exhibit features a variety of bird species, mounted on white shelves within a large glass display case. Each bird is accompanied by a label detailing its common name, with birds such as the Wild Turkey prominently displayed in the foreground. The exhibit is part of the museum's collection, emphasizing the diversity of avian life and providing educational information to visitors about different bird species, including their conservation status. — Some of the birds on display were personally prepared by Dr. Everhart.

The gallery also features four realistic dioramas, depicting the native habitats of Pennsylvania.

A lifelike diorama display titled "PENNSYLVANIA MEADOW" at the Everhart Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The exhibit is framed within a wooden structure, showcasing a realistic depiction of a meadow scene with painted background and three-dimensional foreground elements, including rocks, plants, and a model of a fox. Above the diorama, the exhibit's name is clearly displayed, and an informational placard is placed in front, providing details about the meadow habitat and its significance in Pennsylvania's ecosystem. The exhibit is designed to offer museum visitors an immersive educational experience. — Habitat diorama.

Founder’s Gallery

The Founder’s Gallery highlights the journey of Museum founder Dr. Isaiah F. Everhart (1840–1911), from his early life in rural Southeastern Pennsylvania and his service as a Civil War surgeon to his later years in Scranton where he established the namesake Museum.

The Arts and Humanities Galleries

The second floor of the Museum displays a variety of artwork and objects from both regional and internationally-recognized artists.

This photograph shows a portion of the Frederic C. Knight art gallery within the Everhart Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Information panels provides context for the artwork displayed. — A portion of the Frederic C. Knight art gallery.

Collectively, the art galleries help achieve the Museum’s goal of fostering a stronger bond between the communities in northeastern Pennsylvania and their global surroundings.

An interior view of a gallery at the Everhart Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania, showcasing a variety of artworks. On the left wall, there's a large canvas with a star and portraits, next to other framed pieces of varying sizes. The center of the room features a display case with information or possibly small art objects. The gallery space is well-lit with track lighting, and the gray carpeted floor complements the neutral wall color. The room is designed to direct attention to the artworks, inviting visitors to explore and reflect upon the pieces displayed. — A variety of artworks related to Presidential elections.

The Dorflinger Glass Gallery pays homage to the the intricate craftsmanship and captivating designs from this famous eastern PA glass company, and features remarkable pieces from both the Abraham Lincoln and Benjamin Harrison White Houses.

A display in the Dorflinger Glass Gallery at the Everhart Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The illuminated glass case showcases an array of delicate glassware including variously shaped and colored vases on the top shelf, and elegant stemware, plates, and serving dishes on the bottom shelf. Accompanying labels provide historical context and descriptions for the pieces, detailing the craftsmanship and history of glassmaking. The display is set against a neutral backdrop, with informative texts mounted on the front panel for an educational experience. — A portion of the Dorflinger Glass exhibit.

Artwork in the galleries is frequently rotated, allowing the Museum to showcase more of its collections and offering visitors fresh experiences on every visit.

An art gallery within the Everhart Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania, featuring framed artworks on white walls, illuminated by track lighting. The gallery is carpeted in gray, and each piece of art is carefully spaced, allowing visitors to appreciate the individual works. A black bench is placed in the center of the room for contemplative viewing. The gallery extends into a further room where a colorful painting is visible, highlighting the museum's depth of collection. The space is quiet and appears to be designed for an intimate viewing experience. — Paintings by Wilkes-Barre, PA native Jon Carsman.

Final Thoughts

From its historic origins to its present role as a cultural hub, the Everhart Museum offers a unique and enriching experience for every visitor.

An exhibit at the Everhart Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania, featuring a large, framed painting of a prehistoric landscape with lush vegetation and waterways. Below the painting, there are three framed prints depicting Ice Age mammals and dinosaurs in various scenes. In front of the artwork, a display case on a blue stand contains fossilized remains and rock specimens. The wall behind the exhibits is painted in a vibrant green, and descriptive texts accompany each piece, providing context and educational content for museum visitors. — Prehistoric landscape and fossils.

Whether you’re unraveling the Earth’s mysteries in the Natural History and Science Galleries, or admiring the timeless beauty in the Art Galleries, a visit to the Everhart Museum is an immersive journey through the rich tapestry of human knowledge and creativity.

A spacious art gallery within the Everhart Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Central to the room stands a classical sculpture on a pedestal, surrounded by various framed artworks adorning the walls. On the right, an elegant mirror adds depth to the space. The gallery is designed with a terrazzo floor and soft lighting, creating a serene environment for art appreciation. Benches are strategically placed for visitors to sit and engage with the exhibits. — The main gallery located on the second floor vividly represents the Museum’s wide-ranging assortment of artworks.

Nearby Attractions

16 Must-See Attractions in Lackawanna County showcases more remarkable sights and experiences near the Steamtown National Historic Site.

A collage of four photos taken in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania. Top left: Historic steam and diesel locomotives displayed at the Steamtown National Historic Site turntable. Top right: A Stegosaurus skeleton on exhibit inside the Everhart Museum of Natural History, Science, and Art in Scranton. Bottom left: A vibrant mural of Dwight Schrute from the television show "The Office" painted on a wall in Scranton. Bottom right: A serene waterfall flowing through the rocky landscape of Nay Aug Gorge at Nay Aug Park in Scranton.

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