Since February of this year, I’ve had the great pleasure of remote working. This has allowed me to visit Florida for two weeks, New Jersey for a week, and now, the city of Scranton in Pennsylvania for a few days – all while not taking a single PTO day! What’s more, since I’m joining my husband for his work travel, there is no expense for him (and in extension, me) in terms of hotel, gas, or food.
Of course, the downside is that I can only go exploring during specific times – before 9 am and after 5 pm. Plus, since my husband needs the car for work, I am pretty much stuck in the hotel until he comes back. Not a bad trade-off, but it does limit things.
But the reason why I wanted to join him specifically on this trip is because of The Office, as I’m sure you’ve already guessed!
The Office is one of my favorite shows. And while I don’t know the show like the back of my hand (unlike some people), I would binge-watch the entire series once every few years, at which point I would have forgotten most of the minor plot lines and relive the show as close to the first time as possible. Though most of the show takes place in their office, it’s based in Scranton, Pennsylvania and they would sometimes reference a few of the landmarks around.
The official Scranton website even made a self-guided tour map of landmarks mentioned in the show! It’s a very handy map that includes addresses and the episode listings of when that particular landmark was mentioned.
Following the guide, here’s what I ended up visiting (in case the Scranton Strangler* was loose once again):
LANDMARKS of Scranton
The Pennsylvania Paper & Supply Company: Ah, the famous building that is shown in the intro of every episode (along with the iconic theme song). This building is also the inspiration behind Dunder Mifflin, which the building acknowledged with a sign of ‘Dunder Mifflin’ on the other side of the tower.
It was absolutely pouring when I was trying to get the shot, and I’m sure passerbys just looked at me warily, heh.
Address: 215 Vine St, Scranton, PA 18503
The Dundies: There is a massive Dundie trophy located in the Scranton City Hall. If you’ll recall, the team would go to a Chilli’s restaurant and have an awards ceremony where Michael would present Dundie trophies to his employees.
Address: 340 N Washington Ave, Scranton, PA 18503
The Scranton Electric City Sign: On the same block as the Scranton City Hall is the Electric City signage placed atop a tall building. Scranton prides itself as being the electric city because they were one of the first cities to have electricity in 1880.
Address: 507 Linden St, Scranton, PA 18503
The Dwight Shrute Mural: About half a mile away from the city hall is this contemporary mural of Dwight Shrute! It’s located on the side of the building of On & On, a repurpose, handmade and vintage store. I had plans on exploring the vintage store, but alas, it’s closed on Mondays!
Address: 1138 Capouse Avenue, Scranton, Pennsylvania 18509
Steamtown National Historic Site: In 1840, brother George and Selden Scranton established the Lackawana Iron and Coal company. It was such a successful endeavor that they expanded their company to include steel-rail transportation. The historic site has several steam trains on display, and quite a thorough museum, as well. We were able to spend a good 1.5+ hours touring the site, with no boredom in sight.
Address: 350 Cliff Street, Scranton, PA 18503
FOOD in Scranton
Alfredo’s Pizza Café: This pizza establishment was mentioned a few times during the show, and was the location for a couple of events, including the episode titled ‘Heavy Competition’. It was deemed as an ‘okay pizza place’ on the show, but when we went, the pizza was excellent!
We ordered their award-winning pizza, full size, and added pepperoni and mushrooms. First, the amount of cheese that was added was – *chef’s kiss* – delightful. They did not skimp, I tell you. Second, the full-size pizza is huge! Perhaps meant more for a family of four than just my husband and myself. We couldn’t get past the halfway point. Because of this, I’d be happy to say that Dunder Mifflin’s employees don’t know what they’re talking about.
The establishment is also prideful of being mentioned on the show, as they sell merch pertaining to The Office, and the employees themselves wear t-shirts that proclaim “Home of the ‘Good Pizza’ – as Seen on The Office”.
Address: 1040 S. Washington Avenue, Scranton, PA 18505
Food and Fire: This is not featured in The Office, but it was one of the other eatery that we dined at. It’s a BBQ that has a menu filled with styles from various popular U.S. regions. I had my usual brisket, with a side of gouda mac and cheese as well as potato salad. It had been awhile since I had bbq, so I was quite excited. The brisket was very good, and so was the mac and cheese! The potato salad was just okay.
Address: 7041 Shoppes Blvd., Moosic, PA 18507
Overall, doing a self-guided of The Office in Scranton is very possible to do in a day, provided you’re not trying to eat at all the restaurants listed on the map. While Scranton has a certain charm in its own right, I think fans of The Office will find the city even more pleasant because of the city’s embrace towards the show.
*Scranton Strangler: a reference to The Office where a fictional serial criminal was a recurring topic.