SCRANTON — The Steamtown National Historic Site will host an entrance fee-free week to celebrate National Park Week from Saturday, April 16 through Sunday, April 24.

This year is the National Park Service’s centennial. All indoor and outdoor exhibit areas and park museum facilities including guided tours and the park movie, “Steel and Steam,” are included in the entrance fee-free week.

The site’s seasonal train rides will begin with a dedication ceremony on Sunday, April 17, returning the 1929 Baldwin Locomotive Works 0-6-0 steam locomotive to service.

The park will open at 9 a.m. and the festivities will beginning at 11 a.m. They will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony, free commemorative baseball-type cards of the locomotive’s history and statistics, and a special photo exhibit in the Technology Museum that documents the locomotive’s restoration.

“Scranton Limited” short train rides within the Steamtown NHS yards will be powered by the newly-restored locomotive that day, and will operate continuously between 12:30 and 4 p.m. Cost of the “Scranton Limited” rides are $5 per person, all ages 6 and older, and will include a special commemorative ticket issued for that day.

The “Scranton Limited” will operate as follows for the remainder of April, 10:30 and 11:30 a.m., 1:30 and 2:30 p.m.; the “Nay Aug Gorge Limited” will operate on Sundays following the same schedule:

April 20 – “Scranton Limited” operating with diesel power

April 21 – “Scranton Limited” operating with diesel power

April 22 – “Scranton Limited” operating with steam power (BLW #26)

April 23 – “Scranton Limited” operating with steam power (BLW #26)

April 24 – “Nay Aug Gorge Limited” operating with steam power (BLW #26)

April 28 – “Scranton Limited” operating with diesel power

April 29 – “Scranton Limited” operating with steam power (BLW #26)

April 30 – “Scranton Limited” operating with steam power (BLW #26)

May 1 – “Nay Aug Gorge Limited” operating with steam power (BLW #26)

For Abington Journal

Information provided by the Steamtown National Historic Site.