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Eldora Park Walking Tour

  • Donora Smog Museum 595 McKean Avenue Donora, PA, 15033 United States (map)

While Eldora Park does not lie within the geographical boundaries of Donora, we promote Eldora Park primarily because it's part of Donora's history. As stated above, people from Donora picnicked at Eldora Park and enjoyed all the entertainment and amenities it had to offer.
After launching our Bruce Dreisbach Glass Plate Negative project years ago, we discovered glass plate negatives of Eldora Park (see the first photo above of the Eldora Park arch.) Dreisbach's wife Lulu was a friend of the Wickerhams, and the Wickerhams would often spend time in Donora.

Our seventh annual Eldora Park Walking Tours in 2024 are scheduled for Saturdays (12:00 noon) and Sundays (1:00 p.m.), April 13 and 14 and tentatively for April 27 and28. The Smog Museum will close early on Saturdays at 1:00 p.m.

Our Eldora Park Walking Tours will start at the Smog Museum in Donora with a photo and newspaper-article presentation titled Eldora Park: The Mid-Mon Valley’s Trolley Park Retreat, 1904-1946. The presenter is Smog Museum curator and archivist Brian Charlton.
You can also see our two century-old Eldora Park panoramic photos, newly acquired in 2017 as donations from Mon Valley residents.
After the presentation, we'll drive the three miles to conduct the Walking Tour portion in the Eldora section of neighboring Carroll Township to the historic Wickerham farm, retracing the trolley line and ending up at the park site to describe, among the few remaining ruins, where the Park amenities once existed. One of the Wickerham descendants will accompany the walking tour to help share stories. 
The cost is $12 per person.
Allow at least 2.5 hours for the presentation and walking tour.

These Eldora Park Walking Tours are held in the spring and are scheduled after the winter has lessened the forest's undergrowth. 
Two hiking routes can be taken, one more demanding than the other. You may do as much or as little hiking as you'd like. Guides will be on hand to answer all of your questions. 
Appropriate dress and footwear are required due to potentially wet and muddy conditions. Hiking poles/sticks are also encouraged. You can bring your own or borrow one of ours.
Bottled water is also encouraged.
If you have any questions about the Eldora Park Walking Tour itself or would like to be added to a signup list to RSVP, please contact the Donora Historical Society by calling or emailing, as space is limited. You can find our phone number and email address on our Contact Us page.

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BUSHY RUN BATTLEFIELD MARKET DAY

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April 27

Saturday Open House: CHANGES WITH EXPOSURE: STUDIO ARTS STUDENT EXHIBITION