Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel
A historic Scranton hotel occupying the former Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad station.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
The Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel is a historic hotel in Scranton, Pennsylvania, housed in the former Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Station. The property is significant both as a preserved railroad monument and as an example of adaptive reuse in a post-industrial downtown. Its French Renaissance and Beaux-Arts-influenced design, grand interior finishes, and association with the region's railroad history make it one of Scranton's most recognizable buildings. The station was commissioned during the expansion of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad and was designed by New York architect Kenneth MacKenzie Murchison, who had trained at Paris's École des Beaux-Arts. Construction took place in the early twentieth century, using a brick-and-steel structure faced with Indiana limestone. The building combined passenger facilities with railroad offices, reflecting the importance of Scranton as a transportation and industrial center. A large bronze clock on the façade, a monumental entrance, and a two-and-a-half-story Grand Lobby gave the station a civic scale well beyond that of an ordinary local depot. Its interior retains many historic features, including Italian and Siena marble, a barrel-vaulted Tiffany stained-glass ceiling, mosaic flooring, original doors and stairs, fountains, clocks, and decorative Grueby Faience tile murals. The murals depict landscapes associated with the railroad's Phoebe Snow route between Hoboken and Buffalo. The building was initially five stories tall, with another floor added by 1923 to provide additional office space. It also reflected the railroad's interest in emerging communications technology through a rooftop radio antenna used in connection with wireless operations. Passenger service continued under the Erie Lackawanna Railroad, the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western's successor. The station served named trains including the Phoebe Snow, Owl, New York Mail, Lake Cities, Pocono Express, and Twilight, as well as other services operating toward destinations such as Pittsburgh, Utica, and Oswego. The final train, the Erie Lackawanna's Lake Cities, departed on January 6, 1970. The structure then closed and deteriorated, with portions of the once-grand lobby used for storage. The building was placed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1977. During the early 1980s, Scranton civic and business leaders viewed the abandoned station as a possible catalyst for downtown renewal. A redevelopment led by The Erie Lackawanna Restoration Associates converted the structure into a hotel, supported by public funding, private investment, bank and business contributions, and other donations. The property reopened on New Year's Eve 1983 as The Hilton at Lackawanna Station after a major restoration. The project was designed to preserve the building's architectural identity while creating a destination hotel and helped form part of a broader downtown revitalization effort associated with the development of Steamtown. Ownership changed in the 1990s, and the hotel moved from Hilton to Radisson affiliation in 1995. It was sold again in 2005 to Akshar Lackawanna Station Hospitality LP, a unit of Calvin Investments LLC. Renovation work associated with that ownership took place between 2007 and 2009. Today, the property operates as a Radisson-branded hotel serving overnight guests, dining customers, meetings, events, and visitors attracted by its railroad heritage. Its connection with the television series The Office has also contributed to its cultural visibility: the hotel served as the setting for the fictional hotel in the episode 'Dwight's Speech,' although the episode was not filmed there.
History
The Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel occupies the former Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Station at 700 Lackawanna Avenue in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The station replaced an earlier brick depot located near Lackawanna and Franklin avenues. Delaware, Lackawanna and Western president William Truesdale approved the larger replacement as part of the railroad's investment in Scranton. The new structure was intended to serve both as a passenger station and as the railroad's principal local office building, apart from executive offices maintained in New York City. New York architect Kenneth MacKenzie Murchison designed the building in a style influenced by French Renaissance and Beaux-Arts architecture. Construction used brick, steel, and concrete, with Indiana limestone on the exterior. The façade incorporated an approximately eight-foot bronze clock, while the principal entrance opened into a lavish waiting room and Grand Lobby. Inside, the building featured Formosa marble, Siena marble walls, mosaic tile floors, a barrel-vaulted Tiffany stained-glass ceiling, and distinctive Grueby Faience tile murals. The murals portray scenes along the railroad's Phoebe Snow route between Hoboken, New Jersey, and Buffalo, New York. A sixth floor was added by 1923 for office use, and a radio antenna was installed as the railroad developed wireless communication between trains and terminals. The station served a broad range of passenger trains. In the later Erie Lackawanna period, services included the Phoebe Snow, the Owl and New York Mail, the Lake Cities, and the Pocono Express and Twilight. Earlier trains also connected Scranton with Pittsburgh, Utica, and Oswego. Declining passenger rail use eventually led to closure. The Erie Lackawanna's Lake Cities made the last departure on January 6, 1970. After closure, the building was neglected. Windows deteriorated, and parts of the marble lobby were used to store railroad timetables and ledgers. The building briefly appeared in the background of the film That Championship Season. Its condition became particularly significant during the early 1980s, when Scranton was experiencing severe economic difficulty and unemployment. Local officials and downtown-development organizations proposed converting the station into a destination hotel rather than allowing it to remain vacant. The structure was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 6, 1977. MetroAction, a Scranton Chamber of Commerce corporation involved in downtown development, acquired the building. The Erie Lackawanna Restoration Associates, a group of private investors, led the redevelopment. The project used a combination of federal, state, and municipal funds, private contributions, and donations from banks and other local businesses. The restoration was designed by Buchanan Ricciuti & Associates Architects and received a 1984 Design Honor Award from the Ohio chapter of the American Institute of Architects. The restored property reopened on New Year's Eve 1983 as The Hilton at Lackawanna Station. The opening celebration featured approximately 650 guests and a performance by the Guy Lombardo Orchestra under the direction of Art Mooney. The hotel project was conceived as part of a wider downtown renewal program, alongside the development of Steamtown, a railroad museum planned for the former Lackawanna railyard and shops. DanMar Hotel Inc. purchased the property in 1993. Two years later, the hotel changed its chain affiliation from Hilton to Radisson. DanMar explored a sale to the University of Scranton beginning in 2004, but the university declined the proposal in 2005. The building was subsequently sold to Akshar Lackawanna Station Hospitality LP, a Calvin Investments LLC unit, with the transaction completed in October 2005. The new owners announced a substantial renovation program. Although originally expected to finish in 2006, the work was carried out from 2007 through 2009. The property continues to operate as a Radisson hotel. Its preserved clocks, doors, fountains, staircases, ceilings, walls, marble surfaces, stained glass, and tile decoration remain central to its identity. The hotel has also acquired a place in popular culture through The Office. It served as the fictional setting for the hotel in the episode 'Dwight's Speech,' although production did not take place inside the Scranton property. Cast members stayed at the hotel during a 2007 fan convention and again during the show's 2013 public wrap party. Possible future passenger rail restoration through later phases of the Lackawanna Cut-Off project could bring renewed rail activity near the historic building, although any such service is separate from the hotel's current operations.
- 2007
Major renovation period began
[1]Renovation work under the new ownership took place from 2007 through 2009.
- 2005
Ownership transferred to Akshar Lackawanna Station Hospitality
[1]The property was sold to an entity affiliated with Calvin Investments LLC.
- 1995
Adopted Radisson affiliation
[1]The property changed its hotel-chain affiliation from Hilton to Radisson.
- 1993
Purchased by DanMar Hotel Inc.
[1]DanMar Hotel Inc. acquired the hotel property.
- 1983
Reopened as a hotel
[1]A major adaptive-reuse project transformed the abandoned station into The Hilton at Lackawanna Station, which opened on New Year's Eve.
- 1977
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
[1]The former station received national historic recognition on December 6.
- 1970
Final passenger train departed
[1]The Erie Lackawanna's Lake Cities made the station's last train departure on January 6, after which the building closed.
- 1923
Additional office floor added
[1]A sixth floor was added to the originally five-story building to accommodate further railroad office space.
- 1908
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western station completed
[1]The new Scranton station and railroad office building opened as a major transportation and civic structure designed by Kenneth MacKenzie Murchison.
Products and positioning
A heritage-focused destination hotel combining Radisson hospitality with a preserved railroad-station setting and Scranton landmark status.
Hotel accommodation · 1983
Guest rooms and suites
The hotel's core offering is overnight accommodation within a restored early-twentieth-century railroad station. Guest lodging is differentiated by the building's historic setting, preserved architectural details, and proximity to downtown Scranton attractions and institutions.
Hospitality and food service · 1983
Dining and beverage service
The property provides food and beverage services associated with a full-service hotel, serving both overnight guests and local visitors. The historic station environment supports the hotel's destination-oriented positioning for meals, receptions, and social occasions.
Conferences and banquets · 1983
Meetings and events
Meeting, banquet, and event facilities extend the property beyond conventional lodging. The large historic interiors and distinctive Grand Lobby provide a setting for business gatherings, weddings, receptions, and other organized events.
Brand decisions
1995
Change from Hilton to Radisson affiliationStrategyBackground
Following DanMar Hotel Inc.'s acquisition of the property in 1993, the hotel changed its chain affiliation.
Action taken
The hotel moved from Hilton branding to Radisson branding.
Aftermath
The property continued operating as a branded full-service hotel under the Radisson name.
1983
Adaptive reuse as a destination hotelStrategyBackground
Scranton faced economic decline and high unemployment after the station's abandonment. Civic and private-sector leaders sought a use that could attract visitors and contribute to downtown revitalization.
Action taken
The former railroad station was restored and converted into a hotel while retaining its principal historic architectural features.
Aftermath
The property reopened as The Hilton at Lackawanna Station and became part of a broader redevelopment effort linked to Scranton's railroad heritage.
Redevelopment funding. Approximately $13 million (Early 1980s redevelopment)
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