Our family had never visited the Poconos area, and I wanted to maximize our experience in the few…read moredays we would be in the region...so I decided to enlist a guide. What a good decision. Tom has quite a few tour options...something for most interests and levels of physical ability. He was quite willing to adapt/customize any of the tours to suit our needs. We did a two day tour combo, going hiking in Hickory Run State Park on the first day and learning about the coal mining history of the area on day two. The coal tour included a trip into an actual mine, a mini-tour of the surrounding communities, and finished up with a bike ride down the old switchback gravity mine car trail. What stood out to me, in addition to the interesting locales we visited, was the passion that Tom has to share the history of this area. He wanted to put the mine tour into the context of what it was like to have actually lived as a miner. He added his own information at the mine tour to what the tour operator told us. He shared about how the topography, geography, and geology all played into the story of the coal industry's history. And the mini-tour of the communities helped us learn about the economic impact (past and present) of the industry. Tom not only displays passion for the history of the region, he is congenial and a good communicator. And he is also very observant of everyone on the tour, doing his best to give individual attention to assure each person as a good experience. I only wish we had more time to learn about other aspects of Jim Thorpe's history. I guess we have something to look forward to on our next visit.

Simply, this is the best tour we have ever been on. We were hoping to get in nice hike and the…read morebasic lay of the land of Jim Thorpe. Instead, our guide Tom created a tour and hiking excursion that also told a story with every step. From the history of the town on the street level to an expansive view of the valley from above, Tom made sure every minute was interesting and filled with new information, We left not only informed, but with a feeling of being a part of the community. We can't give a higher recommendation than we can give Tom and JTX.

We throughly enjoyed our tour through the Old Jail Museum! The guided tour was informative, while…read morealso giving tourists the freedom to explore around themselves at their own pace. The staff and guide(s) were very kind and helpful! The only thing I would see as a "negative" is the information received in the ~5 minute pre-tour video, that gets repeated again afterwards, taking up a chunk of time.

There are tours available, approximately 45 minutes, and its worth the $12 fee. The tour guide was…read moreknowledgeable, took questions, and did a good job explaining things. I would highly recommend this tour.

Built in 1861, this Victorian Italianate architecture-style home was constructed over a span of two…read moreyears at a total cost of $14,000 dollars. The Asa Packer Mansion listed as a National Historic Landmark was the home of philanthropist, railroad magnate, and founder of Lehigh University, Asa Packer, from Oct. 16, 1861, to Oct. 29, 1912. Located in Jim Thorpe, this building is recognized by a red-ribbed tin roof and a central cupola proudly atop Packer Hill with the commanding stunning views of the surrounding Pocono Mountains, where my partner, his aunt and I came for a tour today. Tickets were easily available and reasonably priced for the 1pm tour, which covered the entirety of the first and second floors. Our tour guide was a young lady (she mentioned she is a senior in high school) who obviously loves her job and is personally interested in the history of the mansion and family. From the furniture, woodwork, and stained glass to the artwork, she spoke about the history or significance. The mansion is not a restoration where pictures and video are prohibited inside. An amazing walk back in time, for which we can recommend this place.

This was absolutely the highlight of our day in Jim Thorpe! Such a stunning home with amazing…read morehistory and it's incredibly well preserved. Our tour guide was very passionate about the subject and brought the story of the home to life. We learned so much about Asa Packer and his family as well as his contributions to the town itself. I highly recommend visiting the mansion. It's very affordable and you won't regret it. The setting is very scenic as it's set atop a gorgeous hill overlooking the region. Bonus points if you have the opportunity to visit during the fall season. You'll be surrounded by the most beautiful foliage. But very important to note, accessing the museum means walking up the hill and some stairs. It's a short walk but could be taxing for some. Very much worth your efforts though!

The hubby and I enjoyed our Jim Thorpe Trolley tour. Getting to know the history of the town makes…read moreany trip more memorable. We learned a lot about the town that we didn't know prior to the tour. The owners were kind enough to reschedule our tour for the next day because we missed our original reservation; due to unavailable parking. When they say be there 2 hours to find parking, it's serious!! If you're headed to Jim Thorpe give them a try, you won't be disappointed!

The Jim Thorpe Trolley is a must do. It was my first time on this tour and I was pleasantly…read moresurprised. If you're not able to purchase your tickets online, the tour has a ticket stand, directly in front of the Visitor Center. If you're going to purchase at the stand, ensure that you do that EARLY in the day, because these tours sell out, quickly. The trolleys are clean, could hold 50+ riders on every tour, and the sound system is clear. PJ, our guide, was extraordinary. She was funny, full of Jim Thorpe history, and boy...does she like music. She played songs that matched the portion of the tour and everyone joined in like a choir. Enjoy your time on this tour and all of the places that you'll view and admire.

This was actually a really cute little visitor center inside the train station. It was cold when we…read morevisited and it was warm inside with clean bathrooms. They had some visitor information pamphlets and they sell the tickets for the historic trolley tours inside, but if you are looking for a train ticket, be sure to go to the booth at the North end of the building. They do not allow dogs inside, but we were able to take our dog on the train, so my husband and I had to take turns standing outside in the cold with her while the other went to the restroom and looked around. We didn't find much to do in the city and we didn't love our train ride, but as far as visitors centers go, this one is solid.

Burned 20 minutes here reading a little about the history of the town and surrounding area while…read morewaiting for the train to leave. It's interesting but lacking in some key details such as why the town was renamed from Mauch Chunk to Jim Thorpe. Was the Olympian originally from the area? According to Google he never set foot in the area but is buried here. Weirdly one of the staff members spent the entire time almost shouting into her phone which was quite distracting .

I rarely write negative reviews, but after more than six months I still cannot fully express the…read morefrustration I feel after paying $270.00 for services that were never rendered and the humiliating experience with the rude and threatening demeanor of "Tom," the apparent business owner. I was under the impression that I was booking with the bike rental business across from the train station, which I now know is a common mistake, and only realized the mix‑up when I brought my guests into that shop and was told my reservations were not with them. As I was trying to understand what happened, my phone rang and it was Tom, who apparently knew this was a frequent confusion. Instead of helping resolve the situation, he told me I was too stupid to read a Google map and that he would not subject his "on‑time VIP customers" to my supposed stupidity. Honestly, a business owner said this. I was stunned and deeply embarrassed, especially standing there in front of my guests. Only afterward did I look up his reviews and see that I was not the only person subjected to this kind of behavior, and I also noticed that some of his positive reviews were clearly intended for the other bike rental business. I am sharing this to warn potential bike riders: Jim Thorpe is a beautiful scenic tour and can be a wonderful experience, but choose your rental company carefully so your day is not ruined before it even begins.

As if Tom couldn't have already proven himself to be an absolute lunatic, he has chosen to go thru…read moreall of his incredibly honest and accurate reviews of his terribly run facade of a bike rental business, and update his responses to ALL of them. Please, anyone and everyone who might be considering getting outside in the Pocono/Jim Thorpe area this season, please research this company and trust all the very honest one star reviews of this company. Don't let him and his horrible business tactics destroy your vacation plans. Do your research and call around to other companies in the area. Or call the Jim Thorpe visitor center and ask them for recommendations- I can guarantee you this company will NOT be on their recommendation list.

Stop here first when visiting Jim Thorpe! You'll hear how to pronounce Mauch Chunk! The guy that…read morewas there was more then happy to take us through the two small rooms/areas of memorabilia and artifacts, and proudly describe the rich and fascinating history of what is now called Jim Thorpe. So much to learn about and the perfect start to our time here in this charming little Swiss-inspired town. The museum is in a former church which in recent years has had lots of painstaking restorations. Admission was 7.50 if you don't care to see the video. We were pressed for time so we skipped that part. I think full price with the video is 10.00.

A fun little museum deep in history. They offer a tour for a small admission fee which includes a…read morequick overview of the museum, a short video detailing the history of the town, and some demonstrations of the various rail systems. I believe this museum is a legit mom and pop run organization. They are friendly and know the history inside and out. I appreciated their perspective and felt the time spent here was worth it. I will note you probably won't spend more than 30-45 minutes from end to end, which makes it easy to schedule as a portion of your day in town.

Vlad is awesome! We had an incredible, unforgettable and unique experience and tour of the Poconos…read moreon his plane. The views were magnificent and absolutely beautiful. Vlad is a skilled pilot, and showed us a lot about the area and even taught us a little bit about how the plane and flying work. The flight really inspired us. Vlad is also friendly and kind, and made sure we were okay and comfortable the entire time. Thank you, Vlad, and Hop On Air company!

We were in the Pocono for a few days and decided to book a tour with Vlad last minute. The booking…read moresystem was easy to maneuver and understand. I have a fear of heights. My girlfriend doesn't. But I like the thrill of things that scare me or you can say I like to compromise and make my girlfriend happy though she knew nothing about this until I told her haha. Vlad is a great guy- funny, attentive, and accommodating. It was about a 30 minute tour of Pocono and he was very informative and I would say caring. He asked us several times if we were ok and was overall a great pilot. It was much more fun than I expected! The views were beautiful and I can honestly say we'll book with him again when we are there in the summer for a different tour! Plenty of pictures were taken and he took pictures of us with the plane at the end. A little pricey but I'll say it was worth it for the experience. Give him a shot, you won't regret it!

We love visiting Eckley and have been here multiple times. Just to visit and for events. Today was…read moretheir first ever Hooch Wagon Brew Fest. We purchased two tickets for a little over $80 with fees. We arrived at opening at checked in, showed our ID's and were given wrist bands. The woman at the table started to hand us small plastic cup. We said we were supposed to receive actual glasses. The other lady said there wasn't anything 'special' on our tickets to receive the small tasting glass. Not sure why there would be when you read what they posted. Another lady scanned our tickets - again. According to all of the Eckley posts (photo attached) you were to receive a tasting glass as long as you purchased tickets ahead of time, which we did. Finally after back and forth between 4 different women we were given the small glass. It was a hastle and didn't need to be. The two older women didn't want to give them to us, but eventually did with hesitation. That was definitely not a good start to the event. We feel that everyone going should receive the small glass, especially when paying over $40 per ticket. There were probably a dozen breweries/wineries. Two food trucks and one table selling cookies. We were familiar with most of the breweries and were surprised there weren't more involved. We have a lot of great local-ish breweries. I understand it's their first time having this event. We would attend again if there's not the hastle with the glass and if there are more vendors there.

Nice, relatively small museum with an informative video describing the era. The "open" buildings…read morehave a clear front door that is locked. I was not on a guided tour as they were not available when I visited so that experience may be different. The photo I uploaded was from my iPhone placed against one of the windows. It came out great considering I couldn't see anything but the plates from outside looking in. There is a cellphone tour you can take to describe the buildings in the patch.