Nay Aug Park
| Nay Aug Park | |
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1940s postcard view
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| Type | Urban park |
| Location | Scranton, Pennsylvania |
| Coordinates | 41°24′05″N 75°38′34″W / 41.40139°N 75.64278°WCoordinates: 41°24′05″N 75°38′34″W / 41.40139°N 75.64278°W |
| Operated by | City of Scranton |
| Status | Open all year |
| Designated | 1989 |
Nay Aug Park is the largest park in Scranton, Pennsylvania, United States. An amusement park on the site closed in the 1990s, but a small amusement area still operates near the swimming pool complex. The park also houses the Nay Aug Gorge, the Everhart Museum, and two Olympic-sized swimming pools. At one time it also had a zoo.
The Nay Aug Gorge was created at the end of the most recent ice age and is a popular (though dangerous and illegal, violators are slapped with heavy fines) swimming spot. In 2007 the David Wenzel Tree House opened with views overlooking the gorge and surrounding area. The tree house is designed to be fully handicapped accessible, and is the first of its kind in the area. A footbridge with views of Roaring Brook also opened in 2007.
The Zoo at Nay Aug once hosted the famous Tilly the elephant and Joshua the donkey. The zoo closed in 1988, and the newest elephant Toni was shipped to the National Zoo in Washington D.C. in 1989. The zoo at Nay Aug remained closed until summer 2003, when it reopened as the Genesis Wildlife Center. In an article in Time's Magazine, this zoo in 2008 was the 4th worst animal treated (abuse) zoo in America. In 2009 the Zoo once again closed, due to public outcry over conditions, and Lackawanna College announced plans to turn it into a natural research center. These plans fell through, and the Scranton Recreation Authority started plans in 2012 to redevelop it as part of the park, removing cages but preserving the 70-year-old main zoo building. It was announced on August 27, 2014 that the zoo will be leased for $1 per year for the next 5 years by a local non-profit called "Street Cats" to spay and neuter the feral cat population in the city of Scranton.
Two Olympic-size swimming pools can be found at the park. Recently renovated, the pool now offers a two diving boards and two water slides.
The Everhart Museum was founded in 1908 by Dr. Isaiah Fawkes Everhart. In honor of the museum's founder, a bronze statue of Dr. Everhart and Lake Everhart were dedicated on May 20, 1911. Dr. Everhart died five days later. The Everhart is the largest public museum in Northeastern Pennsylvania. It is a non-profit institution dedicated to the collection, care and display of a diverse array of artifacts, including natural history, science and fine arts. The museum also contains a library with books pertaining to areas of interest covered by the collection.
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