The Office Fan Tours, Scranton
Tuesday, March 16th, 2010 | 98 commentsJune 27, 2009: Rachel’s report
So, last week I was on OfficeTally and saw the post about the Office Fan Tours in Scranton and was immediately interested in going. My boyfriend Chris and I are huge fans and since we moved to Bristol Connecticut from Arizona two years ago we have be dying to find an excuse to go visit the setting of our favorite show.
As soon as I saw that there was a tour on the 27th, I jumped at the chance to book it since I knew we were both free. We also brought our friend Erin with us. It was definitely the best decision ever!
It took us about three hours to drive from Bristol to Scranton, but it went by surprisingly fast. We quizzed each other on office trivia from the game the whole way there to prepare ourselves for the trivia games.
We arrived at The Mall at Steamtown around 11am and were so excited to see Mifflin Ave, which we later found out was a total coincidence because they had already named the company Dunder Mifflin before coming to Scranton, one of the many reasons they decided to set the office here. Also saw the famous “Mall at Steamtown” sign used in Women’s Appreciation.
Once inside, we walked through Boscov’s where Pam and Phyllis bought their matching shirts.
Just around the corner, there it was, the Scranton Welcomes You sign! So cool! Had to take some pictures there. Also found the store that was being used as the meeting place for the fan tours.
Inside were all of the cutouts created by a local artist for the Convention. It was awesome to get to see those in person. We had some time to kill so we shopped around a little, found Victoria’s Secret, and had a snack in the food court. There was even a Dwight bobblehead on the elevator!
Finally the tour began. We checked in with our tour guides and received our “regional manager” badges. Then after taking more pictures inside the store, we sat down to begin.
Tim Holmes, the director of “Electric City” the local paper in Scranton, was our first guide and he kicked off the tour by giving us some background on how they came up with the idea to do the fan tours and also the difficult process they had to go through to make the dream of the office convention become a reality. I have so much respect for all of those people whose passion for The Office blossomed into amazing opportunities for fans to unite in their love of the best show on television.
After his speech and some great videos, we all got the amazing opportunity to try on the actual mustaches worn by the cast from the Branch Wars episode!
Then we were off to our limo-van where inside The Office was being played on the monitors.
Our driver was the same driver who took Angela, Brain and all the other office cast around when they were in Scranton. Our first stop was the Penn Paper building that is seen in the opening of The Office. The logo has since changed to PA Paper. It was still such a trip to see it in person!
Next, we drove around the Scranton area where our awesome tour guides Andrea, Theresa, and Colin pointed out some great Office landmarks like the Times building, The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, Farley’s, Paper Magic, and finally stopped at Cooper’s where we had lunch.
All I can say is that Cooper’s was amazing at the least. The Business Ethics episode portrayal does not do this place justice. From the outside that looks like a boat and a lighthouse with an octopus on top, to the inside which is an amazing mish mash of wacky collectibles.
From a HUGE whale in one room, to a Shark in another, to life sized pirates, to Robots, to vintage arcade games, toothpaste and matchbook collections, to Beatles and Elvis themed Men’s and Women’s Restrooms complete with soundtracks. Like Chili’s on streoids! I would recommend for everyone to go here.
The food was great too, we got to try beet salad from Schrute Farms, now I know what Angela was talking about, soup, mozzarella sticks, three different sandwiches, fries, and chocolate pudding for desert.
Lunch was also very special because we got to sit down and chat with Tucker Hottes, one of the moderators from the Office Convention’s Writers Block. He was a really great guy and very knowledgeable about the Convention and all of the awesome stuff that went on. He also knew a lot about Scranton and had some great stories to tell. Also sat with Tim’s daughter Emily who also works on the tour she was also great at giving us insight on what it’s like to live in Scranton.
After lunch we moved on to beautiful Lake Scranton, again, definitely not at all like it’s portrayed in the Office. There is no beach there, but it didn’t stop us from having a spoon and egg race! Sadly we didn’t win, but it was a lot of fun.
After the beach, we got back in the bus and had our office trivia challenge, each right question was worth one Schrute buck. Everyone did really well and it was a lot of fun, but in the end Mindy, a girl on our tour, ended up winning the prize, which coincidentally was a signed picture of Mindy Kaling. Congrats Mindy! After that we drove up to lookout point where we got to see the entire city, very pretty. Then, it was time for what I had been most looking forward to Poor Richard’s Pub.
Cleverly disguised in the South Side Bowl, Poor Richards was great destination.
Much smaller than I had imagined it but, very cool inside. Our bartender was a great guy who we chatted with about his tattoos. We had local Yuengling beer and watched the big flat screen monitors. It was amazing being in the real Poor Richards and knowing that this is where Jim and the warehouse gang would be drinking if they really existed.
Before leaving we HAD to buy Poor Richards shirts and Pint glasses that said, “Ain’t no party like a Scranton party cause a Scranton party don’t stop!” How true it is :)
Sadly this was the last stop on our tour, as we drove back to the mall, we passed by the strip mall that houses Alfredo’s Pizza Cafe, a.k.a. the good pizza. It was sad for the tour to end, but we had an amazing time not only seeing the sights but interacting with the great tour guides.
Thanks again guys, you rock! People in Scranton are such warm and welcoming people and I can’t wait to visit again soon. For anyone who has even thought about going, please do. You won’t regret it :)
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If I win “The Office Fan Tour Giveaway”, I would be most excited about seeing Lake Scranton because I love mother nature and its now a tourist location made possible by…my favorite actor B.J. Novak!
ohmigod. i am so pumped about this! i know im just a teen, but if i won the ‘Office Fan Tour Giveaway’, it would be the highlight of my life! you have no idea :) id love to visit everywhere the tour goes and more!
If my fiance and I were to win “The Office Fan Tour Giveaway” it would be a great early honeymoon for us (we get married in July). The sight we’re most excited to see is COOPERS Restaurant which is ironic because my fiance is allergic to shellfish. Please pick us, we’re the LATINO version of Jim & Pam :)
For The Office Fan Tour Giveaway, I’d want to visit Lake Scranton to see if I could find Andy floating in it.
If I won The Office Fan Tour Giveaway, I would find the Chili’s restaurant closest to Scranton, then proceed to ask them all about the Dundie awards ceremonies, including a certain crazy receptionist. I would also bring my Dundie with me so my sister and I could act out part of the awards episode – and sing the baby back ribs song. (Is it bad that it would be a dream come true if we were banned for life?) And for those wondering about more “official” Scranton landmarks, I’d make my own drive-by opening credit video sequence for good measure.
I would like to have a beer at Poor Richard’s if I won the Office Fan Tour Giveaway!
If I won The Office Fan Tour Giveaway I would like to see Lake Wallenpaupack because my favorite episode was the Booze Cruise!
I would love to visit Poor Richard’s, and then have my best friend’s bachelorette party there, the attendants are all office fans!
If I win The Office Fan Tour Giveaway, the landmark I most want to see is the “Electric City” sign, WHAT? The “Electric City” sign! WHAT? The “Electric City” sign!!
The landmark I’d most like to see is Poor Richards…because the duck in the vending machine is so cute. I wonder if they have another.
If I won the tickets from The Office Fan Tour Giveaway I’d like to go to Steamtown Mall.
…because I do have some things to return in the trunk of my car.
The landmark I’d most be excited for is Poor Richard’s, because it seems to be the most referenced. Who wouldn’t want to hang out where “The Office” gang do? I probably won’t win The Office Fan Tour Giveaway but a girl’s gotta dream.
I’d consider myself lucky to win “The Office Fan Tour Giveaway” because it would mean…a day or two out of my OWN office! :) I’d most like to see the Steamtown Mall, because what girl wouldn’t love to shop in the fashion capital of the USA – Scranton, PA!
If I won the “Office Fan Tour Giveaway” I would be most excited to visit Poor Richards. It seems like it would actually be a fun place I would frequent if I lived in Scranton. I mean, I’m no Meredith, but I’m just saying.
Winning “The Office Fan Tour Giveaway” would be a dream come true! I’m most excited about visiting Cooper’s. The beet salad sounds a little scary, but I would love to try it just to say I have.
If I won the Office Fan Tour Giveaway, I would want to visit Poor Richards because of all the great episodes tied to that place, and most especially, because that’s where we got to see Possessive Jim come out when the bartender tried to put the moves on Pam in Season 4 Local Ad.
If I won “The Office Fan Tour Giveaway” and I got to visit Scranton, I would love to go to Lake Wallenpaupack. I don’t know if there are booze cruises on it, but if there are it would be pretty awesome to go on one.
This is a really hard question because I would be really excited if I saw got to go see the landmarks of Scranton. I would probably have to pick Poor Richard’s because it is referenced the most. Hopefully I will be able to have as good a time as the characters from the show.
If I won, I’d be most interested to see Lake Scranton because it’s the primary setting for one of my favorite episodes (“Beach Games”) and I’d probably bring my GPS to see how on Earth Michael ended up turning his Sebring into it, when there is CLEARLY not a road there.
If I won the “Office Fan Tour Giveaway” I would want to visit Poor Richards Pub the most. Maybe i’ll be luck and win a yellow duck for pam ;) I have been dying to take the office tour!