Attractions

There are many venues throughout the city for residents and visitors to enjoy the beautiful landscape of the Wyoming Valley.

Kirby Park and Coal Street Park provide outdoor recreational amenities such as playgrounds, pavilions, picnic tables, basketball courts, and multi-purpose fields. The renovated River Common area, located along the Susquehanna River, features two portals, which bring views of the river to the street level, an amphitheater for outdoor performances, walking corridors, a boat launch, and other infrastructure improvements to accommodate concerts and festivals.

Wilkes-Barre’s Public Square hosts many events throughout the year. Our Farmers Market, which runs from late June to October each year, brings fresh produce, homemade food, crafts, and music to our downtown each Thursday. The Fine Arts Fiesta, a week-long festival on the Square, brings live performances and art exhibits to the public. The Square is the central point of the City’s parades and celebrations.

Revitalization

The City’s current revitalization is driven by emerging businesses, thriving institutes for higher education, and non-profit organizations committed to serving the community. Through partnerships with both public and private organizations, the City of Wilkes-Barre has been a key player in many economic development projects that have shaped the future for Wilkes-Barre and its neighboring communities.

Downtown Development

The City hosts 11,000 downtown employees, the 4th largest downtown workforce in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, with a mix of major employers and small businesses. Wilkes-Barre has become revitalized into an 18-hour destination with a “Walk-To-Everything” lifestyle.

The downtown offers a wide variety of dining and shopping options for residents and visitors. Both locally owned and nationally recognized restaurants are within walking distance from Public Square, RC Movies 14, and the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts. Large and small retail shops, including Boscov’s and Barnes & Noble are easily accessible to downtown patrons.

The vision of downtown living has become a reality as the strategic conversion of inactive bank buildings to luxury apartment units has added a lively, spectacular presence to our city. Attractive and marketable living units are becoming a permanent fixture downtown. Investors recognize the potential for success in the City of Wilkes-Barre and private development is increasing throughout the city.

Wilkes-Barre has evolved into a college town with Wilkes University immediately to the south of Public Square and Kings College just to the north of Public Square.  Both institutions have greatly expanded their curriculums brining nearly 7,000 college students to study for undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees, helping to revitalize activity and interest in downtown Wilkes-Barre.