What we do

  • Self-guided tours
  • Small group guided tours
  • Large group guided tours
  • Field trips
  • Educational materials & resources
  • Archive collection display (coming soon)
  • Public programming
View tours

Our Impact

The Waverly Walking Tour attracts visitors all year round with a heightened level of activity during the spring and summer months. Hundreds of individuals have experienced the tour either through school groups, family visits, organizational tours or social clubs. Many have taken advantage of the self-guided tours.

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Historical Merchandise

Waverly Community House Apparel

Colorful, commemorative t-shirts celebrating 100 years of the Waverly Community House! Various sizes available. $10

Junior Ranger Passport

Passport To Your National Parks: Explore, learn, and protect while you visit, explore, and collect! Stickers included. $15

African American History: NPS

A glimpse into how African American history is preserved & interpreted in America’s National Parks. $9

The Comm: The First One Hundred Years

A visual glimpse into the last 100 years of the Waverly Community House, spanning from 1919 to the present. $35

News

WVIA

Underground Railroad walking tour in Waverly receives new designation

Jun. 29, 2022

This March, Destination Freedom: The Underground Railroad Walking Tour became a part of the National Park Service’s National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. The tour, managed by the Waverly Community House, joined 16 new listings representing sites and programs in 11 states across the country.

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TimesLeader

‘National Park Service recognizes Waverly Comm’s Underground Railroad Program’ PA Homepage

Apr. 15, 2022

The National Park Service’s National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom accepted Destination Freedom: The Underground Railroad Walking Tour, owned and managed by Waverly Community House in Waverly Township, Lackawanna County, as one of 16 new listings from the 43rd round of applications, representing sites and programs in 11 states across the country.

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wcharchives

The Underground Railroad Walking Tour of Waverly

Jul. 15, 2020

The important first step in discovering this history is to stop by the Waverly Community House and take the tour for yourself! Give us a call at 570-586-8191 to learn more information or to set up a tour! Due to the current pandemic and social distancing guidelines, tours are limited to groups of 10 or less and access to the Comm itself (including bathrooms) is limited so please plan your trip accordingly. We look forward to seeing you!

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Instagram Feed
This weekend, @destinationfreedomwaverly Program Manager @e_joseph_murphy got his Passport to Your National Parks stamped at @lackcountypa’s two @nationalparkservice affiliates, @steamtownnhs and the Destination Freedom: Underground Railroad Walking Tour of Waverly program (okay, the second one may be cheating a bit)!

@steamtownnhs continues to serve as an amazing means to study our local history, and has some surprising connections to the Destination Freedom program. Stop by and check out both sites to collect your Passport stamps as you #findyourpark !

@waverlycomm @visitlackawannapa @discovernepa 

#destinationfreedom #destinationfreedomwaverly #undergroundrailroad #history #localhistory #blackhistory #localblackhistory #waverly #waverlycomm #pennsylvania #tourism #visitpa #lackawanna #visitlackawanna #discovernepa #discoverpa #civilwar #americancivilwar #penncivilwar #scranton #nepa #historymatters #localhistorymatters #commcentennial #nationalparkservice #nps #findyourpark #networktofreedom #steamtown #steamtownnhs

This weekend, @destinationfreedomwaverly Program Manager @e_joseph_murphy got his Passport to Your National Parks stamped at @lackcountypa’s two @nationalparkservice affiliates, @steamtownnhs and the Destination Freedom: Underground Railroad Walking Tour of Waverly program (okay, the second one may be cheating a bit)!

@steamtownnhs continues to serve as an amazing means to study our local history, and has some surprising connections to the Destination Freedom program. Stop by and check out both sites to collect your Passport stamps as you #findyourpark !

@waverlycomm @visitlackawannapa @discovernepa

#destinationfreedom #destinationfreedomwaverly #undergroundrailroad #history #localhistory #blackhistory #localblackhistory #waverly #waverlycomm #pennsylvania #tourism #visitpa #lackawanna #visitlackawanna #discovernepa #discoverpa #civilwar #americancivilwar #penncivilwar #scranton #nepa #historymatters #localhistorymatters #commcentennial #nationalparkservice #nps #findyourpark #networktofreedom #steamtown #steamtownnhs
...

Happy October, everyone! Don’t forget to schedule your Destination Freedom: Underground Railroad Walking Tour of Waverly here at the @waverlycomm and receive your @nationalparkservice Passport stamp! Fall is an incredible time to take a hike around Waverly.

#destinationfreedom #destinationfreedomwaverly #undergroundrailroad #history #localhistory #blackhistory #localblackhistory #waverly #waverlycomm #pennsylvania #tourism #visitpa #lackawanna #visitlackawanna #discovernepa #discoverpa #civilwar #americancivilwar #penncivilwar #scranton #nepa #historymatters #localhistorymatters #commcentennial #nationalparkservice #nps #findyourpark #networktofreedom

Happy October, everyone! Don’t forget to schedule your Destination Freedom: Underground Railroad Walking Tour of Waverly here at the @waverlycomm and receive your @nationalparkservice Passport stamp! Fall is an incredible time to take a hike around Waverly.

#destinationfreedom #destinationfreedomwaverly #undergroundrailroad #history #localhistory #blackhistory #localblackhistory #waverly #waverlycomm #pennsylvania #tourism #visitpa #lackawanna #visitlackawanna #discovernepa #discoverpa #civilwar #americancivilwar #penncivilwar #scranton #nepa #historymatters #localhistorymatters #commcentennial #nationalparkservice #nps #findyourpark #networktofreedom
...

Tomorrow, the @waverlycomm and @destinationfreedomwaverly will be taking over the social media pages of the @npsnetworktofreedom to wrap up International Underground Railroad Month and the Network to Freedom’s #TakeovertheNetwork initiative. Be sure to follow along on both Instagram and Facebook!

We will also be hosting a free public walking tour tomorrow at the Comm at 11 am to help promote our program for the takeover. We would love to have you as we talk some of Waverly’s fascinating history and explore the historic small town. All you have to do is show up! We hope to see you there!

#destinationfreedom #destinationfreedomwaverly #undergroundrailroad #history #localhistory #blackhistory #localblackhistory #waverly #waverlycomm #pennsylvania #tourism #visitpa #lackawanna #visitlackawanna #discovernepa #discoverpa #civilwar #americancivilwar #penncivilwar #scranton #nepa #historymatters #localhistorymatters #commcentennial #nationalparkservice #nps #findyourpark #networktofreedom #TakeovertheNetwork

Tomorrow, the @waverlycomm and @destinationfreedomwaverly will be taking over the social media pages of the @npsnetworktofreedom to wrap up International Underground Railroad Month and the Network to Freedom’s #TakeovertheNetwork initiative. Be sure to follow along on both Instagram and Facebook!

We will also be hosting a free public walking tour tomorrow at the Comm at 11 am to help promote our program for the takeover. We would love to have you as we talk some of Waverly’s fascinating history and explore the historic small town. All you have to do is show up! We hope to see you there!

#destinationfreedom #destinationfreedomwaverly #undergroundrailroad #history #localhistory #blackhistory #localblackhistory #waverly #waverlycomm #pennsylvania #tourism #visitpa #lackawanna #visitlackawanna #discovernepa #discoverpa #civilwar #americancivilwar #penncivilwar #scranton #nepa #historymatters #localhistorymatters #commcentennial #nationalparkservice #nps #findyourpark #networktofreedom #TakeovertheNetwork
...

@destinationfreedomwaverly is happy to announce that we finally have our own Passports To Your National Parks (original, Junior Ranger, and Collector’s Editions) along with other great @nationalparkservice books and merchandise! Stop by the @waverlycomm for a Destination Freedom: Underground Railroad Walking Tour of Waverly to get your very own Passport and begin your exploration of America’s National Parks and other @npsnetworktofreedom sites!

#destinationfreedom #destinationfreedomwaverly #undergroundrailroad #history #localhistory #blackhistory #localblackhistory #waverly #waverlycomm #pennsylvania #tourism #visitpa #lackawanna #visitlackawanna #discovernepa #discoverpa #civilwar #americancivilwar #penncivilwar #scranton #nepa #historymatters #localhistorymatters #commcentennial #nationalparkservice #nps #findyourpark #networktofreedom

@destinationfreedomwaverly is happy to announce that we finally have our own Passports To Your National Parks (original, Junior Ranger, and Collector’s Editions) along with other great @nationalparkservice books and merchandise! Stop by the @waverlycomm for a Destination Freedom: Underground Railroad Walking Tour of Waverly to get your very own Passport and begin your exploration of America’s National Parks and other @npsnetworktofreedom sites!

#destinationfreedom #destinationfreedomwaverly #undergroundrailroad #history #localhistory #blackhistory #localblackhistory #waverly #waverlycomm #pennsylvania #tourism #visitpa #lackawanna #visitlackawanna #discovernepa #discoverpa #civilwar #americancivilwar #penncivilwar #scranton #nepa #historymatters #localhistorymatters #commcentennial #nationalparkservice #nps #findyourpark #networktofreedom
...

Destination Freedom Program Manager @e_joseph_murphy was on the move again this weekend, this time visiting the nearby town of Montrose which served as one of the northernmost Underground Railroad destinations in Pennsylvania and is directly connected to Waverly in the eastern portion of the state’s Underground Railroad system.

Much like Waverly, Montrose had a large population of both formerly enslaved and freeborn African Americans. Also similar to Waverly, many of the African American men of Montrose would join the ranks of the army’s United States Colored Troops (USCT) regiments during the Civil War. In 1865 a contingent of northeastern Pennsylvanian members of USCT regiments, most notably the 54th Massachusetts and the 6th USCT, returned to town. On display in the Destination Freedom Special Exhibitions Gallery, on loan from the Susquehanna County Historical Society, is the copy of a photo of that moment that EJ is holding in the same spot that the photo was taken! As you can see, Montrose is very well historically preserved with the historic Susquehanna County Courthouse still standing in the heart of town.

The Special Exhibitions Gallery is open Monday-Friday from 9 AM to 1 PM through August 12th! To check out the gallery (and the awesome picture) and to learn more about the men and women of Montrose and Waverly that contributed to the efforts of these units, stop by the @waverlycomm and don’t forget to schedule your very own walking tour of Waverly! Our weekly Wednesday tours from 2-3 PM are also available until August 10th.

#destinationfreedom #destinationfreedomwaverly #undergroundrailroad #history #localhistory #blackhistory #localblackhistory #waverly #waverlycomm #pennsylvania #tourism #visitpa #lackawanna #visitlackawanna #discovernepa #discoverpa #civilwar #americancivilwar #penncivilwar #scranton #nepa #historymatters #localhistorymatters #commcentennial #nationalparkservice #nps #findyourpark #networktofreedom

Destination Freedom Program Manager @e_joseph_murphy was on the move again this weekend, this time visiting the nearby town of Montrose which served as one of the northernmost Underground Railroad destinations in Pennsylvania and is directly connected to Waverly in the eastern portion of the state’s Underground Railroad system.

Much like Waverly, Montrose had a large population of both formerly enslaved and freeborn African Americans. Also similar to Waverly, many of the African American men of Montrose would join the ranks of the army’s United States Colored Troops (USCT) regiments during the Civil War. In 1865 a contingent of northeastern Pennsylvanian members of USCT regiments, most notably the 54th Massachusetts and the 6th USCT, returned to town. On display in the Destination Freedom Special Exhibitions Gallery, on loan from the Susquehanna County Historical Society, is the copy of a photo of that moment that EJ is holding in the same spot that the photo was taken! As you can see, Montrose is very well historically preserved with the historic Susquehanna County Courthouse still standing in the heart of town.

The Special Exhibitions Gallery is open Monday-Friday from 9 AM to 1 PM through August 12th! To check out the gallery (and the awesome picture) and to learn more about the men and women of Montrose and Waverly that contributed to the efforts of these units, stop by the @waverlycomm and don’t forget to schedule your very own walking tour of Waverly! Our weekly Wednesday tours from 2-3 PM are also available until August 10th.

#destinationfreedom #destinationfreedomwaverly #undergroundrailroad #history #localhistory #blackhistory #localblackhistory #waverly #waverlycomm #pennsylvania #tourism #visitpa #lackawanna #visitlackawanna #discovernepa #discoverpa #civilwar #americancivilwar #penncivilwar #scranton #nepa #historymatters #localhistorymatters #commcentennial #nationalparkservice #nps #findyourpark #networktofreedom
...

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