One of the most popular TV shows of the 21st century is “The Office,” which ran on NBC from 2005-2013. And, while none of the actual show was filmed in Scranton, Pennsylvania, several scenes from the opening credits were shot in the city by John Krasinski (Jim Halpert), including the now-famous “Scranton Welcomes You” sign.
If you are a fan of the show, you might be asking yourself, “Where is the “Welcome to Scranton” sign from The Office?”
The short answer is that it’s now located on the second floor of the Marketplace at Steamtown in downtown Scranton but read on to find out about its history and how exactly to see it.
The History of the “Scranton Welcomes You” Sign from “The Office”
The Scranton welcome sign from “The Office” is an impressively unimpressive sign, no different from tens of thousands of similar signs that line roadways in the United States. Because of this, the history of this sign prior to 2004 isn’t documented in any way that I can find.
However, on a sunny winter day in 2004, actor John Krasinski visited Scranton and shot some very rough footage on his camera while he was driving around town researching his role. Show creator Greg Daniels saw the footage and paid Krasinski $1,000 for the rights to use it in the montage that played in the show’s opening credits.
Three shots from Scranton were featured in the credits: the historic Pennsylvania Paper and Supply Co. building, a sign for Mulberry Street, and the Scranton welcome sign.
While the first two scenes are located within the city’s downtown area, the location of the “Scranton Welcomes You” sign along the Central Scranton Expressway (Now the President Biden Expressway) near Interstate 81 caused problems for the city as people were stopping along this busy road to take photos with the sign.
To solve this, the sign was moved to a place that could accommodate fans more easily: Steamtown Mall. A new welcome sign was placed in the original location, which can be found here (but please don’t stop here for a photo as it’s dangerous).
Visiting the “Scranton Welcomes You” Sign Today
The sign, which is sometimes called the Welcome to Scranton Sign even though those aren’t the words printed on it, was moved to the Steamtown Mall (Now known as the Marketplace at Steamtown) at some point prior to July 2008. I was hoping to find out more about it being moved, but the best I could do was locate the July 2008 Google Streetview data that showed a different sign in the location.
While it’s a bit sad that you can’t see the original scene from the show’s opening credits, the Steamtown Mall is a fitting spot for the sign to end up since it was referenced on several occasions throughout the show (though filming was never actually done there).
Today, the Marketplace at Steamtown is a fading mall, like many others around the country. That being said, it’s still home to Boscovs Department Store, several other nice shops, some local amenities, and the fabulous Electric City Aquarium (which is worth a stop on its own).
The welcome sign was originally placed in the mall’s food court (which was fictionalized in the episode “Women’s Appreciation” from the show’s third season). However, it was later moved to a different area on the mall’s second floor and currently sits outside of Crunch Fitness directly in the middle of the mall (as of this article’s publication in February 2023).
The Welcome to Scranton sign from “The Office” is maroon in color and about six feet tall by ten feet wide. In addition to saying “Scranton Welcomes You”, it also says along the bottom “Embracing Our People, Our Traditions & Our Future”.
To make photos a bit better than they would normally be in a mall location, the sign is mounted to a platform covered in artificial grass. Behind the sign, there is a photo taken that shows approximately the same view seen behind the sign in the show’s opening credits.
So, while not as nice as getting a photo with the sign in its original location, getting a photo here is much safer, and they have done a lot to make the photos look as nice as possible.
Overall, if you are a fan of “The Office” getting a photo with this sign is a really neat experience and, since none of the actual show was filmed in the city, one of the few things you can do in the area that’s directly related to the show.
Parking and Hours for the Welcome to Scranton Sign from “The Office”
The Marketplace at Steamtown is open to the public 11 am-7 pm every day except for Sundays when it’s open from noon to 5 pm. The mall can be found at the following address: 300 Lackawanna Ave, Scranton, PA 18503.
There is a large parking garage below the Marketplace at Steamtown which has free parking if you can get your parking ticket validated by a store. There is also street parking and parking garages throughout the area if you are planning to spend more time in downtown Scranton.
If you are also visiting the nearby Steamtown National Historic Site or the Electric City Trolley Museum, you could also walk to the mall from their free parking lots.
Finally, if you feel the need to pick up some souvenirs while in town, there are some “Office” items for sale in the Library Express Bookstore on the second floor near the sign.
Looking for even more spots to visit nearby? Check out Nay Aug Park, the Lackawanna Historical Society Museum, and the Anthracite Heritage Museum.
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