Amused in the Alleghenies: SCA 46th Annual Conference and Tours
MAY 31 – JUNE 4, 2023
On May 31, the Society for Commercial Archeology will welcome registered members to our latest 3-day conference in Erie, Pennsylvania. Reception, tours, presentations, a cool downtown, good company and good times!
CONFERENCE AND EVENT SCHEDULE
May 31, Reception
June 1, Tour #1. Points West
June 2, Paper Symposium – at our base hotel, see schedule
June 3, Tour #2. Points East
June 4, Checkout
Wednesday, May 31, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Opening Reception
Step aboard the Victorian Princess and step back into an age of amenity and charm. Enjoy the serenity and beauty as you glide by Erie’s eclectic bay front and Presque Isle, an impressive ecological preserve. The Victorian Princess is your passage to a spectacular voyage. The three-level paddlewheel is U.S. Coast. Guard certified to carry 140 passengers (including crew) with 2 climate- controlled, enclosed salons and an open deck and bow area. Includes Dinner & Cash Bar.
Thursday, June 1, 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
Tour #1: Points East
We will take a road trip along Route 6 to Kinzua Bridge, which was a railroad trestle that was 301 feet tall and 2,052 feet long. In 2003, a tornado touched down by the viaduct causing 11 of 20 towers to collapse. Today there is a new observation deck + visitor’s center with an exceptional view of the Kinzua Valley below. In Erie there are Dinors, Diners, Union Station built in 1927 and the Warner Theater an Art Deco and French Renaissance-styled theater located in downtown Erie which was opened in 1931. Lunch provided at Kinzua State Park. We will stop for coffee and pie at Dinor in the morning, also provided by SCA. Dinner on your own.
Friday, June 2, 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
Paper Symposium
The heart of any SCA conference is the paper or presentation symposium, where members and new friends, share – formal and fun – research Presentations selected by the SCA Board will be on topics of tourism in Northeastern United States as well as other roadside topics. We also welcome “Five-Minute Stories,” an SCA tradition where members sign up that day to share short talks on their favorite interests. The SCA membership meeting concludes the paper symposium.
Saturday, June 3, 8:00 am – 8:00 pm
Tour #2: Points West
We will head west toward Cleveland’s “A Christmas Story” House. The house museum is listed as #4 most popular attraction in Cleveland by Trip Advisor. West Side Market is the oldest operating indoor/outdoor space and opened in 1912, and the Arcade is a Victorian-era structure of two nine-story buildings, joined by a five-story arcade with a glass skylight spanning over 300 feet. The building has been adaptively reused as a Hyatt hotel. Another stop is Tower City Center a large mixed-use facility on Cleveland’s public square. The structure was built in 1929 as Cleveland Union Terminal. Lunch will be on your own at Cleveland’s West Side Market is the oldest operating indoor/outdoor market space in Cleveland. On December 18, 1973, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
We will provide a closing dinner and cash bar at Brewerie at Union Station, it was the first Art Deco railroad station to be designed and built in the United States in 1927.
Gear up for Amused in the Alleghenies!
You can still purchase the 46th Annual Conference t-shirt.
Shipping is estimated at about 2 weeks from when you order your shirt.