Pocono Indian Museum

A Brief History: The Pocono Indian Museum, located at 5905 Milford Road in East Stroudsburg Pennsylvania, was originally built in 1840 by Mr. John Van Campen Coolbaugh.  Standing as one of the oldest frame buildings in the Pocono’s it has seen some incredible history.  The large farmhouse had become a boarding house and a stop for stagecoaches passing through Pennsylvania to New York.  During the Civil War, the house had become a reported “safe house” hiding slaves in the basement during day light hours so they can continue on their path to Canada using the “Underground Railroad”.  During the era of prohibition, this house was used as a “speakeasy” where people gathered to drink while hiding it from the law. Some famous gangsters known as “Dutch Schultz” and “Legs Diamonds” have stayed in the home on their way to a Jack Dempsey fight. 

Later on, in the years the old farmhouse became dormitory to the counselors from the summer camp “Camp Sunny Brook”.  The museum purchased the property in 1976 and the home was in disarray and needed a lot of repairs.  The Pocono Indian Museum is reported to be the only museum in Northeastern Pennsylvania that is fully dedicated to showing the full history of the Delaware Indian tribe from 10,500bc to the very point where the “white man” nearly wiped out any trace of Native American Tribes existence. The museum offers a self-guided tour showing many artifacts and has a very big gift shop and clothing store.  Visiting this museum will bring you on a journey through joy, hardships, struggle, and loss. It will help you understand the pain suffered by the Delaware tribe and you will leave here with a sadness for humankind but also with the want to do better, love harder, and appreciate what you have.  

Haunted History: There are claims of spirits wandering about the museum at night trying on moccasins and moving items around the store. There can be footsteps heard as well as disembodied voices call out to you. There have been reports of seeing shadow figures and apparitions throughout the building. Are they still trying to visit the old speak easy, are the spirits still making their way through the Underground Railroad, or are the spirits just attached to the old building, to their own artifacts holding on to what ever history is left of them for fear of being forgotten forever.  

Should you find yourself in East Stroudsburg visit the museum and let the spirits know they have not been forgotten. Their history will live on through our knowledge of what they went through. Don’t be surprised if you get a tap on the shoulder or a tug on your shirt while walking through the tour.