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Here's another reason you'll soon want to visit the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania: the area is getting an enormous new entertainment center complete with a 10,000-seat amphitheater.
From the Roots, a real estate development and venue management company, announced its acquisition and redesign of the venue formerly known as Mt. Lauren Performing Arts Center, which sits on 52 acres of land and has not been utilized in over a decade.
The new destination, about 90 minutes from Manhattan, will also boast a 400-capacity theater and will be dubbed Poconos Park.
Given the scope of the project, visitors can expect Poconos Park to play host to a whole variety of events and productions, from weddings and corporate retreats to music festivals, theater productions and more.
Programming wise, the park is set to kicks things off with a "boutique festival" later this year but it's the amphitheater that is drawing much deserved attention.
Although Poconos Park Amphitheater is an open-air facility, it could be converted to a 2,600-seat, fully-enclosed venue for year-round performances by closing its "airplane hangar-style doors," according to an official statement. "We can close the doors and turn on the air conditioning for a cool summer show or turn up the heat in the winter and have The Nutcracker," John M. Oakes, the CEO and founder of From the Roots, explained in a statement.
The Lakehouse at Poconos Park, on the other hand, will be home to a 10,000-square-foot banquet hall that can host up to 400 people at once while overlooking a beautiful, 90-acre lake.
"We’re focusing on people in the greater area that have the ability—from a car or motorcycle standpoint—to transport themselves and want to get away for a weekend," Oakes said to Billboard. "We’re putting together partnerships and rooming blocks with various hotels and campgrounds and timeshare communities around the area so that we can be part of the Poconos tourist driven weekend destination to get out of the city."
In case you want to be extra-cool, here are the coolest Airbnb treehouse rentals near NYC, some of which are near the new entertainment center.
Just imagining the likes of Harry Styles, Madonna, Elton John and Beyonce on this massive stage fills us with wonder and excitement. We can't wait to see the sorts of programs that will be mounted on premise.