SCRANTON -- A beloved attraction several stories above the ground no longer has a stable foundation. Scranton's $650,000 treehouse will be closed this summer.
Engineers are trying to figure out a way to make the treehouse at Nay Aug Park safe for visitors again.
The barricades blocking off the David Wenzel Treehouse were a disappointment to park visitors on Wednesday.
City officials say they don't know how long the treehouse will be closed. They do know that some of the trees supporting it are dying.
It was the first day in a while suited for a walk in the park, and Jacci West's picture-perfect afternoon with her grandson Graham was interrupted by unwelcome news for the child.
"He really wanted to go to the treehouse," said West.
Graham's favorite part of Nay Aug Park was off limits. The David Wenzel Treehouse is a favorite for many park goers, but city officials say it's unsafe.
"They do safety checks every spring. After the winter season, we'll go through, and we determined that these trees are dying," said Brian Fallon of Scranton's Parks & Recreation department.
Fallon explained that some of the trees supporting the treehouse are decaying. The city has had to cut back the main tree's limbs in recent years.
The treehouse is closing just shy of its 10-year anniversary. It opened on May 25, 2007.
City officials had hoped to have an anniversary celebration. Instead, engineers hired by the city will work on a way to create more support for the treehouse.
"They're working on a solution now, hopefully, sooner than later, because it's a nice attraction to the park. A lot of people come from all over just to see the treehouse," said Fallon.
Christy Locke and her sons are from Vermont. They recently moved to Wayne County and had hoped this would be their first trip to the famous Scranton treehouse.
"We were looking forward to checking it out, but that's OK. We'll come back," said Locke.
City officials boarded up the treehouse Tuesday and they have no indication how long the new plans and the work will take.