LACKAWAXEN, PA — January 31 marks the 150th birthday of prolific—and wildly popular—author Zane Grey. To celebrate the day, the Zane Grey Museum will be open for self-guided tours on Saturday, January 29 and Sunday, January 30 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

About Zane

Pearl Zane Grey was born on January 31, 1872 in Zanesville, OH. (The village was settled by his mother’s family.) Although he wanted to be a writer, according to a National Park Service spokesperson, he wound up studying dentistry and opened his dental practice in New York City.

Grey first went to Lackawaxen on a fishing and camping excursion. In 1906, he moved there full-time, began raising a family, and launched his writing career.

The author’s most successful book, “Riders of the Purple Sage,” was written in Lackawaxen and is included on the Library of Congress list of “100 Books that Shaped America.”

Grey sold over 40 million books in 23 languages, earning him an estimated $37 million from writing in his lifetime; he is said to be world’s first millionaire author.

Later in life, Grey would spend his hard-earned money in pursuit of his passion for fishing, and held 10 world fishing records during his lifetime.

Visiting the museum

To create a safe environment for all visitors to the museum, everyone must wear a mask regardless of vaccination status. Visitors will be limited to eight at a time and visits will be limited to 15 minutes per group.

The museum is located at 135 Scenic Dr. in Lackawaxen. It will remain open weekends, weather permitting, through Sunday, February 27 and will reopen for the summer season on Saturday, May 28.

Visit https://go.nps.gov/ZaneGrey to learn more about the life of author Zane Grey.