Bethlehem: Moravian History and Industrial Culture

Bethlehem can be explored through a range of interests: Moravian history, industrial culture, a music festival in August, and routes for walking or cycling. If you’re looking for a hotel in Bethlehem, it helps to decide in advance which aspects of the city you’d like to experience and when you plan to travel.

Moravian History and Art

The Gemeinhaus is designated a National Historic Landmark and is part of the Moravian Church Settlements–Bethlehem World Heritage Site. Built in 1741, it is considered the largest continuously used log building from the 18th century in the United States. This landmark brings together architectural history and international recognition.

The Moravian Museum of Bethlehem is housed in Bethlehem’s oldest building and explores the city’s Moravian history. The Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts has a different focus: it is the only museum of decorative arts in Pennsylvania and one of only 15 museums in the United States devoted exclusively to this art form. Housed in three interconnected homes dating to the mid-19th century, it presents changing exhibitions, historic rooms, and galleries exploring three centuries of style and design. Together, these sites offer different ways to experience Bethlehem’s history and art.

Industrial Culture and Musikfest

SteelStacks is a ten-acre arts and culture campus run by ArtsQuest in Bethlehem, set against the striking backdrop of the former blast furnaces of Bethlehem Steel. The National Museum of Industrial History is located on the campus in the former Electric Repair Shop. On the Bethlehem Steel Plant Site Tour, former steelworkers or guides trained by steelworkers lead visitors around the Bethlehem Steel plant site and across the Hoover-Mason Trestle. The tour schedule may change. If you plan to take the tour, check the current schedule before your visit.

Musikfest is a ten-day celebration of music, art, and community held in Bethlehem every August. If the festival is a reason for your trip, check the dates for your intended travel year. This will help you plan your stay around the event without assuming a particular date.

Walking Tours and Waterfront Trails

The Old Bethlehem Walking Tour is a 90-minute guided walk through the Historic Moravian Bethlehem National Historic Landmark District. Its stated duration gives you a concrete basis for planning your time. The Monocacy Way Trail offers a different route: it follows Monocacy Creek through Center City Bethlehem to the Monocacy Recreation Complex on Illick’s Mill Road, or in the opposite direction.

The South Bethlehem Greenway offers a walk through Bethlehem’s Southside. Along the route are a skate plaza, exhibitions in the Southside Arts District, and play areas. For cycling or walking, another option is the section of the D&L Trail between Allentown and Bethlehem, which follows the canal towpath, whose surface is mostly gravel. These routes differ in their paths and described features; they do not share a route.

Sand Island is in Bethlehem on the Lehigh River and the D&L Trail. The Sand Island Trail runs through the Delaware and Lehigh Corridor to Allentown or Easton and beyond, and offers insight into the history of the Lehigh Canal. You can choose based on the specific details: a timed walking tour, trails along a creek or through the Southside, or a mostly gravel canal towpath for walking and cycling. This makes it easier to plan your stay around your activities and travel dates.

Discover more destinations: Easton, Wind Gap.

For the broader travel overview: Northampton.