History

Blacksmithing was one of the most important trades in Colonial America, since smiths made or repaired tools, kitchen utensils, weapons, agricultural implements, and household items.

The Tannery was constructed in 1761 and resides in the Colonial Industrial Quarter next to the butchery to tan hides into leather.

The 1810 Goundie House, built by Moravian town brewer and business man John Sebastian Goundie, is believed to be the first brick residence in Bethlehem and the first private home to reflect the [...]

The 1869 Luckenbach Mill, located within the Colonial Industrial Quarter was built in a few months on the foundations of the earlier 1751 Grist Mill, which was destroyed by fire in 1869.

The 1752 Apothecary laboratory is located just behind the Moravian Book Shop off Main Street. In 1743, within two years of the settlement of Bethlehem, an apothecary was opened in the Gemeinhaus.

Bethlehem’s Farm in the City is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  Burnside Plantation lies along the Monocacy Creek, six-tenths of a mile north of the Colonial Industrial [...]

The variety of landscapes, backdrops, and historic sites, makes the Colonial Industrial Quarter a diverse and exciting place to host an event.

Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites proudly preserves 20 historic sites, working tirelessly to restore, educate, and learn all we can about these beautiful buildings and their storied pasts.

Discover Historic Hotel Bethlehem and experience world-class service.

Discover Bethlehem’s artistic past by ambling through the newly renovated Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts housed in three interconnected homes from the mid-1800s.