Bethlehem (Pennsylvania)
"Christmas City USA" in the Lehigh Valley, with a Moravian historic district on the World Heritage list and the old Bethlehem Steel blast furnaces turned into an arts and culture campus.
Bethlehem lies in the Lehigh Valley of eastern Pennsylvania, about 90 km from Philadelphia and 130 km from New York, and together with Allentown and Easton forms the Lehigh Valley metro area. German Moravians founded a settlement here in 1741 and named it on Christmas Eve after the birthplace of Jesus, which is why the city calls itself "Christmas City USA"; the Moravian historic district on the north side was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2024. The south side was once home to Bethlehem Steel, and after the mill closed, its old blast furnaces were transformed into the SteelStacks arts and culture campus, now the city's new signature attraction.
Sightseeing falls into three areas: the north-side historic district (Central Moravian Church, the Moravian Museum, the Colonial Industrial Quarter and the Main Street shopping strip), good for a half-day on foot; SteelStacks, the National Museum of Industrial History and Wind Creek resort on the south side, best from late afternoon into the evening; and, 20–30 minutes' drive away, the Crayola Experience in Easton, the Martin Guitar factory in Nazareth, Dorney Park in Allentown and the Lehigh Valley Zoo—great for families.
The four seasons are distinct, with hot, humid summers (around 30°C in Jul–Aug) and cold, snowy winters. The highlight is mid-November through December, when Christmas markets, street lights and Moravian stars fill the whole city; in early August, Musikfest—one of the largest free music festivals in the US—puts on hundreds of performances over ten days. October foliage is also lovely.
Getting there: Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE) is about 10 minutes' drive from downtown; long-distance buses from New York's Port Authority Bus Terminal take about 1.5–2 hours. Public transit in town is limited, so renting a car is recommended. Plan on 1–2 days; hotels fill up on Christmas-season weekends, so book ahead.
Top sights
- Historic Moravian Bethlehem District – A settlement founded by the Moravians in 1741, with well-preserved stone buildings including the communal Gemeinhaus. It was added to the U…
- SteelStacks – A cultural campus built on the former blast furnaces of the Bethlehem Steel works. Its rust-red giant furnaces light up at night and have b…
- Central Moravian Church – Completed in 1806, this landmark Moravian church in North America has a white tower that anchors the historic district.
- Colonial Industrial Quarter – An 18th-century industrial site beside Monocacy Creek, featuring America's earliest municipal water pumping station and a tannery.
- Moravian Book Shop – Dating to 1745, this is one of the world's longest continuously operating bookshops, also selling Moravian star lamps and local specialties.
- Moravian Sun Inn – A Moravian inn opened in 1758, where George Washington, John Adams and other founding figures once stayed.
- Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts – A decorative arts museum in the historic district, showing Pennsylvania German furniture, clocks, glass and regional paintings.
- Christkindlmarkt Bethlehem – The flagship event of ‘America's Christmas City,’ with craft stalls and German treats in a big tent beneath the blast furnaces.
- National Museum of Industrial History – A museum housed in Bethlehem Steel's former electrical repair shop, showing steam engines and steel production from the American Industrial…
- Hill to Hill Bridge – A concrete arch bridge linking the historic north side with the south-side steel district, with views of the Lehigh River and distant blast…
- Lehigh University – A private research university on the South Mountain slope. Its Gothic stone buildings and autumn foliage make it lovely for a fall walk.
- Wind Creek Bethlehem – A casino resort built on the former steel mill site, with a shopping arcade, restaurants and an event venue, next to SteelStacks.
- Lost River Caverns – A small limestone cave in Hellertown with an underground stream, stalactites and a gemstone display, great for families.
- Crayola Experience Easton – An indoor family attraction from the Crayola crayon brand, where you can watch crayons being made, name your own crayon and try melted-wax…
- C. F. Martin & Co. Factory Tour – Headquarters of the Martin guitar company, founded in 1833, where you can tour the factory floor and see instruments played by Elvis, John…
- Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom – A long-established Allentown amusement park with thrill coasters and a large water park, the Lehigh Valley's most popular summer destinatio…
- Lehigh Valley Zoo – A mid-sized zoo in the Trexler Nature Preserve where you can get close to snow leopards and kangaroos and watch giraffe feeding.
- Allentown Art Museum – The Lehigh Valley's leading art museum, renowned for its Kress collection of European paintings and a Frank Lloyd Wright study.
- Liberty Bell Museum – In 1777, as British forces took Philadelphia, the Liberty Bell was hidden in this church's basement. The museum has a full-size replica.
Where to eat
- Apollo Grill – The most popular American spot on historic West Broad Street in Bethlehem's old town, with more than thirty appetizers…
- Bolete – A seasonal American restaurant in a roughly 200-year-old stagecoach inn stone house on Bethlehem's south side. Its chef…
- Billy's Downtown Diner – A popular brunch diner that opened in 2000, known for creative French toast and generous omelets.
- Tavern at the Sun Inn – Dine on the second floor of the 1758 Moravian Sun Inn, where George Washington once stayed, with colonial-inspired flav…
Itineraries
- Poconos Waterfalls & Jim Thorpe Mountain Town – Depart from New York, drive through the Delaware Water Gap to see waterfalls, then visit historic Jim Thorpe and the Wo…