About Us
In a city with over three centuries of rich history, Historic Bethlehem Partnership, Inc. (HBP) is an organization that brings this story to life by educating the public, collecting and exhibiting artifacts and preserving historic sites. Both residents and visitors to this unique town can discover America’s story starting with the country’s first pumped municipal water system (1762 Waterworks, a National Historic Landmark) and following through to the 20th century where the Bethlehem Steel brought people from all around the world to work and live.
HBP provides educational opportunities for people of all ages. The organization offers school tours, group tours, walking tours, bus tours and several lecture series ranging in topic from the arrival of the first Moravian settlers in the mid-18th century to the cultural diversity continued with the immigration movement to staff the Bethlehem Steel and continues throughout Bethlehem today.
HBP maintains a collection of hundreds of thousands of artifacts that are exhibited at various times throughout the organization’s buildings and historic sites. These sites include: The Moravian Museum of Bethlehem, housed in the 1741 Gemeinhaus, a National Historic Landmark; The Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts; The Colonial Industrial Quarter, which is home to the 1762 Waterworks, the 1761 Tannery, the 1869 Luckenbach Mill and the reconstructed 1750/1761 Smithy; the 1810 Goundie House and Welcome Center; 1748/1848 Burnside Plantation and the 1758/1763 Nain-Schober House.
HBP holds several special events each year. These events support the educational programs and the museum collections of the organization. The Rooms to View House Tour takes place in April, the New to You sale is held in June, the Blueberry Festival is in July, the Holiday Auction and Dinner is every December and our annual holiday programs run from the day after Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve.
HBP is honored to be one of a select number of museums nationwide to be distinguished as part of the Smithsonian Affiliates program. This exciting cooperative exchange includes sharing our collections, care of the collections and exchanging research information.
HBP is located in the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor. The organization co-chairs the Lehigh Valley Industrial Heritage Coalition, and is a founding member of the International Moravian Heritage Network.
For more information about HBP’s catalog of programming and collections, please visit www.historicbethlehem.org or call 610-691-6055.