Visit Us
Walk through history as we guide you to things to learn, places to discover, and events that help connect us to our rich heritage.
Steel Rises for the Overlook on History
May 15th, 2026
On May 15, members of the Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites Board of Trustees, community supporters, and staff gathered in the Colonial Industrial Quarter to sign a 10-foot steel beam before it was hoisted into place for the Overlook on History. The beam signing marks a significant milestone in construction of the innovative glass-and-steel enclosed bridge that will connect the 1782/1834 Grist Miller’s House and the 1869 Luckenbach Mill this October, opening a continuous accessible path from Bethlehem’s historic Main Street into the heart of one of America’s oldest industrial centers.
Designed by preservation architect David Scott Parker, whose portfolio includes the U.S. Treasury Building in Washington, D.C. and the Mark Twain House in Connecticut, the Overlook will offer visitors a fully accessible, 360-degree vantage point over the Colonial Industrial Quarter, a site now recognized as part of the Moravian Church Settlements — Bethlehem World Heritage Site. Later this summer, eight 9-by-10-foot low-iron glass panels from Brombal Glass will be set in place, with the Overlook opening planned for early October.
The Overlook on History is made possible thanks to the many supporters of HBMS’s Taking the World Stage Campaign, which has raised approximately $7.6 million toward its $10 million goal. The campaign continues to fund essential preservation and infrastructure work across HBMS’s 20 historic properties – work that is increasingly bringing the CIQ to life through new programming such as the Community Heritage Day in April, which drew more than 1,000 visitors, and two new Maker’s Retreats planned for June and October which take place in the Colonial Industrial Quarter.
Thank you to everyone who has supported Taking the World Stage, Historic Bethlehem and historic preservation.
