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Birthplace of Industry Walking Tour
Well before the Industrial Revolution, the early Moravians built a thriving community in Bethlehem near the confluence of the Monocacy Creek and Lehigh River. Completely self-sufficient, these industrious settlers quickly established the largest concentration of pre-Industrial Revolution technology in the nation, with approximately 50 crafts, trades and industries in operation by the mid-1750s.
When Founding Father and later president John Adams visited Bethlehem in 1777, he wrote to his wife, Abigail, that the Moravians had “carried the mechanical arts to greater perfection here than any place which I have seen.”
On Birthplace of Industry, sparks will fly as a certified Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites guide dressed in 18th century Moravian attire leads you through what is widely regarded as the nation’s first industrial center, the Colonial Industrial Quarter.
The tour begins at the revitalized 1782/1834 Grist Miller’s House, opened in Spring 2025. This is the only tour where you can visit this building listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Visit the 1750/1761 Smithy, where you’ll see blacksmiths hard at work pounding the anvil as they craft many of the same items that Moravian blacksmiths produced more than two centuries ago.
Go inside the 1762 Waterworks, the first pumped municipal water system in the nation, and see the 18-foot-in-diameter undershot waterwheel that turned a mechanism that pumped water from the spring uphill to a tower in the heart of the early Moravian settlement.
Did You Know?
A National Historic Landmark, Historic Civil Engineering Landmark and part of the Moravian Church Settlements–Bethlehem World Heritage Site, the two-story stone Waterworks building at one time pumped water from the Monocacy Creek 94 feet uphill to a collection tower where Central Moravian Church now stands. From there, gravity fed five cisterns in the town.
See the 1761 Tannery, an essential site for leathermaking for more than 100 years, and the archeological remains of the Butchery, Dye House & Pottery, all part of Moravian Church Settlements–Bethlehem.
Stop by the 1869 Luckenbach Mill, where you’ll learn about the milling of grain, the first industry to be established in Bethlehem in 1743.
Bring the family and friends, explore Bethlehem’s Colonial Industrial Quarter and discover the Birthplace of Industry in America!
Suggested Itineraries Which Include the Birthplace of Industry Tour
For the Craft & Trade Enthusiast – Offered Saturdays & Sundays
An 18-foot waterwheel still turning. A blacksmith’s anvil still ringing. A pharmacy that operated longer than many countries have existed. This pairing connects the progressive roots of a 280-year-old community to the values shaping conversations today.
Suggested itinerary:
- 1:00 PM: Tour of the 1741 Gemeinhaus (included in your tickets) – 45-60 minutes
- 2:30 PM: Branching Out: Moravian Museum Admission & Tour of Nearby Historic Sites – 45 minutes
- 3:15 – 4:00 PM: Walk to the Colonial Industrial Quarter – approximately 10 minutes
- 4:00 PM: Birthplace of Industry Walking Tour – 90 minutes
For the Living Legacy Explorer – Offered Saturdays & Sundays
Begin among the buildings where the earliest settlers gathered, prayed, and laid the groundwork for a community built to last, then follow that legacy into the quarter where it took on a new form – hands at work, machinery humming, trade taking hold. Faith and industry, side by side, in one unhurried walk.
Suggested itinerary:
- 1:00 PM: Tour of the 1741 Gemeinhaus (included in your tickets) – 45-60 minutes
- 2:00 PM: World Heritage Tour – 90 minutes
- 3:15 – 4:00 PM: Walk to the Colonial Industrial Quarter – approximately 10 minutes
- 4:00 PM: Birthplace of Industry Walking Tour – 90 minutes
For Those Wanting to “See It All” – Offered Saturdays & Sundays
One full day, the whole story. Wander from the quiet courtyards where Bethlehem’s earliest residents lived and worshipped, through the halls where faith took root and community was built, and into the industrial quarter where that same community turned its hands to trade – water still turning the wheel, the anvil still ringing. It’s Bethlehem’s entire arc, from first prayer to first industry, in a single day.
Suggested itinerary:
- 11:00 AM: Tour of the 1741 Gemeinhaus (included in your tickets) – 45-60 minutes
- 12:00 PM: Branching Out: Moravian Museum Admission & Tour of Nearby Historic Sites – 45 minutes
- 12:45-2:00 PM: Lunch & Free time on Main Street
- 2:00 PM: World Heritage Tour – 90 minutes
- 3:30 – 4:00 PM: Walk to the Colonial Industrial Quarter – approximately 10 minutes
- 4:00 PM: Birthplace of Industry Walking Tour – 90 minutes
For the Design & Industry Buff – Offered Saturdays & Sundays
A costumed guide leads guests through the Colonial Industrial Quarter’s working Smithy and Waterworks, once the largest concentration of pre-Industrial Revolution technology in the nation – then walk through three centuries of the decorative objects those and similar skills eventually helped to produce, from Bohemian glass to antique dollhouses.
Suggested itinerary:
- 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM: Tour the Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts – 60 minutes (tour during any open hour)
- 4:00 PM: Birthplace of Industry Walking Tour – 90 minutes
Walking Tour Accessiblity
Historic Bethlehem’s guided walking tours take you through the heart of Bethlehem’s National Historic Landmark District – the same grounds where history actually happened. Tours typically runs about 90 minutes at a comfortable walking pace, moving along brick and paved sidewalks, a few gentle hills, and some sloped or possibly grassy stretches between stops. It’s part of what makes the experience feel real rather than staged.
If you have questions about a specific tour, or want help planning your visit, call the Historic Bethlehem Heritage Concierge Service at 1-800-360-TOUR (8687). We’re happy to walk through the details with you and find the right fit.
What is the typical pace of the tours?
Tours are typically around 90 minutes. This is around 90 minutes of walking and standing, with stops along the way to take in the sights and stories. Seating is available at only a few points along the route.
What is the terrain?
The terrain is a mix of brick and paved sidewalks, with some uneven, sloped, or grassy sections. Comfortable, closed-toe shoes are highly recommended.
Are there inclines or slopes on these tours?
Most routes are gently sloped. The Bethlehem and the Revolution, Birthplace of Industry, and Mystery & History Tours include a steeper paved incline between the Historic District and the Colonial Industrial Quarter. It’s a great chance to see the landscape that shaped the city’s industry.
Are there stairs on the tours?
The Grist Miller’s House, 1741 Gemeinhaus, and the Single Sisters’ House are original 18th-century buildings without elevators, so there is a flight or two of steeper historic stairs. Guests on the Branching Out Tour, which includes the Gemeinhaus and the Single Sisters’ House, and the Birthplace of Industry Tour, which includes the Grist Miller’s House, are welcome to remain on the main floor. Our guides are happy to describe what is on the other floors, and Branching Out Tour attendees can watch a video at the Gemeinhaus showing what they would see on the second floor of the building.
Are the tours wheelchair and mobility device friendly?
Many outdoor sections of our tour routes are navigable with a manual or power wheelchair. Some brick and sloped areas may be more challenging for certain devices, and we’re glad to help you find the route that works best.
