Historic Bethlehem Tours

Learn about the 280-plus-year history of Bethlehem’s unique beginnings starting in the early 1740s. On this tour through the Moravian Church Settlements–Bethlehem World Heritage Site, you’ll stop at the 1741 First House and Gemeinhaus, 1750/61 Smithy, 1762 Waterworks, 1748 Single Brethren’s House, 1744/52 Single Sisters’ House, and the 1768 Widows’ House as you discover how Bethlehem’s earliest residents not only lived but flourished.

Take a fascinating journey through the intriguing beliefs of the early Moravians regarding death, dying, mortality and spirituality.

Discover Bethlehem’s rich history by visiting the Moravian Museum in the 1741 Gemeinhaus, the oldest building in the city, and touring the city’s nearby historic buildings.

This 90-minute guided tour takes you through the heart of the Moravian Church Settlements-Bethlehem World Heritage Site. You’ll begin at the 1741 Gemeinhaus, home of the Moravian Museum of Bethlehem and the only surviving 18th-century Moravian Gemeinhaus still in use anywhere in the world. The tour ends inside the sanctuary of Central Moravian Church, built between 1803 and 1806, where you’ll learn how its active congregation keeps nearly three centuries of Moravian tradition alive today.

Immerse yourself in the spirit of the holidays as you visit some of Bethlehem’s most popular historic sites to explore this family-friendly exhibition that’s perfect for all ages.

A popular attraction for guests from near and far, Trees of Historic Bethlehem features 20-plus Christmas Trees beautifully decorated by members of the local Bethlehem Garden Club and sponsored by small businesses from throughout the community.

Designed especially for the holidays, the Christmas City Stroll is a casual, comfortable walk (evening tours are led by lantern) through Bethlehem’s Historic District that explores the city’s 280-plus years of history starting with its founding in 1741.

Discover the rich history and holiday traditions of Bethlehem, Christmas City USA, as you traverse the city’s Historic District and SouthSide. Led and narrated by a Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites guide dressed in Colonial attire, you’ll travel down Church Street through the heart of the new Moravian Church Settlements-Bethlehem World Heritage Site, take in the sights of Historic Main Street beautifully decorated for the holidays and more.

Discover Bethlehem’s rich traditions and holiday heritage in a totally different way as you visit the taverns and historic locations of Main Street. You’ll learn about the Marquis de Lafayette’s ties to Bethlehem, the early Moravians’ views on brewing and much more.

Discover Bethlehem’s rich history by visiting the Moravian Museum in the 1741 Gemeinhaus, the oldest building in the city, and touring the city’s nearby historic buildings.

Discover Bethlehem’s rich history by visiting the Moravian Museum in the 1741 Gemeinhaus, the oldest building in the city, and touring the city’s nearby historic buildings.

Learn about Bethlehem Steel which was once the second largest steel producer in the country, helped build some of America’s greatest landmarks – including the Golden Gate Bridge and the Chrysler Building. Discover the humble beginnings, monumental growth, and humbling decline of this 20th-century giant.

Learn about the 280-plus-year history of Bethlehem’s unique beginnings starting in the early 1740s. On this tour through the Moravian Church Settlements–Bethlehem World Heritage Site, you’ll stop at the 1741 First House and Gemeinhaus, 1750/61 Smithy, 1762 Waterworks, 1748 Single Brethren’s House, 1744/52 Single Sisters’ House, and the 1768 Widows’ House as you discover how Bethlehem’s earliest residents not only lived but flourished.

Housed in the oldest building in Bethlehem, the Moravian Museum introduces guests to the city’s unique history that began with its founding by the Moravians in the early 1740s.

The Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts is housed in three interconnected mid-1800s homes featuring changing exhibits, period rooms, and galleries highlighting furniture, paintings, china, clothing, and silver over three centuries of decorative arts. This museum speaks to the changes in style and design over three centuries.

Learn about the 280-plus-year history of Bethlehem’s unique beginnings starting in the early 1740s. On this tour through the Moravian Church Settlements–Bethlehem World Heritage Site, you’ll stop at the 1741 First House and Gemeinhaus, 1750/61 Smithy, 1762 Waterworks, 1748 Single Brethren’s House, 1744/52 Single Sisters’ House, and the 1768 Widows’ House as you discover how Bethlehem’s earliest residents not only lived but flourished.

Learn about Bethlehem Steel which was once the second largest steel producer in the country, helped build some of America’s greatest landmarks – including the Golden Gate Bridge and the Chrysler Building. Discover the humble beginnings, monumental growth, and humbling decline of this 20th-century giant.

Explore the 26th World Heritage Site in the United States – Moravian Church Settlements–Bethlehem – on this exciting tour focusing on the approximately two-square block area of historic downtown Bethlehem that the Moravian settlers recognized as the center of their community, and the living heritage and traditions that still carry out today.

Walk, jog, or bike along the Historic Bethlehem Heritage Trail! Experience Bethlehem with a self-guided tour on your own time and at your own pace with the use of your own mobile device.

With 6 links, 80 stops, and 275 years of history, you’ll meet the Moravian Founders, Monocacy Valley, Westward Expansion, Victorian Bethlehem, Farmland to Industry, and Bethlehem Steel.

Download Heritage Trail Maps

Trail Descriptions, Distances, and Times

Moravian Founders Trail
Distance: 1 mile
Time: 1 hour 20 min
Details: Focused on the very heart of Historic Bethlehem, and in the newly designated Historic Moravian Bethlehem National Historic Landmark District, this link tells how the city’s first settlers built a prosperous economy, filled with crafts and trade.

Monocacy Valley Trail
Distance: 2.5 miles
Time: 1 hour 20 min
Details: Wind along the Monocacy Way Trail and follow the creek that brought life to Burnside Plantation, Illick’s Mill, and the Colonial Industrial Quarter. A great link for bikers!

Westward Expansion Trail
Distance: 2 miles
Time: 1 hour 15 min
Details: Following the construction of the Broad Street Bridge came Bethlehem’s first suburbs. This peaceful neighborhood stroll includes a memorial to fallen Revolutionary War soldiers.

Victorian Bethlehem
Distance: 0.75 miles
Time: 1 hour
Details: Take in the breathtaking homes that housed Bethlehem’s wealthiest industrialists.

Farmland to Industry Distance: 3 miles Time: 2 hours Details: As farms became factories and canals became railroads in the mid-1800s, Bethlehem grew to include many churches, social halls, and markets.

Steel Stop Distance: 1.75 miles Time: 1 hour Details: The great story of Bethlehem Steel’s rise to become the second largest steel producer in the U.S. This link highlights the people who worked at the plant.

The Heritage Trail (TM) is sponsored by St. Luke’s

Centrally located in downtown Bethlehem, God’s Acre Cemetery sits on 3.17 acres of land. God’s Acre is peaceful, with 2,716 burials in neat rows, with low, flat, uniform and simply carved tombstones dating from 1742-1910.

In this tour, you will explore the oldest cemetery in Bethlehem, and the ways it was an integral part of community and daily life. This tour will take you to the burials of notable and less well-known Moravian individuals, whose stories help illustrate the history of the settlement in this area of Pennsylvania.

Download Map

This tour is self-guided and can be followed by downloading the tour on to your mobile device.

Located at the corner of Church and Market Streets, Nisky Hill Cemetery was founded in 1849. Owned by the Bethlehem Area Moravians, Nisky Hill is the final home for thousands of Bethlehemites of various faiths and origins.

In this tour, you will explore the burials and histories of dozens of war heroes, artists, and businessmen, and visit a few of the more unusual monuments found within the cemetery grounds.

Download Map

This tour is self-guided and can be followed by downloading the tour on to your mobile device.

Serving as vital spaces for honoring and remembering those who have passed, cemeteries provide a connection to our shared history and personal heritage. They offer a place for reflection and grieving, allowing individuals and communities to pay their respects and find closure. Additionally, cemeteries hold historical and cultural significance, preserving the stories and traditions of the past for future generations.

Download Map

From simple flat gravestones to elaborate tombs, monuments, and mausoleums, our self-guided walking tours of God’s Acre and Nisky Hill explore the history and iconography of the burials in each cemetery.

Spend the day outside, and at your own pace, learn more about the history of Bethlehem through the Heritage Trail and our God’s Acre and Nisky Hill Cemetery tours.

Download Suggested Itinerary Map

Heritage Trail

Walk, jog, or bike along the Historic Bethlehem Heritage Trail! Experience Bethlehem with a self-guided tour on your own time and at your own pace with the use of your own mobile device.

With 6 links, 80 stops, and 275 years of history, you’ll meet the Moravian Founders, Monocacy Valley, Westward Expansion, Victorian Bethlehem, Farmland to Industry, and Bethlehem Steel.

God’s Acre & Nisky Hill Cemetery Tour

Serving as vital spaces for honoring and remembering those who have passed, cemeteries provide a connection to our shared history and personal heritage. They offer a place for reflection and grieving, allowing individuals and communities to pay their respects and find closure. Additionally, cemeteries hold historical and cultural significance, preserving the stories and traditions of the past for future generations.

From simple flat gravestones to elaborate tombs, monuments, and mausoleums, our self-guided walking tours of God’s Acre and Nisky Hill explore the history and iconography of the burials in each cemetery.

The Heritage Trail is sponsored by St. Luke’s.