The Ultimate Guide of the Best Things to do in Bethlehem, PA
by Jenna Mendez
8.1 min read
Nestled in the heart of Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley, Bethlehem Pennsylvania is a city rich in history, culture, and charm. Known as the “Christmas City,” Bethlehem boasts a vibrant arts scene and captivating historical sites. Bethlehem also has a rich colonial and industrial history full of museums and much more to discover.
Whether you’re a local looking to rediscover your hometown or a visitor eager to explore, we have your complete bucket list of the best things to do in Bethlehem PA.
Why Bethlehem P.A.?
Why should you consider visiting Bethlehem Pennsylvania? This unique city offers historical and cultural richness. Beyond the wonderful delights of the Christmas season, Bethlehem provides a fascinating glimpse into America’s industrial heritage. Additionally, Bethlehem’s diverse culinary landscape, scenic parks, and welcoming community make it a delightful destination for travelers seeking both relaxation and adventure.
Listen to music at the Bethlehem P.A. SteelStacks 
The Steel Stacks in Bethlehem, PA are impressive. SteelStacks is a ten-acre campus dedicated to arts, culture, family events, community celebrations, education, and fun. Before hosting over 1,000 concerts and eight different festivals annually since 1999, SteelStacks was once a large steel manufacturer. SteelStacks has the two largest furnaces that produced steel for nearly a century until 1995.
If you have the chance to view a concert or a special event at SteelStacks, you can sit directly in the center of a series of five blast furnaces that were used in iron making! The venue is a versatile space that caters to a wide range of events and activities. In addition to hosting concerts, it also serves as a venue for film screenings, educational classes, and even weddings! For the full event schedule at SteelStacks, visit here!
Look around the Historic Moravian District
Visiting the historic Moravian district is truly one of the best things to do in Bethlehem, PA. Packed with history in every corner, the Moravian Historic District dates all the way back to the founding of Bethlehem in 1741! Marked as a National Historical Landmark, this district is overflowing with goodies for everyone.
Book lovers can rejoice because the Moravian District is home to the oldest bookstore in the U.S. This store is also known to be the oldest continuously operating bookstore in the world! The Moravian bookstore on Main Street sells books, clothes, and school supplies. Moravian University students and fans deem this a popular spot located directly on Main Street in Bethlehem, PA.
Home to much more like live concert venues, museums, shops, and parks, the Moravian District should be on Your Bethlehem bucket list.
Learn at the National Museum of Industrial History
If you’re a history buff, this one’s for you! Located in a 100-year-old former Bethlehem Steel facility, the National Museum of Industrial History dedicates itself to preserving America’s industrial heritage. This museum features almost 100 industrial machines dating back to the 1800s.
With over 200 artifacts to learn from, there’s something for everyone at the National Museum of Industrial History. Notable attractions include a 115-ton Corliss steam engine, a 20-foot-tall Nasmyth steam hammer, and a ‘White House’ loom, which produced fabrics for White House restoration projects from Hoover to Clinton.
Have fun at The Wind Creek Event Center
Looking for an experience with style? With 14,000 square feet to enjoy, no matter where your seats are, the views are always good. The Wind Creek Event Center offers entertainment from A-list artist performances, comedians, internationally recognized DJs, boxing, and more. This venue is also uniquely flexible with the ability to host tradeshows, conferences, and private functions!
The Wind Creek Event Center also features 7 private, luxury suites that have access to a private bathroom and cash bar and feature flat-screen televisions. In addition to all this, the Wind Creek has a casino and hotel attached if you’re looking to stay the night.
Marvel at the Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts
Visiting the Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts is fun for the whole family! Housed in three interconnected mid-1800s homes, this experience features everything from changing exhibits, to period rooms, and galleries. Kemerer’s exhibits highlight the changes in design over the last three centuries featuring clothing, china, furniture, and more.
Kemerer has beautiful interior and exterior features, including a landscaped garden that enhances the overall beauty of the home. This museum also offers occasional classes like mug painting and sowing!
Explore the Martin Guitar Factory
Just outside Bethlehem, PA, The Martin Guitar Factory offers an in-depth look at the process of making guitars. The Martin Factory even offers a guided tour through the factory to get up close and personal with the process.
Not too far from where your tour departs, your party can also visit the Martin Museum. This free walk-through experience gives you a glimpse of the first Martin guitar ever made and even see the guitar Kurt Cobain strummed on MTV Unplugged. These are just a few of the star attractions! If you don’t find yourself in Bethlehem anytime soon, take the virtual “Behind the Glass” tour of the museum to learn more from the experts.
Visit the Lehigh Millennium Folk Arch
Established in 1999 by a team of Lehigh University students, Millennium Folk Arch is indeed a spectacle to behold. This work was initially crafted for a group assignment in an “outsider art” course. As the fame of this work expanded, numerous art pieces were produced by successive generations of students. On the Lehigh University campus map, you can find this piece and others under the name, Stolfo Sculpture Garden.”
Check out America on Wheels
Bethlehem’s museum America on Wheels offers engaging ways for K-12 students to understand the history behind transportation technology. Your kind can learn about nearly any transportation vehicle from Mack Trucks to race cars. America on Wheels also has ever-changing exhibits so there’s always something new to discover.
If your kid is super into learning about the ins and outs of auto mechanics, America on Wheels has a Kids’ Car & Restoration Center. Located across from the museum itself, this experience gives kids the chance to learn about the mechanics of the engine through hands-on experiences and interactive elements.
Create at The Crayola Experience
Open to the public daily, the Crayola Experience is one of the best things to do near Bethlehem P.A. With tons of seasonal events and craft activities, Crayola pulls out all the stops. One of the most notable attractions is Crayola’s “cut, color, and paste” studio where themes regularly change to keep the creative juices flowing. Your party also has the chance to meet “Big Blue”, Crayola’s 1,500-pound crayon!
With so much more to do, one of the biggest draws of this attraction is the “Wrap it Up” design studio. This studio is where you can create, name, and design your own Crayola crayon! For more on this iconic experience, visit here for more info.
Hike in the Lost River Caverns
Just a short distance from Bethlehem, take a guided walking tour through what locals call “nature’s underground wonderland.” The Lost River Caverns offers visitors a unique look at limestone caverns and a hidden underground river. Guided tours allow explorers to learn more about the cave’s geology, formation, and history of the spot.
If you’re excited to explore, note that the cave can reach temperatures as low as 52 degrees Fahrenheit; so, you’ll need a light jacket!
Seasonal delights
We’d be remiss if we didn’t share with you some of the best things to do in Bethlehem P. A during the Christmas season! Throughout the season Bethlehem hosts a variety of festive family activities including holiday tree tours, carriage rides, seasonal music, and much more. Here are some of the most iconic things you don’t want to miss during Bethlehem’s holiday season:
- Live Advent Calendar: First, guests gather outside the 1810 Goundie House at 5:30 pm every day in December. A guest is then selected from the crowd, and knocks on the front door of the house where they are greeted by a special guest from a local business or organization who hands out treats to the crowd!
- The Christmas City Stroll: Visitors can stroll through the city to peer through windows to find cherished Christmas traditions. You can find everything from handmade beeswax candles to the Star of Bethlehem.
- Trees of Historic Bethlehem: Citygoers can delight in over 25 trees decorated by local volunteers.
- Spirits of Christmas Pub Walking Tour: New in 2023, this adults-only event allows guests to walk through the historic gems of Bethlehem. This tour also offers a complimentary tasting at the 1810 Goundie House.
- Bethlehem By Night Motorcoach Tour: Learn about the history and traditions of Bethlehem with tour guides in Colonial period attire!
Visit here to learn more about what else awaits you in Bethlehem P.A. during the holiday season!
Whether you’re a local looking for something new or a visitor looking to see what makes Bethlehem special, there’s always something around the corner! We hope we convinced you to visit this marvelous city!
We love our Bethlehem, P.A. customers! Santanna Energy Services has been proudly providing easy home electricity and gas plans to our Pennsylvania customers for over 35 years! We’re proud to offer a wide range of renewable energy solutions and products tailored to meet the unique needs of our customers. Our mission is to provide innovative and cost-effective energy solutions that will help our customers achieve their energy goals and help the environment along the way.
Jenna loves to use her voice to spread awareness about reforestation, eco-friendly initiatives, and protecting planet Earth. She's passionate about making the world a better place and is driven by her desire to give back to the planet. She is committed to learning more about the environment and its preservation and is a strong believer in the power of education and activism.
