Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites

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Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites Preservers of history, including buildings and landmarks. We host community events and activities.
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“It’s the little things in life.” On Saturday, October 31, at the Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts, join us for our han...
10/21/2026

“It’s the little things in life.” On Saturday, October 31, at the Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts, join us for our hands-on miniature watercolors workshop led by fine artist and miniaturist Diane E. Israel. In Miniature Masterpieces, you’ll learn the essential techniques and tricks for painting watercolors on a small scale while designing your own mini masterpiece at a 1/12 scale.

A distinguished artist and certified K-12 art teacher, Diane E. Schneide Israel has a passion for the art of miniature watercolors. During her career, she also owned Essex Fine Arts, an art and framing gallery in Montclair, N.J. Now, in retirement, Diane focuses on sharing her expertise and passion for miniatures.

Admission to the workshop includes access to the Art of the Dollhouse exhibition at the museum. This beautiful show includes nearly 60 dollhouses and miniatures spanning three-plus centuries, as well as thousands of miniature artifacts. Expand your creative horizons and challenge yourself with the art of miniatures!

Sign up for the workshop today and don't miss out -- see the link in the comments.

The Miller’s House Garden has never looked better, and we have some wonderful people to thank for it!Our Miller’s House ...
10/20/2026

The Miller’s House Garden has never looked better, and we have some wonderful people to thank for it!

Our Miller’s House Gardeners were recently honored with a w**e and cheese reception inside the 1782/1834 Grist Miller’s House. Season after season, this dedicated group cares for one of the most beautiful spaces in the Colonial Industrial Quarter, and everyone who visits gets to enjoy the results. Thank you for all of your hard work.

The garden is also now home to a new fountain, surrounded by patriotic-themed flowers. Our gratitude goes to Bethlehem Garden Club member Carolyn Raring and her family, who donated the fountain in memory of their mother, Elizabeth Raring; to the City of Bethlehem Department of Grounds Maintenance for the installation; and to the Grist Miller’s House Garden Committee members who helped remove and replant flowers and lay the new brick border.

Next time you’re in the Colonial Industrial Quarter, stop by and see it for yourself.

The Art of the Dollhouse exhibition is taking over the Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts! Starting October 22, the entir...
10/19/2026

The Art of the Dollhouse exhibition is taking over the Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts! Starting October 22, the entire Elizabeth Johnston Prime Antique Dollhouse Collection comes out of the Kemerer vault for the first time ever.

Explore three centuries of life in miniature, with nearly 60 dollhouses — some more than 300 years old — and more than 6,000 pieces as you discover how society, decorative arts, toymaking, and play evolved together over four centuries.

From historic dollhouses filled with intricate details to contemporary miniature art, discover how these tiny spaces reflect changing ideas about home, design and everyday life. The exhibition is open Fridays through Sundays, with extended days and hours during the holiday season.

Stick with us as there’s more to discover every week with Miniature Mondays, our new weekly series highlighting fascinating details and stories from the exhibition. Visit our social media pages every Monday to see what’s new, and don't forget to see our website for tickets.

The Art of the Dollhouse exhibition is supported by Barbara Bealer and David Greene, and the Jones Adult Fund.

10/16/2026

Happy Friday! We’re just going to drop this here to help make your weekend even sweeter.

Back in May, we signed our names on a steel beam and watched it rise into place at the Overlook on History. Now, there’s only one more month until we open this beautiful concourse and educational space to the community.

Thank you to our good friends at Countess Communications for capturing the moment on video.

There’s a lot happening with the Overlook on History right now as we get ready for its opening later this fall.Construct...
10/14/2026

There’s a lot happening with the Overlook on History right now as we get ready for its opening later this fall.

Construction crews are hard at work on a new ADA-accessible ramp that will connect the Luckenbach Mill to the Overlook so more visitors can take in the view, while a new second-floor storage room at the Mill is taking shape to support special events.

We’re on track to open in November, and we can’t wait to welcome everyone.

P: Allie Houck

First Lady Abigail Adams visited the Luckenbach Mill on Saturday evening as part of our Historically Speaking series.A p...
10/13/2026

First Lady Abigail Adams visited the Luckenbach Mill on Saturday evening as part of our Historically Speaking series.

A packed room enjoyed hearing about her life and relationship with our second president John Adams, including her views on the political landscape of the revolutionary era. Abigail, portrayed by Kim Hanley of American Historical Theatre, even enjoyed playing Artifact Challenge!

What historical figures would you like to hear from at the next Historically Speaking? Tell us in the comments.

10/12/2026

Who lives here? What does this house say about them, and what does it leave out?

Find out at Art of the Dollhouse, the new exhibition at the Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts that traces three centuries of home life at one-twelfth scale.

Drawing largely from the Elizabeth Johnston Prime antique dollhouse collection (44 dollhouses crafted between 1830 and the early 1930s and more than 6,000 tiny objects), the exhibition places early European “baby houses” alongside works by contemporary miniature artists.

To celebrate this exhibit in which the entire Johnston Prime collection is coming out of the Kemerer vault for the first time ever, we’re also launching Miniature Mondays, a weekly look at one house, one theme or one manufacturer featured in the exhibition. Look for our first drop on Monday, October 19.

Art of the Dollhouse opens on Thursday, October 22. Get your tickets now, or join us for the opening reception on Thursday, October 29, 5:30–7:30 PM. Reception tickets are free to Historic Bethlehem members and only $10 for
the public!

See the comments for the link!

Now that fall is here, it’s time to start planning your holiday season visit to the Christmas City.- Raise a glass in Be...
10/09/2026

Now that fall is here, it’s time to start planning your holiday season visit to the Christmas City.

- Raise a glass in Bethlehem’s historic pubs on the Spirits of Christmas Pub Walking Tour

- Explore the Historic District on the Christmas City Stroll to discover the traditions that make Bethlehem Christmas City, USA

- Sit back and enjoy Bethlehem’s sights and history during the relaxing Bethlehem By Night Motorcoach Tour

- See 20-plus beautifully decorated trees in the Trees of Bethlehem exhibition
  
With magical traditions around every corner, discover everything Bethlehem has to offer this November and December. See our website for tickets!
 

The doors of the Johnson Barn at Burnside Plantation recently swung open to the fields, and the people who keep the farm...
10/08/2026

The doors of the Johnson Barn at Burnside Plantation recently swung open to the fields, and the people who keep the farm growing sat down to share a meal. Long tables draped in white linen ran the length of the barn, lined with jars of dahlias and zinnias and strung with small lights.

The guests of honor were the more than 30 volunteer gardeners who plant, w**d, and harvest the Louise W. Dimmick Kitchen Garden. This season they grew more than 1,100 pounds of fresh produce. Most of it went back into the community, supporting two local food pantries through New Bethany Ministries and Northeast Community Center. Some made its way downtown to plates at Historic Hotel Bethlehem.

The hotel returned the favor with a big batch of macaroni and cheese, and the gardeners brought the rest: tomato and cucumber salads, roasted squash, greens, bean salads, and plenty of sweets. Much of it came from the Burnside field or their own backyards.

That’s what the garden does. It keeps Burnside what it has always been, a working farm, with rows in use and food on its way to someone’s table.

This year, gardeners also expanded the herb beds. Some of those herbs will appear in our Root Cellar Remedies: Revolutionary War Medicine workshops on October 10 and 17, where you can explore how plants grown close to home were used to treat illness and injury.

To every gardener who knelt in the dirt this season: thank you! Your work fed families, stocked a hotel kitchen, and kept a historic farm working.

“Remember the Ladies.” In March 1776, Abigail Adams wrote those words to her husband, John, who was in Philadelphia with...
10/08/2026

“Remember the Ladies.” In March 1776, Abigail Adams wrote those words to her husband, John, who was in Philadelphia with the Continental Congress. She urged him and his fellow lawmakers to consider women’s rights as they shaped the new nation.

It’s one of more than 1,100 letters the couple exchanged over their lifetimes. In them, Abigail reported on a war unfolding near her doorstep, ran the family farm and finances, and debated politics as John’s intellectual equal.

This Saturday, October 10, at 7:30 p.m., join celebrated actor, historian, and interpreter Kim Hanley as she portrays the First Lady at Luckenbach Mill as part of the Historically Speaking series. You’ll meet the woman behind the letters and discover Adams’ influence on the American Revolution and more.

Tickets include w**e, seasonal beverages, and light bites from The Taste Budz. Reserve your seats today at historicbethlehem.org before they're gone!

Address

505 Main Street
Bethlehem, PA
18018

Opening Hours

Tuesday 11am - 5pm
Wednesday 11am - 5pm
Thursday 11am - 5pm
Friday 11am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 6pm
Sunday 10am - 6pm

Telephone

(610) 691-6055

Website

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