Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites Announces October 2024 Events

September 26th, 2024

Events include the final Saturday at Burnside Farm, Free Sundays at the Museum, Checking In? Bethlehem’s Alluring Accommodations and seven historical tours.

Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites (HBMS) has a packed slate of events for October, including the final Saturday at Burnside, Free Sundays, the annual Jeanette Barres Zug Lecture, Checking In? Bethlehem’s Alluring Accommodations and seven historical tours. Now offering events to the public seven days a week, there is no shortage of opportunities to explore Bethlehem’s rich history. 

“We are thrilled to be adding two tours and three tour days to our schedule this month,” said LoriAnn Wukitsch, HBMS’s president and CEO. “Guests have the opportunity to explore every corner of Bethlehem’s rich history while visiting various World HeritageSites.” 

The final installment of Saturdays at Burnside will take place on Oct. 5 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. with a “Make your own Decorated Bird Feeder” experience. Guests will have the opportunity to use upcycled resources to make a uniquely decorated bird feeder. This event is free to the public. Guests can also participate in “You Point, We Pick” to select their own organically grown vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers in exchange for a donation. 

Free Sundays at the Museums offers visitors complimentary admission to the Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts and the Moravian Museum of Bethlehem from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the first Sunday of each month through November. This month’s activity is on Sunday, Oct. 6, at the Kemerer; attendees can design their own block print stamp trick-or-treat bag. At the Moravian Museum, October offers visitors an opportunity to make a corn husk doll.

The annual Jeanette Barres Zug Lecture: Pious Innkeeper and Godly Tavern, presented by Peter Vogt, is on Oct. 19 at 11:30 a.m. This presentation dives into the role of the church in taverns. The Moravians were known to be big travelers, but less well known and equally as important was how they would welcome visitors into their settlements. Vogt is the director of theological education in the Moravian Church, European Continental Province, and co-pastor of the Herrnhut congregation in Germany.

Checking In? Bethlehem’s Alluring Accommodations, which runs through January 2025, unveils the city’s long hospitality legacy. Beginning at the first home in Bethlehem, guests will explore iconic establishments like the Crown Inn, Sun Inn, and Golden Eagle Hotel and learn about some of Bethlehem’s most famous visitors. For the best experience, purchase a Checking In Combo Ticket! This ticket includes admission to the Checking In? Bethlehem’s Alluring Accommodations exhibitions at both the Moravian Museum and the Kemerer Museum, as well as a self-guided tour and a Christmas City Spirits tasting experience, including a complimentary tasting glass, at the Sun Inn.

In October, HBMS offers multiple tours for everyone visiting Bethlehem. 

• Old Bethlehem Walking Tour shares the 275-year history of Bethlehem’s unique beginnings since 1741 and explores how residents lived and flourished. 
• HBMS offers a child-friendly tour for kids two years old and up, Playful Pathways: A Family-friendly Tour of Bethlehem, which shares Bethlehem’s history in a way that keeps guests of all ages entertained and learning. 
• Mystery & History Walking Tour takes guests through Bethlehem’s Colonial Industrial Quarters while stories are told about the various spirits that roam the historic buildings of Bethlehem. 
• Rise & Fall of Bethlehem Steel Walking Tour features up-close views of the former steel plant and an in-depth look at the steel-making process and the workers’ roles in our country’s history. 
• Taste of History Tour guides guests through centuries of rich history in downtown Bethlehem. Guests 21 and older can enjoy the Tasting Combo, which gives them a Christmas City Spirits tasting experience in addition to the Old Bethlehem Walking Tour. 
• Cemetery Tour: Death & Dying tells tales of the early Moravians’ views about death and dying while strolling through the Moravian’s first final resting place, God’s Acre. 
• Spirited Tales Tour takes visitors to the 1758 Sun Inn, Red Stag Pub, Lost Tavern Brewing, and the Historic Hotel Bethlehem while a costumed docent tells hidden, eerie paranormal tales.

This month’s tours are scheduled for the following dates and times:

• Mondays
• 1 p.m.: The Rise and Fall of Bethlehem Steel Tour
• Wednesdays
• 1 p.m.: Taste of History Tour
• Thursdays
• 1 p.m.: Taste of History Tour
• Fridays
• 1 p.m.: Old Bethlehem Walking Tour
• 1 p.m.: The Rise and Fall of Bethlehem Steel Tour
• 3 p.m.: Death & Dying: Cemetery Tour
• 5 p.m.: Mystery & History Tour
• Saturdays
• 11 a.m.: Playful Pathways: A Family-friendly Tour of Bethlehem
• 1 p.m.: Old Bethlehem Walking Tour
• 1 p.m.: The Rise and Fall of Bethlehem Steel Tour
• 3 p.m.: Spirited Tales Tour
• 5 p.m.: Mystery & History Tour
• Sundays
• 1 p.m.: Old Bethlehem Walking Tour
• 3 p.m.: Death & Dying Tour
• 5 p.m.: Mystery & History Tour

Interested visitors can book custom or group tours on dates not on the calendar through HBMS’s website at www.historicbethlehem.org/visit-us/group-tours.

A few upcoming items of note:

The Historic Turkey Trot 5K & Fun Walk is back on Saturday, Nov. 30 at 9:00 a.m. This event will kick off the holiday season for runners, walkers, and pets alike. Enjoy trotting through the historic streets of Bethlehem with family and friends and watching a Pet Costume Contest. This event is $40 to register. Registrants will receive a Turkey Trot T-Shirt, free race day refreshments, free admission to Trees of Historic Bethlehem and museums all weekend long, and a 10 percent discount at the Schropp Dry Goods Shoppe all weekend long. Male and female winners receive an HBMS Family Membership; winners among the youth participants will also be awarded prizes. The Pet Costume Contest will take place at 8:15 a.m. on the stage. Registration for this contest is free, but human owners must be registered Turkey Trot participants. 

Anyone interested in sponsoring this event can contact special events manager Beth Beatty at bbeatty@historicbethlehem.org or 610-882-0450 ext. 227 for more information. 

The 32nd Annual Holiday Dinner & Auction is on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024 at ArtsQuest. The Benefactors’ Reception will be at 5:30 p.m., followed by the guest reception at 6:30 p.m.. This evening of exquisite dining, fabulous cocktails, and auctions featuring beautiful art, unique items, and much more will honor various individuals and businesses. 

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