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Free Sundays at the Museum

Looking for a place to spend a Sunday afternoon that both the kids and the adults will enjoy? Have trouble convincing your kids to join you in a museum visit?

We are proud to open the Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts for free! Enjoy a range of exciting activities like Career Corner, the Family Room, and Museum Storytime, which are kid-friendly, but also intriguing for adults alike. Take a tour of our permeant museum collection filled with local history and decorative arts from the past, or check out our seasonal changing exhibit on special topics!

Free Sundays at the Museum take place at the Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts, 427 North New Street, Bethlehem, PA 18018 and run from 1PM-4PM every Sunday, January 13 through the end of October.

Free Sundays at the Museum programs are funded with support from the Jones Children Fund.

Free Sunday Family Programs

1-4PM: Family Room Activities

Get crafty in the Family Room with fun rotating activities relating to our current exhibit. Kids can learn about history though these hands-on crafts and activities themed after artifacts in the exhibit. Many of our activities draw inspiration from those that were practiced by Moravian children in the colonial days - some of which are still practiced today!

1-4PM: Guided Museum Tour & Scavenger Hunt

Leaves on the hour from the Museum Shop

Our tour guide will lead you through the various restored rooms and galleries of the museum, giving you stories of the past surrounding each artifact.

Learn about the museum founder, Annie Kemerer, and her personal collection that started it all.

Kid-friendly artifact scavenger hunts are available for use during tours!

1:30PM: Museum Storytime

The Museum Storytime program allows kids to spend time in the museum learning about history in a unique and engaging way. Kids can come listen to a story that is inspired by an artifact in the collection. Each week features a different story and artifact!

Once Upon a Treehouse Interactive Playroom

Children will love this kids-only special interactive room where they can be hands-on, play dress up, use their imagination, and interact with beautiful handmade dollhouses themed after Kemerer’s very own historic dollhouse collection!

1-4PM: Self-guided Exploration of Seasonal Exhibition (first floor of museum)

Artifacts Reimagined: A 5x5 Artist Exhibit opens March 28

See over 50 new works by the 5x5 Artists inspired by pieces from our collection!

Enjoy programs and workshops featuring various art mediums, skills, and crafts.

Career Corner

Taking place throughout the year, this program brings professionals into the museum to present a children’s activity that demonstrates how they use design in their current job.

  • May 26- Author Paul Acampora

Check back for future Career Corner speaker dates!

Free Sundays Activities Schedule

Sunday, May 12

1 - 4PM: Kid's Crafts

Happy Mothers’ Day! Decorate a picture frame for yourself or your mom.

1:30PM: Story Time in the Morning Call Reading Room

Join us in the reading room to listen to Louise and Andie: The Art of Friendship. Louise and Andie both love art, but have different ideas about what ‘art’ is. Can they overcome their artistic differences?

2:30PM: Artifact Show & Tell

We aren’t the only people to make friendship bracelets or have matching ‘BFF’ necklaces. Girls 150 years ago crafted unique gifts for each other to show friendship just like we do. Come see rarely displayed friendship tokens from the Moravian Ladies’ Seminary and learn more about friendship 150 years ago!

Sunday, May 19

1 - 4PM: Kid's Crafts

Have you ever thought about life before modern cameras? The modern camera is about 150 years old, but do you know there’s something much older than that: the camera obscura. Make your own camera obscura with us and learn how it worked.

1:30PM: Story Time in the Morning Call Reading Room

Join us in the Morning Call Reading Room to listen to ‘Lights! Camera! Alice!: The Thrilling True Adventures of the First Woman Filmmaker.’ Hear Alice Guy-Blanche’s story and how she made some of the earliest movies.

2:30PM: Artifact Show & Tell

See a timeline of old cameras in the Kemerer collection and learn about how photography has changed over time.

Sunday, May 26

1 - 4PM: Kid's Crafts

Writers never know when inspiration will strike, so they often keep a journal with them to jot down ideas. Make your own journal to write your story ideas down in!

1:30PM: Story Time in the Morning Call Reading Room

Join us in the Morning Call Reading Room to listen to ‘The Word Collector.’ Some people collect stamps. Others collect comic books. But Jerome? He collects words.

2:00PM: Career Corner

Come hear about the unique and interesting career as a writer from local author Paul Acampora as he talks about being an author and the writing process.

Sunday, June 2

1 - 4PM: Kid's Crafts

If you built a house, what would it look like? Show us when you join us to make your own house using construction paper.

1:30PM: Story Time in the Morning Call Reading Room

Join us in the Morning Call Reading Room to listen to ‘How to Build a House.’ Eli and his friends have been on tons of adventures, but now they want a place to rest. But will it be a place where everyone feels at home?

2:30PM: Artifact Show & Tell

Ever wonder how builders plan out a house? View historic blueprints in the Kemerer’s collection to learn about them.

Sunday, June 9

1 - 4PM: Kid's Crafts

Funny hats are the best part of dress up. Come make your own dress-up hat to wear and take home.

1:30PM: Story Time in the Morning Call Reading Room

Join us in the Morning Call Reading Room to listen to ‘Harriet Gets Carried Away.’ Harriet loves to dress up. While preparing for her dress up birthday party she stumbles into an adventure. Will she make it home in time for her party?

2:30PM: Artifact Show & Tell

Learn about fashions of the 18th and 19th century as we show clothing and hats in the Kemerer collection.

Sunday, June 16

1 - 4PM: Kid's Crafts

Not every dollhouse is expensive, made in a factory, or fancy. Learn how to make your own dollhouse out of shoebox!

1:30PM: Story Time in the Morning Call Reading Room

Join us in the Morning Call Reading Room to listen to ‘This is My Dollhouse.’ A little girl makes her own dollhouse out of a box, but is worried her friend won’t like to play with it.

2:30PM: Artifact Show & Tell

We have 53 dollhouses donated by Elizabeth Johnston Prime in our collection, but not all of them can be displayed. Come view one of the rarely displayed dollhouses from our collection!

Sunday, June 23

1 - 4PM: Kid's Crafts

Turn light into color! Make a suncatcher using household objects like wax and tissue paper.

1:30PM: Story Time in the Morning Call Reading Room

Join us in the Morning Call Reading Room to listen to ‘Frida Catlo,’ a biography of artist Frida Kahlo but with cats!

2:30PM: Artifact Show & Tell

Come see intricate pieces of Annie Kemerer’s extensive glass collection!

Sunday, June 30

1 - 4PM: Kid's Crafts

Did you know that tin punched lanterns date back to the 16th century? Make your own tin punch dish at free Sundays!

1:30PM: Story Time in the Morning Call Reading Room

Join us in the Morning Call Reading Room to listen to ‘Take the Lead, George Washington,’ a biography about our first president.

2:30PM: Artifact Show & Tell

Tin punching in the colonial era was both decorative and practical and used on lanterns, graters, cheese Sunday molds, and more. Learn more about the tin punched items in Historic Bethlehem’s collection.

Thank you to our Free Sundays Sponsors

HBMS Free Sunday Sponsor Fig Bethlehem

HBMS Free Sundays Sponsor The Morning Call

HBMS Free Sunday Sponsor Altitude Marketing

In the News

Learn more about Free Sundays at the Museum in the news.

"Family fun that’s free — if that sounds good to you, you’ll want to head to Bethlehem’s Kemerer Museum of the Decorative Arts on Sunday afternoons...You’ll find a range of programs and activities that caters to many ages and promotes creativity and exploration." - Article by The Morning Call

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Kemerer Museum Site Rentals

For a special occasion amidst priceless works that celebrate the decorative arts, the Kemerer is a one-of-a-kind destination sure to fascinate your discerning guests!

Able to accommodate up to 100 people, the Kemerer Museum provides a unique venue for your special event. This location is perfect for cocktail parties, family reunions, corporate dinners, birthday parties, baby showers, and so much more.

Read More About Site Rentals for: The Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts

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Historic Bethlehem Partnership, Inc. is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Registration and financial information about Historic Bethlehem Partnership, Inc. may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll-free, within Pennsylvania, 1-800-732-0999, or on the web at www.dos.state.pa.us. Registration does not imply endorsement.