Free Sundays at the Museum
Free First Sundays of the Month
Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites is pleased to welcome the public to The Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts and The Moravian Museum on the First Sunday of the Month for Free! The Museums will be open Sundays from 11am - 5pm with fun activities for the whole family.
Free Sundays at the Museum programs are funded with support from the Jones Children Fund.
September 4, 2022 11am -5pm
Then and Now: Sports & Games
To prepare for our exciting upcoming exhibition focused on the style, design, and history of play visit the Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts and the Moravian Museum of Bethlehem to learn more about fun sports and games of the past!
At The Kemerer Museum: Make your own Table Sports Craft
From individual games like hopscotch, to team sports like football and baseball, design is important to some of our favorite games and sports. Join us at the Kemerer Museum to create and decorate your own table-top sports game to challenge your friends and family with!
At The Moravian Museum: Colonial Games and Sports
What kinds of games and sports did people play in the past? Visit the Moravian Museum to learn about popular games in colonial America and try a few out yourself. What a fun way to discover the past!
October 2, 2022 11am -5pm
Then and Now: Toys, Dolls, and Imaginative Play
At The Kemerer Museum: Paint your own tea set
Set your imagination free! Visit the Kemerer to decorate your own ceramic teacup and saucer with acrylic paint pens! Work freehand or use stencils to create a patterned look. Once cured in the oven at home, these teacups are ready to use and dishwasher safe!
At The Moravian Museum: Colonial Toys and Dolls
What types of toys would you have had in the past? Visit the Moravian Museum to discover and play with some colonial games like Jacob's Ladders, buzz-saws, and yo-yos, and even make your own paper dolls!
November 6, 2022 11am -5pm
At The Kemerer Museum: Classic Games Holiday Ornament
Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the Kemerer Museum! Get ready to celebrate the holidays by making your own ornament craft inspired by classic games like scrabble, dominos, and puzzles.
At The Moravian Museum: Play of Christmas Past
Visit the Moravian Museum to discover historic games and other examples of play during the Christmas season. You can even help set up a Moravian putz display!
Take a look at some of our other Free Sundays activities offered this year
May 1, 2022 11am -5pm
At The Kemerer Museum: Make your own stained glass
Stained glass is one of the most beautiful forms of glass. Join us in making your very own “stained glass” creations! Your “stained glass” designs will be the perfect gift for Mother’s Day!
Materials:
- Acrylic Paint – comes in a variety of colors
- Gallery Glass Liquid Leading – comes in black and gold
- Glass sheets
- Sample designs and images
- Toothpicks
At The Moriavian Museum: Ew, Glass
We use glass to see, to understand, and to light our roads. But glass is also used in a variety of ways one might consider strange, like in wigs or prosthetic eyes. Join us for a special show and tell at the Moravian Museum of Bethlehem where you’ll learn about all the weird ways we use glass.
June 5, 2022 11am -5pm
At The Kemerer Museum: Make Your Own Glowing Glass
You already know that many of the household items we use daily contain glass, but would you be concerned to learn that many of these items also contain trace amounts of radiation? Prior to World War II, uranium was used as a coloring agent in everything from plates, glasses, and punch bowls to beads, candlesticks, and vases. Any objects that contain uranium glow under blacklight.
Young guests explore our uranium glass display by blacklight and paint their own “glowing glass” objects using glow-in-the-dark paint!
At The Moravian Museum: Make your own Glass Harmonium
Did you know that the first glass musical instrument – a harmonium – was invented by Benjamin Franklin in 1761? As part of this month’s program, in the spirit of Benjamin Franklin and Moravian Bethlehem’s innovative settlers, you’ll be able to make your very own harmonium!
July 3, 2022 11am -5pm
At The Kemerer Museum: Make your own stained glass
Stained glass is one of the most beautiful forms of glass. Join us in making your very own “stained glass” creations from a variety of designs and stencils! This is an activity you don’t want to miss!
Paint by Glass
Using a variety of blueberry-related stencils, guests will be able to paint their very own reusable cups! Guests who bring their decorated cups to our 35th annual Blueberry Festival will receive a free blueberry lemonade!
At The Moravian Museum: Glass and Navigation
Glass is used in compasses to guide our way, and telescopes to help us see across vast distances. As part of this month’s program, you’ll learn about the ways we use glass to find our way and make your very own telescope!
During Musikfest at The Luckenbach Mill
Make your own Suncatcher
Catch some sun at the Luckenbach Mill! Join us for a Free Sunday workshop that will see guests create their very own suncatchers! This is an event you don’t want to miss!
Glass and Sound
Glass can be used in a variety of ways - it can also be used to create sound! Join us for a Free Sunday workshop where you’ll learn the art and science of glass and sound, and how you can tell the difference between different types of glass based on the sounds they make!
Additional activities at the Kemerer Museum
Young Artists' Workshop
Free First Sundays at the Museum returns to the Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts and the Moravian Museum. Throughout the year we’ll be exploring different art techniques and mediums and expanding our art “palette” in conjunction with A Glimpse Through Glass.
1-4PM: Guided Museum Tour & Scavenger Hunt
Leaves on the hour from the Kemerer 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!
2:00 PM: Museum Storytime at The Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts on Free Sundays
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!
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.
Check out our Virtual Career Corner on Youtube below!
Thank you to our Free Sundays Sponsors
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
Other Things You Might Like
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.
