Visit Us
Walk through history as we guide you to things to learn, places to discover, and events that help connect us to our rich heritage.
Suggested Itineraries
For the Bucket-List Traveler
Walk the core of the only transnational, serial nomination World Heritage Site in the United States – from the 1741 Gemeinhaus to God’s Acre cemetery and Old Chapel and Central Moravian Church, plus the Single Sisters’ House, the 1752 Apothecary, and the Nain-Schober House. Two tours, one unbroken thread through three centuries of Moravian life.
Suggested itinerary offered Thursdays – Mondays:
- 11:00 AM: Tour of the 1741 Gemeinhaus (included in your tickets) – 45-60 minutes
- 12:00 PM: Branching Out: Moravian Museum Admission & Tour of Nearby Historic Sites – 45 minutes
- 12:45-2:00 PM: Lunch & Free time on Main Street
- 2:00 PM: World Heritage Tour – 90 minutes
For the Craft & Trade Enthusiast
Visit an 18-foot waterwheel still turning, the first pumped municipal water system in America. Visit the 1750 Smithy, where you see blacksmiths at work. Visit a pharmacy that operated longer than many countries have existed. This pairing connects the progressive roots of a 280-year-old community to the values shaping conversations today.
Suggested itinerary offered Saturdays & Sundays:
- 1:00 PM: Tour of the 1741 Gemeinhaus (included in your tickets) – 45-60 minutes
- 2:30 PM: Branching Out: Moravian Museum Admission & Tour of Nearby Historic Sites – 45 minutes
- 3:15 – 4:00 PM: Walk to the Colonial Industrial Quarter – approximately 10 minutes
- 4:00 PM: Birthplace of Industry Walking Tour – 90 minutes
For the History and Spirits Traveler
Explore the same streets Bethlehem’s first settlers did in the afternoon, then trade the history lecture for a pub tour once the sun goes down – complete with stories of mysteries and paranormal activity plus free tastings and a commemorative glass at the 1758 Sun Inn. Perfect for filling a half day downtown!
Suggested itinerary offered Saturdays through October:
- 1:00 PM: Old Bethlehem Walking Tour – 90 minutes
- 2:30-3:00 PM: Free time on Main Street
- 3:00 PM: Spirited Tales Pub Tour – 90-120 minutes
For the Living Legacy Explorer
Begin among the buildings where the earliest settlers gathered, prayed, and laid the groundwork for a community built to last, then follow that legacy into the quarter where it took on a new form – hands at work, machinery humming, trade taking hold. Faith and industry, side by side, in one unhurried walk.
Suggested itinerary offered Saturdays & Sundays:
- 1:00 PM: Tour of the 1741 Gemeinhaus (included in your tickets) – 45-60 minutes
- 2:00 PM: World Heritage Tour – 90 minutes
- 3:15 – 4:00 PM: Walk to the Colonial Industrial Quarter – approximately 10 minutes
- 4:00 PM: Birthplace of Industry Walking Tour – 90 minutes
For Those Wanting to "See It All"
One full day, the whole story. Wander from the quiet courtyards where Bethlehem’s earliest residents lived and worshipped, through the halls where faith took root and community was built, and into the industrial quarter where that same community turned its hands to trade – water still turning the wheel, the anvil still ringing. It’s Bethlehem’s entire arc, from first prayer to first industry, in a single day.
Suggested itinerary offered Saturdays & Sundays:
- 11:00 AM: Tour of the 1741 Gemeinhaus (included in your tickets) – 45-60 minutes
- 12:00 PM: Branching Out: Moravian Museum Admission & Tour of Nearby Historic Sites – 45 minutes
- 12:45-2:00 PM: Lunch & Free time on Main Street
- 2:00 PM: World Heritage Tour – 90 minutes
- 3:30 – 4:00 PM: Walk to the Colonial Industrial Quarter – approximately 10 minutes
- 4:00 PM: Birthplace of Industry Walking Tour – 90 minutes
For the Fall Weekend Guest
Start with 285 years of Bethlehem’s founding story in daylight, then return to the same Colonial Industrial Quarter after dusk for tales of unsolved murders and eerie premonitions at the 1750 Smithy, 1762 Waterworks, and 1761 Tannery for a full day downtown.
Suggested itinerary offered Friday, Saturdays, Sundays:
- 1:00 PM: Old Bethlehem Walking Tour – 90 minutes
- 2:30-5:00 PM: Dinner & Free time on Main Street
- 5:00 PM: Mystery & History Walking Tour – 90 minutes
For the Legacy & Meaning Seeker
A slower-paced afternoon for guests who’d rather wander than rush – from the Single Sisters’ House and the 1752 Apothecary to the quiet rows of God’s Acre, Bethlehem’s oldest cemetery, where a costumed guide shares how a colonial community organized daily life – medicine, residences, neighbors – and how it marked loss, down to specific customs like the Death Tray once used to announce a death.
Suggested itinerary offered Fridays:
- 12:00 PM: Branching Out: Moravian Museum Admission & Tour of Nearby Historic Sites – 45 minutes
- 12:45-3:00 PM: Lunch & Free time on Main Street
- 3:00 PM: Cemetery Tour: Death & Dying Walking Tour – 90 minutes
For the Community & Culture Educator
This pairing checks several curriculum boxes at once: early Bethlehem community life, early women’s education, the history of medicine, Indigenous history in colonial Pennsylvania, and colonial settlement planning – all within a short walk of each other.
Suggested itinerary offered Thursdays – Mondays:
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- 11:00 AM: Tour of the 1741 Gemeinhaus (included in your tickets) – 45-60 minutes
- 12:00 PM: Branching Out: Moravian Museum Admission & Tour of Nearby Historic Sites – 45 minutes
- 12:45-1:00 PM: Walk to the Goundie House Welcome Center – approximately 10 minutes
- 1:00 PM: Old Bethlehem Walking Tour – 90 minutes
For the Design & Industry Buff
A costumed guide leads guests through the Colonial Industrial Quarter’s working Smithy and Waterworks, once the largest concentration of pre-Industrial Revolution technology in the nation – then walk through three centuries of the decorative objects those and similar skills eventually helped to produce, from Bohemian glass to antique dollhouses.
Suggested itinerary offered Saturdays & Sundays:
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- 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM: Tour the Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts – 60 minutes (tour during any open hour)
- Purchase Kemerer Museum Admission
- 4:00 PM: Birthplace of Industry Walking Tour – 90 minutes
- 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM: Tour the Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts – 60 minutes (tour during any open hour)
For the Revolutionary War Buff
Follow Bethlehem’s community from its earliest days into the pressures of a war it never chose. Guests see the 1762 Waterworks and hear how the Second Single Brethren’s House became a Continental Army hospital, caring for more than 400 sick and wounded soldiers, including the Marquis de Lafayette.
Suggested itinerary offered Sundays:
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- 1:00 PM: Old Bethlehem Walking Tour – 90 minutes
- 2:30-3:00 PM: Free time on Main Street
- 3:00 PM: Bethlehem & The Revolution Tour – 90 minutes
For the Story Collector
God’s Acre hold more than headstones – it hold stories. This pairing follows the Old Bethlehem Walking Tour’s account of the town’s history into the individual tales uncovered among the graves at Bethlehem’s oldest cemetery.
Suggested itinerary offered Fridays:
- 1:00 PM: Old Bethlehem Walking Tour – 90 minutes
- 2:30-3:00 PM: Free time on Main Street
- 3:00 PM: Cemetery Tour: Death & Dying Walking Tour – 90 minutes
September Tours
October Tours
Most Popular Tours
Museum Tours (Year-Round)
Behind the Scenes Dollhouse Tour
The Behind the Scenes Dollhouse Tour at the Kemerer Museum offers exclusive access to the Elizabeth Johnston Prime Dollhouse Collection featuring an impressive array of 44 antique structures, including dollhouses, stores, stables, mansions and verandas.
Purchase TicketsWalking Tours (Year-Round)
Self-Guided Tours (Year-Round)
Heritage Trail
Walk, jog, or bike along the Historic Bethlehem Heritage Trail! Experience Bethlehem with a self-guided tour on your own time and at your own pace with the use of your own mobile device.
With 6 links, 80 stops, and 275 years of history, you’ll meet the Moravian Founders, Monocacy Valley, Westward Expansion, Victorian Bethlehem, Farmland to Industry, and Bethlehem Steel.
Trail Descriptions, Distances, and Times
Moravian Founders Trail
Distance: 1 mile
Time: 1 hour 20 min
Details: Focused on the very heart of Historic Bethlehem, and in the newly designated Historic Moravian Bethlehem National Historic Landmark District, this link tells how the city’s first settlers built a prosperous economy, filled with crafts and trade.
Monocacy Valley Trail
Distance: 2.5 miles
Time: 1 hour 20 min
Details: Wind along the Monocacy Way Trail and follow the creek that brought life to Burnside Plantation, Illick’s Mill, and the Colonial Industrial Quarter. A great link for bikers!
Westward Expansion Trail
Distance: 2 miles
Time: 1 hour 15 min
Details: Following the construction of the Broad Street Bridge came Bethlehem’s first suburbs. This peaceful neighborhood stroll includes a memorial to fallen Revolutionary War soldiers.
Victorian Bethlehem
Distance: 0.75 miles
Time: 1 hour
Details: Take in the breathtaking homes that housed Bethlehem’s wealthiest industrialists.
Farmland to Industry
Distance: 3 miles
Time: 2 hours
Details: As farms became factories and canals became railroads in the mid-1800s, Bethlehem grew to include many churches, social halls, and markets.
Steel Stop
Distance: 1.75 miles
Time: 1 hour
Details: The great story of Bethlehem Steel’s rise to become the second largest steel producer in the U.S. This link highlights the people who worked at the plant.
The Heritage Trail (TM) is sponsored by St. Luke’s
Purchase Today
Heritage Trail, God's Acre & Nisky Hill Cemetery Tour
Spend the day outside, and at your own pace, learn more about the history of Bethlehem through the Heritage Trail and our God’s Acre and Nisky Hill Cemetery tours.
Heritage Trail
Walk, jog, or bike along the Historic Bethlehem Heritage Trail! Experience Bethlehem with a self-guided tour on your own time and at your own pace with the use of your own mobile device.
With 6 links, 80 stops, and 275 years of history, you’ll meet the Moravian Founders, Monocacy Valley, Westward Expansion, Victorian Bethlehem, Farmland to Industry, and Bethlehem Steel.
God’s Acre & Nisky Hill Cemetery Tour
Serving as vital spaces for honoring and remembering those who have passed, cemeteries provide a connection to our shared history and personal heritage. They offer a place for reflection and grieving, allowing individuals and communities to pay their respects and find closure. Additionally, cemeteries hold historical and cultural significance, preserving the stories and traditions of the past for future generations.
From simple flat gravestones to elaborate tombs, monuments, and mausoleums, our self-guided walking tours of God’s Acre and Nisky Hill explore the history and iconography of the burials in each cemetery.
Purchase Today
Explore Moravian Bethlehem
Explore the 26th World Heritage Site in the United States – Moravian Church Settlements-Bethlehem – on this exciting World Heritage tour focusing on the approximately two-square block area of historic downtown Bethlehem that the Moravian settlers recognized as the center of their community, and the living heritage and traditions that still carry out today.
Purchase Tickets
Branching Out: Moravian Museum Admission & Tour of Nearby Historic Sites
Discover Bethlehem's rich history by visiting the Moravian Museum in the 1741 Gemeinhaus, the oldest building in the city, and touring the city's nearby historic buildings.
Purchase TicketsNovember Tours (through November 13)
Christmas Tours
Central Moravian Church Offerings
Visit our friends, the Central Moravian Church who are offering guided tours of their historic buildings!
Learn More
Other Guided Tours Not Currently Available
These tours are not currently available as public tours. If you are interested in taking one of these tours, you can book your custom tour today!
* Note: Custom tours are designed for 6 or more people. While we can accommodate less than that number, we have a 6-person minimum charge for group/custom tours. One week's notice is requested to book a custom tour.
List of All Tours
Museum Tours
- Moravian Museum
- Kemerer Museum
- Branching Out: Moravian Museum Admission & Tour of Nearby Historic Sites
- Discovering Bethlehem: Interactive Museum Adventure for Kids
- Behind the Scenes Dollhouse Tour
Walking Tours
- World Heritage Tour
- Rise & Fall of Bethlehem Steel Walking Tour
- Old Bethlehem Walking Tour
- Historic Pub Walking Tour
- Bethlehem & the Revolution Tour
- Ales & Tales: Revolutionary Pub Walking Tour
- Historic Burnside Guided Tour
- Cemetery Tour: Death & Dying
- Mystery & History Walking Tour
- Spirited Tales Pub Tour
- Apothecary Tour
- Birthplace of Industry Walking Tour
- Love, Lot, & Marriage Tour
- Heart & Soul: Music in Moravian Bethlehem Walking Tour
- Playful Pathways: A Family-friendly Tour of Historic Bethlehem
Self-Guided Tours
- Heritage Trail
- God’s Acre Cemetery Tour
- Nisky Hill Cemetery Tour
- God’s Acre & Nisky Hill Cemetery Tour
- Heritage Trail, God’s Acre & Nisky Hill Cemetery Tour
Christmas Tours
- Christmas City Stroll
- Bethlehem By Night Motorcoach Tour
- Spirits of Christmas Pub Walking Tour
- Trees of Historic Bethlehem
Walking Tour Accessibility
Historic Bethlehem’s guided walking tours take you through the heart of Bethlehem’s National Historic Landmark District – the same grounds where history actually happened. A typical tour runs about 90 minutes at a comfortable walking pace, moving along brick and paved sidewalks, a few gentle hills, and some sloped or possibly grassy stretches between stops. It’s part of what makes the experience feel real rather than staged.
If you have questions about a specific tour, or want help planning your visit, call the Historic Bethlehem Heritage Concierge Service at 1-800-360-TOUR (8687). We’re happy to walk through the details with you and find the right fit.
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What is the typical pace of the tours?
Tours are typically around 90 minutes, unless otherwise stated on the tour page. This is around 90 minutes of walking and standing, with stops along the way to take in the sights and stories. Seating is available at only a few points along the routes.
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What is the terrain?
The terrain is a mix of brick and paved sidewalks, with some uneven, sloped, or grassy sections. Comfortable, closed-toe shoes are highly recommended.
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Are there inclines or slopes on these tours?
Most routes are gently sloped. The Bethlehem and the Revolution, Birthplace of Industry, and Mystery & History Tours include a steeper paved incline between the Historic District and the Colonial Industrial Quarter. It's a great chance to see the landscape that shaped the city's industry.
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Are there stairs on the tours?
The Grist Miller's House, 1741 Gemeinhaus, and the Single Sisters' House are original 18th-century buildings without elevators, so there is a flight or two of steeper historic stairs. Guests on the Branching Out Tour, which includes the Gemeinhaus and the Single Sisters' House, and the Birthplace of Industry Tour, which includes the Grist Miller's House, are welcome to remain on the main floor. Our guides are happy to describe what is on the other floors, and Branching Out Tour attendees can watch a video at the Gemeinhaus showing what they would see on the second floor of the building.
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Are the tours wheelchair and mobility device friendly?
Many outdoor sections of our tour routes are navigable with a manual or power wheelchair. Some brick and sloped areas may be more challenging for certain devices, and we're glad to help you find the route that works best.
