{"id":59095,"date":"2017-12-10T07:57:28","date_gmt":"2017-12-10T11:57:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/?p=59095"},"modified":"2025-09-02T00:23:40","modified_gmt":"2025-09-02T04:23:40","slug":"the-best-things-to-do-in-bethlehem-pa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/59095\/the-best-things-to-do-in-bethlehem-pa\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best Things To Do In Bethlehem, PA"},"content":{"rendered":"

Unless you\u2019re into blacksmithing, Moravian history, or went to Lehigh University, chances are Bethlehem,<\/a> PA has not made it onto your bucket list\u2026 yet. Turns out, it\u2019s ridiculously close to the city – just a 2-hour bus ride away – and its rich history is surprisingly relevant to our present-day city life. Much of our NYC skyline is thanks to Bethlehem Steel, once the country\u2019s second-largest producer of steel (Pittsburgh being the first). Since the steel mill\u2019s closing in 1995, the area has made a comeback, re-energized with music, food, and holiday festivals. Tour the beautifully rusted steel mill, hike the historic Ironton Rail Trail, or shop your way through the holiday Christkindlmarkt – whatever you get up to, you\u2019ll see that Bethlehem does the holidays like nobody else.<\/span><\/p>\n

History in Bethlehem\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

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The town was founded by Moravian missionaries on Christmas Eve of 1741, Bethlehem a nod to the Biblical birthplace of Jesus. In 1937 (even in the midst of the Great Depression), the town went all out on a grand Christmas event and was thereafter nicknamed “Christmas City, USA,\u201d a status it has taken seriously ever since. Learn more on a walking tour with <\/span>Historic Bethlehem Tours<\/span><\/a> by day, then stroll the Christmas light-lined streets by night (you\u2019ll likely run into a caroler on the way). For a closer look, the annual <\/span>Holiday Putz Tour<\/span><\/a>\u00a0is a winner. Pop into the oldest continuously running bookstore in America – the <\/span>Moravian Book Shop<\/span><\/a> – \u00a0founded in 1745.<\/span><\/p>\n

Where to Stay in Bethlehem<\/b><\/h2>\n

For an authentic feel for the area stay at <\/span>Historic Hotel Bethlehem<\/span><\/a>, on the site of the \u201cFirst House of Bethlehem\u201d (built in 1741) and nestled conveniently right on Main Street. With over 40,000 lights in the lobby over the holidays, it enjoys a festive feel. \u00a0At the very least, stop in for their <\/span>Sunday Musical Brunch<\/span><\/a>, complete with chocolate fountain and voted top 100 brunches in the country by Open Table. On the other side of the Lehigh River from town, <\/span>The Sayre Mansion<\/span><\/a> has some sleek accommodations. If you don\u2019t mind waking up with the sun, the Conservatory room offers an glass ceiling and a 180-degree bird\u2019s-eye view of Bethlehem.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What To Do in Christmas City<\/b><\/h2>\n

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Even during the winter, expect to spend a lot of time outdoors. The must-see in town is the old Bethlehem Steel mill. The same designers of the NYC High Line have transformed the above ground Hoover Mason Trestle into a sleek walkway that allows visitors an up close view of the industrial era and various stages of rust. Sign up for a <\/span>walking tour<\/span> to learn about the mill\u2019s boom and bust, then make your way to the <\/span>Christkindlmarkt<\/span><\/a>, a tented event located right next to the steel stacks. Watch ice sculptors and glass blowers, sip mulled wine and munch kettle corn, and visit the 165 vendors to tackle your holiday shopping list. The $9 entry fee supports <\/span>Arts Quest<\/span><\/a>, which offers free concerts throughout the year. Get some exercise and walk part of the 165-mile long <\/span>Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor<\/span><\/a>. A quick taxi ride will bring you to the <\/span>Ironton Rail Trail<\/span><\/a> – take in the historic sites as you walk the 5-mile paved loop. If you prefer to stay by the fire, try a glassblowing class at the <\/span>Banana Factory<\/span><\/a> or a <\/span>Blacksmithing 101<\/span> class. <\/span><\/p>\n

Eat + Drink in Bethlehem\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

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The <\/span>Sun Inn<\/span><\/a> has welcomed out-of-town guests since 1758, with visitors the likes of George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and Ben Franklin. Enjoy a good meal or drinks at the bar before touring the museum – keep an eye out for the guests who never left. If you can figure out how to get in, enjoy comfort food, craft cocktails, and live jazz at <\/span>The Bookstore Speakeasy<\/span>. Taste your way through a distillery tour at <\/span>The Social Still<\/span><\/a>, housed in a prohibition-era bank building. For uber casual burgers, wings, and beers right in town head to <\/span>Fegley’s Bethlehem Brew Works<\/span><\/a> or just outside town you\u2019ll find <\/span>The Mint Gastropub<\/span><\/a>, a trendy spot serving up classic comforts with a twist. It\u2019s worth the quick ride out of town for a rustically chic date night. <\/span>Bolete<\/span><\/a> is a farm-to-table restaurant, based in a renovated stage coach building.<\/span><\/p>\n

Insider Tip<\/b><\/h2>\n

Here are some local events worth keeping an eye out for: <\/span>Bacon Fest<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Peeps Fest<\/span><\/a> (featuring a 200 pound peep!)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Martin Guitar factory tour<\/span><\/a>, and <\/span>Velodrome<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

There is definitely more history, nature, and unexpected entertainment than you can pack into one weekend, so you\u2019ll have to plan a second trip. We are especially looking forward to taking on the 165-mile bike path in the spring.<\/span><\/p>\n

Get to Bethlehem Pennsylvania by Public Transit<\/b><\/h2>\n

Take the <\/span>Bieber Bus<\/span><\/a> from Port Authority toward Allentown and hop off in Bethlehem (about 2 hours and $68 roundtrip).<\/span><\/p>\n

For additional trip planning information, go to www.Discoverlehighvalley.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Photo credits: Annelise McBride, Meredith McBride-Kipp<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Unless you\u2019re into blacksmithing, Moravian history, or went to Lehigh University, chances are Bethlehem, PA has not made it onto your bucket list\u2026 yet. Turns out, it\u2019s ridiculously close to the city – just a 2-hour bus ride away – and its rich history is surprisingly relevant to our present-day city life. Much of our […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":60,"featured_media":59255,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[316,850,831,910,817,833,747,835,852,829,838,777,770,769,841,969,1057,907,774,849,847,1867,1],"tags":[40,176,108,381,293,143,280,120,110,169],"class_list":{"0":"post-59095","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-weekend-getaways","8":"category-antiques-shopping-2","9":"category-architecture-culture-2","10":"category-bethlehem","11":"category-biking-adventure-activity-2","12":"category-books-culture-2","13":"category-bus-2","14":"category-classes-culture-2","15":"category-crafts-shopping-2","16":"category-culture-2","17":"category-fall-foliage-culture-2","18":"category-fine-dining","19":"category-food-drink","20":"category-historic-sites-culture","21":"category-holidays-culture-2","22":"category-locations","23":"category-museums-culture-2","24":"category-pennsylvania-2","25":"category-restaurants-food-drink","26":"category-shopping-2","27":"category-tours-culture-2","28":"category-transit-type","29":"category-uncategorized","30":"tag-art","31":"tag-bed-and-breakfast","32":"tag-beer","33":"tag-biking","34":"tag-budget-friendly","35":"tag-bus","36":"tag-cultural-getaway","37":"tag-family-fun","38":"tag-historical-sites","39":"tag-weekend-getaway"},"acf":[],"mv":{"thumbnail_id":59255,"thumbnail_uri":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/LRG_DSC07799-1-350x197.jpg"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59095","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/60"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=59095"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59095\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/59255"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59095"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59095"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59095"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}