Historic Bethlehem: The Moravian Settlement
Saturday, April 18, 2026
Join the Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation and Historic Harrisburg Association in Historic Bethlehem!
Departing from the Camp Hill Shopping Plaza in Camp Hill, Cumberland County, our trip will visit the United States’ newest UNESCO World Heritage Site: Moravian Church Settlements — Bethlehem. We are visiting on a day that they are celebrating Community Heritage Day!
Our first tour will include the Moravian Museum/Gemeinhaus. Step foot inside the first place of worship for the Moravians to learn more about their communal living, medicinal practices, missionary work, and progressive educational system. We will also visit three important structures:
- 1744/1752 Single Sisters’ House: Experience the daily life as a Single Sister in 1700s Bethlehem
- 1765 Nain-Schober House: The only extant 18th-century building that was built by and lived in by Indigenous Peoples in Eastern Pennsylvania
- 1752 Apothecary: Up until its closing in the 1950s, the Apothecary was the oldest pharmacy in continuous operation in the United States
Lunch:
A Lunch & Learn at the Johnson Barn will include a presentation on Burnside Plantation. This historic 6.5-acre farm-in-the-city, Burnside Plantation, opened its doors to early American agricultural life. A self-guided tour will immediately follow. The property includes a restored 1748/1818 farmhouse, two 1840s bank barns, a large kitchen garden and orchard, a corn crib, wagon shed and one of the only remaining working High Horse-Power wheels in the US.
Afternoon Tour: Birthplace of Industry
Well before the Industrial Revolution, the early Moravians built a thriving community in Bethlehem near the confluence of the Monocacy Creek and Lehigh River. Completely self-sufficient, these industrious settlers quickly established the largest concentration of pre-Industrial Revolution technology in the nation, with approximately 50 crafts, trades and industries in operation by the mid-1750s.
Tour Highlights:
- Grist Millers House & Museum: This is the only tour where you can visit this building listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1750/1761 Smithy: You’ll see blacksmiths hard at work pounding the anvil.
- 1762 Waterworks: The first pumped municipal water system in the nation. See the 18-foot-in-diameter undershot waterwheel that turned a mechanism that pumped water from the spring uphill to a tower in the heart of the early Moravian settlement.
Explore the Working Hands Exhibit where you will discover how a community of pacifists wrestled with their convictions and beliefs while playing an integral role in the American Revolution.
Finally, experience Community World Heritage Day at the Colonial Industrial Quarter. In honor of this day, we will see blacksmiths, tinsmiths, open-hearth cooks and other artisans hard at work showcasing 18th- and 19th- century crafts and trades.
Time On Your Own:
Before heading back, there will be approximately 2 hours to:
Add on an optional tour of the Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts. (see below)
Visit and shop at the Moravian Bookshop, the oldest bookstore in America.
Schropp Dry Goods Shoppe is a charming store inspired by the town’s original dry goods store.
Main Street is within walking distance to unique stores and restaurants.
Grab dinner on your own. Suggested options include: (click on links for more details and menu options)
- McCarthy's Red Stag Pub: Authentic Irish and British Isles food made from scratch, a full bar and a family-friendly atmosphere.
- Sun Inn Tavern: A casual, relaxed dining experience with colonially reflective food and a one-of-a-kind atmosphere. Take in the historical décor and building without feeling like you are in a museum.
- Historic Hotel Bethlehem: Classic American cuisine from an award-winning culinary team.
Optional Add-On Tour:
The following tour is offered to you at an additional cost. There will be an add-on option when you complete your registration.
The tour time will be 3:30 - 4:30.
Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts: $13/60 minutes
Pennsylvania's only decorative arts museum. Featured Exhibit: "Baked into Bethlehem" which traces the evolution of baking as a cornerstone of Bethlehem’s community, spirituality, and creativity. Docent led tour.
The bus will depart on Saturday, April 18, at 8:00am from Boscov’s Parking Lot in the Camp Hill Shopping Center and will return to the same location at 7:30pm.
Cost:
$129 for Members of the PA Heritage Foundation, Historic Harrisburg Association or PHMC Employees
$139 for Non-members.
The cost includes the bus, tour tickets, lunch and driver gratuity
Accessibility:
Historic buildings pose unique challenges for accessibility. Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites welcomes all guests and strives to make as many of their sites accessible to everyone as possible. Many sites are fully wheelchair accessible.
