By The Rebecca Francis Team
The Lehigh Valley has more history packed into a relatively small geographic area than most visitors realize before they arrive. The region sat at the center of early American industry, Revolutionary War logistics, Moravian settlement, and the industrial rise and fall of Bethlehem Steel — all within 30 miles of each other. For residents of Upper Saucon Township, Saucon Valley, and the broader Lehigh County area, these sites are the backyard. For anyone new to the region or thinking about making it home, they're worth a proper afternoon.
Key Takeaways
-
Historic Bethlehem — including its Moravian settlement and Bethlehem Steel site — is a tentative for UNESCO World Heritage List designation and one of the most historically dense destinations in Pennsylvania
-
The Easton Farmers' Market, established in 1752, is the oldest continuously operating open-air market in the United States
-
The Liberty Bell was hidden from British forces in Allentown during the Revolutionary War — the story is told at the Liberty Bell Museum on West Hamilton Street
-
The Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor spans 165 miles of trail, with 48 miles passing through the Lehigh Valley, connecting the region's industrial and natural history on foot and by bike
Historic Bethlehem: Where the Valley's Story Begins
Bethlehem is the starting point for any serious exploration of Lehigh Valley history, and it offers more layers than a single visit can fully cover. Founded by Moravian missionaries in 1741, the city played a critical role in both early American religious history and the industrial development of the country.
Historic Bethlehem is currently on the tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage designation, part of an international nomination recognizing Moravian Church Settlements in Bethlehem, Herrnhut (Germany), and Gracehill (Northern Ireland). That designation reflects just how significant the Moravian settlement here is — the 1741 Gemeinhaus, which houses the Moravian Museum, is a National Historic Landmark and one of the oldest surviving structures in Pennsylvania.
Historic Bethlehem is currently on the tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage designation, part of an international nomination recognizing Moravian Church Settlements in Bethlehem, Herrnhut (Germany), and Gracehill (Northern Ireland). That designation reflects just how significant the Moravian settlement here is — the 1741 Gemeinhaus, which houses the Moravian Museum, is a National Historic Landmark and one of the oldest surviving structures in Pennsylvania.
Key sites within historic Bethlehem:
-
The Moravian Museum (Gemeinhaus): The 1741 community house built by the original Moravian settlers, now housing the Moravian Museum — the oldest surviving building in Bethlehem and a National Historic Landmark
-
Colonial Industrial Quarter: A living history museum where demonstrators practice 18th-century trades including blacksmithing, depicting the craft economy that sustained the Moravian community
-
Burnside Plantation: A 6.5-acre working farm and living history museum that was central to Bethlehem's Moravian community in the 18th and 19th centuries, with a preserved 1748 farmhouse, apple orchards, and rare agricultural machinery
-
Historic Bethlehem River Tours: Guided boat tours along the Lehigh River connecting the story of the city's waterways, canals, and industrial development to the landscape visitors see today
Bethlehem Steel and the Industrial Campus
If the Moravian settlement represents Bethlehem's founding chapter, the former Bethlehem Steel site represents its 20th-century climax. At its peak, Bethlehem Steel was the second-largest steel producer in the United States, supplying steel for the Brooklyn Bridge, the Empire State Building, and the Golden Gate Bridge. The site fell silent in 1995 when the Bethlehem plant closed, and the blast furnaces now stand as some of the most visually powerful industrial ruins in the country.
The Bethlehem Steel campus today:
-
The Hoover Mason Trestle: A one-third-mile elevated walkway built along the original iron ore railway, offering dramatic views of the blast furnaces from above. The walkway is part museum, part promenade — guided walking tour audio is available via Wi-Fi, and the structure itself is one of Pennsylvania's most photographed urban landmarks
-
National Museum of Industrial History (Smithsonian Affiliate): Housed in the former Electrical Repair Shop within the Bethlehem Steel complex, the museum holds more than 200 artifacts including 21 items on loan from the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. Exhibits include a 115-ton Corliss steam engine, a 20-foot steam hammer, an interactive silk mill installation documenting the Lehigh Valley's textile workers, and a gallery on propane discovery by Allentown chemist Walter Snelling
-
SteelStacks: The ArtsQuest arts campus built directly on the former steel site, with the blast furnaces as permanent backdrop — hosting Musikfest, concerts, festivals, and year-round cultural programming on the same ground where steel was once made
The juxtaposition of the Moravian district to the north and the steel campus to the south — both within a mile of each other — makes Bethlehem a genuinely unusual place. Walking between them takes about 20 minutes and covers three centuries of American history.
The Liberty Bell Museum, Allentown
One of the lesser-known but more significant Revolutionary War stories in the country unfolded in Allentown. In September 1777, with British forces advancing on Philadelphia, patriots secretly transported the Liberty Bell and ten other bells from Christ Church in Philadelphia to Allentown — a 60-mile overnight journey by wagon. The bells were hidden beneath the floorboards of Zion's Reformed United Church (now Zion's United Church of Christ) on West Hamilton Street for nine months, from September 1777 to June 1778, until the British threat had passed.
The Liberty Bell Museum is located in the basement of that same church, where the bell was hidden. A full-scale replica of the Liberty Bell is on permanent display — visitors can actually ring it — alongside exhibits on the Revolutionary War period, the bell's significance, and the Allentown patriots who made the rescue possible. It's one of the more genuinely surprising historical narratives in the region and worth an hour for anyone interested in how the Valley's geography shaped American history.
The Liberty Bell Museum is located in the basement of that same church, where the bell was hidden. A full-scale replica of the Liberty Bell is on permanent display — visitors can actually ring it — alongside exhibits on the Revolutionary War period, the bell's significance, and the Allentown patriots who made the rescue possible. It's one of the more genuinely surprising historical narratives in the region and worth an hour for anyone interested in how the Valley's geography shaped American history.
Easton: The Forks of the Delaware
Easton sits at the confluence of the Delaware and Lehigh Rivers — a location the Lenni Lenape knew as the "Forks of the Delaware" long before European settlement, and one that William Penn's surveyors recognized as strategically significant when they laid out the town in 1752. On July 8, 1776, Easton's Centre Square was the site of one of only three public readings of the Declaration of Independence outside of Philadelphia.
Historical sites and experiences in Easton:
-
Easton Farmers' Market: Established in 1752, the year the city was founded, this is the oldest continuously operating open-air market in the United States. It runs every Saturday year-round in Scott Park along the Delaware River, with more than 40 vendors offering locally grown produce, artisanal food, and handcrafted goods. Celebrating its 274th year in 2026
-
National Canal Museum and Hugh Moore Park: A 520-acre park preserving more than two miles of restored Lehigh Canal, with Pennsylvania's only mule-drawn canal boat ride operating in summer. The National Canal Museum — the only museum in the country dedicated to America's towpath canal history — tells the story of the industrial waterway system that powered the region's coal and iron economy
-
Karl Stirner Arts Trail: A riverfront walking trail that combines public art installations with access to the Lehigh River's banks — part of the broader Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor trail network
-
Centre Square: The historic heart of Easton, where the Crayola Experience and the Farmers' Market anchor the downtown — and where the Declaration of Independence was read aloud in 1776
The Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor
The 165-mile trail corridor connecting Wilkes-Barre to Bristol along the historic canal towpaths is one of the most accessible ways to experience the region's industrial history in its original landscape. Forty-eight miles of the corridor pass through the Lehigh Valley.
What the D&L trail system offers:
-
Paved and packed-surface trail through the original canal country, connecting Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton on foot or by bike
-
Interpretive markers and historical signage documenting the canal era at regular intervals along the route
-
Access to the Saucon Rail Trail (7.5 miles, connecting Hellertown to Coopersburg through Upper Saucon Township) as part of the broader trail network
-
Year-round accessibility for walking, running, cycling, and quiet observation of the Lehigh River corridor
FAQ
Moravian Church Settlements now a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Bethlehem’s Moravian Church Settlements are part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, inscribed in 2024 as part of the transnational Moravian Church Settlements designation, which also includes Christiansfeld, Denmark; Herrnhut, Germany; and Gracehill, Northern Ireland/UK. The Gemeinhaus, built in 1741, is also a National Historic Landmark.
Where was the Liberty Bell hidden during the Revolutionary War?
The Liberty Bell was transported from Philadelphia to Allentown in September 1777 and hidden beneath the floor of Zion's Reformed Church (now Zion's United Church of Christ) on West Hamilton Street. It remained there until June 1778, when the British threat had passed. The Liberty Bell Museum in that same building tells the full story.
What is the oldest farmers' market in the United States?
The Easton Farmers' Market, established in 1752 in Easton, Pennsylvania, is the oldest continuously operating open-air market in the country. It runs every Saturday year-round in Scott Park along the Delaware River.
Explore the Lehigh Valley With The Rebecca Francis Team
The Lehigh Valley's history is one of the things that residents who've lived here for decades consistently mention when asked what they love about the region. At The Rebecca Francis Team, we help buyers find homes in the communities that anchor this history — from Saucon Valley and Upper and Lower Saucon Townships to Bethlehem, Allentown, and Easton. Reach out to us to learn more about how we help buyers and sellers across the Lehigh Valley and let's start a conversation.
