This experience checked off one of those long-standing "I did this thing!" moments for 2025--and…read moreI'm really glad I finally made it happen. I attended PEEPSFEST, held December 30-31 from 3-6 p.m. at the SteelStacks campus in Bethlehem. Tickets are required, with general admission priced at $5, making this a very affordable, family-friendly outing. According to the website, the event features indoor and outdoor fun, live music, PEEPS-themed games and crafts hosted by local nonprofits, interactive shows by the Wildlands Conservancy and the Da Vinci Science Center, and character meet-and-greets. The highlight comes at 5:35 p.m. with the iconic drop of a 400-pound, 4'9" PEEPS Chick, followed by a fireworks display. There were also several thoughtful additions that really stood out. I especially appreciated the PBS39 x PEEPSFEST Friendship Bracelet Creation Station, PEEPS IN THE KITCHEN with Chef Julie of Levy Restaurants, and the sensory-friendly space presented by Good Shepherd Rehabilitation--a wonderful option for guests with sensory sensitivities. Kids 12 and under received a special PEEPS tote bag to collect goodies throughout the event, which was clearly a big hit with families. The event takes place on the SteelStacks campus, and honestly, the setting alone is worth the visit. SteelStacks is the largest revitalized brownfield in the country, spanning 10 acres on the former Bethlehem Steel site. Some quick pre-trip research taught me that for nearly a century, Bethlehem Steel was the economic backbone of the Lehigh Valley and helped build some of the most iconic structures in the U.S., including the Golden Gate Bridge, the Chrysler Building, and parts of the Empire State Building, Madison Square Garden, Alcatraz, and the Hoover Dam. When the plant closed in 1995, it left behind both a massive industrial footprint and a void in the local economy. Rather than demolishing the site, the community chose preservation and reinvention. Through a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district established in 1999, the area was transformed into what is now a thriving hub for arts, culture, education, and community events. Today, the towering blast furnaces--some over 230 feet tall--stand as a powerful reminder of the city's industrial past. From Furnace "A" (dating back to 1915) to Furnace "E," the site stretches nearly a quarter of a mile and once produced thousands of tons of iron daily. The furnaces were last operational on November 18, 1995, but their presence is anything but forgotten. Visually, the SteelStacks campus is absolutely stunning in a raw, industrial way. Standing in the outdoor space beneath the blast furnaces--especially at night--was nearly overwhelming in the best possible sense. The festive, multicolored uplighting against the massive steel structures added a sense of magic and mysticism that photos don't fully capture. Parking is another bonus: free on-site parking is available in multiple lots along First Street year-round (except during Musikfest). Speaking of which, SteelStacks is also home to Musikfest, the nation's largest free music festival--and I'm already scheming a return visit. While PEEPSFEST itself is definitely geared more toward children, it was still a fun and unique way to mark the transition into a new year. It's not something I need to do every year, but I'm genuinely happy to have experienced it. I'd highly recommend it for families with young children, as there's plenty to do, lots of room to roam, and a safe, well-organized environment. SteelStacks is a powerful example of how a community can honor its past while building something vibrant and meaningful for the future--and PEEPSFEST is just one of many reasons to visit.

This is such a unique concert venue. The steel plant is a very cool backdrop, and I like how it was…read moreall lit up at night for the concert. The venue has plenty of space to roam around, and you can get lots of good views of the stage from all sides. If you don't want to hang in the crowded pit area there are lots of tables further out by the food and drink vendors. The main concert area is a lawn. It seems like for less crowded shows you can bring blankets and chairs, and then for more popular acts it's standing only which made sense. Logistics - Parking is free and easy. The security line moved fast. There were plenty of bathrooms. Bars could be more plentiful (like more small bars vs fewer big bars) since lines seemed crazy. Overall it's a very fun and different place to see a show, and if you live in North Jersey don't overlook the fact that your travel time here is similar to going into the city. It's worth keeping an eye on the calendar for sure!

The Philip J. Fahy MemoriaI Bridge has been a landmark of Bethlehem ever since I was a young boy…read more Me and a bunch of friends always found ourselves on this bridge for one reason or another. It serves as one long bench on the 4th of July for the best view in the world of the fireworks that are set off right underneath on Sand Island. The same goes with the farewell day of Musickfest in August of every year. You get wonderful views of the old steal stacks of the Bethlehem Steal and of the rail roads that still roll underneath the bridge to this day. In the days of not driving, as kids we did a lot of walking and ended up on the bridge to get down to the Lehigh River to cast our hooks or jump in to the small stream that ran into the Lehigh, or just to hang out and drink beer at a different place out of our neighborhood that we knew we wouldn't get caught . Yeah it's just a bridge but to some of us here in Bethlehem it's more then just a bridge, it's apart of our lives and I'm talking about way more then just traveling over it to get from the south side to the north side or vise-versa. I'm talking about the memories that was created on and around the Fahy Bridge.

Very pleasant grounds, small but beautiful gardens, and lots of signage explaining the history of…read morethe site. Would be a nice place to drop a blanket and have a picnic lunch!

We came here on Community Day in April and I guess coming to a place like this so early in the…read moreSpring, one needs to remind thyself about potential as opposed to what you're actually seeing. Let me explain. They've got a large garden that naturally in April is nothing more than rocks and dirt so you have to imagine what it would look like later on in the year. On the gate they do have a breakdown of what was planted in days of yore but again, you need to use your imagination. There is also a small corncrib next to a few old rusty wheelbarrows that are falling apart. There is the main house on the grounds, the Burnside house, that is sparsely furnished at best and I have read that at certain times of the year you can fully tour it but on Community Day they have tables and chairs on the ground floor for kids arts and crafts, so no tours. The main barn has three parts. The main upstairs part has a collection of older farm equipment along with some pictures of when the building was moved to the site where it currently stands. (No, it's not original to the property by a long shot) The downstairs on the left has a high horsepower wheel that is very interesting and along the lines of what you would see at Mount Vernon in the sixteen sided barn. www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oQ6ihOWS5o&feature=c4-overview&list=UUDCmdiGOSAMKYdpe_bybK3w The bottom right houses the stables where the City of Bethlehem keeps their horses for the police's mounted patrol. http://bethlehemmpu.wordpress.com/ The officer on duty that day was great with answering questions from both adults and children about their work with the horses. An unfortunate example of a real turnoff were the women in the Summer Kitchen. They were making some kind of soup/stew that day and several people, myself included, were asking questions and by-in-large they kept giving everyone the Sgt. Schultz answer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVG1q49yPaY That was a real drag but it also wasn't surprising since they seemed more interested in doing what they were doing as opposed to being bothered by the public. This year was the 3rd annual Community Day and to be honest even though I live only about a 1/2 mile from where this takes place I really hadn't heard about it because they poorly promote it. Based on the number of people that we saw I can tell that I'm not the only one who falls into that boat. Maybe next year we'll come back and the women in the Summer Kitchen won't be so grouchy or maybe we'll try to take part in some kind of activity/event there this summer that will show this place off when things are fully cooking. But in the meantime I can't go more than three stars along with giving this place a grade of incomplete.

I reserved tickets for the Christmas City Stroll on the https://www.historicbethlehem.org website…read more Adult tickets were $17.00 each. It was easy to reserve the tickets. The tour is rain or shine unless there is inclement weather. The tickets are non-refundable. My family and I did the Christmas City Stroll on December 23, 2023 at 6:00pm. The tour leaves from the Historic Bethlehem Visitor Center (505 Main Street, Bethlehem) at the selected time. We arrived at the Historic Bethlehem Visitor Center around 15 minutes prior to our tour starting and looked around the store. There are a lot of great souvenirs. We then saw groups of people leaving the store so we figured they were instructed where to go for the start of the tour. The tour started at 1810 Goundie House right next to the Historic Bethlehem Visitor Center. Our tour had about 20 ppl. The tour lasted about an hour and 1/2. We learned a lot of history on cherished traditions: a candle-in-every-window, the renowned Star of Bethlehem and Moravian Star, the community Putz, and Bethlehem's exquisite Victorian and colonial architecture and two National Historic Landmarks: the 1741 Gemeinhaus and the Bethlehem Waterworks. We ended the tour at Bethlehem City Hall. It was beautiful to see the mayor's Christmas tree with more than 285 ornaments created by students at the school with different colored lights and another tree with white lights. The tour guide was dressed in period attire and was very informative. I would recommend this tour to anyone interested in the history of Bethlehem, PA.

The Bethlehem by Night Tour was horrible. We went on Saturday evening. The bus had no ventilation…read moreand it felt like it was 100 degrees. You could not see anything out the windows due to them being foggy. We had to use our sleeves to keep wiping them. The tour guide who was telling us about the town we could not enjoy because we could not see anything. It was the worst tour we have been on. Do not waste your money on this tour. It is not worth it!!

The Allentown Art Museum is a fantastic place to spend and hour or two. The permanent collection is…read morevaried with lots of types of art to look at and enjoy, and the rotating exhibits keep your visits fresh and interesting if you're a repeat customer. I say "customer" but it's actually free to visit which is amazing and a great way to encourage the community to immerse themselves in art. There's a fun children's room too on the second floor to keep kids active if wandering the exhibit rooms isn't for them. The staff is friendly and welcoming and the giftshop has all kinds of unique items that you'd expect to find in a museum giftshop. I try to stop in anytime I'm in Allentown...it's an artistic oasis in the city.

Free thanks to a large donation and we appreciate that it is. The staff is super welcoming and…read moretells you what you need to know about the different exhibits. They have an entire Tiffany glass exhibit and every 30 minutes they change the lights to mirror the effects of the sun setting and rising. There are a few different exhibits, but the Tiffany glass was the one that stood out the most. A great little stop to check out when in the Lehigh Valley.

it is great to go there I love the studio and everything and the library staff are always kind and…read morehelpful and welcoming not to mention I am friends with 2 of the librarians there to

I've been going to the Bethlehem Library, main branch, since I was a kid, and it's always a…read morecomforting feeling walking into that historic building. I'm sad they got rid of the microfilm readers; I guess those were moved to the Allentown Library. Makes sense that these aren't as popular as they used to be, but I'll miss heading down to BAPL and idly scrolling through old newspapers for an hour or two. Anyway, the selection is basically good here. Lots of new fiction and classics, and a solid collection of DVDs and audiobooks and CDs. The staff is sometimes friendly, sometimes not as friendly. They're mostly fine. But the noise level of BAPL main branch . . . I have never been to another library as loud as this one. At any given time, library patrons are talking at normal volume, using noisy phones, or just generally, you know, not being silent, which is what you're supposed to be at a library. Isn't that one of the oldest rules of civilization, that you shut your mouth when you enter the hallowed grounds of the town library? When I was there a few days ago, a band concert or practice, I couldn't quite tell which, was going on in the "Quiet Study Room" between four and five o'clock. The doors were shut but of course it was extremely loud. I can't imagine them doing this kind of thing at Easton Library or really any other library I've visited in my entire life. I'll keep going to BAPL, I love a library, and like I said, their selection is good. But this is not a place I'd go and spend a couple hours just enjoying the atmosphere (or microfilm newspapers); when I go to BAPL, it's to grab something I've already researched on my own, and get out.

This review is for the docent-led tour not the museum- which we thought was included in the $15 per…read moreperson fee. Our guide was a very sincere former employee of Bethlehem Steel who started our tour asking if we all were up for an hour and a half walk. We said yes. He started his presentation outside the door of the museum. An hour later we had walked maybe a block up a nondescript driveway as we listened to his stories of mismanagement, nepotism and greed within the company. He also showed pictures and told stories of some of the people who worked there over the years as well as some of the products produced. Some of the stories were interesting but an hours worth standing in the road? I finally asked if we were going to be able to go into some of the deserted fantastic looking buildings - he said no. We left the group and headed off by ourselves and found, across from the Arts Center, a stairway that headed up to the rusted gigantic steel stacks and accompanying infrastructure. Although it was fenced off, it was amazing walking along looking up, down, and around the place, almost close enough to touch. This is what we thought we were going to be learning about on the tour. Did we need to know what each gigantic piece did - not really - Did we waste $30 for the tour - sadly yes. Did we go back to see the museum - no. Will we, most likely not. Should you go? Take a look at the pictures and decide - you don't see this kind of scenery very often.

Really nice exhibit on different industries that shaped this country and the world. I liked the…read morecomputer exhibit which shows old computer stuff.