Hotels in Bethlehem, PA

Bethlehem is a vibrant city full of fascinating museums, delicious local cuisine, and a unique industrial history worth exploring. Emerging from the loss of its main steel industry, Bethlehem has since embraced a city-wide modernization, while retaining its charming features and honoring its deep industrious heritage. So, whether you love history, outdoor excursions, or are simply looking to kick back and relax, there’s a lot to love about this area of eastern Pennsylvania. Bethlehem is also known as the Christmas City for its holiday magic, happenings, events, and light displays, making it the perfect place if you have the little ones in tow. No matter what time of year you come for a visit, you’ll have plenty to take advantage of while touring town from top Bethlehem hotels.

The National Museum of Industrial History is set in the former Bethlehem Steel facility and showcases the nation's industrial past by highlighting the machinery and the lives of workers from the time period. The museum contains an impressive collection of artifacts from the textile, steel and iron, and propane gas industries, including documents, machinery, photographs, and other archival material from Bethlehem Steel. Take a tour of this fascinating facility to observe its four exhibitions, each focused on a different aspect of industrial history that affected both Pennsylvania and the rest of the U.S.

One stop to make while touring the area from the best Bethlehem hotels is Bethlehem Works. Following Bethlehem Steel’s 140 years of metal production at the main Bethlehem plant, consultants developed concept plans for the reuse of the property in 1995. Today, Bethlehem Works is a 120-acre development hub for cultural, recreational, educational, entertainment, and retail establishments. Once a steel plant, this culturally significant site has since been reborn as a watering hole for music and art, hosting over 1,000 concerts and eight different annual festivals. Spend the day strolling through this well-designed development and pop into the many awaiting shops, stores, and galleries littered across the development.

For a fascinating peek into the past, head to the Colonial Industrial Quarter in Bethlehem, which is considered America's earliest industrial park. Roughly 250 years ago, a spring supplied potable water to the town and the power supplied by the Monocacy Creek's flow aided the lives and work of the craftsmen and trades of early Bethlehem. Established by the colonial Moravians along the banks of the Monocacy Creek, this historic 10-acre site contains inspired buildings, such as the 1762 Waterworks, the 1761 Tannery, the1869 Luckenbach Mill, the 1765 Oil Mill, and many more to explore all afternoon long. The Colonial Industrial Quarter is part of the Historic Moravian Bethlehem District and hosts several exciting events and festivals throughout the year, including the Historic Turkey Trot 5K, Musikfest, and Celtic Classic.

Enjoy your stay in historic Bethlehem, and don’t forget to check out our other hotels in Allentown, Scranton, and York.