Allentown Art Museum Allentown Mack Trucks Historical Museum Allentown Bethlehem DaVinci Science Center Allentown PICK UP AN AUDIO DEVICE AT THE HISTORIC BETHLEHEM VISITOR CENTER FOR A SELF-GUIDED TOUR. PEEK INTO THE PAST From early American settlers to titans of the Industrial Revolution, the Lehigh Valley is filled with fascinating history around every cobblestone street, canal, and factory trestle. Quaint downtown Bethlehem was named a Top 10 Main Street by USA Today , and the Historic Hotel Bethlehem is a great home base for exploring the many treasures of this National Historic Landmark District — that is, if you can pull yourself away from the plush guest rooms, onsite restaurant, and ice cream parlor. Explore Bethlehem’s Colonial roots at Burnside Plantation , a 6.5-acre farm and living history museum that was a centerpiece of the city’s Moravian community in the 18th and 19th centuries. Highlights include a 1748 farmhouse, picturesque apple orchards, and a rare High Horse-Powered wheel — an early manufacturing device. Looking to learn more about the region’s rich industrial heritage? The National Museum of Industrial History is housed in the bustling SteelStacks complex at the former Bethlehem Steel factory, which once reigned as the second-largest steel producer in the nation. Exhibits interweave personal stories and artifacts to detail America’s rise as an industrial powerhouse. Stick around to walk the elevated Hoover-Mason Trestle , one of Pennsylvania’s most unique urban strolls. Two more Lehigh Valley museums honor the region’s workhorse past. The Mack Trucks Historical Museum in Allentown (which served as the transportation giant’s headquarters from 1905 to 2010), displays vintage trucks and a large collection of memorabilia, engineering drawings and historical photos. In Easton, the National Canal Museum commemorates America’s golden age of canals. Ride a canal boat pulled by mules, tour one of the only remaining locktender houses, and explore multi-use trails that meander along historic towpaths all the way to Wilkes-Barre. Easton also lays claim to the oldest continuously running open-air farmers market in America (established 1752), and Easton Public Market continues to build on that foodie tradition. This combination food hall, grocer, and community kitchen is the perfect place to grab a meal, picnic provisions, or gourmet food souvenirs. visitPA.com 87
Pennsylvania Happy Traveler Guide 2020: Page 87
