All attractions are less than a half an hour walk or a short drive from Lehigh’s campus. While you’re in town, we encourage you to visit some of the sites that emerged with and around Lehigh’s community.
First Friday Events
March 2, 2018 is First Friday, which is a celebration of arts and culture in South Bethlehem. Galleries, restaurants, and stores will open their doors to the community. Join us as we enjoy all the South Side has to offer. Check back here closer to the conference for the list of activities!
Nisky Hill Cemetery and H.D.’s Grave Site
Only a short trip across the Fahy Bridge (a ten-minute walk from campus) rests Bethlehem’s renowned poet, Hilda Doolittle, or H.D. Nisky Hill is open to the public during daylight hours and is the final resting place of many historical figures from Bethlehem. Though flush with the ground, H.D.’s grave is usually adorned with many seashells and flowers—a tradition that harkens back to the poet’s favored image.
The Banana Factory Arts Center
“This complex assembled from six buildings, including a former banana distribution warehouse, is the home to ArtsQuest’s visual arts education programs. It includes 30 studio artists, three galleries, and multiple classrooms. It’s also home to Pennsylvania Youth Theatre (which offers dance, drama and voice education to students ages 6 to 18), the Pediatric Cancer Foundation and Santa Bannon Fine Art.”
Hours:
Mon-Fri: 8:00 am- 9:30 pm
Sat-Sun: 8:30 am -5:00 pm
SteelStacks: Re-imagined History
“SteelStacks is a ten-acre campus dedicated to arts, culture, family events, community celebrations, education, and fun. Once the home plant of Bethlehem Steel, the second largest steel manufacturer in the nation, the site has been reborn through music and art, offering more than 1,000 concerts and eight different festivals annually.”
Hours:
Fri: 4:00 pm-Midnight
Sat: 11:00 am-Midnight
Moravian Bookstore: The Oldest Bookstore in the Country
“The Moravian Book Shop was founded in 1745 when the Moravian Church appointed Samuel Powell of the Church’s Crown Inn on the South Side of the Lehigh River to operate a bookstore. After several locations, the Moravian Book Shop was moved to the church’s publications building near the Central Moravian Church in 1871. Today, the Moravian Book Shop’s Bethlehem location is this same site on Historic Main Street in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.” Walk right across the street to see and explore the Historic Hotel Bethlehem.