Located in eastern Pennsylvania, the Lehigh Valley is a small two-county region that is packed with exciting things to see and do. Once a bustling industrial center and home to one of the world’s largest businesses, Bethlehem Steel, as well as a thriving silk industry and the headquarters of Mack Trucks, today the region’s history can be explored at the National Museum of Industrial History and Allentown’s Liberty Bell Museum. Outdoor enthusiasts can head into the fields and forests that surround the region’s three cities to enjoy miles of hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, backpacking, picnicking and kayaking on the Lehigh or Delaware Rivers. Certain attractions may be temporarily closed or require advance reservations. Some restaurants are currently offering pickup only. Hours/availability may have changed.
1.Coca-Cola Park
Coca-Cola Park is a baseball park in Allentown and the home field for the Triple-A level minor league Lehigh Valley IronPigs baseball team. The 8,278-seat stadium has several features, including VIP Dugout Suites, the Majestic Clubhouse, in which all the team apparel is housed, the Bud Light Trough socializing area, and two PenTeleData Party Porches. The team’s ‘pig’ theme is featured throughout the stadium, and the LVHN Children's Hospital KidsZone has a large playground area with several games, slides, a speed pitch, and more. The Capital Blue Tiki Terrace has a full-service bar, tables for four, and a large seating area.
1050 Ironpigs Way, Allentown, PA 18109
2.SteelStacks, Lehigh Valley, PA
SteelStacks is a ten-acre campus that hosts a variety of community events and celebrations, arts, culture, educational, and family functions. Once the home plant of the second-largest steel manufacturer in the nation, Bethlehem Steel, the campus is named after the two towering ‘stacks’ that were the furnaces of the plant and stands at over 230 feet tall. Today, the plant has been transformed into a vibrant art and music center with indoor and outdoor spaces that presents eight festivals and more than 1,000 concerts every year. The venue also hosts the Musikfest, the largest free music festival in the nation.
101 Founders Way, Bethlehem, PA 18015, Phone: 610-297-7100
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3.PPL Center, Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania
PPL Center is a state-of-the-art, multipurpose arena that hosts a variety of events from Phantoms professional hockey games to music concerts. Managed by Global-Spectrum, PPL Center hosts over 140 events each year and can accommodate up to 8,500 people for seated events and 10,000 people standing. Events held at the arena include figure skating events, trade shows, high school and collegiate events, live concerts, conferences, graduations, and Disney on Ice. Amenities at the stadium in downtown Allentown include a full-service bar, food concessions, a gift shop, and complimentary wireless Internet.
701 Hamilton St, Allentown, PA 18101, Phone: 610-224-4625
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4.National Museum of Industrial History
Located on the Steelstacks campus, once the former Bethlehem Steel site in picturesque South Bethlehem, the National Museum of Industrial History collects, preserves, and displays the industrial history of the nation. The museum houses a collection of over 200 artifacts from around the globe that document the rise of industry in America; it’s might and evolution over time. The museum’s main gallery is home to a 115-ton Corliss steam engine and a 20-foot tall steam hammer, along with 21 artifacts on loan from Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.
602 E 2nd St, Bethlehem, PA 18015, Phone: 610-694-6644
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5.America on Wheels Museum, Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania
America on Wheels is a 43,000-square feet transportation museum in Allentown that explores and documents the early days of transportation. The museum boasts three galleries spread over 23,000 square feet of exhibit space that feature hands-on exhibits of automobiles ranging from hotrods and sports cars to emergency vehicles and other unique modes of transport. Other displays feature trucks, motorcycles, and bicycles and document the early development of the automobile industry and highway system in Pennsylvania and the history of Mack Trucks. The museum is home to the HubCap Café, which is open seasonally and serves light bites, milkshakes, coffee, and a variety of sodas.
5 N Front St, Allentown, PA 18102, Phone: 610-432-4200
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6.Klein Farms, Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania
Klein Farms is a family-owned and operated farm in Forks Township, Pennsylvania that produces farm-raised beef, eggs, gourmet cheese, raw milk., and yogurt. Founded in 1935, the farm is run by third-generation farmers, Layne and Beth Klein, who welcome visitors to the farm to learn more about farming practices and visit the animals on guided farm tours. The farm also has an on-site shop that sells farm-fresh produce and products such as fresh fruit and vegetables, raw milk, yogurt, a variety of aged cheeses, prime cuts of beef, pork and chicken, freshly baked cookies, cake, and sweet treats and a range of Water Gap Coffee Company. Happy Holstein Ice Cream at Klein Farms serves homemade ice cream in a selection of flavors.
410 Klein Rd, Easton, PA 18040, Phone: 610-253-8942
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7.Mack Trucks Historical Museum, Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania
The Mack Trucks Historical Museum celebrates the history of the famous trucks with an impressive collection of antique vehicles, vintage models, and Mack Trucks memorabilia. Based at the Mack customer center, the museum was founded in 1984 to highlight the history of the company by collecting and preserving a wealth of Mack-related paraphernalia, ranging from engineering drawings, truck build records, photographs, service and parts information, memorabilia and a collection of vintage Mack truck models. Visitors can explore the museum on self-guided tours with audio headsets for information or docent-led tours on Mondays and Fridays.
2402 Lehigh Pkwy S, Allentown, PA 18103, Phone: 610-351-8999
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8.Sands Casino, Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania
The Sands Casino in Bethlehem is spread over 150,000 square feet and features more than 3,000 slot machines; traditional gaming tables with180 live games like Blackjack, Three-card poker with a six-card bonus, Roulette, Baccarat, and Craps, 36 live poker tables, progressives, and video poker machines. Sands Casino has several dining options for all tastes from casual family-friendly eateries to fine-dining restaurants and fast-food outlets, as well as laid-back coffee shops and buzzing bars that serve a wide variety of beverages all day.
77 Wind Creek Blvd, Bethlehem, PA 18015, Phone: 484-777-7777
9.Da Vinci Science Center, Lehigh Valley, PA
The Da Vinci Science Center is a science museum in Allentown that brings science to life through an array of interactive and hands-on exhibits. Established in 1992, the museum features exciting displays such as an animation station, a windy hurricane simulator, a KEVA plank design studio, a water table, a dark tunnel maze, a colored shadows wall, a marine tank, and a WFMZ 69 News weather forecasting simulator. The Da Vinci Science Center also hosts a variety of specialized and traveling exhibits every month, as well as educational programs, classes, and workshops for children of all ages.
3145 Hamilton Blvd Bypass, Allentown, PA 18103, Phone: 484-664-1002
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10.State Theatre Center for the Arts
Officially known as the State Theatre Center for the Arts, the State Theatre is a 1,500-seat historic theater in the city of Easton in Northampton County that has been presenting the community with live performances and theater shows since 1910. Based in a landmark building that was transformed from a bank building to a vaudeville theater called the Neumeyers Vaudeville House before being renamed the State Theatre, the theater features a beautiful cut stone Beaux-Arts style façade, an overhanging marquee, a spacious auditorium with a balcony, and ornate décor. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
453 Northampton St, Easton, PA 18042, Phone: 610-258-7766
11.Burnside Plantation, Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania
The Burnside Plantation, also as the James Burnside Plantation and Lerch Farm, is a historic 6.5-acre property on Schoenersville Road in Bethlehem that is home to a pristine plantation, beautifully manicured gardens, and grounds, and a Colonial mansion. The Burnside farmhouse offers visitors an insight into farming life in the Moravian community in the 18th and 19th centuries and features a summer kitchen in which colonial cooking demonstrations can be enjoyed, followed by lunch in one of the well-preserved barns. Visitors can tour the farmhouse and the barns, and a variety of events, historic tours, volunteer projects, and festivals are held at the plantation throughout the year.
1461 Schoenersville Rd, Bethlehem, PA 18018, Phone: 610-882-0450
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12.Allentown Art Museum, Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania
The Allentown Art Museum is a vibrant cultural center with a world-class collection of about 17,000 works of art. Founded in 1934 by renowned Pennsylvania impressionist painter, Walter Emerson Baum, the art museum houses a permanent collection of works that include Baroque and European Renaissance paintings, American paintings and sculpture dating back 300 years, Southeast Asian sculpture, an array of decorative arts, and a library designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The Allentown Art Museum also offers a variety of educational programs and workshops for adults and children, has a distinctive museum store selling a range of art-related books and merchandise, and a farm-to-table café.
31 N 5th St, Allentown, PA 18101, Phone: 610-432-4333
13.Moravian Museum of Bethlehem
The Moravian Museum of Bethlehem documents the earliest history of the Bethlehem community in a variety of exhibitions spread around a complex of buildings that include some of the oldest buildings and most important in the Lehigh Valley. The main section of the museum is housed in the Gemeinhaus, which was built in 1741 and is the oldest building in Bethlehem and a National Historic Landmark. The five-story log structure served as a residence, school church, and workplace over its history and features interesting details like the herringbone-patterned doors. Visitors can explore the museum complex on docent-led tours to learn more about the early history of Bethlehem.
66 W Church St, Bethlehem, PA 18018, Phone: 610-867-0173
14.Liberty Bell Museum, Lehigh Valley, PA
Located in the Zion's United Church of Christ in Allentown, the Liberty Bell Museum is a museum that celebrates America’s most sacred symbol of freedom – the Liberty Bell. The museum is home to a replica of the famous Liberty Bell, which was hidden in the Zion’s Reformed United Church of Christ on Hamilton Street in downtown Allentown in 1777 to keep it away from the British while they occupied Philadelphia. The Liberty Bell stands for the American ideals of freedom, liberty, civic responsibility, and citizenship. The museum also features a beautiful hand-painted mural telling the story of the hiding of the bells by Wilmer Behler, a second replica of the liberty bell made by the residents of Allentown in 1769, and several impressive exhibits about Colonial America and the Revolutionary War.
622 Hamilton St, Allentown, PA 18101, Phone: 610-435-4232
15.National Canal Museum, Lehigh Valley, PA
Located in Easton’s Hugh Moore Park, where America’s golden age of canals is on full display, the National Canal Museum takes visitors on a journey back in time to the age of canals in America. Officially known as Hugh Moore Historical Park & Museums, the National Canal Museum spans 520 acres between the Lehigh Canal and River and is one of the largest canal heritage museums in the country. Visitors can experience this fascinating period of American history with seasonal rides on a 110-passenger, horse-drawn canal boat, and learn more it through a variety of interactive exhibits showcasing 19th-century canal life and technological evolutions.
2750 Hugh Moore Park Rd, Easton, PA 18042, Phone: 610-923-3548
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16.Bolete Restaurant, Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania
Bolete Restaurant is a rustic-chic dining destination in Bethlehem that serves a seasonal farm-to-table menu of American cuisine and fine wines, craft beers, and signature cocktails. Housed in a former Stagecoach Inn, the restaurant focuses on made-from-scratch food using on the highest quality and freshest ingredients sourced from local and regional artisans and farmers. The menu boasts dishes of fresh seafood, prime meats, handmade pasta, and organic salads and is accompanied by housemade stocks and sauces. The bar serves an extensive list of fine wines from around the world, craft and draft beers, and handcrafted cocktails made with high-end spirits. Bolete Restaurant is open for dinner, Tuesday through Saturday, and Sunday brunch and lunch.
1740 Seidersville Rd, Bethlehem, PA 18015, Phone: 610-868-6505
17.The Shoppes of Premise Maid, Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania
Premise Maid Candies is a family-owned confectionery company in Lehigh Valley that has been producing handmade chocolates, candies, cakes, pastries, cookies, and ice cream for more than 30 years. Established in 1979 by William Damiano, Premise Maid was named for the fact that all the chocolates and candies were to be made on the premises. The company has grown from a single shop into a small village featuring a five-room carriage house housing a bakery and chocolate shop and a three-story stone barn that is home to the ice creamery, which serves 40 flavors of premium ice cream.
10860 Hamilton Blvd, Breinigsville, PA 18031, Phone: 610-395-3221
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18.McCarthy's Red Stag Pub and Whiskey Bar
McCarthy's Red Stag Pub and Whiskey Bar is an authentic pub that serves hearty British fare, along with an extensive Irish and Scottish whiskey menu in a laid-back and relaxed setting. The family-friendly tavern serves a menu of traditional cuisine from the British Isles and Ireland, made from scratch, using fresh locally sourced ingredients such as bangers and mash, fish and chips, cottage pie, chicken tikka masala, chicken Leitrim boxty, and grilled Scottish salmon. The bar boasts an extensive list of Irish and Scottish whiskeys, craft ales, beers, brews, and lagers on tap and by the bottle, casual wines and signature cocktails, as well as coffee and tea. McCarthy's Red Stag Pub and Whiskey Bar hosts live music throughout the week and is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, seven days a week.
534 Main St, Bethlehem, PA 18018, Phone: 610-861-7631
19.Tapas on Main, Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania
Situated in a lovely spot on Main Street in Historic Downtown Bethlehem, Tapas on Main brings the tastes, flavors, and sounds of Spain and the Mediterranean to the heart of the Lehigh Valley. The charming eatery has comfortable indoor and outdoor seating with occasional live music and serves a menu of traditional tapas and small sharing plates such as fresh seafood and fish, prime Spanish meats, organic salads, and vegetarian dishes, and decadent desserts. The full-service bar offers a wide range of libations, including craft and draft beers, casual Spanish wines, homemade sangria, and handcrafted cocktails. Tapas on Main is open for lunch and dinner daily.
500 Main St, Bethlehem, PA 18018, Phone: 610-868-8903
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19 Best Things to Do in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania
- Coca-Cola Park, Photo: dendron/stock.adobe.com
- SteelStacks, Lehigh Valley, PA, Photo: CE Photography/stock.adobe.com
- PPL Center, Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, Photo: razihusin/stock.adobe.com
- National Museum of Industrial History, Photo: National Museum of Industrial History
- America on Wheels Museum, Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, Photo: America on Wheels Museum
- Klein Farms, Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, Photo: Klein Farms
- Mack Trucks Historical Museum, Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, Photo: Mack Trucks Historical Museum
- Sands Casino, Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, Photo: Maridav/stock.adobe.com
- Da Vinci Science Center, Lehigh Valley, PA, Photo: Da Vinci Science Center
- State Theatre Center for the Arts, Photo: State Theatre Center for the Arts
- Burnside Plantation, Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, Photo: Burnside Plantation
- Allentown Art Museum, Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, Photo: Allentown Art Museum
- Moravian Museum of Bethlehem, Photo: Moravian Museum of Bethlehem
- Liberty Bell Museum, Lehigh Valley, PA, Photo: Liberty Bell Museum
- National Canal Museum, Lehigh Valley, PA, Photo: Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor
- Bolete Restaurant, Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, Photo: Bolete Restaurant
- The Shoppes of Premise Maid, Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, Photo: Pixel-Shot/stock.adobe.com
- McCarthy's Red Stag Pub and Whiskey Bar, Photo: McCarthy's Red Stag Pub and Whiskey Bar
- Tapas on Main, Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, Photo: Tapas on Main
- Cover Photo: Ethan/stock.adobe.com
Attraction Spotlight: Allentown Art Museum
Located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, the Allentown Art Museum showcases multidisciplinary works spanning more than 2,000 years of human history in the Americas and beyond, offering gallery exhibitions and public special event programming to the Lehigh Valley area.
History
The Allentown Art Museum was the vision of educator and artist Walter Emerson Baum, who began a grassroots campaign in the 1930s to create a public art museum for the Lehigh and Bucks County areas. As an arts advocate for the eastern Pennsylvania region, Baum was also the founder of the Baum School of Art. The museum was officially opened to the public in 1934 in Allentown’s Hunsicker School, showcasing 70 works on canvas by local eastern Pennsylvania artists with its first exhibition collection. As a result of the museum’s public success, two years later, the museum was given a permanent home by the City of Allentown within a historic home facility within the city’s Cedar Park. The museum acquired large expansions to its collections over the next several decades, including a gift of more than four dozen Baroque and Renaissance works by local philanthropist Samuel H. Kress. In 1975, the museum building was renovated to accommodate expansions to its gallery and educational programming space, and in 1978, the museum’s mission was refocused to expand its American art collections. 10,000 square feet of additional gallery and public use space was added to the facility in 2011 to accommodate growing collections.
Permanent Collections and Exhibitions
Today, the Allentown Art Museum is located within a Federal-style historic home facility in the Rose Garden section of the city’s Cedar Park, offering a variety of gallery exhibitions and public educational programming to the Lehigh Valley community. More than 100,000 visitors and program participants are served by the museum annually, including 14,000 annual participants in the museum’s K-12 student educational programming. Exhibitions are geared toward broad public audiences of all ages, with educational and public special event programming available for students and community members of all ages.
More than 17,000 works are showcased within the museum’s permanent collections, which focus on multicultural and multidisciplinary works spanning more than 2,000 years of human history. Major collections include an American Painting and Sculpture Collection, which showcases American works dating back to the mid-18th century with a focus on the works of eastern Pennsylvania artists including Nelson Shanks, Harry Bertoia, Franz Kline, and Wharton Esherick. A European Painting and Sculpture Collection presents more than 100 European Old Master works, with its basis in the 1961 donation of 61 works from the private collection of local philanthropist Samuel H. Kress. European works on display at the museum include Renaissance and Baroque works by Italian, German, Dutch, and Flemish masters dating back to the 17th century. An Asian Art Collection also contains more than 1,900 multidisciplinary works by Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Nepalese, and Tibetan artists, including a special collection of Japanese woodblock prints.
Special museum collections include a Textile and Costumes Collection showcasing works produced on five continents over the course of 16 centuries, serving as the museum’s most globally-diverse collection. A Prints, Drawings, and Photographs Collection includes more than 400 Renaissance-era prints and a retrospective collection of 20th-century American printmaking works, along with a sizeable collection of contemporary photography. A Decorative Arts Collection also focuses on British silver, Tiffany glass, and Americana and Arts and Crafts movement pieces.
In addition to collections-focused gallery exhibitions, the museum displays the preserved Frank Lloyd Wright Library, recovered from the Francis W. Little House prior to its demolition in 1971. The home’s living room was transported to New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, while its library, designed by the famed 20th-century American architect, was relocated as a permanent display exhibit at the Allentown Art Museum. A museum cafe is also offered, featuring healthy fare by award-winning local caterer Karen Hunter and a view of Allentown’s downtown skyline and Arts Park area.
Ongoing Programs and Education
More than 14,000 Lehigh Valley-area students are served annually as part of the museum’s K-12 educational programming, which includes curriculum-incorporated field trip tours for elementary and secondary school students. Other student educational programming includes a teen advisory board program, a teen docent and internship program, and art workshops with local multidisciplinary artists. City Arts arts camps are also offered periodically for children and youth. For community members, a variety of art-related programming is offered, including a lecture series, an art and lunch program, panel discussions, and free Sunday events offering docent-led tours and family-friendly Art Ventures programming. Regular public special event programming includes a Third Thursday evening open gallery event, an annual “Poetry Out Loud” contest, and an annual showcase of local student artwork. The museum also facilitates a variety of community outreach programming, including its HeARThstone program, which brings artists-in-residence to local community events and festivals.
31 N 5th St, Allentown, PA, Phone: 610-432-4333
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Attraction Spotlight: Mack Trucks Historical Museum
Located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, the Mack Trucks Historical Museum presents exhibits dedicated to the history of the Mack Trucks corporation and its products, along with a public company showroom and a test-drive performance track. The Mack Trucks corporation was founded in 1900 by Brooklyn, New York native Jack Mack, a former employee of the Fallesen and Berry carriage and wagon company, and his brothers, Gus and William.
History
Inspired by the work of transportation entrepreneurs Henry Ford and Orville and Wilbur Wright, the Macks established their corporation for the purposes of producing heavy-duty trucks, engines, streetcars, and touring vehicles. Originally known as the Mack Brothers Company, the corporation moved its headquarters and operations from Brooklyn to Allentown, Pennsylvania in 1905, and began manufacturing locomotives and railway cars. In 1922, the company rebranded to its current name, Mack Trucks, Inc., adopting its now-famous bulldog corporate symbol.
Throughout the 20th century, Mack Trucks became involved in a number of government operations, including aid with the construction of New Deal-era structures such as the Hoover Dam and vehicle donation for transcontinental surveys for the creation of planned national highway systems. A second Mack trucks production facility was opened in 1966 in Ontario, Canada, which operated until 1993, and in 1970, the Allentown facility became the company’s world headquarters. In 1979, the company began a business affiliation with international vehicle manufacturer Renault Trucks, eventually becoming a fully-owned subsidiary of the company in 1990. In 2001, the combined company was purchased by Sweden’s AB Volvo car manufacturing company.
Permanent Exhibits and Attractions
Since 2008, Mack Trucks has been headquartered out of Greensboro, North Carolina, though the company’s line of vehicles is still primarily produced at its assembly plant in Lower Macungie, Pennsylvania. In 1984, the Mack Trucks Historical Museum was incorporated as a nonprofit organization, offering a public customer and visitor experience at a 160,000-square-foot facility in Allentown, Pennsylvania on the site of what is now the former company world headquarters property. Following 2016 renovations, the facility offers both a historical museum visitor experience and a Mack Customer Center facility for Mack Truck owners.
At the Mack Trucks Historical Museum, the company’s history of operations is showcased in a variety of hands-on interactive exhibits, including a chronological timeline panel of the company’s founding and expansion. Several historic Mack buses and trucks are on display throughout the museum, ranging from century-old restorations to current-day models. The company’s Megatron vehicle, which was used in the feature film Transformers, is also on display at the museum, along with vehicles used in films such as Die Hard and used as models for animated vehicles in films such as Pixar’s Cars. Many vehicles are offered as living history exhibits, allowing visitors to climb behind the wheel for a hands-on experience.
In addition to display vehicles, exhibits of Mack Truck memorabilia are also showcased, including collector toy cars, advertising materials, and interior car engines and parts produced by the line. As the museum is housed within the plant’s former testing center facility, several exhibits and features offer unique testing experiences, including interactive exhibits related to vehicle aerodynamics and soundproof factory paneling. An archive exhibit also allows visitors to research the history of family-owned Mack Trucks with a VIN number or other vehicle information.
At the facility’s Mack Customer Center, a Mack Customer Experience Zone offers more exhibits, including an Uptime in Real Time exhibit detailing the operations of the facility’s 24/7 Uptime Center, and a Bulldog Theater, featuring a 360-degree wraparound screen and immersive special effects and showcasing programming related to product manufacturing and development. A product showroom showcases the company’s current model offerings, while a performance track allows customers to test-drive vehicles on a paved track and an off-road course.
Ongoing Programs and Events
Guided tours of the Mack Truck Historical Museum are offered for individuals and visitor groups of up to 10 participants, showcasing the museum’s exhibits and historical vehicles. Walk-in groups of 10 or more participants will be divided into multiple tours at the museum’s discretion, while small groups, organizations, and elementary and secondary school field trip groups wishing to plan large tours should contact the museum directly in advance of requested tour date to schedule a reservation. Annual public special event programming at the museum and Customer Center includes the Trucktoberfest appreciation event, which celebrates the museum’s antique truck club supporting organizations with a historic car showcase and festival. Activities include a flag-raising ceremony, a garage sale and silent auction, and a Pedigreed Parade of Power.
2402 Lehigh Pkwy S, Allentown, PA, Phone: 610-351-8999
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Attraction Spotlight: Museum of Indian Culture
Located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, the Museum of Indian Culture preserves the social and cultural history of the Lenape and Northeastern Woodland indigenous cultures through a variety of exhibits and educational outreach public programming activities.
History
The Museum of Indian Culture was founded in 1980 by Allentown residents Dorothy Schiavone and Carla Messinger, originally opened as the Lenni Lenape Historical Society. As the state’s oldest museum exclusively focusing on indigenous culture, the museum is housed within a historic Pennsylvania German farmhouse and springhouse facility, originally constructed around 1750 by Allentown’s Bieber family. Following controversy related to the museum’s original mission and owners, the museum changed administration in 2003 and sought to actively improve its relations with local federally-recognized indigenous tribes of the Northeastern Woodland region. By 2007, the museum was under the management of the Oklahoma Delaware indigenous tribe and had refocused its mission as an organization striving to educate Pennsylvanians on the region’s indigenous culture and tribes.
Permanent Exhibits and Collections
Today, the Museum of Indian Culture is operated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and educational complex, dedicated to the preservation of indigenous Lenape and other Northeastern Woodland cultures through museum exhibits and public educational programming. The museum is a member-supported all-volunteer organization and serves as an indigenous research facility and outreach liaison between the Pennsylvania community and the area’s federally-recognized indigenous tribes. In addition to museum exhibits, a variety of public programming is offered by the museum, including guided tours, community outreach programming, and annual festivals and public special events.
The museum’s artifact collections showcase items from Northeastern Woodland and other North and Central American indigenous cultures, including significant collections of Californian Hupa baskets, Mexican Aztec ceremonial clothing, and Pennsylvania Delaware stone tools. An artifact collection of items uncovered by amateur archaeologists Paul Delgrego, Frank Sterling, and W.W. Venney at the Broomall Rock Shelters is also showcased, highlighting traditional Lenape items dating back more than 3,000 years. Other significant collections include ceramics, carvings, photography, beadwork, and weapons crafted by indigenous tribes across North and Central America. An Intertribal Room also displays artistic creations from a variety of tribes, including a Lakota Morning Star quit, a Cheyenne sash, Navajo sand art items, Hopi textiles, and hand-carved Kachina replicas.
In addition to permanent museum collection displays, a variety of rotating temporary exhibits are showcased at the museum, focusing on historic and cultural topics related to indigenous tribes and their interaction with European settlers. Past exhibits have included Warrior Spirit: Journey of the Native American Warrior, which examined indigenous participation in the United States military and service during national and international conflicts. Oral histories and photography retrospectives of indigenous service members were highlighted, along with a collection of WWII-era field radios used by Navajo Code Talkers.Treading Lightly Around Prehistoric Digs: 1980’s Interstate-78 Southern Corridor Project focused on the relationship between the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and local archaeologists in preserving indigenous artifacts and archaeological sites prior to the development of Interstate 78’s southern corridor and the Route 309 alignment project. The endeavor resulted in the preservation of more than 6,600 prehistoric Paleoindian artifacts, including the Upper Saucon P-42 site, which is recognized today as one of the most significant pieces of evidence related to the state’s prehistory.Mystery Unearthed: The Extraordinary Story of Two Lenape Rock Shelters explored the 1942 archaeological excavation of the Broomall Rock Shelters, which resulted in the discovery of more than 200 stone and bone tools, 1,000 ceramic fragments, and evidence of European trade goods.
Ongoing Programs and Education
As the largest indigenous library collection in the state of Pennsylvania, the museum’s Clair A. Carbonell Research Library showcases more than 3,000 volumes related to Northeastern Woodland indigenous history, including books, pamphlets, and photography. Significant collections are also held related to indigenous history throughout the Western hemisphere, along with special collections related to indigenous arts, languages, horticulture and medicine, historical treaties, and archaeology endeavors. The library may be used by students and researchers during museum hours by appointment.
Educational field trip opportunities are offered for elementary and secondary school students, with elements tailored to Pennsylvania curriculum standards. A variety of educational programming is available for student groups, with all programs able to be tailored to meet groups’ educational needs. Programs include a Lifeways and Lore workshop for young students, a Woodland Life Skills program for middle-grades participants, and a Northeastern Woodland program for older students and adults. All programs may be presented as field trip programming or as classroom outreach presentations. Annual public special events include a Roasting Ears of Corn Festival and an American Indian Relic Show and used book sale sponsored by the Indian Artifact Collectors Association of the North East.
2825 Fish Hatchery Rd, Allentown, PA 18103, Phone: 610-797-2121
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