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1922
Historic Hotel Bethlehem
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
437 Main Street, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18018
Original Property Opened in 1922
Historic Hotels of America member since 2002
- The 2025 Top 25 Historic Hotels of America® Culinary Heritage and Traditions List Is Announced
- The 2025 Top 25 Historic Hotels of America® Most Magnificent Art Collections List Is Announced
- The 2024 Top 25 Historic Hotels of America® Where U.S. Presidents Made History List Is Announced
- The 2023 Top 25 Historic Hotels of America Culinary Heritage and Traditions List
- The 2023 Top 25 Historic Hotels of America® Most Magnificent Art Collections List Is Announced
- 2022 Top 25 Historic Hotels of America Most Unique Culinary Heritage and Traditions Announced
art
ghosts
memorabilia
presidential
tours
In 1741, Moravian Brethren built Bethlehem’s first house on the site of what is now the Historic Hotel Bethlehem, PA. Then, in 1794, the Moravians, famous for their hospitality, built what became the Eagle Hotel. The hotel has hosted world leaders and renowned celebrities over the years, including Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy, the 14th Dalai Lama, Amelia Earhart, Harry Connick, Jr., and many more. The town’s history as a colonial religious settlement to an industrial icon is chronicled in eight George Gray murals that have hung in the hotel since 1937. And located in the heart of Historic Moravian Bethlehem, a National Historic Landmark District, the Historic Hotel Bethlehem is walking distance to museums, historic sites, and boutique shops.
After a public voting process, USA Today named Historic Hotel Bethlehem the Best Historic Hotel/Resort in America for the fourth consecutive year (2020-2024).
Discover
- Discover Historic Hotel Bethlehem's distinguished place in the city's history while enjoying its truly spectacular setting. Nestled adjacent to America’s 26th UNESCO World Heritage Site, Moravian Church Settlements — Bethlehem. The hotel was constructed in 1922 on the former site of the first home in Bethlehem built by Bethlehem’s founders in 1741. Today, Historic Hotel Bethlehem sits on America’s #1 Best Main Street and offers beautiful views of the iconic Star of Bethlehem at the top of South Mountain.
- Delve into the fascinating past of both Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and Historic Hotel Bethlehem in the lower lobby's Hall of History. Here, guests can trace the story of the city’s development—from authentic Colonial to Industrial history —through an array of artifacts that includes photographs, original menus, and more. Enjoy the gallery setting of the Mural Ballroom where you can view the award-winning George Gray mural collection painted in 1937. This collection depicts the legacy and historic transformations of Bethlehem over two centuries.
- Follow in the footsteps of Historic Hotel Bethlehem's prestigious guests. Through the years, the hotel has hosted remarkable individuals, from world leaders and cultural luminaries to celebrities and athletes. The site's dedication to hosting distinguished guests began with the Golden Eagle Hotel, which stood before Historic Hotel Bethlehem. Names like Mark Twain, William Waldorf Astor, and President Ulysses S. Grant graced the guest list of the former Golden Eagle Hotel. Once Hotel Bethlehem opened in 1922, notable guests from around the world continued to find their way to the hotel. Since then, Historic Hotel Bethlehem has held a banquet for Amelia Earhart, hosted Winston Churchill and President Dwight D. Eisenhower during their visits to the Bethlehem Steel Corporation. The Hotel has welcomed other influential guests such as Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Shirley Temple, Muhammad Ali, future president John F. Kennedy, and many more.
Explore
- Inscribed in July 2024, Moravian Church Settlements - Bethlehem became the 26th UNESCO World Heritage Site within the United States, and part of the first transnational site. This site spans over 10 acres and includes nine original properties, four ruins, and God's Acre cemetery. Founded in 1741, Bethlehem’s properties represent the finest examples of Moravian architecture and town planning in the country. This designation validates Historic Bethlehem as a truly unique, authentic Colonial destination that complements the existing UNESCO World Heritage designees, located within 90-minutes drive: Independence Hall and the Statue of Liberty.
- Explore one square mile with one dozen firsts — Historic Moravian Bethlehem National Historic Landmark District features countless firsts, including the first documented Christmas tree in America, first municipal pumped water system in America, and first school to educate women. Encompassing around 14 acres in the heart of the city, this storied area was once home to Moravian settlers from Europe who established a communal society here as part of an international religious network during the 1700s. Radical for their time, the Moravians believed that all people—regardless of race, ethnicity, or gender—had the right to the same healthcare and education. Today, visitors can visit some of the community's original buildings, which are designed in the German Colonial architectural style.
- Take a step back in time with a visit to Bethlehem's most historic sites. Our fascinating heritage stretches back almost three centuries, and there is no shortage of places to explore in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Best of all, many of them are within an easy walk, short drive or quick bike ride. Listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, the 6.5-acre Burnside Plantation is all that remains of an 18th-century Moravian farm, offering a glimpse of farm life during the colonial era. The Colonial Industrial Quarter stands as the United States' birthplace of industry, with four existing buildings and ruins that are still in their original places. Other must-see sites include the Moravian Museum of Bethlehem and the Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts.
- Pay a visit to the National Museum of Industrial History. Affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution, the museum is housed in the former Electric Repair Shop of the Bethlehem Steel plant and charts the history of the people, machines, and ideas that shaped America's industrial heritage. Here, visitors can gain insight into the city's transformation into a manufacturing powerhouse and gaze upon fascinating manufacturing artifacts like a loom from the Scalamandre textile factory, which once crafted fabrics for White House restoration projects from the Hoover to Clinton administrations.
- Learn more about the legacy of Bethlehem Steel which was once the second largest steel producer in the country, helped build some of America’s greatest landmarks – including the Golden Gate Bridge and the Chrysler Building. Discover the humble beginnings, monumental growth, and humbling decline of this 20th-century giant.
Experience
- Experience a show or festival at SteelStacks. Once the largest private industrial brownfield in the United States, the former Bethlehem Steel plant has since been repurposed as a ten-acre arts, culture, and events venue. In an earlier life, the plant held the distinction of being the second-largest steel manufacturer in the country, employing thousands and supplying materials for projects like the Empire State Building and the Golden Gate Bridge. Today, it plays host to over 1,000 concerts and eight festivals annually. During a visit, be sure to take in the enormity of the plant from the Hoover Mason Trestle, which was once traversed by rail cars carrying materials from the ore yards to Bethlehem Steel. Rising 46 feet above the ground, this elevated park and pedestrian walkway offers impressive views of the plant's blast furnaces and other remaining structures.
- Embark on a guided walking tour of historic downtown Bethlehem. These insightful excursions, often led by guides in period, Moravian-style dress, feature stops by some of the city's most significant sites. Tours are offered on a variety of topics, from more high-level explorations of Old Bethlehem and Bethlehem Steel to adventures themed around churches and chapels, Moravian music or courtship rituals, or the town's role in the American Revolution. Tours typically run for around an hour and vary from month to month.
- Set out in search of a new page-turner with a visit to the Moravian Book Shop. Said to be the world's oldest continuously operating bookstore, the shop was founded in 1745 at the request of the Moravian Church. Although the Moravian Book Shop changed locations a few times over the years, it has operated in the same spot—just across the street from the Historic Hotel Bethlehem in the publications building for the Central Moravian Church—since 1871.
- Uncover more of Pennsylvania's cultural and natural history with a day trip to some of Bethlehem's neighboring communities. Located less than 30 minutes away in Nazareth, the Martin Guitar Factory and Museum is one of the world's oldest surviving acoustic instrument producers. Meanwhile, in nearby Easton, the National Canal Museum allows visitors to experience a two-mile stretch of the Lehigh Canal by bike, paddleboat, kayak, canoe, or a canal boat pulled by the museum's resident mules, Hank and George. Alternatively, those looking for even more outdoor adventures can make their way to Ringing Rocks County Park, an eight-acre boulder field with rocks that sound like bells when hit with a hammer.
- Relax in a day of pampering right at Historic Hotel Bethlehem in its new spa, Magnolia Spa and Salon. The spa is located in Suite 200 and the experienced staff of licensed professionals offers guests personalized spa and beauty services. Some services featured include: nails, hair, facials, massage, wraps, makeup, waxing, and spray tanning. Book an appointment today with the hotel!
Taste
- Taste Bethlehem's German heritage with a slice of Moravian sugar cake. Served daily in Historic Hotel Bethlehem's lobby, this sweet coffee cake was a favorite of Moravian settlers during the 1700s. Boasting a sugary crust and a surprising ingredient (hot and fluffy mashed potatoes), this tasty treat is best enjoyed warm with a cup of coffee. Alternatively, for something on the savory side, be on the lookout for a different local snack brought over by the Germans during the 18th century—a chewy, soft pretzel.
- Savor the spirited side of the Lehigh Valley. Given the radical beliefs, at the time, of the Moravians, it should come as no surprise that these German settlers were fond of a stiff drink. In fact, the Lehigh Valley's very first tavern, the Crown Inn in Bethlehem (founded in 1745), was so popular that they quickly a new tavern, the Sun Inn, only a few years later in 1758. Today, the Moravians' influence can still be seen (and tasted!) at one of the region's many distilleries, breweries, cideries, and wineries, which offer handcrafted, locally produced beverages. Make sure to sample some applejack, a favorite alcoholic drink during the American colonial era.
- Raise a glass to the beer-drenched history of Bethlehem during a walking tour of the city's most historic pubs. Starting at the 1810 Goundie House—home of Johann Sebastian Goundie, Bethlehem's first commercial brewer—this tasty tour includes a complimentary tasting and visits to watering holes like the Historic Sun Inn and Red Stag Pub.
- Stroll into the hotel's dining room, 1741 On The Terrace. Here, diners can enjoy views of historic Bethlehem through the restaurant's floor-to-ceiling palladium windows while admiring the authentic Moravian tiles that blanket the floor.
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