National Museum of Industrial History

Museum in Motion Days
2024-12-29 11:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, 18015, United States

Family Sundays
2025-01-05 10:00 - 17:00, 2025-01-12 10:00 - 17:00, 2025-01-26 10:00 - 17:00 | National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, 18015, United States

Family Sundays & STEAM Adventures: Snowflakes
2025-01-19 10:00 - 17:00 | National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, 18015, United States

Lehigh Valley Passport to History Day
2025-01-26 10:00 - 17:00 | National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, 18015, United States
Lehigh Valley Passport to History is a partnership of historic sites and resources in and around Pennsylvania’s Lehigh and Northampton counties. Our group connects tourists with historical activities, events, tours, and exhibitions throughout the Valley, and beyond. Our objective is to connect the public with historical activities, events, tours, and exhibitions throughout the region and invite them explore the rich heritage that is right around the corner.
Join us on January 26th for a free admission day at the National Museum of Industrial History as part of the Lehigh Valley Passport to History initiative. Learn more about Lehigh Valley Passport to History here.

When Coal Was King: An Introduction to Anthracite Mining and Culture in Pennsylvania
2025-01-26 11:00 - 12:00 | National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, 18015, United States
Anthracite coal mined in Pennsylvania propelled the American Industrial Revolution and pushed our nation into its modern form. Although most of the men and women who made the Mines run are gone and largely forgotten, they left their mark on the world around us. This lecture will help guests understand the mines, miners, their legacy and how anthracite is still prevalent in our daily life whether we know it or not.

The talk will be given by Robert Homyak, an aspiring historian from the anthracite coal region of Pennsylvania and current sophomore at Moravian University majoring in History and Historical Studies. He has lived in the coal region his entire life and has amassed four generations of knowledge of the mines and their inner workings. The presentation will use images and artifacts from his personal and family collection as well as coal region historical societies. “I see the knowledge of the coal region being lost daily and want to preserve it the best I can. ”

On January 26th, the National Museum of Industrial History is offering free admission from 10am-5pm. This program is free to the public.

A Visit to the Last Operating Anthracite Mine in Wales
2025-01-26 13:00 - 14:30 | National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, 18015, United States
Join Australian photojournalist Dane Rhys as he shares his experiences photographing workers at the last anthracite mine in Western Europe. Dane Rhys will present images of the miners at the Aberpergwm Anthracite Mine in South Wales, discuss the challenges of shooting medium format color film in low-light underground conditions, and explore the historical significance of the mine and town. He will also share a current mine map and samples of the various anthracite products produced.
Dane Rhys, originally from Australia and now based in the United States, is a freelance photojournalist. After leaving a career in the gold mining industry, he began documenting industrial workers and their communities, focusing on de-industrialization and the changing energy sector.
On January 26th, the National Museum of Industrial History is offering free admission from 10am-5pm. This program is free to the public.

Anything Goes: Radio Reprograms America, 1920-1940
2025-02-08 13:00 - 14:00 | National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, 18015, United States
Radio defined and shaped popular culture, unifying the nation through a common medium during difficult times. Unexpectedly bursting onto the airwaves in 1920, radio technology created challenges and opportunities for providing popular content. Join us to hear about the evolution of radio from Dr. John Smith, Lehigh University History Professor Emeritus. Included with museum admission.

Museum in Motion Day
2025-02-15 11:00 - 15:00 | National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, 18015, United States
Join us from 11am – 3pm as we bring history to life as select industrial artifacts from the 19th and 20th centuries operate. Mechanical marvels ranging from stationary steam engines to ribbon looms will be demonstrated. The Corliss Steam Engine will run at 11:30am and 2:30pm. All included with regular museum admission.

Family Sundays & S.T.E.A.M. Adventures
2025-02-16 11:00 - 15:00 | National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, 18015, United States

Film Screening: Hello Girls
2025-03-01 13:00 - 14:00 | National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, 18015, United States
In 1918, the U.S. Army Signal Corps sent 223 women to France as telephone operators to help win the Great War. They were intrepid, united in a common cause and like Joan of Arc before them, they wanted to save France. Told through 100-year-old letters, photos, rare archival footage, and interviews with family and historians, this documentary brings to life a story that was almost entirely unknown.
Included with museum admission.

First Friday
2025-03-07 18:00 - 20:00 | National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, 18015, United States
Join us for First Friday, March 7th for extended hours and free admission from 6-8pm. Enjoy live music, hands-on demonstrations and S.T.E.A.M. activities.

Anthracite Everyday Women Extraordinary Lives
2025-03-08 13:00 - 14:00 | National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, 18015, United States
Join us at the National Museum of Industrial History as we welcome author Charmaine Welby to share inspiring stories of courageous women from Pennsylvania’s coal region from her new book.
“Anthracite Everyday Women Extraordinary Lives” highlights the inspiring stories of ten remarkable women from the anthracite coal region of Pennsylvania. This collection celebrates their strength, courage, and resilience in overcoming significant challenges with stability and grace. Each narrative reflects universal themes of hope, love, and perseverance, offering profound insights into the beauty found within everyday struggles. The book deeply examines these women’s journeys, showcasing their impact on their communities and emphasizing their contributions to family and relationships.
Charmaine Welby is a retired teacher celebrating everyday women’s strength and significance. Throughout her career, Charmaine worked closely with young adults with disabilities and was a standardized patient educator at a local hospital. She has been actively engaging with readers through appearances at local libraries and was featured on Author’s Corner on Channel 27 in Harrisburg on Good Day Pa.
Included with museum admission.

Iron Pour with artist Vaughn Randall
2025-03-15 10:00 - 14:00 | National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, 18015, United States
Join industrial artist Vaughn Randall for a live demonstration of a biodiesel fueled iron melting furnace. Using renewable resources and recycled metal, Randall will melt iron and pour it into molds, creating works of art. Guests are invited to view the entire process, from lighting the furnace to tapping the liquid metal, and discuss the process with Randall and his volunteer helpers. There may even be some experiments with different fuels, making for a fascinating day combining science, technology, history, and art. The event will take place from 10 AM to 2 PM in Foundry Park in front of the National Museum of Industrial History in Bethlehem, PA. Be sure to return after dinner, at 7 PM, for a second iron pour at Steelstacks with artist Coral Lambert and Paul Higham.
Vaughn Randall is currently a professor of sculpture at the State University of New York in Cortland, NY. He received his MFA in sculpture from the University of Washington in Seattle, and his BFA in sculpture from Georgia State University. He was instrumental in the development of the Sloss Furnaces Metal Arts program in Birmingham, Alabama, and served as the Co-Director of the 8th International Conference on Contemporary Cast Iron Art. He has been an active member of the cast-iron art community for over 30 years. Randall has an extensive background in both industrial and artistic foundry processes and is trained as a model maker and a master wood patternmaker. His work has been exhibited extensively and is in the collection of the John Michael Kohler Art Center, the University of Alabama in Birmingham, SUNY Cortland, the US National Park Service, The City of Clarksville TN, The Chinese Cultural Council, Jingdezhen, China, as well as many private collections.

Film Screening & Panel Discussion: Women Of Steel
2025-03-15 14:00 - 15:00 | National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, 18015, United States
Women contributed greatly to the success of Bethlehem Steel, the second largest steel producer in the nation for almost a century. In conjunction with our annual Steel Weekend event, these 19 remarkable women of Bethlehem Steel shared their experiences working in the plants, offices, and at research for our oral history project. Their full interviews are preserved in our National Museum of Industrial History Bethlehem Steel Archives.
Enjoy this screening of the Women of Steel documentary followed by a panel discussion with several female former Bethlehem Steel employees.
Included with museum admission

Starry Starry Stacks
2025-03-15 19:00 - 21:00 | SteelStacks, 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem, PA, 18015

March S.T.E.A.M. Adventures
2025-03-16 11:00 - 15:00 | National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, 18015, United States

Rosie the Riveter Day
2025-03-22 10:00 - 17:00 | National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, 18015, United States
Join us as we celebrate the hard-working women in industry during World War II.
10am-5pm Riveting Pop-Up Display
See some of WWII to mid-century era tools used for field riveting large structures like bridges.
11am-3pm Meet & Greet Historical Reenactors
Interact with our historical reenactors for a taste of what life what like for a woman to join the industrial workforce in the era.
1pm FILM SCREENING: The Life & Times of Rosie the Riveter
Domestic. Shop girl. Waitress. Cook. Those were the jobs for women in the 1930’s — when they could get work. Suddenly the U.S. entry into World War II created an unprecedented demand for new workers. Notions of what was proper work for women changed overnight. Thousands of posters and billboards appeared calling on women to “Do the Job He Left Behind.” Rosie the Riveter was born — the symbol of working women during World War II.
After whirlwind training, women found themselves doing “men’s work” and they did it so well that production levels rose despite the military call-up of millions of male workers. They discovered a new sense of pride and dignity in their work. Their earnings leapt upwards. Many joined unions and found substantial new benefits from labor representation. And for the first time in history, black women gained entry into major industrial plants.
When the war was over, Rosie wanted to stay. But neither the structure of the American economy nor the dominant view of women’s place in society sustained such hopes.
The story is told by the women themselves — five former “Rosies” who movingly recall their histories working in Detroit, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco during the war. Their testimony is interwoven with rare archival recruitment films, stills, posters, ads and music from the period which contrast their experiences with the popular legend and mythology of Rosie the Riveter.
2pm FILM SCREENING: No Time To Waste
No Time to Waste celebrates legendary 98-year-old park ranger Betty Reid Soskin‘s inspiring life, work and urgent mission to restore critical missing chapters of America’s story. The film follows her journey as an African American woman presenting her personal story from a kitchen stool in a national park theater to media interviews and international audiences who hang on every word she utters.
The documentary captures her fascinating life — from the experiences of a young Black woman in a WWII segregated union hall, through her multi-faceted career as a singer, activist, mother, legislative representative and park planner to her present public role.
At the Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park, Betty illuminates the invisible histories of African Americans and other people of color. Her efforts have changed the way the National Park Service conveys this history to audiences across the U.S., challenging us all to move together toward a more perfect union.
All programs included with regular museum admission. Come dressed as Rosie for $2 off admission.
Rosie Resources
Learn how to dress like a Rosie!
Download a Rosie Coloring Page
Learn More on the Rosie the Riveter WWII Homefront National Historical Park
Check out the YouTube Channel for Rosie the Riveter National Trust

Film Screening: Women of Steel
2025-03-29 13:00 - 14:00 | National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, 18015, United States
Women contributed greatly to the success of Bethlehem Steel, the second largest steel producer in the nation for almost a century. In conjunction with our annual Steel Weekend event, these 19 remarkable women of Bethlehem Steel shared their experiences working in the plants, offices, and at research for our oral history project. Their full interviews are preserved in our National Museum of Industrial History Bethlehem Steel Archives.
Enjoy this screening of the Women of Steel documentary included with regular museum admission.

April First Friday
2025-04-04 18:00 - 20:00 | National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, 18015, United States
Join us for SouthSide Arts District’s First Friday, April 4th for extended hours and free admission from 6-8pm. Enjoy live music, live machinery demonstrations, vintage film screenings and family-friendly S.T.E.A.M. activities.
Be sure to check out the many other special events going on throughout the SouthSide community here.

Bethlehem Steel Locomotive Experience
2025-04-06 11:00 - 15:15, 2025-05-04 11:00 - 15:15, 2025-05-18 11:00 - 15:15 | National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, 18015, United States

Curators' Tour: Unseen Signals
2025-04-25 16:00 - 17:00 | National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, 18015, United States
Join IEEE curators and historians Alex Magoun and Daniel Jon Mitchell for a behind-the-scenes highlights tour of their exhibit, “Unseen Signals: E. Howard Armstrong’s Radio Revolution”
Learn how they obtained rare and unique artifacts to tell the story of America’s greatest radio inventor, Major E. Howard Armstrong, and the wireless world that he and many other researchers, entrepreneurs, and listeners created over the course of the 20th century.
Dr. Magoun is outreach historian for IEEE. He has published, lectured, and been interviewed for History’s Greatest of All Time with Peyton Manning on the histories of consumer electronics and wireless communications. Before joining IEEE’s History Center, he directed the David Sarnoff Library at RCA’s former laboratories in Princeton.
Dr. Mitchell is senior historian for IEEE and staff program lead for the IEEE Global Museum. Originally from the UK, he has taught, researched and published on the history of physics in Hong Kong, Germany, and now America. Before joining IEEE’s History Center, he directed the Beckman Center for the History of Chemistry at the Science History Institute in Philadelphia.
IEEE is the world’s largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity. The IEEE Global Museum presented by the IEEE History Center brings traveling exhibits to IEEE members and the public to promote an understanding of electrotechnology and its impact on society.
Program includes Museum admission. Free for NMIH and IEEE Members. Registration required HERE.

SouthSide Community Day
2025-04-26 10:00 - 17:00 | National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, 18015, United States
Join us for our annual SouthSide Community Day and enjoy free admission and family-friendly activities including…

Museum in Motion – Artifact demonstrations including our Corliss Steam Engine demos at 11:30 and 2:30.
Live retro radio performance at 3:00pm
Hands-on S.T.E.A.M. activities for youth & families
Meet Tug! our beloved Bethlehem Steel Tow Tractor

Live Retro Radio Performance
2025-04-26 15:00 - 16:00 | National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, 18015, United States
Before the Internet, there was television. Before television, there was Radio. Join us at the National Museum of Industrial History during SouthSide Community Day to experience a 1940’s “LIVE” Radio Broadcast without having to Time Travel.
S.O.A.P., now in its second decade of touring, performs original broadcasts from the 30’s through the 50’s for community organizations. S.O.A.P. voice actors have turned their love of nostalgia, popular culture, and historical preservation into live entertainment for all ages.

First Friday at NMIH
2025-05-02 18:00 - 20:00 | National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, 18015, United States
Join us for SouthSide Arts District’s First Friday, May 2nd for extended hours and free admission from 6-8pm. Be sure to check out the many other special events going on throughout the SouthSide community here.
Featuring free admission
Live demonstrations
Book signing with author Bill Childs
Hands-on S.T.E.A.M. activities
7:45 Flashlight Tours (registration required)

Bethlehem Steel Flashlight Tours
2025-05-02 19:45 - 21:00 | National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, 18015, United States

S.T.E.A.M. Adventures
2025-05-18 11:00 - 15:00 | National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, 18015, United States
