National Museum of Industrial History

Curators' Tour: Unseen Signals
2025-04-25 16:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | 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, 2025-06-06 20:30 - 22:00, 2025-09-05 19:45 - 21:00 | National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, 18015, United States

Bethlehem Steel Locomotive Experience
2025-05-04 11:00 - 15:15, 2025-05-18 11:00 - 15:15, 2025-06-01 11:00 - 15:15, 2025-07-06 11:00 - 15:15, 2025-07-20 11:00 - 15:15, 2025-08-03 11:00 - 15:15, 2025-08-17 11:00 - 15:15 | 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

PA Shakespear Festival "Play On!" Community Tour at NMIH
2025-05-31 11:00 - 12:00 | National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, 18015, United States

GUEST LECTURE - Archibald Johnston: Multifaceted Man
2025-05-31 13:00 - 14:00 | National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, 18015, United States
The Archie Project is a nonprofit 501(c)(3), whose purpose is to raise funds to restore the interior of the Historic Archibald Johnston Mansion in Bethlehem Township’s Housenick Park. Hear from John Gallagher about the project and the history behind this historic property and family.
Archibald Johnston arrived in Bethlehem from Phoenixville, Pennsylvania while still in elementary school. He thrived in school, was a graduate of Lehigh University, and became an employee of the Bethlehem Steel Company. His intelligence, salesmanship, and people skills were valued by senior management. He made “the Steel” – and himself – a lot of money.
Johnston married the daughter of a local family, Estelle Stadiger Borhek (center right in photo), and they had two children, Elizabeth (center left) and Archibald Borhek Johnston (right).
In the late 1910s, Bethlehem Steel’s senior management saw the wisdom in the consolidation of the three Bethlehem boroughs – Bethlehem, Northampton Heights, and South Bethlehem. Johnston led the consolidation campaign and voters selected him overwhelmingly as their first mayor. He served one term and moved to his new country estate, “Camel’s Hump Farm” in Bethlehem Township.
Johnston hired Curtis Lovelace, who would later create an architectural firm which would become today’s Spillman Farmer, to design a suitable residence for himself and his wife. His two children, already adults and married with their own children, would not accompany them to the 6,000-square-foot home completed in 1923.
Johnston had a passion for civil engineering projects as well as civic work. He walled the Monocacy Creek, built a fish hatchery, a riding rink, and a series of roads and bridges connecting the buildings and homes on what was almost one square mile adjacent to Nazareth Pike.
Johnston died on February 2, 1948, having enjoyed nearly 25 years of family life with his wife and their children and grandchildren.
Included with admission

First Fridays @ NMIH
2025-06-06 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 Fridays 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
Pop-up Exhibit with Vintage Metals Designs
Booking signing with author Bill Childs
Live Music with Keith Quelet
Live machinery demonstrations including the Corliss Steam Engine
Hands-on family-friendly S.T.E.A.M. activities
Flashlight tour at 8:30 (Additional cost; pre-registration is required here)
Full details on our event website Upcoming Events – National Museum of Industrial History

Pop-Up Exhibit & Gallery Talk
2025-06-06 18:00 - 2025-06-08 17:00 | National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, 18015, United States
Step into the world of industrial artistry and sustainable design during a special pop-up exhibit and gallery talk with master craftsman Gregg Epstein, founder of Vintage Metal Designs. This immersive experience invites visitors to discover the passion, process, and purpose behind Gregg’s remarkable furniture creations—each piece meticulously handcrafted from historically reclaimed wood and metal.
Through stories and live discussion, Gregg will share how he transforms salvaged materials into modern heirlooms, blending old-world techniques with contemporary design. Attendees will get an insider look at the inspirations behind his work, from the rich industrial legacy of the Lehigh Valley to his commitment to eco-conscious craftsmanship. Learn how every burnished surface and copper accent tells a deeper story of resilience, reinvention, and enduring beauty.
Whether you’re an art lover, history buff, or maker-at-heart, this event promises insight, inspiration, and a renewed appreciation for the objects we live with.
The exhibit will be on view Friday, June 6th 6-8pm during our First Friday event.; Saturday June 7th 10am-5pm and Sunday June 8th 10am-5pm.
The Gallery Talk will take place on Saturday, June 7th at 1pm. Mr. Epstein will be on site throughout the day Saturday and Sunday.

Corliss Comes Alive!
2025-06-06 19:00 - 19:30 | National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, 18015, United States
For more than a decade the museum’s staff, volunteers, and community partners worked to restore our massive 115-ton Corliss steam engine to working order, 100+ years after being built by the Snow Steam Pump Works in Buffalo, N.Y. The engine was used by the York Water Company and pumped eight million gallons of water per day. Today the engine, the most powerful operating water works steam engine in North America, is a focal point of the museum’s 13,000 square foot exhibit space, where it has painstakingly been mechanically restored to its former glory and repainted its original color. Join us as we operate the engine and learn more about this fascinating piece of industrial history.
Demonstration will take place at 7pm during our First Friday event. Free admission.

Free Family Sunday - S.T.E.A.M. Adventures
2025-06-15 11:00 - 15:00 | National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, 18015, United States

Steelworkers' Archives - Steelworker Heritage Bus Tours
2025-06-21

S.T.E.M. Experience with PA Cyber Charter School
2025-06-26 10:00 - 12:00 | National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, 18015, United States
This summer, high school students from the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School will embark on a 3-day experience exploring the industrial legacy of the Lehigh Valley! The students will be visiting several educational institutions, including the National Museum of Industrial History to learn about how past innovations shape today’s engineering. This experience will culminate with a student service project at the National Museum of Industrial History. On Thursday June 26th from 10:00am-12:00pm, the PA Cyber students will facilitate hands-on activities with museum guests, sharing what they’ve learned throughout the week and engaging with visitors. This program is included with the price of museum admission.

Steelworkers' Archives - Steelworker Heritage Bus Tour
2025-07-12, 2025-07-26

Free Family Sundays - S.T.E.A.M. Adventures
2025-07-20 11:00 - 15:00 | National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, 18015, United States

2025 Anthracite Railroad Ramble
2025-08-06 09:00 - 18:00
PLEASE NOTE: Due to unforseen track work, the departure and arrival station may need to be changed to NESQUEHONING STATION (1 Iron Horse Way, Nesquehoning, PA 18240) and the Steam Shop portion of the itinerary will change locations. See new description below. Refunds will be available for those who cannot participate due to itinerary change. Please email info@nmih.org for more information.
The National Museum of Industrial History is proud to work with the Reading & Northern Railroad to host a day-long rare mileage train ride on Wednesday, August 6, 2025. The trip will depart from Nesquehoning Station (1 Iron Horse Way, Nesquehoning, PA 18240), at 9 AM, with guests riding aboard a pair of open window Budd RDCs (self-propelled Rail Diesel Cars). In Ashland, PA, guests will have the option to detrain and tour the Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine or stay aboard for two hours of photo runbys. The standard mine tour will be enhanced by a visit to the headframe and lokie barn where Lehigh Valley Coal Company tank engine Number 119 will be seen under restoration. Several lucky guests will have a chance to operate anthracite burning tank engine Number 123. Finally, passengers will have a chance to tour the Reading & Northern Railroad Nesquehoning Campus, an adaptive re-use of the former KME firetruck factory, now being used for mechanical repairs, offices, training facilities, and the Nesquehoning Regional Railroad Station. There are also surprise military artifacts housed at the location that will be on display. The railroad’s Black Diamond Store will be open on the campus as well.
Back by popular demand for the 2025 Anthracite Railroad Ramble will be historical narration from Michael Helbing, President of Metrotrails. He will discuss the railroad, canal, and industrial history along the route.
Special for 2025 will be an onboard book signing with Hank Webber, author of The History of The High Iron Company. His book takes readers back into an era where steam-powered giants thundered across the countryside. The beautifully crafted volume delivers 14 engaging chapters covering the rise and operations of mainline steam excursions, over 200 rare and vivid photographs bringing the High Iron story to life, with 238 pages of expertly documented rail history, from locomotive rebuilds to high-speed runs. A limited number of books will be available for sale onboard.
Guests can bring their own lunch or pre-purchase a box lunch to eat on the train. Light snacks and drinks will also be available for sale on the train. Seating is limited and expected to sell out. Guests must arrange their own transportation to and from Nesquehoning Station. Estimated return to Nesquehoning Station between 5 and 6pm.
ALL TICKETS MUST BE PURCHASED IN ADVANCE ON A FIRST COME – FIRST SERVED BASIS. SEATING IS LIMITED. NO SALES DAY OF THE TRIP. SALES END ONE WEEK BEFORE THE TRIP. NO ASSIGNED SEATING. THE RAILROAD RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SUBSTITUTE MOTIVE POWER AS CONDITIONS REQUIRE. ALL CHILDREN REGARDLESS OF AGE MUST HAVE A TICKET. ITINERARY SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
Price
Single Ticket $99
Optional add-on experience – Detrain for Pioneer Tunnel Tour: $20
LUNCH SALES HAVE ENDED. Please plan to bring your own.
NMIH members receive a ten percent discount on ticket prices when using code TRAIN.
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE.

Guest Lecture - The Bethlehem Steel Company Band: An Industrial Reach into the Community
2025-08-09 13:00 - 14:00 | National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, 18015, United States
Join conductor, performer, researcher, teacher, and technician Joshua E. Long, PhD of Art & Music Emporium, Inc. for a lecture entitled “The Bethlehem Steel Company Band: An Industrial Reach into the Community”. Imagine being hired at a steel plant, not because of your iron working skills, rather for your musical needs. Explore an ensemble that was created in 1910 as a gift to the Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and learn about musicians who practiced in a dedicated full equipped hall with many amenities made for the band members who provided a wealth of music making for the community. The lecture will share many pictures of the band, instruments and uniforms that still exist, and sound recordings of a recreation concert of the Bethlehem Steel Company Band.
Included with museum admission.

Corliss Comes Alive!
2025-08-17 13:30 - 14:30 | National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, 18015, United States
For more than a decade the museum’s staff, volunteers, and community partners worked to restore our massive 115-ton Corliss steam engine to working order, 100+ years after being built by the Snow Steam Pump Works in Buffalo, N.Y. The engine was used by the York Water Company and pumped eight million gallons of water per day. Today the engine, the most powerful operating water works steam engine in North America, is a focal point of the museum’s 13,000 square foot exhibit space, where it has painstakingly been mechanically restored to its former glory and repainted its original color. Join us as we operate the engine and learn more about this fascinating piece of industrial history.

First Friday @ NMIH
2025-09-05 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 Fridays 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.
