The Works of a Mechanical Genius: The Legacy of John Fritz
2021-11-17 - 2022-10-17

Author Talk: Disastrous Floods and the Demise of Steel in Johnstown
2021-12-02 18:00 - 19:30 (America/New_York)
Join us for an author talk and book signing with St. Francis University Communications Professor Pat Farabaugh as he discusses his new book on the three major floods in Johnstown and the region’s long history as a leader in the nation’s steel industry. Books will be available for purchase.
$5 for non-members, free for NMIH members. Pre-registration required by 12/2 to attend. Masks required when inside the building.
REGISTER TO ATTEND
About the Book
Johnstown is synonymous with floodwaters and steel. When the city was decimated by a flood of biblical proportions in 1889, it was considered one of the worst natural disasters in American history and gained global attention. Sadly, that deluge was only the first of three major floods to claim lives and wreak havoc in the region. The destruction in the wake of the St. Patrick’s Day flood in 1936 was the impetus for groundbreaking federal and local flood control measures. Multiple dam failures, including the Laurel Run Dam in July 1977, left a flooded Johnstown with a failing steel industry in ruins. Author Pat Farabaugh charts the harrowing history of Johnstown’s great floods and the effects on its economic lifeblood.

Winter Welcome at NMIH
2021-12-04 09:00 - 11:00
Santa, S.T.E.A.M., and sweet treats! Get into the holiday spirit at the National Museum of Industrial History as we dedicate the all-new Air Products Pavilion in Foundry Park, the latest community gathering space on the SteelStacks campus.
Visitors will enjoy free Museum admission from 9am to 11am with complimentary cocoa and cookies, family-friendly S.T.E.A.M. activities, museum tours, holiday music, and a special 10 am Air Products Pavilion dedication ceremony and surprise visit from Santa.*
*Bring your own cameras. No professional photographer will be on site. Weather permitting. Please visit nmih.org for inclement weather notifications. All visitors, regardless of vaccination status, are strongly encouraged to wear face coverings inside the Museum.
About the Air Products Pavilion
The National Museum of Industrial History received a $100,000 grant from the Air Products Foundation to educate future generations of entrepreneurs and inventors, highlight the importance of industrial safety in our past, present and future and introduce a new outdoor venue to the Lehigh Valley. The 15’ x 30’ covered multi-use Air Products Pavilion will serve as a space for industrial demonstrations, youth educational programs, live performances and community gatherings.

The Corliss Comes Alive
2021-12-11, 2022-06-11
The Corliss engine will run at 11:30am and 2:30pm.
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, 105 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 from the museum’s historian.

Lehigh & New England Railroad Motor Car Display
2022-01-02 - 2022-03-09
A motor car from the Lehigh & New England Railroad (LNE), whose lines ran through Bethlehem’s Colonial Industrial Quarter until it shuttered in the 1960s, is on display now through the end of March at NMIH.
Owned and restored by the Volunteer Railroaders Association (VRA), a group of New Jersey-based preservationists, cars of its kind were once omnipresent across the nation’s railroads but have since all but disappeared. This car, #539 on the LNE roster, represents a homecoming story for a unique piece of Lehigh Valley memorabilia.
The rail car was originally purchased from the railroad by a Air Force veteran and rail enthusiast residing in Phillipsburg. He then moved to Minnesota, relocating the car with him, where it sat until it was spotted for sale online by the VRA. It was subsequently acquired, shipped back to New Jersey, and was recently restored to its current condition in late 2021.
With much of the cosmetic and structural restoration completed, the group plans to begin work on making it operational. Contributions to help fund the preservation of the car can be made via a donation box at the exhibit in the museum’s lobby or via GoFundMe.
The artifact was manufactured by Sheffield/Fairbanks Morse and is a model 40B speeder, a car used to move crew members along the Lehigh & New England’s railroad lines. Coinciding with January’s Anthracite Heritage Month, the display showcases a piece of LNE’s rich regional anthracite history that has roots dating back to 1873.
About the Volunteer Railroaders Association (VRA)
The VRA is a non-profit, all-volunteer group whose mission is to raise funds and awareness for the restoration and preservation of historic railroad items through events and education. Learn more at vratrips.org.

Behind the Exhibit: The Works of a Mechanical Genius
2022-02-17 18:00 - 19:00
Learn how the late Lance Metz, long-time historian for the National Canal Museum, had the foresight to foster a relationship with the great grandniece of Ellen and John Fritz, the history behind the Kemerer Museum/National Canal Museum exhibit in the 1980s, and the 200th anniversary exhibit today jointly brought to you by NMIH and the National Canal Museum.
Admission for this lecture is free for members of NMIH and a suggested donation of $5 for non-members. A native of Catasauqua, PA, Martha has served the D&L and National Canal Museum in various capacities since 1990. She is passionate about preserving and presenting our local history, because of its major national significance.
She has been a professional writer and editor and has written nine books on historical topics ranging from swimming, auto-racing, Catasauqua, Whitehall, Coplay, the Lehigh Valley cement industry, the Vatican, and the D&L’s new book on the Industrial History of the Corridor.
Martha has been managing the archives here at the D&L and National Canal Museum since 2012; she helps to create and maintain the museum exhibits and takes an occasional turn aboard the D&L canal boat Josiah White II. She loves going out into the communities along the Corridor to meet people and tell our stories with talks, photographs, and films.

Changing Nature of Steelwork in the 20th Century
2022-03-10 18:00 - 19:00
Work in the steel industry has greatly evolved in the 100+ years since the death of John Fritz. What would Fritz have thought about the transitions facing steelworkers in the 20th century? Veteran Steelworker, Historian, and Author Donald S. Young explores the dynamic changes that steelworkers faced and continue to experience in the American Steel industry today. Free to museum members, $5 for non-members. Register for tickets HERE
Can’t attend in person? If you are an NMIH member, you can register to receive a zoom link to the event HERE.
In addition to co-authoring Bethlehem Steel: A Photographic History, Mr. Young spent 33 years working at the company’s Bethlehem plant, and 56 years total working for Bethlehem Steel as an electric furnace melt department foreman. In his retirement he enjoys volunteering with NMIH.

The Corliss Comes Alive
2022-03-19
The Corliss engine will run at 11:30am and 2:30pm.
Please note date change due to inclement weather to 3/19.
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, 105 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 from the museum’s historian.

On Track: Building and Restoring Small Railroad Vehicles
2022-03-19 15:30 - 16:30 | National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, 18015, United States
Please note date change due to inclement weather to 3/19.
Did you ever wonder what it would take to create a brand-new human powered rail car or revive a rusty railroad “speeder” with a gas engine over 80 years old? Learn from the people who have done just that and see the rail cars in person.
The first of two talks will delve into the restoration of former Lehigh & New England Railroad (LNE) motor car 549. A brief history of its manufacturer, the Sheffield Velocipede Car Company, and its first owner, the LNE, will lead into a more detailed discussion of the history and operation of 549. The illustrated presentation will be given by Charles Smith, Secretary of the Volunteer Railroaders Association (VRA). The VRA is a non-profit all-volunteer group whose heart is running fundraising Santa & Easter Bunny train rides and operating motor cars (aka speeders). The VRA restored the 1894 NYS&W station in Hawthorne, NJ and operates it today. More information about the VRA can be found on their website www.vratrips.org
Bill McCarthy will then detail the design and construction of a modern replica hand powered rail car, known as a Velocipede. These vehicles were popular before internal combustion engines made cars like 549 practical. Over the past few years, rail bikes have seen a resurgence of popularity across the country. This particular machine was inspired by a three-wheel design also built by the Sheffield Velocipede Car Company. Bill McCarthy has been an operator and restorer of historic machinery for over four decades, doing business as Restoration Millwork in Riegelsville, PA. He has built everything from bar counters to fully functioning marine steam engines.
The presentations will begin at 3:30 PM on Saturday March 19, 2022 at the National Museum of Industrial History in Bethlehem, PA. Be sure to arrive early to see the Museum’s 115 ton Corliss stationary steam engine operate at 2:30 PM.
This event is included with the cost for museum admission.
Please note that if you plan to build or restore your own rail vehicle, you NEED permission to put it on a railroad track, even track that you have never seen a train on. The best way to get on the rails is by joining an organization such as the Volunteer Railroaders Association.

Youth Program: Women in S.T.E.A.M.
2022-03-23 13:00 - 16:00 | National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, 18015, United States
Calling all future engineers! During Women’s History Month, NMIH honors the women who received the Fritz medal, which has often been described as the “Nobel Prize for engineering.” Join us for this drop-in style youth program where we will read about women in S.T.E.A.M. and do fun, hands-on S.T.E.A.M. activities.
Free with museum admission. Designed for all ages.
Support for this program generously provided by

Bethlehem Steel Locomotive Engineer Experience
2022-04-03 11:00 - 16:00, 2022-05-01 11:00 - 16:00, 2022-05-15 11:00 - 16:00, 2022-06-05 11:00 - 16:00, 2022-06-19 11:00 - 16:00
The National Museum of Industrial History is excited to offer a hands-on train engineer experience on its newly-restored narrow gauge locomotive! Situated in the museum’s park area, the 1941 Whitcomb diesel-electric locomotive was used at Bethlehem Steel in the Electric Furnace Melt Shop where it moved charging buggies filled with scrap metal. Restored by museum volunteers and staff to working condition, the train operates on a little over 100 feet of demonstration track. During this educational experience participants will be able to climb into the cab, learn how the locomotive works, then take the controls under the supervision of museum personnel. The short but memorable runs will let you step back in time, putting you in the same engineer’s seat as the steelworkers who helped built the country.
Each experience is limited to two adults or one adult and one child. Each session lasts approximately 20 minutes and is weather-dependent. Tickets are $20 per session (includes 1-2 participants) and are non-refundable except in the case of inclement weather or cancellation by the museum.
Learn more about the locomotive’s restoration process and see it in action here: https://www.nmih.org/restoration-highlight-1941-bethlehem-steel-whitcomb-narrow-gauge-locomotive
Because of the nature of operating historic equipment, availability is subject to change without advance notice. Every reasonable effort will be made to keep your experience on track. Guests must be able to climb a three-step ladder to enter and exit the locomotive. Face masks are required. NMIH’s Bethlehem Steel locomotive experience is separate from regular museum admission.

GET TICKETS NOW!

Building the New Navy: Bethlehem Iron Company with Prof. John K. Smith
2022-04-07 18:00 - 19:00 | National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, 18015, United States
By the 1880s, the United States was emerging as a huge world economic power. But its Navy, with a fleet of outmoded wooden hulled vessels, was one of the worlds’ most inferior. Learn how the Bethlehem Iron Company transformed and rebuilt the American Navy and changed the course of 20th century.
About the Speaker – John K. Smith, Associate Professor Emeritus – Lehigh University
Professor Smith, trained both as an engineer and a historian, specializes in the history of technology and business history. His research interests focus on the history of industrial research and development and the chemical industry. He is co-author of Science and Corporate Strategy: DuPont R&D, 1902-1980, and he has published articles in Technology and Culture, and Science.
Free for members/$5 for non-members
Registration required at https://newnavy.eventbrite.com

SouthSide Community Day Presented by Unity Bank
2022-04-23 10:00 - 17:00 | National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, 18015, United States
Join us for a free community day in appreciation of our South Side friends and neighbors. All visitors enjoy free museum admission, youth activities, and an opportunity to take pictures with TUG, a tow tractor that helped workers at Bethlehem Steel transport buggies at the Bethlehem plant.

This event is generously sponsored by

Meet the Manufacturer: Ocean Spray
2022-04-24 19:00
A Virtual Conversation Featuring
Chad Hammerly, Plant Director for Ocean Spray Lehigh Valley
The Ocean Spray story starts in 1930 when three passionate, independent cranberry growers found the key to expanding the superfruit’s success: a single cranberry-growing family. By coming together in one cooperative, Marcus Urann, John Makepeace and Elizabeth Lee worked together to create deliciously innovative products with the fruit they loved. They continued to grow their cranberry family along the way, which now includes over 700 grower families across North and South America. In 2014, Ocean Spray opened a 300,000 square foot facility right here in the Lehigh Valley.
Premiering April 24th at 7pm on the NMIH Youtube Channel.
Meet the Manufacturer is a virtual series featuring innovative companies throughout the Lehigh Valley and the people behind them. This series is generously sponsored by Lehigh Valley Industrial Park, Inc. and Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation and is presented in partnership with Made Possible in Lehigh Valley.

Family Program: Herbert Hoover & the Dam
2022-05-15 10:00 - 17:00 | National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, 18015, United States
Hoover Dam Image Credit: Pamela McCreight from Florida, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
Join us during Free Family Sunday at the Museum for a drop-in program to learn about Fritz Medal recipient Herbert Hoover and the Hoover Dam in conjunction with our exhibition The Works of a Mechanical Genius: The Legacy of John Fritz. We will read a story about the Hoover Dam, learn how Herbert Hoover won the Fritz Medal, which has often been described as the “Nobel prize for engineering,” and do a hands-on S.T.E.A.M. dam building activity. Designed for all ages.
This program is included with admission. On Free Family Sundays, youth 12 and under receive free admission when accompanied by an adult.
Support for this program generously provided by

Teacher's Night Out
2022-05-18 16:30 - 19:30
Looking for a fun and easy way to earn Act 48 hours? Join members of Passport to History, including the National Museum of Industrial History, at the National Canal Museum located at Hugh Moore Park in Easton, PA for an evening of educational history.
Learn about the history of the Lehigh and Delaware canal while riding on a mule powered canal boat, pick from 1 of 4 educational sessions to learn about Lenape history, the silk industry, the hiding of the Liberty Bell in Allentown, or the Moravians and find out what these local organizations can offer your schools. Even more local organizations will be available to visit and chat with during our tabling time, during which we will have complimentary beverages and finger foods. All of this for the price of $10. You will walk away from the evening with 3 Act 48 hours and a head full of history and ideas for your classrooms.
To register, please visit https://canals.org/product/teachers-night-out/

Youth Program: Hands-on History
2022-06-09 13:00 - 16:00
Full S.T.E.A.M. ahead! Join us as we inspire future innovators in this free drop-in family program presented in partnership with Bethlehem Area Public Library. We’ll read about different aspects of S.T.E.A.M. throughout the summer!
Inventors
June 9th 1-4pm
Location: Bethlehem Area Public Library, 11 West Church Street, Bethlehem, PA
Join us and read about different inventors and do fun, hands-on S.T.E.A.M. activities. Enjoy tinkering and experimenting with different objects!
Planes & Trains
July 14th 1-4pm
Location: National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, PA
Join us and read about different construction vehicles, planes, and trains. Experiment with fun, hands-on S.T.E.A.M. activities.
TUG! & Bethlehem Steel
August 11th 1-4pm
Location: National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, PA
Meet TUG, NMIH’s restored Bethlehem Steel tow tractor and the subject of a children’s book produced in collaboration between NMIH and BAPL.

Guest Lecture - Target: Lehigh Valley
2022-07-07 18:00 - 19:00
Throughout World War Two and the Cold War, enemy attack was a real and present danger threatening American industry. Find out how the Lehigh Valley and local industries responded to these dangers and incorporated Civil Defense into everyday life in a time when Armageddon could come at any moment.
Tyler Gordon is a current DeSales University student and long-time historian from Bethlehem Township. Since around the age of ten, Tyler has been fascinated with discovering former fallout shelters, collecting gas masks, and documenting Pennsylvania’s unique Civil Defense history. Currently, Tyler serves as a marketing intern at NMIH where he applies his marketing skills in NMIH’s efforts to share fascinating pieces of local industrial history with the community.
Free for NMIH members. $5 for non-members. Pre-registration here.

Youth Program: Hands on History
2022-07-14 13:00 - 16:00
Full S.T.E.A.M. ahead! Join us as we inspire future innovators in this free drop-in family program presented in partnership with Bethlehem Area Public Library. We’ll read about different aspects of S.T.E.A.M. throughout the summer!
Planes & Trains
July 14th 1-4pm
Location: National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, PA
Join us and read about different construction vehicles, planes, and trains. Experiment with fun, hands-on S.T.E.A.M. activities.
TUG! & Bethlehem Steel
August 11th 1-4pm
Location: National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, PA
Meet TUG, NMIH’s restored Bethlehem Steel tow tractor and the subject of a children’s book produced in collaboration between NMIH and BAPL.

Bethlehem Steel Locomotive Engineer Experience
2022-07-17 11:00 - 16:00, 2022-08-07 11:00 - 16:00
The National Museum of Industrial History is excited to offer a hands-on train engineer experience on its newly-restored narrow gauge locomotive! Situated in the museum’s park area, the 1941 Whitcomb diesel-electric locomotive was used at Bethlehem Steel in the Electric Furnace Melt Shop where it moved charging buggies filled with scrap metal. Restored by museum volunteers and staff to working condition, the train operates on a little over 100 feet of demonstration track. During this educational experience participants will be able to climb into the cab, learn how the locomotive works, then take the controls under the supervision of museum personnel. The short but memorable runs will let you step back in time, putting you in the same engineer’s seat as the steelworkers who helped built the country.
Each experience is limited to two adults or one adult and one child. Each session lasts approximately 20 minutes and is weather-dependent. Tickets are $30 per session (includes 1-2 participants) and are non-refundable except in the case of inclement weather or cancellation by the museum.
Learn more about the locomotive’s restoration process and see it in action here: https://www.nmih.org/restoration-highlight-1941-bethlehem-steel-whitcomb-narrow-gauge-locomotive
Because of the nature of operating historic equipment, availability is subject to change without advance notice. Every reasonable effort will be made to keep your experience on track. Guests must be able to climb a three-step ladder to enter and exit the locomotive. Face masks are required. NMIH’s Bethlehem Steel locomotive experience is separate from regular museum admission.

GET TICKETS NOW!

Metal Melting for Kids
2022-07-17 12:00 - 15:00 | National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, 18015, United States
Join us on Free Family Sundays for this special program on select dates. Science, art, and manufacturing come together in these hands-on, kid friendly, demonstrations where participants learn how to prepare sand molds to receive molten tin and create a product to take home. Included with Museum admission. On Sundays, youth 12 and under receive free admission when accompanied by an adult.
Drop in between 12pm to 3pm on the following dates…

July 17

Aug 7

Aug 21

Sep 4

Sep 18

Oct 2

2022 Anthracite Railroad Ramble
2022-07-29 09:00 - 18:00
The National Museum of Industrial History is proud to work with the Reading & Northern Railroad to host this special train ride on Friday, July 29, 2022. The day-long trip will depart Outer Station in Reading, PA, at 9 AM, with guests riding aboard a pair of open window Budd RDCs (self-propelled Rail Diesel Cars). The train will have three scheduled stops: Tremont, Minersville, and Port Clinton, PA. This will be the first passenger excursion to Tremont, PA in over two decades. In addition to photo run-bys in the median of Cres Street, the Anthracite Mine Rescue Station will host tours of their facility and rescue truck. Visitors will learn how skilled personnel prepare for underground coal mine rescues and witness demonstrations of the gear that helps save lives.
Early afternoon will feature a lunch stop in Minersville, PA. Guests are welcome to detrain and enjoy an ethnic buffet style lunch at the train station or a meal at the historic Washington Hotel. The train station lunch will feature local favorites such as Halushki and Pierogi, with the backdrop of Central Railroad of New Jersey 0-6-0 steam locomotive Number 113. The Historic Washington Hotel will be open special hours for lunch and will host a pop-up display from the Minersville Historical Society. Both lunch options are $15 per person.
Another highlight will be a stop at Port Clinton, PA for a tour of the Reading & Northern Railroad steam shop. Attendees will get an up-close look at recently restored steam locomotive 2102. This 4-8-4 type locomotive weighs 441,300 pounds and was built to operate in the anthracite region served by the Reading Company.
Guests can bring their own lunch or RSVP (online when purchasing your tickets, no later than two weeks ahead of the trip) to enjoy the meal at the train station or hotel. 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 Outer Station, Reading, PA (3501 Pottsville Pike, Reading, PA). Sales stop one week ahead of the trip. All tickets must be purchased in advance on a first come first served basis. Seating is limited. No sales day of the trip. The railroad reserves the right to substitute motive power as conditions require. Itinerary subject to change.
Tickets
$112 for NMIH Members (optional lunch is additional $15)
$125 for Non-Members (optional lunch is additional $15)
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE.

Lehigh Valley Passport to History Month
2022-07-30 10:00 - 2022-07-31 16:00 | National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, 18015, United States
This July, join us for Passport to History Month! The month is a celebration of local history and the community that brings Lehigh Valley history to life. Each weekend in July, different participating locations will open their doors to the public with tours, activities, and programs for visitors of all ages.

NMIH will be free admission on Saturday & Sunday July 30th and 31st from 10am to 4pm. For a full list of participating sites visit lvhistory.org.

Thank you to our sponsors:
First Class Sponsor- Working Dog Press;
Bon Voyage Sponsors – Embassy Bank, Kutztown Folk Festival, Webfoot Digital;
Backpacker Sponsor- EBC Printing
Videography Sponsor – Heliovue
————————————–
This project is made possible in part by the County of Lehigh and County of Northampton’s Hotel Tax Program, and the Institute of Museum & Library Services.

Metal Melting for Kids
2022-08-07 12:00 - 15:00 | National Museum of Industrial History, 602 East Second Street, Bethlehem, 18015, United States
Join us on Free Family Sundays for this special program on select dates. Science, art, and manufacturing come together in these hands-on, kid friendly, demonstrations where participants learn how to prepare sand molds to receive molten tin and create a product to take home. Included with Museum admission. On Sundays, youth 12 and under receive free admission when accompanied by an adult.
Drop in between 12pm to 3pm on the following dates…

AUG 7

AUG 21

SEP 4

SEP 18

OCT 2
