This holiday season, Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites is celebrating gifts. Through the upcoming exhibition at the Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts, 100 Years of Gift Giving, HBMS invites guests to explore the history of gifting practices and share stories of their favorite gift memories.
This exhibition inspires HBMS to recognize and appreciate the gifts that helped form our organization. Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites was founded on gifts from some of our city’s most prominent early residents. In gifting their collections to the care of HBMS, they established the means for preserving and sharing our history for years to come. Their gifts became the museums and sites where our community gathers to experience the history and traditions of our city and its founders.
As HBMS grew, others joined in the gift giving spirit through annual gifts in support of our mission: to bring history to life by educating the public about Bethlehem’s rich heritage. Through the continued generosity of our supporters, we expanded our efforts to offer family-friendly programs and annual events. Now, Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites cares for 20 historic structures and sites, many of which are part of the National Historic Landmark District of Historic Moravian Bethlehem.
In 2015, gifts from HBMS supporters made the following exhibitions and improvements possible:
1810 Goundie House
In June, the Goundie House at the heart of Main Street opened Bethlehem Brewed and Distilled, where guests explore the past, present, and future of brewing in Bethlehem.
Steampunk Exhibition
Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts’s exploration of the popular science fiction genre pulled in a whole new audience for tours and events throughout the spring, summer and fall.
Luckenbach Mill Learning Center
This long-awaited conversion project is nearly complete, and HBMS looks forward to welcoming the public to their new multi-use space for the holiday exhibitions
Hoover Mason Trestle Guided Tours
HBMS docents are excited to add this exploration of the Bethlehem Steel blast furnaces to our offerings, and welcomed visitors to the newest HBMS walking tour throughout the fall.
This winter, HBMS invite you to join the community of supporters that make all they do possible through their generous gifts to HBMS. Whether you have experienced a tour, attended one of our spectacular events, purchased an item from their museum store, or walked through the Colonial Industrial Quarter, you can appreciate the impact Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites has on our community and the amount of support it takes to continue the preservation of our wonderful history. We ask you to help keep the spirit of gift giving alive by donating to our annual operating fund today.
Please contact nmsuazo@historicbethlehem.org if you have any questions about the mission and efforts of Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites.
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