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Experience a show or festival at SteelStacks. Once under the purview of Robert Sayre during its time as the Bethlehem Iron Company, 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.
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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 to adventures themed around churches and chapels, Moravian music or courtship rituals, or the town's role in the American Revolution. When offered, those interested in Robert Sayre and Bethlehem's place in industrial history will not want to miss the Rise and Fall of Bethlehem Steel walking tour, which provides an inside look at what was once the second-largest steel producer in the country. Tours typically run for around an hour and vary from month to month.
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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.
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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. While not the same canal Robert Sayre worked on during his time as a lockmaster, the museum certainly offers insight into the industrialist's early engineering years. 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.