As part of the Symposium experience, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in curated tours that highlight the depth and diversity of heritage across the region. These optional excursions are designed to extend conversations beyond the conference setting and into the places where history is interpreted, preserved, and actively experienced. Register today!
A Day in Bethlehem
World Heritage Walking Tour
July 11, 2026 – 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Moravian Church Settlements – Bethlehem is the 26th World Heritage site in the United States and the third in Pennsylvania. On Saturday, July 11, 2026, participants will be transported by bus from the site of the World Heritage Symposium in Philadelphia, PA to Bethlehem, PA.
WORLD HERITAGE TOUR OF HISTORIC BETHLEHEM WILL INCLUDE:
- The Moravian Museum of Bethlehem, in the 1741 Gemeinhaus, the only 18th century Moravian Gemeinhaus still in existence in the world
- Bell House Courtyard to see the 1746-1749 Bell House
- First Single Brethren’s House/the Single Sisters’ House
- The 1768 Widows’ House
- The 1751 Old Chapel
- The 1803-06 Central Moravian Church Sanctuary
- God’s Acre Cemetery, the final resting place for Moravians from 1742-1911
THE BIRTHPLACE OF INDUSTRY TOUR INCLUDES:
- The 1762 Waterworks in the Colonial Industrial Quarter
- Colonial Industrial Quarter
- The 1750 Smithy
- The Grist Miller’s House
- 1869 Luckenbach Mill
- Working Hands: Supplying a Revolution
Registered participants will be led through the tour in groups of 18-20. The tour will cover quite a bit of ground. * For this reason we recommend that you wear good walking shoes!
The afternoon of tours will allow several breaks for rest, further exploration of the Geimenhaus Museum, or shopping. The tours will conclude with a gathering to ask questions, hear other interesting facts about Historic Bethlehem and taste the famous Moravian Sugar Cake. The bus will depart and return to Philadelphia at approximately 5:30 – 6:00 PM. Cost per person is $165, plus optional boxed lunch from Panera.
OTHER INTERESTING THINGS TO DO IN BETHLEHEM:
Shopping in Historic Downtown Bethlehem
Join us for an evening at the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History on Thursday, July 9, 2026 at 6:00 PM (ET) to view the groundbreaking America250 exhibition which includes the Core Exhibition 1654-1945, Only in America® Gallery, and The First Salute. Tickets for World Heritage USA Symposium Attendees are $25 if purchased by June 8, 2026.
The First Salute
The Weitzman’s landmark exhibition marking America’s 250th will take you on an adventure through America’s fight for freedom as you’ve never seen it before—where Jewish faith, courage, and persecution collided on the high seas to change the course of history.
Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History
101 South Independence Mall East
Philadelphia, PA
19106-2517
(215) 923-3811