What an amazing place to visit. Nice and helpful employees. A piece of American history that shows hard work of American workers, genius engineers input, hard work of Joseph Wharton and other managers had been paid off by being a 3rd largest American corporates. It also gives lessons than even the biggest, fall down if they don’t update themselves with new technology, new market and if they don’t plan for future properly. It is a must visit for engineers, kids, corporate employees and people are in heavy industry.

My guide, Kathy, made sure that I had a complete education in all facets of the museum. Its not only concerning the steel industry but also others, such as silk weaving and propane extraction. The unsung efforts of women throughout the various eras are spotlighted and recognized for their many contributions. The exhibits begin with examples taken from the first American worlds fair, the Centennial Exposition of 1876. Gigantic machineries and complex models also dot the educational trail through the museum. Recommended.

Stopped bye to see if the newly relocated veterans memorial outside. Very nice.

Good little museum in old Bethlehem Steel industrial complex. The museum has four distinctive areas: the centennial industrial 1876 exhibition showing the industrial strength of a young emerging nation, the steel age of Bethlehem steel, the Silk Mill era of the Lehigh Valley, and last the impact of propane to the business and life in the area. The exhibits are compact and small. One can cover the entire floor in about an hour.The staff was friendly and helpful. Due to its size, the staff would patiently answer questions.The admission price is a bit high for the size of the museum. Most items in the gift shop are on the high side.

Larry Lang is an exceptional docent for this kind of museum. He was not only knowledgeable of the history, but also of the technical terminology and specificity in the layers of individual stories that make up the collective history of our nations character of innovation and ingenuity. With a group of about 10 people, the tour easily flowed to 2 hours long. And Larry was kind enough to ask if we had a hard stop. You couldnt even tell that it was a 2 hour tour! He just brought the history to life and calling out specific artifacts as he told the stories so it was just so interactive and engaging! He has years of experience working with students and young children too! All in all we are lucky to have such great history here in Bethlehem, and the passionate people to share the stories.

Fantastic museum. It has a learning playground which you can catch up more historical events in past time.

Our class came here to learn about the industrial history of Bethlehem and we absolutely loved it! The tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and answered all of our questions. The tour provides a lot of knowledge and also shows a lot of display models to show how the original equipment wouldve worked

Some amazing equipment here and you get a depth and breadth of ask that Bethlehem produced here. Many of the items are truly art.

Had a great time, the staff gave us a run down on the history of Bethlehem Steel.

Surprisingly interesting. Several hands on displays. Very colorful exhibits. Loved the steel sculptures exhibit by Bathgate. Should know beforehand that parking is in a small lot accessed on 3rd St. unless you feel like walking.

Very informative. Great part of history being shared

Went to view special copy of the Declaration of Independence. The presentor was extremely knowledgeable and informative. Enjoyed special exhibit on printing presses. Pleasantly surprised by main exhibit which showcased a variety of mechanisms ranging from early drill presses to drop forges to silk looms, and much more. Will return to see rotating exhibits and future expansion as it occurs.

Its not only concerning the steel industry but also others, such as silk weaving and propane extraction.

Pretty interesting museum with lots of early 1900s industrial machines. $12 a ticket is a bit high for this small museum in my opinion.

Visiting today with my sister, we thoroughly enjoyed this enlightening museum. The displays told stories of hard work, creativity, progress, and industry. Our docent Chuck checked in with us regularly to help us understand the scientific, historic, and human interactions displayed.Well be back!

We had a great time at the museum. My son loved all the cool items we got to see, try out and pushing buttons. I did as well.

Fantastic worth the trip

A very well curated, small but insightful museum covering multiple aspects of Bethlehems industrial history. Several museum interpreters actually worked in the various industries! They really bring to life the incredible history of the valley.

This museum and the complex as a whole are a truly special place. As a fanatic of all things industrial, it is a dream come true to walk around monumental machinery and just be in the place where the industry was booming once. I recommend going there for at least a few hours and devote as much time to the museum exhibitions as possible. I hope to visit again soon! Outstanding work and huge thanks to the people that created this project.

Great historical exhibits of the steel industry in Bethlehem PA. Friendly, knowledgeable guides.

This is a really cool little museum if your into early machines. We were in the area to see Bethlehem Steel Works, and this museum is set up in the Works old electrical shop buildings. The staff were friendly and helpful, and gave us a little introduction to the museum before we went in. Its great little place to stop in if youre in the area and looking for something to do. Im glad to see that people are working on preserving the Bethlehem Steel site, and Im happy to stop by and pay the $12 to get in. Thank you guys.

Very pretty at night :) once got yelled at by 5 asian men and didnt understand what they were saying, but besides that, its a good place to visit

All future engineers should take a tour here to see the beginning of the industrial revolution. Tour guides are very knowledgeable.

Absolutely loved this museum. This was my first time visiting the museum and learned so much about industrial history and especially Bethlehem Steel. The guided tour was not only pleasant and well paced but quite educational as well. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and made the visit very enjoyable. Would highly recommend it.

It was great

The space is basically a large box once you get into the back. The staff are helpful and informative, but it seems the entry fee is a bit high ($12) for how small it is. It took us less than 1hr to get through it slowly.Hopefully the upper floor opens soon to make this a more dynamic museum.

I can’t understand how people would give a place like this less than 5 stars. This museum it’s absolutely worth every single penny, we were a party of 11 and a 10 YO and we had a blast. They gave us a personalized tour, they went above and beyond with us. The entire staff is super friendly and full of energy, they have many interactive sections, also a gift shop at the entrace. This is definitely a MUST if you are coming to Bethlehem.

Great place to go hang out and learn about industrial machines and the steel process.

Nice museum. Its not very big so youll go through in a little over an hour. Very nice exhibits, beautifully restored industrial equipment. Great job on the building itself. Plenty of nearby places to eat and drink. First Wednesday of each month seniors pay half price.

NMIH is a well organized museum on the history of industry steeped in Bethlehem and the Lehigh Valley.The museum experience is designed to give you the sights, sounds and touches of the workers and the community. You get a time card on entry that you can punch in and then out on exit. From the hanging worker baskets to the displays of heavy spools carried by the bobbin boys, you get a visual and hands on sense of what it was like for workers. The machines displayed are in great condition with interesting text panels. You get a real sense of what they were used for. You see how widespread the use of Bethlehem Steel was throughout the US and around the world.The changing exhibit space presented printmaking, its history and connection to Pennsylvania. In a nice touch, two mosaics that were part of an area of the Bethlehem Steel complex printing department were displayed.The museum is a special institution and a great use of this iconic Lehigh Valley landmark. It provides visitors and locals alike context and a reminder of our shared history.

Interesting little museum....good activities for womens week

A great place to go and learn about the industrial past. If you want to, there are guides you can talk to that have a wealth of information.

Small, but has some interactive displays for children. Took 45 minutes to walk through.

I really enjoyed this museum and looking at all the old equipment and machines. They don’t make them like this anymore, some are truly beautiful.

Lots of neat machinery in a well restored building. Took about 45 minutes to get through with lots of picture taking. Worth the visit.

Planned on spending an hour, but spent 3 hours exploring the exhibits. Amazing machines. Learned so much about Bethlehem Steel specifically, and industry in general.

Our family has visited several times, and we have learned something new each time. The staff, including the volunteers, are so knowledgable! Parking is good. The building is accessible for my elderly father, a former Bethlehem Steel worker who is glad to see the changing exhibits. This museum is truly a treasure.

The Real Thing. If railroads built America in the 1800s the Iron and Steel industry built the railroads, ships skyscrapers and bridges. Safe water supplies and mechanical refrigeration helped us be healthy. The machines that provided that are in operational display. The machines that made the machines, lathes, milling, planing and shaping, are here on display. This is housed in the Bethlehem Iron and Steel works, a center of heavy industry.

Well laid out. Informative!

As a previous steel worker and now a foundrymen, I cant express how much it means to see a place like this as a historical marker. This is incredible. I am still in awe of Bethlehem Steel. What a gem

This museum is a lot of fun! The guides are very knowledgeable, and it wasnt crowded when we went, so they had a lot if time to talk. I had no idea how much Bethlehem Steel had contributed to the NYC skyline and WWII.

Cool place...great items from the past to see

Loved this museum. Amazing transformation of a rust belt relic. Extremely informative interpreters spent plenty of time explaining machine operations and how steel is made. Dont miss going to The Stacks area afterwards for an upclose look at a historical steel mill operation.

Young and old alike will marvel at the engines, machines and museum experts you will meet! Words cannot describe the excitement of seeing the 115 ton steam engine come to life.

Good artifacts in a not crowded museum environment. Small, though.

Very knowledgeable staff and an amazing learning experience.

A fascinating look at the history of Bethlehem Steel and other industries which made the Lehigh Valley a hotbed of manufacturing in the early and middle parts of last century. Staff was incredibly helpful and knowledge.

Good experience. A lot of interesting old machines of industry. Needs a little work with the flow of traffic.

They allow photography, no flash, but they have very nice lighting, using a mix of colored lights above to make the colors scream out. they have great signs so you know exactly what your looking at.but the backgrounds are too clean and they dont give you the sense of where they belonged. and while the paint jobs are pretty, i dont think they looked like that in real life. they had one bright yellow pump there, where they showed the original image and the pump looked nothing like that. so the painting is more fantasy based then realistic.without the extra sewing stuff in the back, this is just an in and out museum. i think the price is high for what your getting.

Amazing museum that teaches engineering, and history, and science. My kids lived it and lots of hands on activities.

Very interesting any not just about the steel

Nice place to I visit this place interesting.

The museum has a lot of early mechanical machines preserved in great condition. It shows a lot of small machines as well as a whole iron and steel display. They also have an example of a Bessemer converter from Bethlehem steel . The people running the museum were also very friendly and knowledgeable, talked as long as we had time and answered every question we had. It’s a great museum

Great place with friendly staff. A Nice piece of history on southside of Bethlehem

Great preservation of industrial artifacts important to the technological advances in the US industries...coal mining to iron ore smelting to steel production and purification. Textile industry to printing presses and manufacturing plants weathe whether creation of tools, compressors, gears, etc.I loved it for my children to get a better overview along with understanding how each industry depended on another

Its ok. Once you visit no need to go back. Lots of huge antique machinery and some history as well.

Go there and learn how we got to where we are now technologically. We had an amazing tour guide, an older fellow who worked at Bethlehem Steel, and even wrote a huge book about it. So really got some great insight on past and present manufacturing, an overall amazingly deep and practical history lesson for the time we were there. So many exhibits. And its in the complex of what remains of Bethlehem Steel, which you can explore the area...

If youre in Bethlehem, PA, this is a must-see. It especially makes for a good first stop if youre in town to learn about the citys industrial heyday and the behemoth Bethlehem Steel factory nearby. The museum is housed in what looks like a repurposed warehouse, and walking around makes you imagine what its like to be there when the entire complex was buzzing with activity. Its mostly quiet now and the task of telling the Bethlehem story is left to the heavy-duty machines and equipment on display (and the friendly docents). We even had a chance to chat with one former steel plant employee whose stories made the place come to life even more.The museum name might be a bit misleading since it doesnt present a broad history of the industrial revolution that swept the country in the 1800s. The exhibits and stories are mostly regional in scope, and Im curious if theres efforts to acquire artifacts from other places. But definitely check this place out if you have an hour to spare.

Awesome place for young and old!

Great part of history a place everyone needs to visit..

Great museum, showing how things used to be.

Loved it. Great exhibits, very knowledgable and helpful staff. Wish I could have had more time during my visit. I will definitely be making another visit here again in the future, especially as they come up with new exhibits.

Awesome. Very detailed and nicely layed out.There is the second floor exhibit coming soon.

Fun family day with great guides that provide a tour and explanation of the museum. Takes about 1.5hrs to throughly go through the entire museum.

Interactive, educational look at industry. A glimpse at the steel operation in Bethlehem, the silk industry, and propane. Smooth layout let you flow from section to section.

There website looks inviting

Excellent collection, and a great learning experience for all ages.

We went there to view the Hot Off The Press exhibit. But additionally spent two hours viewing all of the exhibits. We could have spent an additional 4 - 6 hours. Beautiful museum!

Volunteer guides are knowledgable and excited to share the history of the museum and facility

This is a gem! Docents are very interactive and knowledgeable. Great tribute to American ingenuity!

Small museum but very interesting.

This place is so neat, so glad we found it.

The exhibits were very interesting and I really enjoyed it. Im​ a hobbyist metal/wood worker and I couldnt get enough of the classic equipment for it. Although it was very small. You can tour the whole museum in 45min which is why I rate 3. It left very much to be desired for the entry fee just based on size.

There was plenty of free parking, and a clean and well laid out Museum.

All of the docents were very knowledgeable

Tells the story of Bethlehem Steel, the local silk industry, propane gas and has exhibits that rotate to keep some fresh content.

Great museum, displays are amazing. Knowledgeable staff. Highly recommend.

Interesting. Friendly and knowledgeable tour guide.

Interesting exhibits and cool demos. Wonderful docents who bring history to life!

What a great place to visit. Now I need to bring the entire family. What a great find.

Amazing would do again

Very informative lots to see not only inside the museums, but also on the outside especial when going on the Steel Street Tour bus.

March 2017 First, the parking entrance is on 3rd St, at the college. Fees are $12 adults, 7-17 $9, under 6 free. I could not suggest this to kids under 11, and above that age having an interest in history. This is not a touch me museum. Little ones would be boarded real quick. Grand parents and parents would be interested. Whoever took the large hall photo must have had a 5 mph digital camera, really poor quality. Lots of big and interesting machines. Nothing on the plaques that show how they worked, pressure or speed of the machines. Just who made, where used. The old sewing machines used pattern cards. Change the card, new pattern. A major advance in those days. There were a couple of videos available, to show the hard work and dangers in industry at the times. The name is National, but is really about the workers in the Leigh Valley. Itll take over an hour to go through the place. Not much else in walking distance. The Casino is a short drive away if you want to gamble and lose money. There are fancy restaurants at the Casino too, the outlet store are like many others. Its not a giant mall. Its basically something else to do between the Casino and before/after concerts that are held there. My wife went to a big name CW concert by the Casino last year.

Great little museum showcasing local industrial history...hope to see this expand!

Great Letterpress exhibit!

Very interesting place a lot to learn

This new museum is a quiet gem. Not huge but thoughtfully designed and a good learning experience.

Friendly and knowledgeable staff are available for guided tours, plenty to keep children and adults entertained and learning.

Lots of interesting machines with good descriptions of their purpose. All in a bright clean building, only wish they could do demonstrations.

As many museums this one has so many interconnections to the history of the country. I enjoyed it very much and didnt get enough time to explore it. The staff were curtious, easy to talk to and knowledgeable. The display of tooling and artifacts with some originally from the Smithsonian institute are in amazing condition. I highly recommd this museum esspecialy for those that are interested in industrial connections to the modern world.

A large, well-lit space filled with a sprinkling of fascinating restored pieces and interesting exhibits. However, the museum lacks a clear narrative (the history of heavy industry started here and here and then spread on to there and there) and does not come close to covering the entire nations industrial history. Another plus is that the staff is very friendly and enthusiastic.However, the fact that a quarter of the exhibit space has been given over to what amounts to a paid advertisement on behalf of the Pennsylvania hydraulic fracturing and natural gas industry is disappointing. Fracking is a contentious issue and its effects are still being determined by modern engineers, biologists, and environmentalists. As such, its a little early to put anything on the subject in a museum and be teaching about its effects. I understand that the industry donated a good deal of money to the museum, but its a little startling to see how much say they were permitted in defending their actions (and ignoring any and all sides of the counter-fracking argument) via their exhibit.

I am so happy to see this major icon of American Industry being reimagined and preserved.

Really need Place great people explain the lot

A very nice display of machines - so very large. Not huge Museum but very nicely done.

What a nice surprise!

Nice museum but a little small.

Good, but still more exhibits needed.

Very interesting history of steel production and mechanisms made of it

Cool place highly recommend

Interesting place. Lots to learn.