Annual house and garden tour June 5-6 kicks off with stylish preview party at home of Martin Guitar Executive Chairman Christian F. Martin IV
BETHLEHEM, PA–Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites (HBMS) announced today that its annual Rooms to View House & Garden Tour will expand into upper Bucks County for the first time in the event’s 34-year history. The two-day event kicks off with a Friday evening Preview Party on June 5, followed by a self-guided open-house tour on Saturday, June 6, stretching from its established Bethlehem and Lehigh Valley neighborhoods into the Durham and Riegelsville area. Attendees will gain access to a cluster of privately owned historic properties that are rarely, if ever, open to the public.
Inside Bucks County: A General Store and a Historic Mill
Among the new Bucks County stops, tour-goers will step inside the Durham General Store, a private property long known as the “Old General Store” and not previously open for public tours. Nearby, the Durham Furnace and Mill, a site with roots stretching back to the 1700s, will be staffed by interpreters ready to bring the story of the area’s industrial heritage and ties to the American Revolution to life.
“This is the most geographically ambitious Rooms to View we’ve ever organized,” said Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites President & CEO LoriAnn Wukitsch. “The Durham and Riegelsville corridor is full of extraordinary history, and we’re proud to give people a reason, and a ticket, to explore it.”
The Bethlehem Properties: Mid-Century Modern to 1810 Creek-Side Renovation
The Bethlehem portion of the tour is equally compelling. This year’s lineup includes a mid-century masterpiece, a circa 1810 home along the Monocacy Creek that has been sensitively renovated, and the home and studio of Nancy Bossert, a well-known artist whose spaces incorporate her multimedia works. At Bossert’s property, guests can stroll her decorated rooms, view her art and watch plein air artists at work in the garden.
All properties are self-guided and open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday. The Durham properties are approximately 25 minutes from downtown Bethlehem, with parking available to visit three locations in one stop.
Preview Party: An Evening at a Saucon Valley Estate with Live Music
The Rooms to View weekend begins Friday evening at 6 p.m. with a Preview Party at the home of Martin Guitar executive chairman Christian F. Martin IV, set overlooking the 13th fairway of Saucon Valley Country Club’s Weyhill Golf Course. The evening features a catered reception and a live performance by acclaimed Martin Guitar artist Craig Thatcher. Preview Party tickets, priced at $160, include Saturday tour admission, an entry into a raffle for a Martin Guitar instrument and complimentary admission to the Martin Guitar Museum.
“The Historic Bethlehem and Martin Guitar stories are both rooted in artistry, craftsmanship, community and tradition,” Martin said. “Supporting Rooms to View is a wonderful way to celebrate and help preserve the character of our remarkable region while bringing people together through history, music and shared experience. We are honored to support Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites and its important work in our region by being part of the 2026 home and garden tour.”
Tickets and Additional Programming
Rooms to View Saturday open-house tour tickets are $50 for the public and $40 for HBMS members. All tickets, including the Preview Party, are available at historicbethlehem.org.
Ticketholders also receive free admission to two design workshops prior to Rooms to View and a new Inspiration Fair taking place Thursday, June 11, from 4-8 p.m. at the Luckenbach Mill in Bethlehem. The workshops are Architectural Heritage & the Art of Interpretation with Lehigh University Associate Professor of Architecture Nik Nikolov on Tuesday, May 26, at 6:30 p.m. at Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts, and From Yard to Table: Edible Landscaping for Any Space with Jen Topp from The Attainable Garden on Thursday, May 28, 6:30 p.m. at the Luckenbach Mill. For more information and tickets, visit historicbethlehem.org.
About Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites
Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites (HBMS) is a nonprofit institution that brings to life three centuries of American history. HBMS tells the story of a small town of great influence, founded by Moravians on December 24, 1741, and home to some of our nation’s earliest settlers, America’s first municipal water pumping system, the earliest school to educate women in the American Colonies, and one of the greatest industrial companies of the 20th century. HBMS preserves 20 historic structures, seven gardens, five ruins, one orchard and 60,000-plus artifacts in the heart of Bethlehem, Pa. Located one hour from Philadelphia and two hours from New York City, HBMS is a proud Smithsonian Affiliate. Historic Moravian Bethlehem is a National Historic Landmark District and part of the nation’s 26th World Heritage Site.
Information provided to TVL by:
Mark Demko
