Baked into Bethlehem

Overview

From Moravian sugar cakes baked in beehive ovens to the festival pies of today, baking has long been at the heart of Bethlehem’s story. Baked into Bethlehem celebrates baking as a living tradition, one that preserves history, unites generations, and reflects the city’s diverse cultural spirit.

Learn about the necessity and sacred ritual of baking for early Moravians, how the culinary artistry shaped domestic life, and how Bethlehem baking culture was influenced by German, Italian, Latino, and Slovak immigration in the 1800s and 1900s. View artifacts like original recipes and 18th- and 19th- century baking tools.

Baked into Bethlehem invites visitors to experience baking as more than a necessity or a craft. It is a living tradition that carries Bethlehem’s history, binds generation and celebrates the city’s multicultural spirit. Through artifacts, oral histories, photographs and interactive activities, this dynamic exhibition honors the enduring legacy of baking in shaping the city and the region’s past, present and future.