Welcome to Megan's Museum Minute, your guide to the best museums, exhibitions, and cultural happenings across the Lehigh Valley and the region in 2026. I'm Megan Van Ravensway, and each week I'll bring you behind-the-scenes stories, insider tips, family-friendly ideas, and easy date night plans. Consider this your go-to guide for the Lehigh Valley's 250th anniversary year.
Museum Spotlight
On Sunday, October 18th, the Longswamp Township Historical Society is hosting Iron Ore Mines: A Railroad and Other Surprises in the Longswamp Woods.
During the 1800s, iron ore was king in Longswamp Township. A local atlas from 1870 estimated that the township had roughly 100 iron mines producing as much as 500,000 tons of ore each year. Today, some of those old open pit mines have filled with water. One became what we know as Rittenhouse Lake at Hunsecker's Grove, and there was a railroad, too.
In the 1850s, the Catasauqua and Fogelsville Railroad was extended into Longswamp to connect the magnetite mines at Rittenhouse Gap with Lock Ridge Furnace in Alburtis. That puts this landscape right into the story of America's early iron industry.
The Historical Society will also explore the surprising remnants still hiding in the woods, charcoal burning platforms, brick foundations, and even a unique funicular railroad once used to move heavy loads of ore.
Join the Long Swamp Township Historical Society on Sunday, October 18th at 2:00 PM.
Date Night Idea
Are you looking for a date night with a little history, a little mystery, and maybe a little goosebumps? Head over to the Eerie Easton Walking Tour at the Sigal Museum in downtown historic Easton.
You'll head out into downtown Easton to hear the city's darker stories, those strange happenings, eerie legends, unexplained events, and stories that have been passed down generation through generation.
And Easton has plenty of history to set the stage. Remember, the city was established in 1752, so some of these streets and buildings have been part of the landscape for centuries. During the Revolutionary era, Easton was a bustling colonial town filled with taverns, shops, travelers, soldiers, and residents. The people who walked these streets in the 1700s had their own fears, secrets, tragedies, and stories, and some of those stories certainly have a way of lingering.
After a tour, head over to Thyme Rooftop Grill for dinner. You'll be seven floors above downtown Easton with beautiful nighttime views of the Delaware River and the city.
So history, spooky stories, dinner, and maybe a little romance? That's my kind of cozy date night.
Family-Friendly Activity
The Helfrich Springs Grist Mill in Whitehall is opening its doors for an open house and mill day, and this is one of those places where history really comes to life.
The stone mill was built by Peter Grimm in 1807, and it was once a working part of the local agricultural community. Today, it's a beautiful museum filled with artifacts and stories about Whitehall Township and the people who lived and worked there.
And for the kids, I love the idea of exploring an actual historic mill and getting a sense of how people produced food and powered their communities more than 200 years ago. You can poke around, look at the machinery, ask questions, and really imagine what it would have been like to work here in the 1800s.
And don't forget to cross the street and check out the Peter Grimm house, the Miller's Home, which was built in 1834.
The next open house and mill is this Sunday, October 18th, from 1:00 to 3:00 PM at 501 Mickley Road in Whitehall, and admission is free, so bring the kids and let them explore a little piece of the Lehigh Valley's past.
Upcoming Highlight
Blacksmithing 101 at Historic Bethlehem Museum and Sites gives you the chance to step inside Bethlehem's historic 1750 Smithy and actually learn the craft using the same types of tools available to colonial blacksmiths. You'll heat, shape, punch iron, and create your own hook to take home.
Blacksmithing 101 runs on select dates through December at Historic Bethlehem's 1750 Smithy.
2026 is a milestone year for the nation. From commemorative exhibitions to festive events, there's so much to see and celebrate. To find out more about all these events and more, visit lehighvalley250.org. So that's a wrap for your Museum Minute. I'll be back next week with another quick look at our local culture.
