‘Steelwalker’ tours resume
Hoover-Mason Trestle reopens in Bethlehem after more than a year
An important way to see and walk through Bethlehem Steel history will soon be open once again to the public, after being closed for more than a year due to the pandemic.
The Hoover-Mason Trestle, a walkway that spans nearly 2,000 feet set 46 feet high near the iconic Steel blast furnaces, will reopen on April 17. You can take a self-guided tour that follows the path of an early 1900s trestle that once carried fuel and raw materials from the ore pits to the blast furnaces.
You can access the trestle using the stairs and elevator between the Bethlehem Visitor Center and the Levitt Pavilion. (With use of the elevator the trestle is handicapped accessible for its full length.)
Free parking available outside the Bethlehem Visitors Center, 711 E. 1st St., Bethlehem or outside Wind Creek Bethlehem, 77 Wind Creek Blvd.
Keep in mind that the trestle prohibits: walking on rail tracks, gravel, or plants; bicycles, skateboards, skates and scooters; dogs; sitting on the railing or climbing on any part of the trestle; littering; obstructing entrances or paths; alcohol; and feeding birds or squirrels.
If we’ve piqued your interest on Steel history, you can also take a “Steelwalker” tour, which will resume on April 10 and are lead by members of the Steelworkers Archives. The tours start at 11:30 a.m. and leave from the plaza outside the National Museum of Industrial History, 602 E. Second St., Bethlehem. The tours will run through December.
While guiding the tour, former steelworkers share stories of the plant’s past and its significance to both World Wars. They will guide you either on the sidewalks around the plant and /or include a walk on the Hoover-Mason Trestle if it’s open at the time of your tour.
You’ll learn about the remaining buildings on the Steel site, how life was in the neighborhoods surrounding the plant and what life was like while working at the plant. The tour concludes with a Q&A session.
“Steelwalker” tours are limited to six people per tour to maintain social distancing. Properly worn face masks are required.
How much: $15; free for those 12 and under.
Info on tickets: steelstacks. org/event/6317/steelworkers-archives-walking-tours/ and steelworkersarchives.com or call 610-861-0600.