Current Exhibit
The Liberty Bell Museum 60th Anniversary: The Diamond Jubilee
May through September 2022
Conceived in 1959 as a way to celebrate Allentown’s Revolutionary War connection with the Liberty Bell for Allentown’s bicentennial year of 1962, the Liberty Bell Shrine Museum has intertwined the histories of this city with one of the most famous bells in the world. Our next exhibit, “The Liberty Bell Museum 60th Anniversary: The Diamond Jubilee” takes you from the origin of the Liberty Bell, to 1777, when the Pennsylvania State House Bell was brought to what was then Northampton Towne, through 185 years of oral history that kept the legend alive, to the founding of the Museum and beyond. The exhibit runs from May-September, with a wine and cheese reception on Thursday, May 19 at 6:30 p.m. Join us as the Museum celebrates its history and looks to the future.
Upcoming Exhibits
The 60th Anniversary of Pip the Mouse
October through December 2022
Check back for updates on our upcoming exhibits.
Upcoming Events
“The Diamond Jubilee” Exhibit Opening
May 19 at 6:30 PM
Join us as we celebrate the opening of our summer exhibit, “The Liberty Bell Museum’s 60th Anniversary: The Diamond Jubilee.” The opening will feature speakers commenting on the 1976 reenactment of the Liberty Bell Trek, a celebration of the Liberty Bell’s travel to Allentown during the Revolutionary War to save the bell from falling into British hands. Wine, cheese, and light fare will be served. The opening is a free event that corresponds with Downtown Allentown’s monthly Third Thursday initiative.
Liberty Bell Museum 60th Anniversary Celebration
September 25 at 2:00 PM
Join us for a celebration of the Museum’s 60th Anniversary. More information about this event will be coming. Check back for updates.
This Week in History
May 13, 1846: At the request of President Polk, the U.S. Congress declared war on Mexico. The war lasted two years, gained the U.S. a large amount of territory in the West, and cost the lives of 11,300 U.S. soldiers.
May 14, 1804: The expedition led by Merriweather Lewis and William Clark left St. Louis and began charting the lands acquired by the U.S. in the Louisiana Purchase.
May 15, 1970: Anna May Hays was appointed Brigadier General. She is the first woman in the U.S. armed forces to be promoted to a General Officer rank.
May 16, 1817: Steamboat service on the Mississippi River begins.
May 17, 1792: Two dozen merchants and brokers began what would become the New York Stock Exchange under a buttonwood tree on Wall Street. In bad weather, they conducted business in a nearby coffeehouse.
May 18, 1980: Mt. St. Helens, an active volcano in southwest Washington State, erupted explosively, throwing ash and steam over 11 miles into the air. The eruption killed 57 people and destroyed several hundred square miles of land.
May 19, 1974: Hungarian architect and sculptor Erno Rubik invented a 3-D puzzle he called the “Magic Cube”. In 1980, it was marketed as “Rubik’s Cube” and became a world-wide obsession.
May 20, 1927: 25-year-old American aviator Charles Lindbergh began his historic non-stop trans-Atlantic flight, taking off from Roosevelt Field on Long Island. 33 hours later, he landed in Paris, winning $25,000 and world-wide fame.
May 21, 1881: The American Red Cross was founded by Clara Barton in Washington, D.C.
Sponsors of the Liberty Bell Museum
Revolutionary Supporters
Karen ElChaar
Honorary First Defenders – Allentown Chapter
Patriot Supporters
Albert P. Heydt
Colonist Supporters
Dr. Dennis and Nanci Blankowitsch
Elaine Charron
Dr. and Mrs. Walter Dex
Sandra Dorney
Jean L. Engler
Helen Holmes
Robert and Anne Kearn
Bill and Jane Marks
Joan Miller Moran
Jamie P. Mussleman
John and Anita Stevens
Rev. Robert T. Stevens
Maj. Gen. Gerald and Mrs. Erika Still U.S.A.F. (Ret.)
Frank and Susan Strouse
Doris and Ralph Todd
Ann Wertman