Founded in 1753 by German-speaking Moravians, Bethabara was the first European settlement in the North Carolina Piedmont. From the beginning, Bethabara was intended to be a center of commerce and trade. Unlike other Moravian settlements established to missionize Native Americans, Bethabara’s sole purpose was to make money for the Moravian Church.

Today, Historic Bethabara Park preserves the history and heritage of the “Old Town.” A National Historic Landmark and Local Historic District, the Park encompasses 183 acres of preserved wildlife, historic buildings and grounds, walking and birding trails, and protected wetlands.

Historic Bethabara Park currently offers a tour of the 1788 Gemeinhaus, which explores the original building that served as the settlement’s church and minister’s living quarters. Tour guides walk visitors through room-by-room, using the space and objects to tell Bethabara’s story. 

Admission fees for guided tours cost $4 for adults and $1 for students and children over 3 years old. The park grounds, however, are always open free of charge, year-round, from dawn to dusk. 

For more information about the park and current exhibits, visit the website here. 

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Image by David Bjorgen via Wikimedia licensed under CC-BY-SA-3.0.