Moravian Book Shop

This bookshop is such a delightful addition to downtown Bethlehem! Their selection of books is vast, both for children and adults. I love the toys and interactive items in the children’s section to help keep them occupied while I shopped! It was also fun to browse their staff picks and curated displays.

The Moravian Book Shop in Bethlehem, PA, is a treasure trove of history, inspiration, and charm, blending its legacy as the oldest continuously operating bookstore in America with a modern celebration of learning. Its walls are adorned with thought-provoking quotes, such as John Amos Comenius’s wisdom on surpassing teachers through curiosity, memory, and teaching. Visitors can explore shelves filled with diverse books while reflecting on the importance of nurturing young minds, as beautifully captured in its decor. A visit here, especially for readers and thinkers, is an opportunity to immerse yourself in both literature and the enduring spirit of education.

Modern bookstore today, but oldest in America! Cool place! Check it out! Friendly staff!

Really nice store. A pleasant shopping experience in a quaint section of Bethlehem. They need more discounts, however. Prepare to pay publisher price on almost EVERYTHING. Other than the heavy financial lift, you could definitely lose an afternoon in this quiet, comfortable and classy downtown space.

The oldest bookstore in the US Moravian Book Shop, is not just for amazing books of all genres, but also has a great selection of university sweatshirts, Tees and more, including beautiful little Christmas ornaments and decorations. Enjoy a walk on Main Ave and explore the array of shops, antique stores and restaurants.

Very nice bookstore. It has lots of modern choices and unique gift choices. We were eager to find old books to look through and treasures to find however that was not the case. It is connected with the college bookstore and that's pretty neat! The general entrance is easy to access. The staff don't understand how to operate the lift inside to get a person in a wheelchair etc to the next level. We left with a puzzle and two postcards.....

Wow this book store is huge. Plus I love the selection of puzzles and games they had too.

This book store is now part of Barnes and Noble bookshops. It no longer has a look and feel of an independent bookshop. The candy counter is gone, so is the cafe counter. The arts and craft section is a thing of the past, and the extensive Christmas ornaments with Bethlehem stars is now reduced to have only some hanging ornaments. In short, it is no longer a charming oldest independent Moravian Book Shop of old. In its place, there are T-shirts, sweatshirts with Moravian college emblems. You still can find books and many other things to read. After all, it is a Barnes and Noble.

Moravian Book Shop has always been a pleasant visit. The store is large and has an extensive inventory of much more than just books. During this visit, I picked up a few boxes of the famous Dewey's Bakery Cookies. The staff is very friendly, inventory is kept pristine and well organized.  I will always visit this book shop every time we're in Bethlehem...... and so should everyone reading this review.

The Moravian Book Shop is the oldest bookstore in America, the oldest continuously operating bookstore in the world and home to the Moravian University student bookstore. The shop is quite big and you could spend a lot of time there. The Moravian Book Shop has new books, greeting cards, toys and games, and Moravian and Bethlehem-themed gifts. There were many ornaments. The Moravian University student bookstore had textbooks and school supplies. It is definitely worth checking out since there is so much history in this book shop.

What a massive disappointment! I've had this book shop on my list of places to visit for years - what a let down. You immediately walk into a gift shop outfitted with nothing but Moravian College gear. I get that it's owned by the college now, but there is nothing charming about this place. It's touristy and busting with chintzy tchotchkes. I was expecting vintage books, the intoxicating smell of used pages and an 'old world' feel considering it's the world's oldest continuously operating bookstore. What a shame. Don't waste your time.

This is a very huge store that has a lot of Christmas ornaments at this time. They are beautiful German style delicate Christmas ornaments displayed and for sale. All kinds. If you're into dogs, cats, traveling, hotdogs, you name it! There is an ornament sold here for whatever your hobby is. I really enjoyed seeing the Moravian Bethlehem star ornaments. Very very beautiful!!!! ((There is an area that has college course books for sale for students going to the local university.)) Also enjoy the display of all the historical books and clothes too! It's a great way to see & learn the special charms of this town. I was thrilled to see a woman's dress from the olden days !!

This place was established in 1745. So it makes it the oldest bookstore in the USA, maybe the world. Through the years they have added a gift shop/gallery and a snack bar. Just walking in here is really cool. The staff is very friendly and willfully go out of their way to help you. During this time of Xmas, the shop is beautifully decorated.

Love this place! Great selection of all genre's, I never leave with just one book. The staff is also really helpful with recommendations/ suggestions. I'm also pleasantly surprised with how reasonable the prices are on most of the books

great selection of Moravian crafts, and most importantly, Dewey's cookies & desserts. beeswax candles. good book selection. nice tap room & restaurant onsite.

I have frequented the Moravian Book Shop on multiple occasions and am always thankful to have such a wonderful hometown book shop. In addition to the very good book selection, they have a great children's section full of toys and picture books. They are located right on historic Main Street next to the old Moravian church. Oldest bookstore in America!

We heard about this place while planning our trip to Bethlehem and honestly how can you go somewhere and not visit the oldest bookstore in the country as well as the oldest continually operating bookstore in the world? That being said the bragging rights are about the only reason to go. There are at least 2 entrances and the one we went through made me question if they even sold books as it was all ornaments, apparel, and random other things. Mercifully they do have a part of the "bookstore" that sells books, but its nothing to write home about. I picked up a book just to say I bought one from the store but I had to comb through the whole store to find something. It's not a store to go if you are looking for a specific book, it's not a store to go to if you are looking for used or rare books, it's pretty much a store to go to if you are looking to visit something historic just to say you did. Arguably you could also pick up a gift or souvenir from the other half of the store, but I didn't really pay attention to what they offered as I was again expecting a bookstore to primarily sell, well books.

I grew up going here and returned recently after many years. I was disappointed to see the changes made. What used to be an interesting bookstore has been replaced with what amounts to an airport book kiosk. Everything very basic and what you'd expect to see in the front featured area of a Barnes & Noble. As a kid the place felt magical, complete with a little cafe tucked within the corridor connecting the portions of the shop. Much of the gift / homes area has been scaled back and replaced with a college bookstore. This is where they'll sell a book titled "Accounting 101" to college students for three hundred dollars even though the 2019 edition is available online for $15.00 and works just as well for that fundamental course. It's the typical college bookstore scam, where they empty student bank accounts for overpriced barely-changed editions of books every year, instead of offering the previous year's or free/cheap versions available digitally. I acknowledge that this scam is part of every university's business model, but do they really need to store this stuff here? The Moravian Book Shop is the retail centerpiece of the City of Bethlehem. It's gross that this is what they've chosen to do with the space. Another large piece of the store has been replaced with college merchandise. Again, you can sell those hoodies and crap anywhere. This space used to be filled with interesting wares from local artists. Are t-shirt and shot glass sales really that important to Moravian? This used to be something the city could be proud of but the current caretakers are doing a piss poor job. No more magic feel to it. Just an unfortunate reality of American universities that should be tucked in the back of one of Moravian's more modern campus buildings. Let someone else run a bookstore here.

An excellent book shop in the middle of Bethlehem PA. Sale items abound. Nice build out. Three different rooms all spacious. An entire room full of Moravian college gear--school spirit! We picked up hard to find volumes for low cost. This is a superb book store in every way. Great book store!

It was special to visit a bookstore with so much history. The staff was not overly friendly, but fine.

Great book selection. Great. So many books. Can't even choose just one book to purchase because they're all so good and there's a lot.

Dec 22nd 2021 We went to buy some books for Christmas presents . A cashier was loud and rude to my husband and other customers, she even yells she is too busy on the phone and hung up, she doesn't represent the book store. It was unpleasant experience. I had Marcy helped me later and she was kind and helpful.

I used to LOVE the Moravian Bookstore. I whiled away countless hours looking at beautiful things buying books, and eating rustic quiches. In 2009, I had to move away and have been back only periodically. This week, I was in the area again. The new iteration--as the Moravian College Bookstore is fine. For a college bookstore, it's fairly nice. Not stunning, but certainly fine. However, it's now a Barnes and Noble and the gift section is very much smaller and the culinary section is gone, as are the charming pajamas, the housewares, and the garden section. This wouldn't be too bad, except when I asked if Barnes and Noble had taken over the store, the cashier got rather sharp with me. Really sharp and snotty and unfriendly and loud. Oh--and deflected the question. No one sensible would be fooled by the "Moravian college SAVED the bookstore" schtick. The store is now a Barnes and Noble. There's nothing wrong with Barnes and Noble in general, but the whole point of this store (for me) was that it was the oldest independent bookstore in the country.

This place used to be full of beautiful, local items, Christmas decor and charm. Moravian College recently took it over and now it's basically just a student book store. If you are looking for the same bookstore you went to as a child it's unfortunately gone. Not to mention, everyone that works there gets extremely agitated if you ask about how things used to be. They are all miserable. This is now for Moravian students only...everyone else should just steer clear. So depressing.

Absolutely massive bookshop, and supposedly the longest continuously running book shop in the world. If you enjoy books this is the place for you to come. They also have Christmas decorations and board games in this shop, which seems like a good way to branch out and get more clientele.

This store/stores is this girls paradise. 4 stores in one. Candy store, the colony mead, book store, coffee shop and knick knack stuff. The book store is awesome. I never had mead and it was delicious. These stores lead into one another. I could really stay in these stores all day literally. I was browsing the books getting sucked in. They had a children's section and young adult. Plenty of couches to sit and read. The mead cafe was a delight. They have a counter to nosh on snacks and enjoy mead tasting. A small little candy store of home made chocolates and jelly belly beans yum!! There's even a little side room foe seating at the cafe besides the counter. Really friendly staff in each store. I like that you can go from one store to the next without even leaving. I would've liked to spend more time in this store but than I wouldn't of been able to go to others. Lol. I'd really like to go back and spend more time there. I felt at home in this quaint store.

If you don't already know, this book store is the oldest in the world. I visited while I was at Moravian College for a Phi Theta Kappa event. It's such a cute shop, and it's deceptively large. You could easily spend hours exploring the rooms. I can imagine it's particularly lovely in the winter when there's lots of fluffy snow. Sigh. Each room is filled with different gifts and odds and ends. This is a great place for a unique gift of any kind. The book selection is small, unfortunately. My guess is that book sales are not the highest, so they make up for it by selling other things. The remarkable thing I noticed about the book displays is that they curate the suggested readings perfectly. I don't think I've seen such an impeccable collection of recommendations. I took photos of ones that caught my eye. If you're in the area, this place is a must. You won't regret it. It's a comfy, pleasant experience.

Even though I don't know the difference between a Moravian star and an Elf On The Shelf, I'm pretty sure this is the greatest Christmas store in the United States. And where else would it be besides Bethlehem? Apparently this is the longest continually operating bookstore in the country which was a cool reason to check it out in itself. They have a very large room of new and used books with a focus on local interest. While I did enjoy browsing their past editions of travel guides, I did notice that the prices were pretty close to what they would be new which was the only disappointing aspect. It was also a bit disorganized but I consider that a reason to just get lost in a bookstore. But using this place as just a bookstore misses the point. Almost dwarfing the bookstore is the Christmas store next door. They have everything one could need for the perfect traditional Norman Rockwell Christmas holiday. But they also have modern, humorous items as well for stocking stuffers (candy coal for the win). And their candy store rivals many stores devoted to confections with some very fancy stuff. Even as a heathen, it got me into the Christmas spirit quite nicely. I don't know if the store would be as enjoyable in June as it was in November but it is definitely a place to check out for the holidays in this part of Pennsylvania.

This nation's oldest bookstore! This historical establishment was founded in 1745 by the Moravian Church. Old brick facade outside, cozy and welcoming inside. All kinds of gifts, hand crafted items, shelves and shelves of books, a women's boutique apparel store at the corner end, even a fine chocolates counter inside with lots of truffles. I appeased my sweet tooth and got a Tiramisu ball. Smooth like butter. Creamy and rich. Wonderful late afternoon pick-me-up.

Well so much for the OLD Moravian Bookstore, she's gone along with much of the material that folks could buy about the city of Bethlehem. Yes, it is now a COLLEGE bookstore and has a lot of material for Moravian College Students. To say the least we were a little disappointed. Maybe they should rename it the Moravian College Store. Cheers!

My type of shop. If it had been up to me, I would've spent all day here, browsing books, siting in the cafe, shopping in the little artsy section, tasting chocolates... Well, I did sample some of those chocolate bites. Good stuff. Moravian Book Shop is expansive -- perhaps even overwhelming -- and extremely cutesy. In a good way. I wish more stores like it were still in operation.

This place used to be so magical and cute. It was a staple in the community and I went many times over the years, especially around Christmas. Then it changed ownership and is now run by college Barnes & Noble. It has no personality anymore and is just like any other college bookstore.

Attended the Harry Potter release party Saturday night! You have to love the Moravian bookstore! What a fun place to explore. In addition to the books there are lots of other items including jewelry, candy, unique household items, plaques, pictures and much more. I could spend hours in this store looking through all the different items. But, tonight it was dedicated to Harry Potter! It was quite crowded and started at 10pm. A late night for the children. They had different Harry Potter themed activity tables set up for the kids including make your own wand, meet a live owl, face painting, scavenger hunt, picture taking and caricature draining. It was very cute and the kids really enjoyed it. At midnight, we were allowed to purchase a copy of the book. The lines were very long and by this time both the kids and parents were over it.

One stop shop for souvenirs and things to read/color on the return trip home. Not just a bookstore, but joined with a jewelry store, cafe, bakery/sweets shop,home & Christmas decor shop, and a place to buy local artisan-made Bethlehem stars. Not really a place to hunker down with your laptop and stay the whole day. There are lots of stores, historical buildings and restaurants to explore nearby. There is metered parking that accepts coins or credit cards, $1 for an hour.

EDIT: I decided to give this shop another try about a year ago, and I've visited a few times since then. Customer service has improved drastically, to the point that I thanked them for such a pleasant experience and told them that they'd changed my mind about the store. They made small talk, informed me of upcoming events, and chatted with my kids, a huge turnaround from my previous experiences. Their selection of books is still limited. It's disappointing to see so much of the space dedicated to gifts, etc and so little to books. And their prices aren't competitive; the only books I've seen on a small discount are the ones you usually find super-cheap at a bigger shop. But I still try to stop in now and then for a book because customer service is good and I try to support local businesses when I can/when they're worth it. EARLIER REVIEW: I'd give the selection four stars; although I didn't find a few authors I was looking for (not obscure ones, either), they had some cute magnets, buttons, and gift items that were a nice touch. Customer service, on the other hand? Two stars. I asked if they had a paperback copy of a certain book, and the representative came back and rudely thrust a hardcover at me. When I repeated that I'd wanted a paperback copy (which, in addition to being about ten bucks cheaper, is much more portable), she said only, "We don't have it." So...how about you tell me that and give me the option, rather than shoving a book at me that I didn't ask for? Then she proceeded to tell me that the paperback probably wasn't out yet since it's a newer book. (This was untrue; I'd been eagerly anticipating the paperback release and knew it had already passed.) When I decided on my purchases, the girl ringing me up turned to a coworker and showed her one of the books I was buying (Christopher Moore's Serpent of Venice). She admired the way the pages were edged in blue ink, so I said, "Yeah, the physical copies of his books are beautiful. The last one was great, too." And she completely ignored me. Seriously? You can be bothered to talk to your coworker but not to the customer? The sad part is, I dealt with two different people in my half hour in the store, and they were both rude. Bookshops are a dying breed. If you have people coming into your store who are excited and passionate about literature, you should make them feel welcome, and I didn't get that vibe from a single person during my visit to this store. I'm new to the area. In the past, I felt good about supporting my local bookstores. I prefer a good indie to a chain. But since Moravian is my new local independent, I'll be doing my shopping at Barnes and Noble. I'm not going to support a store with crappy customer service just for the principal of buying indie. B&N has a wider selection and superior customer service, so that's where you'll find me.

This is no mere bookstore! This shop is 5 stores in one! The bookstore portion is pretty small - and I haven't spent much time there. In the back there is a cafe with yummy coffee and tea as well as specialty items for purchase. There were some really amazing teas to choose from for purchase (if you're a tea fan - like me). At the front of one store there is a holiday display. We've been there with Christmas and Halloween decorations. It's so much fun to walk through and see all of the great decorations. There are also gifts and clothes and housewares - it's an amazing shop right in the center of Bethlehem and well worth walking through just for the amazing feast for the eyes.

This place was really magical. I loved how large it was because it combines shops with a book store as well as a little cafe/candy counter in the middle of it all. The actual book selection itself isn't all that huge but boy was it fun to look! They also had a wide variety of signed copies which was fun to look at. I picked up two children's books, a postcard, and a pin! The staff was really friendly and the store was just one you could get lost in! I was a little bit confused though how you paid for things as I didn't realize it all was truly connected- but it is! So I was able to buy something from the gift section all the way at the book checkout. I was here right before the holidays and it was a tad busy but they had enough staff that the wait wasn't too long. I also found out it's the oldest longest standing bookstore in the US, which is kind of crazy to think about! It's definitely worth a stop if you're in Bethlehem as it is a landmark for the area!

The Moravian Book Shop is a Bethlehem staple. They are apparently the oldest continuously running book store in the world so that's pretty awesome. But the name is somewhat misleading as this place is a quarter bookstore and three-quarters gift shop....oh and cafe. However, you'll find some unique home decor, speciality items, jewelry and of course Bethlehem swag. If your looking for anything that proudly represents the Christmas City then this is your destination! The cafe inside has changed hands quite a few times and I haven't eaten anything there since its latest revival. They aren't open too late in the evening so check their hours before you go, and parking not can sometimes be tricky on Main Street but if you don't mind walking I suggest the parking garage.

I love going to this shop! You can find a little bit of everything here - it's definitely not just a book store. My mom likes to pick up her Crabtree & Evelyn hand lotions here, and they have a great selection of really affordable, unique Christmas tree ornaments. It's also pretty conveniently located off the highway, and there are a couple of parking garages (at $0.75/hr!) if you aren't up to backing into angled parking. I know I never am.

Ah the Moravian Book Shop. Such a fun place. I agree with many of the other reviewers that this store can be a little overwhelming...but that's why I like it. They have a vast array of books, paper products, cards, home accessories and a great little deli in the back. Stopped in there this weekend while I was bumming around Main Street all day and it was packed! They have many great gift ideas and what a great place to find that elusive stocking-stuffer. When you're browsing around, get a coffee from Dave's Deli and take a few moments to read a couple pages of your new book in the seating area that has all the great plants, trees and natural lighting. We sat in there for about 45 minutes enjoying our coffee, reading and chatting. They have a great selection of books about the Lehigh Valley, as well as a good selection of local writers. Staff is friendly and do a great job of making recomendations if you're looking for something but don't quite know exactly what. I also appreciate their staff recommendations area. When I don't know what book I want to buy I head over there and see what they have on their radar. Also - if you're going around Halloween, be sure to make a reservation for their Historic Haunts of Bethlehem candlelit walking tour - it's fun!

While the five stores in one aspect can leave things to be desired, I'm all for the actual book shop. While it may not be nearly as big as a Barnes & Noble or Borders, those stores don't have the same charm and you can easily become lost in their endless stacks or have trouble finding the book you want. Here, however, It is much easier to find what you are looking for, and if they don't have it, you can easily order it and they will notify you when the book(s) come in. The staff is also very helpful. I have gone in several times wanting to get a new book, but not having any solid idea as to what I wanted. Every time, I was able to ask one of the clerks for a recommendation, and each time I really enjoyed the book that I picked out. The only other part of the store that I attend with any real frequency is the deli/food section. Even then, I tend to go straight for the chocolate and candy section in order to get a nice bar of chocolate or something sweet.

One of the oldest bookshops in the country. Great place for specialty items and nice gifts. A Bethlehem landmark. You can also grab lunch here.

Wow. In an age when independent bookstores are disappearing, it was so refreshing to see a really great store. Filled with tons of books, a great coffee shop and a candy counter, The Moravian Book Shop (Bethlehem, PA) is a reminder of older times.

I am really disappointed by the renovations. There is a completely different vibe -- poppy music playing, very commercialized, sleek seating, and loads of Moravian College merchandise. It no longer has the inviting and cozy atmosphere it once did. Some good books remain but I would rather not shop here anymore.

I felt overwhelmed here. There's just so much...a cafe, books, Christmas stuff, clothes, etc. It was like Hallmark meets cafe meets bookstore. I can take bookstore + cafe, but the Hallmark stuff really through me. We stopped in during a trip downtown on a cold afternoon, and is it was Christmas season, it was packed. With all the tiny tables full of stuff, it was really hard to move around. I did sneak a peak at their Crane's stationery collection; the Paper Bag in Allentown has a much better selection. Again, it's probably worth a trip, but it's just not my cup of tea.

Food is hit or miss here...a fresh sandwich may be tasty, whereas there's plenty of other stuff that looks like it's been sitting out all day (or all week). Very nice atmosphere -- go for the seating on the side with all the natural light. While you're there, there's tons of Christmas-y gifts that your mom will love. Pick up a Bethlehem or Moravian star -- good stuff.

So enjoyed the store during the Christmas Season. Unfortunately it was a raining night.....wish it was snowing, would have been perfect. Prices of the Moravian Stars unbelievable. So we gave in and bought a few things. Two ornaments and one star. So after waiting in the line for a while it was our turn. Well it was a sight to see the wrapping. The two ornaments alone took time. But the star was polished and polished then built with a careful bed of packing and placed on it, then packed again. Then stickers and disclaimers. There must be a packing university for the staff. We must have met the doctor of packing. Walked out of store chuckling but will always remember this night each year when opened

Boss you want moravian star? We have all kind moravian star. Big stars, small stars, paper stars, light stars. Boss, we have many moravian star waiting for YOU!

Just visited the Moravian Book Shop. The whole place is transitioning to a book store being owned by the Moravian College and managed by Barnes & Noble. Very little merchandise since everything is being redesigned. Don't know the outcome. If you're looking for the items you are used to buying you need to wait to see the outcome. They may never have them again.

I'm all for one stop shopping, but sometimes I think focusing on one thing (and being really good at it) isn't so bad. Apparently this is one of the oldest book shops in the country, but it is now also a novelty shop with pajamas, candles, thank you cards and dishes as well as a Christmas store and a deli/bakery. And it doesn't seem to be great at any of those. I think if they had left it at quaint bookstore it would be quite charming. Instead, it seems a little gimmicky.

Enjoyed browsing around here a couple weekends ago. Bright, comfortable, good variety of books and other activities (games, crafts) in the kids section that were really reasonably priced.

They have a little bit of everything. Great, unique gift shop. Very large and has a kid's book section, Christmas section, food, collectible items, baby clothing, kitchen giftware - just so much stuff. It is fun browsing though it all.

A fun place to shop for books. Very relaxing atmosphere. You can read freely.

If you love christmas decorations and the moravian star, this is the place to be! Although it is a little pricey, you can literally spend a good hour in here, if not more. Every staff member was really helpful. I wouldn't come here all the time, but once in awhile would be really nice.

Some of the items here are very much made overseas - ignore those. The real reason to stop in here is to grab yourself a handcrafted glass star. They range from $20 for the smaller ornament-sized ones all the way up to $495 for the lanterns. They also come in a few different colors and types of glass. Pick your poison!

Misleading name for a bookstore that is so, so much more- books, home goods, teas and coffees, a deli, this place has it all. Stumped on a gift for someone? Lots of options here.

Neat little shop. I would recommend going just to say you've been there. But overall, there's nothing special about it. I wish they had more postcards of the shops and hotels and buildings on Main Street.