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ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks
Categories: Arts & Entertainment Music Venues Nightlife Music Venues Arts & Entertainment Performing Arts Music Venues, Performing Arts [Edit]
101 Founders WayBethlehem, PA 18015
(610) 297-7100
- Hours:
Mon-Tue 12 pm - 9 pm
Wed-Thu, Sun 12 pm - 10 pm
Fri 12 pm - 12 am
Sat 10:30 am - 12 am
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Music:
- Live
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Good For Dancing:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
13 reviews for ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks
13 reviews in English
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Review from Candi K.
1/15/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Have had a few chances to drop by the new ArtsQuest Center...to see a movie at the cinema, to enjoy the free music & to see a ticketed concert at the Musikfest Cafe. Every time I visit, I leave remembering how lucky we are to have it in the Valley.
Everyone may give ArtsQuest a lot of crap about crazy ticket & beer prices at Musikfest each year, but it allows them to provide the many free & low cost events held here at the center. Check their website to see what interests you...but there's a little bit of everything.
The cinema is comfortable & clean. The Musikfest Cafe is a great place to see live music - the lit up stacks behind the stage make a great view. Plenty of room even with SRO tickets. Plus ticket prices are very reasonable. We're going to a cabaret seating show in April and look forward to table service. Prices are very reasonable for food & beverage as well (the last concert it was $2-$3 for a 16 oz beer).
Employees & volunteers are always insanely friendly. I hope it stays that way! -
Review from Georzetta R.
Bethlehem, PA
4/30/2012 1 photo
This is a lovely intimate space for a concert. I saw Mary Chapin Carpenter and Shaw Colvin there last night (4/29/2012). The sound quality is excellent. It was very easy access for my large electric wheelchair. Roomy elevators and bathrooms.
They lose one point for noise level. We could hear the staff talking and rattling bottles throughout the concert. I'm sure that wouldn't be a problem if the artist was loud and rocky but this concert was fairly quiet with a folk/country/singer-songwriter atmosphere. The noise was distracting. -
Review from Aaron T.
3/10/2012
The venue is extremely nice to watch a show at the concert venue in the building.
They have a reasonable menu and bars at either end to get your fill.
The backdrop of the venue is its most appealing aspect. Behind the stage are large windows that open the venue to the backdrop of the glowing steel stacks behind it.
ArtsQuest presents a variety of shows at the location. If you sign up for their e-mail updates or visit their website you can see the upcoming shows to check out at the venue. -
Review from Kurm Just K.
Jamison, PA
1/27/2012
good to watch.
ok to play. sounds bounces around and gets muddy on stage -
Review from Michael K.
Scotch Plains, NJ
1/13/2012
This arts complex has been open since April of 2011. The multi-level space houses a cinema, an art gallery, several bars and cafés, and a cabaret for live music. There is also an outdoor plaza for concerts and events, in season. This place is very easy to get to from central NJ and NYC via Rte. 78, and parking is free. The backdrop for it all is the looming, immense, but now defunct Bethlehem Steel smelting plant, which is dramatically illuminated at night.
I saw singer/songwriter Chris Smither play here this evening, and then met him after the show in the lobby, where he autographed CD's. The performance space is very comfortable and open, yet initimate, and the sound quality is excellent.
The café food wasn't too good--I ordered a bacon cheeseburger with parmesan garlic fries. The kitchen omitted both the bacon and the parmesan garlic seasoning for the fries, even though they were on the ticket, and I was charged for them. The burger was dry, unseasoned, and tasteless, even with cheese, onion, lettuce, and tomato on it. However, the bar had a decent selection of booze and soft drinks. 16 oz. cans of Pabst Blue RIbbon beer were only $3.00. So, come to enjoy the music and the bar, but don't expect much from the food.
Upcoming shows include guitar legend Sonny Landreth, appearing on June 22nd.
http://www.youtube.com... -
Review from Kelley H.
Bethlehem, PA
10/11/2011
Love this place!
There is always something going on at ArtsQuest / SteelStacks, and much of it is free! I love being able to stop by most any weekend for some cool bands, different events, movies, etc. It's great. -
Review from Kris G.
Allentown, PA
I went here with my Hubby and son today to see a free music show and take a tour. WOW this is going to be amazing when it is completed. Also there is orange EVERYWHERE!!! I love orange so it was very exciting :)
First the music show. There is a free show for kids every Saturday. They have a complete schedule on their website. The kids show is on the 1st floor right when you walk into the building. There is a mini stage and lots of floor seating and cafe tables. There is a Mike and Ike cafe right there so you can eat and watch the show.
On the first floor there is a movie theater where you can bring your food, drinks, beer into the theater and they have trays that hook onto the cup holders on the seats. There is also a kids connect space that isn't completed yet but right now is a cool lounge with seating. There is also a gift shop where you can get some cool Lehigh Valley goods.
The second floor has gallery space and seating that overlooks the stage on the first floor. There is a private room for parties and the sands deck that overlooks the blast furnaces of Bethlehem Steel.
On the 3rd floor there is the Musicfest Cafe which is a cabaret style performance space. They have 2 bars and tables that face the stage. The entire back wall behind the stage is windows that overlook the blast furnaces of Bethlehem Steel.
This building is unbelievable. They are not completed with the whole campus yet, there is still an outdoor amphitheater that is set to open by July 1st. They are going to have 50 free shows there!! I can't wait to go to the movies and see more free kids shows. What a great way to use the former Bethlehem Steel Property. I added a bunch of pics from my tour, hopefully that helps you visualize the awesome space better :) -
Review from Kimberlin Z.
Reading, PA
4/30/2011
We went to see *The Universe of Keith Haring* (with a discussion afterwards) as our excuse to check out the resplendent new ArtsQuest facility, which is pretty much unbelievably impressive in its scope and vision. The theater was full of artists, teachers, and people who had known Keith (as one of my good friends did, another reason for my interest in him). Excellent inspiring discussion of art as activism by a Moravian professor and the director of the New Arts Program in Kutztown.
How wonderful it was to see Keith making art to Devo, the B-52s, the Flying Lizards and so on, and we longed to time travel back to 1980s NYC when it was still cheap enough for a normal person to live there -- actually, both my bf and I did for a time, but as poor working slobs who did not know about Paradise Garage (or each other, too bad). :-)
Now, you would be wise to grab up some Southside row homes -- because this area is going to be groundbreaking in terms of what you can do with a massive campus of decaying industrial buildings.
Note: None of the new things including the casino are in actual Bethlehem Steel buildings, but they are all on the grounds of the former steel giant. I was disappointed to hear this, but I do understand, having worked on public building projects and seen the prices of large-scale renovation. (CORRECTION: The new Visitors Center *will* be in a restored building, a really cool one with stone arches.)
There is a short walk from the parking lot to the ArtsQuest building, which we can see some people complaining about in weather that is not perfect. Much of the grounds area is not yet finished, but we got a tour after the film from the Arts Director, who reminded me of supercool Ann Magnuson and who was full of energy and passion for the new facility (even though it was getting pretty late by then, so we know we were very lucky -- she is dedicated!).
So we got to see the music venue upstairs modeled after the wonderful and intimate World Cafe Live in Philly, the outside deck, the VIP area, and a variety of rentable and free meeting spaces, all with the backdrop of the huge smelter stacks lit with changing colored lights, now regarded as works of art. I bet my steelworker dad who slaved there more than 30 years would find amusement in this, as well as a small gift shop fill with key chains and t-shirts with the vintage Bethlehem Steel logo (I wanted some, but let it pass). There is going to be a glass sculpture -- NOT a Chihuly, she said, because that is what every asks -- several stories tall, within the spiral staircase. They are still assembling it.
As we walked in and bought our (reserved seats only) tickets, there was a marimba player filling the large main floor with music. This area is called the Creativity Commons. The art film was in the smaller theater; a second bigger one is next door. *Jane Eyre* was playing there.
A snack shop called Mike & Ike's (Just Born of Peeps candy fame is a sponsor) offers not-so-exciting fare so far, but I am hoping for the "healthier" choices that I read about in the Morning Call. We stopped by Vegan Treats beforehand -- oh, imagine a VT dessert bar there! A small counter bar features Yuengling drafts (another sponsor), Sam Smith, and a Belgian, as well as wine ($7, pedestrian) and spirits. We saw people hanging out there after the film -- great to have a place right there to talk about what you just saw. The area outside the theater is filled with tables and chairs. Aramark will be providing food for the cabaret-style dinners that will be offered in the music cafe.
There is going to be an outdoor stage backed against the stacks with a grassy area around it for 50 free concerts a year. In an era of diminishing public space, it is nice to know that ArtsQuest kept in mind that not everyone has the cash for expensive concerts and that some people are just looking for public hangout space. This is definitely going to be the spot, with so much to attract families of all types.
Some of MusikFest, a longtime festival of the North Side, will be here this summer, great idea! I am really hoping for acts that appeal to GenXers (punk rock, New Wave, ska, reggae), not just Boomer music from the 60s and 70s. There are plenty of us who were young in the 80s and 90s -- we are now in our prime, ready to throw our money around, haha, and would love to see music offerings that take us into consideration.
I wondered who was footing the bill for all this (thinking of my town and its revitalization needs), and learned that, although the Sands Casino donated the land, ArtsQuest raised the $26 million itself, during a recession, hence the corporate sponsors. Now that is pretty impressive dedication to the restoration of one's city, both from dedicated arts workers and local business.Listed in: Under the Sun/Stars/Umbrella
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Review from dave w.
Dallastown, PA
7/18/2011
Wow, I saw Moe here last night and I was blow away by this great new music venue. I've been to 100's of different venues on the East Coast and never been to one that is so intimate with the performers, the staging promotes a closeness to the artist without the stage being too high or walled off from the crowd. There is no bad spot for sound and I walked around the entire place. A good beer selection as well as some decent affordable food options. I definitely plan on returning.
Set amongst the remnants of the Bethlehem Steel complex makes a great backdrop. -
Review from matthew l.
Bethlehem, PA
5/25/2011
Wow. As a concert fan, I am so psyched to have this place so close to home, and have so far visited twice. Overall, great place! Once was table or "cabaret" reserved seating, and the other was general admission standing room. Table service was good, and what a pleasure it was being served at a table, like ladies and gentlemen, while watching a show. Food was fair, and I would really give it a 4.5 out of 5 stars because of the food, but next time I will stick to the cheaper stuff like burgers and sandwiches, and not the skimpy entree's. Plenty of bartenders, so never waited more than a min. for a beer, and they are 4 bucks, not musikfest prices. They have free show's outside before most main shows, so check that out too. Already have tickets to 3 more upcoming shows.
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Review from Phillip Y.
Des Moines, IA
6/19/2011
Wow, I am coming back here for a concert. My classmate and I came here after class to check out this newly constructed music venue. The SteelStacks are absolutely amazing. With fireworks and music, this place will be hard to beat. Forget about Philadelphia or Atlantic City for July 4th. This will be the place to be for a great backdrop of the blast furnaces. There is a cinema in the ArtsQuest Center which runs independent films. Plus, restaurants on each floor and stage for low key music scene. A nice little gift shop is on the 1st floor with Bethlehem Steel souvenirs. Overall, I would recommend this to anyone who appreciates slightly off the wall things and history/culture buff.
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Review from David G.
Newtown, PA
8/11/2011
Thanks for putting on one of the best Musikfests ever! We are going back for the 4th night!!! Got to see the Trailer Park Troubadours'!!!
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Review from Mary T.
Macungie, PA
6/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
We went to see a free show in the town square - kelly and the perks. Great band of course, we knew that. The venue is really nice, sound was good, the view of the stacks impressive. Had dinner from the mike and ike cafe. We thought that outside food would be frowned upon, but it seemed like it would have been OK for us to bring our own (in which case we totally would have stopped at hello burrito first). I had the burger sliders and the bf had the black bean burger. All delicious. He had the chips - premise made and yummy. I had pasta salad which was a meal in itself - made with filled tortellini! Choices were sort of limited and I was disappointed that there were no fries. But food was good and service reasonably fast.
