Explore the greenways, trails, and grounds of the original Moravian settlement in Winston-Salem.
Historic Bethabara Park is the site of the first Moravian settlement in Winston-Salem, founded in 1753, and is now a 183-acre preserved National Historic Site less than a 15-minute drive from downtown Winston-Salem.
Today, you can explore the foundations and buildings where these German-speaking Moravians, one of the oldest Protestant denominations of Christianity, lived and worked. Highlights include the 1788 Gemeinhaus Church, the oldest standing church with attached residence in the United States, and a reconstructed French and Indian War Fort.
In addition to the historic buildings and structures, you’ll find a functional heirloom medicinal garden and scenic walking trails. Hit the trails for a scenic tour through the grounds, the nearby Bethabara God’s Acre cemetery, and a beautiful, forested setting tucked just behind the hustle and bustle of the city.
The History of Bethabara
Bethabara, established in 1753, is the first Moravian settlement in North Carolina. The German-speaking Moravians representant one of the oldest protestant denominations of Christianity.
In 1753, 15 Moravians traveled from Pennsylvania to North Carolina and settled in this village, naming it Bethabara or “House of Passage.” Within the next decade, Bethabara developed into a thriving trade center. When the city of Salem was established in 1772, much of the Bethabara population relocated to the new city but, even so, Bethabara remained an active agricultural community.
Flash forward to modern times when in the 1960s archaeological work at the site inspired the chair of the Historic Bethabara Park Board of Trustees, Edwin Stockton, to lead an effort to preserve the park as an educational site. In 1983, the Visitor Center opened and was named in his honor.
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Frequently Asked Questions
There is no fee to do a self-guided exploration of the grounds at Bethabara.
Check in at the Visitor Center to purchase tickets to a guided tour ($4 for adults; $1 for children ages 3 and under).
Park hours for the trails are dawn to dusk.
The Visitor Center hours are seasonal. The Visitor Center is open regular hours April to December. The Visitor Center shifts to weekend only hours from January to March. Check the website for Historic Bethabara Park before you visit for current open days and hours.
The address for the Bethabara Visitor Center is 2147 Bethabara Road, Winston-Salem, NC.
There is ample parking between a paved lot behind the Visitor Center and a gravel lot just to the left of the Visitor Center.
There is limited number of parking spaces in a small lot just before the Visitor Center and another just after the Visitor Center along Old Town Road (after Bethabara Road crosses Monarcas Creek).
During business hours, the best place to start your visit to Bethabara is at the Visitor Center.
Inside the Visitor Center, start with watching the brief historic video in the theater room. Inside the visitor center, you’ll also see historic exhibits, you can often watch costumed interpreters in period dress showcasing demonstrations of work, crafts, and play in the historic village.
Don’t forget to stop by gift shop on your way out to purchase souvenirs! Take a self-guided or guided tour of the grounds. Explore 18th century buildings including the historic Gemeinhaus Church, built in 1788.
Discover the grounds on a walk or bike ride along the Monarcas Creek Greenway or a stroll up the hill to God’s Acre Cemetery, where many gravesites date back to the 18th century. Stroll through the reconstructed medicinal garden, which today remains a working garden.
There are several trails at Bethabara including the trail to God’s Acre Cemetery, the paved Monarcas Creek Greenway (also called the Bethabara Greenway), the Mill Creek Loop Trail and the Woodland Loop Trail.
The Bethabara Visitor Center offers pamphlets on the Mill Creek Loop Trail and the Woodland Loop Trail.
Among the popular trails is an unnamed short walk up the hill behind the fort to Bethabara’s Moravian God’s Acre Cemetery. The trail is less than a quarter mile each way. For most guests, it is about a 10-minute, moderate hike to the cemetery from the Visitor Center.
To reach God’s Acre, go through the Palisade Fort (across Bethabara Road from the Visitor Center) to the opening at the back that leads to the Greenway. There will be a small footbridge. Cross the greenway and go over another footbridge – this one crosses Monarcas Creek. Keep straight ahead toward a set of stairs built into the hill. Follow the hill up to the entrance to the cemetery.
There is a network of unmarked forested trails around the cemetery, including the Woodland Loop Trail. To access the Woodland Loop Trail, turn left or right at the trail intersection just before reaching the entrance to the cemetery.
*Please note the Woodland Loop Trail is not an exact loop and may require the use of spur trails. Most of the trails around the cemetery are unmarked.
The Lily Pond refers to a wetlands area that is technically part of Historic Bethabara Park and is at the corner of Bethabara Park Boulevard and Reynolda Road. The water lilies bloom in around July and August annually.
Please note there is no public parking available at the Lily Pond. Parking at private businesses in the area may cause your vehicle to be towed.
In the past, the Lily Pond could be reached with about a 1-mile walk from the Bethabara Visitor Center on the Mill Creek and North Wetland Trails. However, the North Wetland Trail is not accessible at this time.
Bethabara Greenway + Trails
Dive into the Bethabara Greenway and trail system to explore this hidden gem tucked away just outside of downtown Winston-Salem. Explore our step-by-step guide to the Bethabara Greenway, Monarcas Creek Greenway and the accompanying natural trails throughout the area.
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