Historic Bethabara Park, Inc.

What Historic Bethabara Park, Inc. does

Historic Bethabara Park, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 1970 to preserve and interpret the site of Bethabara, founded in 1753 by German-speaking Moravians as the first European settlement in the North Carolina Piedmont. The organization manages a 183-acre National Historic Landmark in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in partnership with the City of Winston-Salem Recreation and Parks Department, which handles day-to-day operations while the nonprofit serves as the fundraising and preservation arm governed by a Board of Trustees. The park encompasses over 40 stabilized archaeological ruins, reconstructions on original locations (including the 1754 Reconstructed Village and the 1756 Palisade Fort, the only French & Indian War fort in the southeast reconstructed on its original site), and original historic structures such as the 1788 Gemeinhaus, 1834 Log House, 1782 Potter's House, and 1803 Distiller's House.

The organization's core offerings include guided tours (Timeline Tour, Garden Tour, Gemeinhaus Tour, Group Tours, and Hands on History Trades Demonstrations featuring blacksmithing, woodworking, pottery, 18th-century cooking, and medical treatments) priced at $4 adult / $1 student, plus curriculum-aligned school field trip programs (Lower Elementary grades 1–3, Upper Elementary grades 3–5, Christmas Tours) at $1 per student. Homeschool Living History Days extend the educational channel to homeschool families at $5 per person, registered via the Amilia platform. Annual attendance includes 137,366 visitors, 3,611 school children from 30+ schools, and 27,113+ attendees at free community events including Apple Fest, Boo at Bethabara, and Four Christmases at Bethabara.

Revenue is generated through a diversified mix of low-ticket tour and field trip admissions, gift shop sales of regional artisan crafts, donations (PayPal, Amazon Smile, mailed checks), and grant funding including a 2024 America 250 grant from the National Park Service for Potter's House restoration. The organization's intellectual and research assets include the Stanley South Archaeological Manuscript Collection, the Edwin L. Stockton Manuscript Collection, thousands of artifacts, and digitized online collections built on 60+ years of continuous excavation, including Ground Penetrating Radar remote sensing work conducted with the U.S. Forest Service and Wake Forest Archaeological Laboratory, and dendrochronological dating performed by Oxford Tree-Ring Laboratory.

Name

Historic Bethabara Park, Inc.

Legal name

Historic Bethabara Park, Inc.

Website

https://historicbethabara.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Historic Bethabara Park, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that preserves and interprets a 183-acre National Historic Landmark in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the site of the 1753 Moravian settlement of Bethabara, serving general public visitors, K-12 schools, and homeschool families through guided tours, educational field trips, and free community events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Historic Site Preservation and Heritage Education

NAICS

Historical Sites (71212), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Historical Sites (712120)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Heritage & Indigenous-Led Visitor Services (Tribal Tours, Heritage Sites, Co-management) (THAAAGAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

National Park & Protected Area Tours (THAJAIAA), Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

Keywords

• Historic site preservation
• Guided museum tours
• Educational field trips
• Heritage tourism attractions
• Living history programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Winston Salem

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Tour Admission Fees: The park charges admission for guided tours: $4 for adults and $1 for students and children over 3 years old. Park grounds are open free of charge year-round.
2. School Field Trip Fees: Field trip admissions are $1 per student (plus tax) for school groups, with teachers and school employees free of charge. Parent admission is $2 (plus tax).
3. Special Event Fees: Some events like Homeschool Living History Days charge $5 admission. Many major events like Apple Fest, Boo at Bethabara, and Christmas celebrations are free admission with charges only for food and crafts.
4. Donations and Contributions: The nonprofit accepts donations through Amazon Smile, PayPal, and mailed checks to support preservation efforts, free community events, and maintenance of historic buildings.
5. Gift Shop Sales: The Visitor Center gift shop offers handcrafted items honoring Moravian, colonial, and natural history of Bethabara, made by regional artisans representing 18th-century trades.
6. Grant Funding: The park receives grant funding including a 2024 America 250 grant from the National Park Service for Potter's House restoration, and City of Winston-Salem funding for preservation projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Historic Bethabara Park, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that preserves and interprets the 183-acre National Historic Landmark site of Bethabara, the first Moravian settlement in the North Carolina Piedmont (founded 1753). It sells guided tours, K-12 school field trip programs aligned with the North Carolina Social Studies curriculum, homeschool Living History Days, free and ticketed community events, and artisan merchandise through its Visitor Center gift shop. The organization supports its operations through admissions, gift shop sales, donations, and grants, in partnership with the City of Winston-Salem Recreation and Parks Department.

Product overview

Historic Bethabara Park, Inc. is a nonprofit organization operating a 183-acre National Historic Landmark park dedicated to preserving the history and heritage of the first Moravian settlement in North Carolina, founded in 1753. The organization offers a diverse portfolio of products and services centered on historical education and preservation. Core offerings include guided tours (Timeline Tour, Garden Tour, Gemeinhaus Tour, Group Tours, and Hands on History Trades Demonstrations) and educational programs for schools (Lower and Upper Elementary field trips, Christmas Tours, and Homeschool Living History Days). The park features reconstructed and restored historic structures including the 1754 Reconstructed Village, Palisade Fort, Log House (1834), Gemeinhaus (1788), Potter's House (1782), and Distiller's House (1803), along with heritage gardens (Medicinal Garden and Pollinator Garden). The organization operates a Visitor Center with gift shop, provides research and archival resources including digitized collections, and hosts annual community events including Apple Fest, Boo at Bethabara, and Four Christmases at Bethabara. The park is managed in partnership with the City of Winston-Salem Recreation and Parks Department.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Timeline Tour A guided tour introducing visitors to Bethabara and its people between 1753 and 1834, highlighting stories of those who built and lived in town, the conflicts that shaped the town's development, and historic structures and archaeological foundations. Open to general public visitors during Visitor Center hours.
• Garden Tour A guided tour of the 1759 Upland and 1761 Medicinal Gardens, teaching visitors about the food and medicine that Moravians grew and how these gardens shaped the North Carolina Backcountry in the 18th century. Open to general public visitors.
• Gemeinhaus Tour A tour of the 1788 place of worship and community center for Bethabara's Moravian community, teaching visitors about how the community built the structure, worshipped and gathered in it, and how it has been preserved. Open to general public visitors.
• Group Tours Guided tours for groups exceeding 20 people, with reservations required at least one month in advance. Available for tour operators, family reunions, and large visitor groups.
• Hands on History Trades Demonstrations Weekly demonstrations featuring blacksmithing, woodworking, pottery, 18th century cooking, and medical treatments, showcasing colonial trades and crafts. Open to general public visitors.
• Lower Elementary Field Trip (Grades 1-3) A 1.5-hour field trip where students learn about playing, education, chores, and features of 18th century life for children in Bethabara, beginning in the 1788 Gemeinhaus. Aligned with North Carolina Social Studies Curriculum. Available to school groups with at least 10 students.
• Upper Elementary Field Trip (Grades 3-5) A 2-hour field trip exploring the 1754 Village with hands-on activities such as wood-sawing, shingling, and plowing to learn about colonial North Carolina. Aligned with North Carolina Social Studies Curriculum. Available to school groups with at least 10 students.
• Christmas Tour (Grades 1-5) A seasonal field trip teaching students about Moravian Christmas customs, Bethabara's winter preparations, and traditions including Moravian Cookies and Moravian Stars. Available to school groups.
• Homeschool Living History Days A 3-hour blended learning experience for homeschool families featuring living history demonstrations, tours, and hands-on activities suitable for multiple age groups. Registration via Amilia platform.
• Visitor Center & Gift Shop Visitor center offering guided tours, informational videos, and a gift shop with handcrafted items honoring Moravian, colonial, and natural history of Bethabara made by regional artisans representing 18th-century trades.
• Apple Fest Annual fall event featuring apples, arts and crafts, live music, kid-friendly activities, historical demonstrations, and food vendors. Admission is free; charges apply only for food and crafts.
• Boo at Bethabara Halloween event featuring Fear on the Frontier walk, ghost stories, magic show, feathered creatures, and family-friendly activities. Admission is free.
• Four Christmases at Bethabara Christmas event exploring the evolution of Moravian Christmas traditions from 1753 to 1943, with seasonal sounds and hands-on activities. Admission is free.
• Hands-on-History Event featuring interactions with 18th-century craftsmen including candle maker, blacksmith, woodworker, and potter; colonial games; tours; and demonstrations.
• Archaeology Exhibits & Research Archives Archives and library including the Stanley South Archaeological Manuscript Collection, Edwin L. Stockton Manuscript Collection, thousands of artifacts, and hundreds of antiques, with digitized portions of the collection. Available to researchers and the public.

Quantifiable outcome

• 137,366 visitors annually including local, national, and international tourists
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• City of Winston-Salem Recreation and Parks DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe park is managed by the City of Winston-Salem Recreation and Parks Department, with Historic Bethabara Park Inc. (a 501c(3) nonprofit) serving as the supporting organization. This public-private partnership enables the park's operations, preservation efforts, and community programming.
• Winston-Salem State UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSummer field schools co-sponsored by Wake Forest Archaeological Laboratory and Winston-Salem State University tested archaeological sites at the palisade fort and Bethabara Mill Fort refuge cabins.
• Wake Forest University Archaeological LaboratorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for archaeological research including early 2000s investigation revealing information about the Stranger's Graveyard and Single Brother's Sleeping Hall. Ongoing collaboration for archaeological field schools and remote sensing experiments.
• U.S. Forest ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with U.S. Forest Service and Wake Forest Archaeological Laboratory to conduct remote sensing experiments (GPR) at possible archaeological sites to minimize site damage.
• North Carolina Division of ArchaeologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing archaeological investigations done in cooperation with the North Carolina Division of Archaeology, including excavations at the Potter's House (1782) that uncovered a pottery kiln.
• Museum of the Cherokee PeopleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAtsila Anotasgi Cultural Specialists from the Museum of the Cherokee People participate in Indigenous Peoples & Moravians events, providing cultural programming and historical education.
• Lam Museum of Anthropology (Wake Forest)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Lam Museum of Anthropology provides hands-on exhibits of North Carolina Native American artifacts and displays for cultural heritage programming at the park.
• Downtown Arts District Association (DADA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerDADA partnered with Historic Bethabara Park for the Heritage Hop event celebrating Winston-Salem's artistic heritage, featuring photographer Allison Hutchins' works.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Old Salem Museums & Gardens: Located in the same Winston-Salem market, Old Salem is the larger, more commercialized sister Moravian heritage site interpreting 18th-century Wachovia life. Both share Moravian heritage preservation focus, K-12 educational programming, and a public-private operating model.
• Plimoth Patuxet Museums: Living history museum in Plymouth, MA focused on 17th-century colonial and Native American heritage. Comparable in delivering curriculum-aligned K-12 field trips, living history demonstrations, and immersive interpretive tours at a comparable scale.
• Historic Jamestowne: Virginia's first permanent English settlement, jointly operated by NPS and Preservation Virginia. Comparable as a National Historic Landmark with active archaeological research, educational programming, and visitor services at a protected historic site.
• Historic Deerfield: Early American history museum in Deerfield, MA operating a preserved historic village with crafts demonstrations, K-12 programming, and ticketed guided tours — directly comparable in operating model and visitor experience mix.
• Historic St. Mary's City: Maryland's 17th-century colonial capital operating as an archaeological site and living history museum with a comparable university partnership model (Historic St. Mary's City Commission and St. Mary's College of Maryland), mirroring Bethabara's Wake Forest collaboration.
• Bethania Historic District: A nearby Moravian settlement in Forsyth County, NC — the third Wachovia community and direct historic companion to Bethabara. Comparable in scale, Moravian heritage focus, and small nonprofit preservation model, with strong cross-promotion potential.
• American Village: Living history center in Montevallo, AL focused on American colonial history and civics education. Comparable in mission emphasis on K-12 civic/historical education, costumed interpretation, and event-based programming.

Emerging players

• Museum of the Cherokee People: Cultural museum in Cherokee, NC that already partners with Bethabara for Indigenous Peoples & Moravians programming. Comparable in scale and nonprofit operating model, with a complementary (rather than directly competing) cultural heritage focus.

Broad incumbents

• Colonial Williamsburg: The largest colonial living history museum in the U.S., operating at vastly greater scale than Bethabara. Serves as the broad incumbent reference point for colonial interpretive programming, living history demonstrations, and curriculum-aligned school field trips.
• George Washington's Mount Vernon: Larger, privately operated historic house museum in Virginia with comparable visitor services, K-12 educational programming, and gift shop revenue. Mount Vernon operates at much greater scale but shares the colonial heritage, education, and preservation model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@historicbethabara6559
• Facebookfacebook.com/bethabarapark
• Instagraminstagram.com/bethabarapark
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/historic-bethabara-park-inc

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Historic Bethabara Park, Inc.