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Bethlehem, Connecticut: America's Christmas Town

Bethlehem, Connecticut

Pictures from Bethlehem

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Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden Main Street South, Bethlehem District No. 1 Schoolhouse

Bethlehem sits on land that was part of Woodbury's 1710 "North Purchase," settled by pioneers beginning in 1734; residents won separate parish privileges in October 1739 under preacher Joseph Bellamy, and the town incorporated independently in 1787. Bellamy, Yale-educated at 16 and a student of Jonathan Edwards, named the settlement, became its wealthiest citizen, and ran what's considered the first theological school in America from his home, training students including Aaron Burr. Farming gave way by the early 1800s to grist and saw mills, cotton and woolen factories, and hat manufacture. Bethlehem became "Connecticut's Christmas Town" in 1938, when Postmaster Earl Johnson mailed cards reading "Merry Christmas from the little Town of Bethlehem"; national press coverage soon had the post office handling over 200,000 pieces of December mail during the 1950s and '60s, about ten times its normal volume.

  1. An 18th-century preacher's house with a historic rose and lilac garden.

  2. A working Benedictine abbey with daily Mass and an 18th-century crèche.

  3. Pick-your-own fruit and pumpkins with a farm store and bakery.

  4. Fresh-baked goods alongside the pick-your-own operation.

  5. Town history plus a relocated circa-1850 one-room schoolhouse.

  6. A Land Trust preserve with a summer barn concert series.

  7. A September agricultural fair with exhibits and competitions.

  8. American fare and pizza on Main Street, with Trivia Tuesdays.

A theological school and a Christmas legend

Joseph Bellamy's Main Street house, built in stages from 1754 to 1767, stayed in his family until 1868 and was later restored by human-rights advocate Caroline Ferriday, who spent 78 summers there aiding Ravensbrück concentration-camp survivors before bequeathing the property to Connecticut Landmarks on her 1990 death. The Abbey of Regina Laudis, a community of contemplative Benedictine women established in 1947, still chants the Divine Office daily and once counted former Hollywood actress Dolores Hart among its nuns. Bethlehem held its first Christmas Town Festival in 1981, and the post office at 34 East Street has introduced a new hand-stamped holiday cachet every year since 1938.

Getting there

Bethlehem has no rail station and no interstate of its own — drivers take Route 61 north from Woodbury toward Morris and Litchfield, or Route 132 from Woodbury and Watertown. From I-84 eastbound, exit toward Route 6 north through Woodbury; from I-84 westbound, take Exit 17 to Route 64 through Middlebury, merging onto Route 6 in Woodbury. The nearest Metro-North station is Waterbury, at the top of the Waterbury Branch — but Branch trains are currently replaced by buses, from July 20, 2026 through May 31, 2027, for station reconstruction.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get to Bethlehem?
By car — Route 61 runs through the town center, north to Morris and Litchfield and south to US 6 in Woodbury, with Route 132 leading south to Woodbury and east into Watertown. There's no rail station in Bethlehem; the nearest is Waterbury, on Metro-North's Waterbury Branch, roughly 12 miles east — though Branch trains are replaced by buses from July 20, 2026 through May 31, 2027 for station reconstruction.
Can I visit the Abbey of Regina Laudis?
Yes — visitors may attend daily Mass at 8:15 a.m. and browse the monastic Art Shop (Friday 10 a.m.-noon; Saturday-Sunday 10 a.m.-noon and 1:30-4 p.m.). The abbey's 18th-century Neapolitan crèche is open daily 10 a.m.-4 p.m. but closes for winter, reopening at Easter — plan around that if visiting during the Christmas Town Festival.
What is the Christmas Town Festival?
An annual December festival, first held in 1981, centered on the Bethlehem Town Green and the post office, which has issued a new hand-stamped holiday "cachet" design every year since 1938 — over 80 are now available to visitors.
Is there a hotel in Bethlehem?
No hotel, inn or B&B could be verified as operating in Bethlehem itself. The nearest verified option is Winvian Farm, an 18-cottage luxury resort a short distance north in neighboring Morris.
Where can I eat in Bethlehem?
The Painted Pony Restaurant serves American fare and pizza on Main Street with weekly Trivia Tuesdays, and March Farm's store and bakery sells fresh-baked goods alongside its pick-your-own fruit and pumpkins.

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