The National Museum of Industrial History was formed in association with the Smithsonian Institution for the purpose of telling the story of the achievements of industrial America. 

What our intent is is to use the buildings and equipment (of Bethlehem Steel) and artifacts from the Smithsonian Institution to portray what took place behind the fences of industrial America. 

We are going to tell the story of the people who helped to build America.

These are the immigrants who came, primarily in the early days, from eastern Europe, the Polish or Hungarians, the Slovacs, the Irish, the Germans, the Italians... 

They came here to create a new life for themselves and to help build a new nation. 

This is the story of building America.