ArtsQuest's Banana Factory was an arts and cultural center located in Bethlehem, Pa. (25 W 3rd St.) in operation from 1998-2025. Bethlehem Mayor Ken Smith recommended the location in 1996 - a former banana distribution warehouse that was vacant at the time on the City's South Side. At the time, ArtsQuest was known as the Bethlehem Musikfest Association (BMA). They purchased the property and began renovating it into an arts center that featured studios for artists, galleries, classrooms, and more. In 2000, an adjacent property was acquired and renovated to expand the facility. For over two decades, the Banana Factory was a popular community hub that hosted events like First Fridays and helped revitalize the City.
As of 2025, the Banana Factory is being demolished to make way for an exciting new cultural center at the same location. BAPL has collected and digitized a large number of print materials from the history of the Banana Factory. This collection includes exhibition catalogs, promotional postcards, brochures, and other materials - as well as galleries of photographs to preserve and share the history of the Banana Factory. The menu above can be used to view various sections of the collection and the search bar may be used to look for specific artists, events, or programs. Contact info@bapl.org with any questions.
