Weird Things You Can Actually Do Around Lehigh Valley & Bucks County This Summer

Every summer, people say they want to “do more local stuff.”

And then somehow everyone ends up at the same restaurant patio saying, “We should really get out more,” while ordering the exact same appetizer they ordered last summer.

The good news? The Lehigh Valley and Bucks County are packed with genuinely weird, quirky, surprisingly fun things to do if you know where to look.

And honestly, some of the best local experiences are the ones that sound slightly fake when you first hear about them.

Like glow-in-the-dark mini golf. Alpaca walks. Ghost tours. Oddities shops. Kayaking adventures. Themed brewery nights. Tiny museums dedicated to very specific things.

So if you’re looking for unusual summer activities around Bethlehem, Easton, Allentown, New Hope, Doylestown, and the surrounding region, here are some weird things you can actually do this summer.

1. Play Glow-in-the-Dark Mini Golf Like It’s a Professional Sport

There is something about blacklight mini golf that immediately causes adults to become emotionally invested in tiny plastic golf balls.

The Lehigh Valley and Bucks County both have indoor glow golf and blacklight mini golf attractions where everything glows neon and everyone suddenly develops strong opinions about putting strategy.

It’s part date night, part childhood nostalgia, and part “I cannot believe you banked that shot off a fake volcano.”

Which, honestly, is the exact energy summer should have.

Glow golf also makes an excellent backup plan for rainy weekends or those aggressively humid Pennsylvania days where walking outside feels like entering soup.

2. Hang Out With Alpacas

Yes. Actual alpacas.

Both the Lehigh Valley and Bucks County have local farms offering alpaca experiences, seasonal events, open farm days, and animal encounters.

Some farms even host:

• Alpaca yoga
• Farm tours
• Picnic experiences
• Seasonal festivals
• Animal meet-and-greets

And if you’ve never looked directly into the face of an alpaca, just know they somehow appear both deeply judgmental and completely unaware of how mortgages work.

Honestly, this is the kind of activity people initially do as a joke and then end up posting 47 photos of afterward.

3. Explore Oddities Shops, Antique Markets & Weird Vintage Finds

The Lehigh Valley and Bucks County both have a surprisingly strong “beautifully weird” streak once you stop looking only at the obvious tourist attractions.

You can find antique stores, flea markets, oddities-style shops, vintage warehouses, and eclectic boutiques filled with:

• Taxidermy
• Retro signs
• Victorian collectibles
• Vintage records
• Bizarre old tools
• Cabinet-of-curiosity energy

New Hope, Easton, Bethlehem, and Doylestown especially tend to attract the kind of stores where you walk in “just to browse” and leave wondering if your house suddenly needs a haunted-looking birdcage.

And honestly? Wandering through strange antique stores together is one of the most underrated summer activities imaginable.

You learn a lot about a person based on whether they say:

“That’s horrifying.”
or
“Actually… I kind of want that.”

4. Go Kayaking on the Lehigh River, Delaware River, or Canal Paths

If your ideal summer activity involves being outdoors without technically “hiking,” kayaking is a strong option.

The Lehigh Valley and Bucks County both offer kayaking, tubing, and paddleboarding opportunities through local outfitters and public launch areas.

Popular spots include:

• The Lehigh River
• The Delaware River
• Delaware Canal areas
• Lake Nockamixon
• Mauch Chunk Lake
• Canal-side launch points near New Hope

Some routes are peaceful and scenic.

Others become accidental relationship stress tests involving steering disagreements and someone insisting they are “definitely paddling.”

Nature is healing.

5. Take a Ghost Walk Through Historic Towns

Historic towns become significantly more entertaining once someone casually starts explaining which buildings may or may not be haunted.

Both the Lehigh Valley and Bucks County are full of historic downtowns that are perfect for ghost walks and haunted history tours.

Popular areas include:

• Bethlehem
• Easton
• New Hope
• Doylestown

These tours usually combine:

• Local history
• Architecture
• Folklore
• Strange legends
• Stories involving questionable decisions from the 1800s

Even if you’re skeptical, they’re still incredibly fun because historic streets feel completely different after dark.

Also, every old brick alley immediately becomes 47% more suspicious at night.

6. Visit Quirky Museums You Forgot Existed

The Lehigh Valley and Bucks County both have museums ranging from genuinely impressive to “how exactly did this become a museum?”

And honestly, both categories are worth visiting.

You can find:

• Industrial history museums
• Science centers
• Classic car museums
• Art museums
• Canal and railroad museums
• Hyper-specific local history collections

The Mercer Museum in Doylestown deserves special mention because it feels like someone built a concrete castle specifically to display every fascinatingly weird object they could find.

Meanwhile, museums like the National Museum of Industrial History, America On Wheels, and the Da Vinci Science Center bring their own unique flavor of “I did not expect this room to exist.”

Quirky museums are also ideal summer activities because they combine:

• Air conditioning
• Learning
• The opportunity to point at strange artifacts and make up wildly incorrect theories about their purpose

7. Go to a Themed Night at a Brewery, Winery, or Ballpark

Summer in the Lehigh Valley and Bucks County basically becomes one long rotating calendar of themed events.

Local breweries, wineries, music venues, and minor league ballparks regularly host:

• 80s nights
• Trivia nights
• Outdoor movie nights
• Food truck festivals
• Live music events
• Tiki nights
• Costume nights
• Night markets
• Dog-friendly events

The Lehigh Valley IronPigs especially deserve recognition for fully embracing wonderfully weird promotional nights.

Minor league baseball understands something important:

If a man dressed like bacon races a man dressed like a hot dog, people will absolutely buy tickets.

And honestly? They’re right.

Why the Weird Stuff Ends Up Being the Most Memorable

The funny thing about local summer activities is that the weird experiences are usually the ones people remember most.

Not necessarily the expensive ones.

Not necessarily the perfectly planned ones.

The memorable ones are the nights where you accidentally discovered a strange museum, fed an alpaca, wandered through a ghost tour, played glow golf under blacklights, or ended up at a winery listening to a Journey cover band while holding a soft pretzel.

Which, frankly, feels extremely Pennsylvania.

Frequently Asked Questions About Weird Things to Do Around Lehigh Valley & Bucks County

What are some unusual things to do in the Lehigh Valley and Bucks County?

Popular unusual activities include glow golf, alpaca farms, kayaking, ghost walks, quirky museums, antique markets, themed brewery nights, winery events, and outdoor summer festivals.

Are there glow-in-the-dark mini golf places near Bethlehem or Bucks County?

Yes. Both the Lehigh Valley and Bucks County areas have indoor blacklight mini golf and glow golf attractions that are popular for date nights, family outings, and rainy-day activities.

Can you kayak near Bucks County and the Lehigh Valley?

Yes. Popular kayaking areas include the Lehigh River, Delaware River, Delaware Canal region, Lake Nockamixon, and several public launch areas throughout eastern Pennsylvania.

Are there ghost tours in New Hope or Bethlehem?

Yes. Both New Hope and Bethlehem are known for historic ghost walks and haunted history tours, especially during summer and fall seasons.

What are good quirky date night ideas around the Lehigh Valley?

Fun quirky date ideas include glow golf, winery concerts, ghost tours, kayaking trips, alpaca experiences, antique shopping, themed brewery nights, and visiting unusual museums.