Museum of Indian Culture – Lenape Village

Wagman Construction’s Special Projects Group delivered a unique site development project for the Museum of Indian Culture in Allentown, transforming City‑owned land into an educational and immersive Lenape Village walking trail. The project is largely a site package and included extensive excavation, grading, and infrastructure improvements to support a thoughtfully designed trail experience.

The finished walking trail features a series of individual interpretive pads, each designed to accommodate historically inspired structures, including a wigwam, long house, trading post, hunting hut, fishing and canoeing station, kitchen area, and a conflict display. Wagman also constructed a welcoming entry structure that showcases detailed craftsmanship, including cedar shake roofing and cedar paneling and trim, setting the tone for the experience as visitors enter the site.

The paved walking path extends more than 550 feet and was carefully designed and constructed to meet ADA requirements throughout, presenting unique challenges in maintaining consistent slopes across varied terrain. Site lighting is installed along the path to enhance safety and accessibility, while final plantings included historically period‑correct vegetation representative of Native American life in the Lenape Village. All landscaping work was coordinated to meet both the Museum’s vision and the City of Allentown’s tree‑planting requirements.

Construction took place within a sensitive floodplain area adjacent to a trout‑stocked stream and downstream from a trout nursery, requiring careful planning, environmental awareness, and coordination to protect surrounding natural resources. The project is further supported by both federal and state grant funding and is being delivered under prevailing wage requirements. Wagman’s team has worked closely with the Museum, which is operated entirely by volunteers, to ensure clear communication and thoughtful execution occurred throughout the process.