VERY INTERESTING!!! While visiting my daughter in PA from CA we checked out the Mercer Museum and…read moretruly enjoyed the experience. Plenty of free parking available and Admission @ $20 for adults and $ 17 for Seniors was fair. So much to see and learn, you literally had to look everywhere, no space was left unused! The staff was helpful and insightful and we learned a lot and were impressed with the collection. Down side was elevators we not working which was OK for us but might have been an issue for others. #2 issue was lack of air conditioning in parts of the building. I highly recommend you take the time to see this!

It was a random visit. A sunny day, a lovely ride, and we ended up in Doylestown, an area that…read morepiques my interest. Had no idea what was in the Mercer and was blown away by what we saw. Henry Mercer, a true renaissance man, built the Mercer Musem to preserve a vast collection of everyday objects from pre-industrial America. Watching a film at the outset -- most people skipped it -- gave us an idea of what was behind the exhibits. Everything is precisely categorized: tools used for meat preparation, tools for dairy production, tools used with fruit ..... (he had a fascination with tools.) In 1911-'12 Mercer built Moravian Pottery and Tile Works. For a period of time he was recognized as the premier maker of artistic tiles. A mile down the road is Fonthill Castle, Mercer's home and showplace for his tiles. Open to the public, but unfortunately closed Saturday because of a wedding. (What a cool place for a wedding!) Both properties are Smithsonian affiliates, operated by the Bucks County Historical Society. If you find yourself in the area, I recommend a visit. (Ladies, wear comfortable flat shoes; there are winding staircases of hard concrete, and I hate to imagine a fall.) After your visit, you might want to keep your car parked in Mercer's lot and walk a few blocks to State and Main Streets. A number of bars and restaurants.

What a wonderful piece of history and a beautiful strong woman. You should absolutely take the tour…read more,go in the gift shop and spend a couple bucks because they need always need the money. Places like this do not receive federal money. So really a nice tour, beautiful property. It was slightly boring because they had to show every picture of every child blah blah blah but it's still worth going. Go because history good or bad is wonderful to learn. Shirley

The Pearl Buck House preserves the legacy of famous author, Pearl Buck…read more Her work with Amer-Asian children (she adopted and fostered many) is so important. Her beautiful old farm house in Buck's county is great for private events and also offers tours and a histroy of Ms. Buck and her writings.

Wow. What a unique, random gem and historic property. What is Fonthill and why is there a castle in…read moreDoylestown, Pennsylvania? Fonthill Castle was the home of archeologist and tile maker Henry Chapman Mercer. (Also in Doylestown are two more Mercer buildings you can tour - the Mercer Museum and the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works building, the business Mercer ran and where most of the tiles in the castle were produced.) Henry Mercer seems like he was an interesting guy, and you can see that in his home - 44 rooms, 18 fireplaces, 200 windows, who knows how many staircases...! And designed and decorated in a way I've never seen anywhere else. The castle is an early example of poured-in-place concrete building and is a mix of Medieval, Gothic, and Byzantine architectural styles. And there are, of course, Moravia tiles (and some historic and international tiles that he collected during his life) throughout the house - almost more than you could imagine. We visited last Saturday to experience their "Fonthill Castle Holiday Lights Meander Experience," which allows you to visit the castle through a self-guided experience (there were staff in various rooms who were happy to answer questions) and enjoy a series of Christmas trees on display throughout the home. I definitely enjoyed the experience but am definitely planning a return visit to see the castle in better light (not at night in the dark - which was perfect for the Christmas tree experience) - they offer 60-minute guided tours though the house for most of the year! The castle is pretty wild, and I look forward to visiting it again and experiencing it in a new way. If you are interested in architecture, art, crafts, the Arts and Crafts design movement, or just quirky, unusual places, definitely add Fonthill to your list and check it out!

Amazing property, it is a hidden gem. Went with my family for the tour and everyone enjoyed it!read more

I visited Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve this past Saturday when I was exploring New Hope for…read morethe day. It's a nature preserve and botanical garden with a lot of grounds to explore. It was busy on a warm Saturday afternoon, but there was plenty of parking on the road leading up to the Visitor Center. Then, after you've purchased your admission, you can wander their 12 or so trails that wind through five miles of the grounds. The highlights of my visit were the trails that ran along the creek, the stone bridge, and the new pond. In summer, it was a bit too hot for the wildflowers (I bet spring is incredible here), but it was green and wooded and beautiful. I spent a couple of hours exploring the grounds, and it was a great way/place to stretch my legs and take a break from town! If you like a trail, Bowman's Hill is a great place for that just minutes from the center of New Hope.

I saw my first hummingbird moth at Bowman's, so it'll always have a special place in my heart!!…read more For real, though, it's very nice here. The staff are friendly, they have periodic walks led by naturalists, and there are lots of pretty things to see: butterflies, frogs, birds, and lots of flora. The gift shop leaves a lot to be desired, but I guess that's not really the point of coming here, huh?

What a wonderful time. A tour of the home of Antonin & Noemi…read moreRaymond during autumn in Bucks County. There was also a sketch event ! Perfect venue and weather!! Absolutely beautiful property and the tour was by the granddaughter of the Raymond Family. A gem in the heart of Bucks County. This farm, home and studio is a MUST SEE. What a peaceful and inspiring country home. What dreams they must have had sleeping here! Contact them and arrange a tour! Hear about this creative super couple ! Antonin was an architect and his amazing wife was an artists herself and a master of so many mediums! (Sculptures, fiber arts, illustrations in The New Yorker! Come and learn connection to Japan. NOTE: Ok to take pictures * without flash .

I love this community and they have a lot of different varieties of flowers and the atmosphere is…read morewonderful to take pictures here.

I don't know what I can say that hasn't already been said. This place is beautiful. Sure…read moresomewhere like Longwood Gardens is massive and very impressive, but Meadowbrook feels so much more natural. Everything feels like it belongs and it doesn't just feel like flowers for the sake of people to look at them. It feels like the flowers and all the plants are supposed to live there. They're worked into the landscape beautifully. The fountains are cute, the buildings are charming, and the gardens are breathtaking. I'm glad they released the Garden Passports. It's really worked well on me I need to go everywhere, even to places I've already been now that I know there's a passport for it! I wish every place had a stamp it's a shame only some of the gardens do, but Meadowbrook does have a stamp so there's another positive!

I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed seeing this house so much. Although the home is not…read moreincredibly large, it has an interesting history which is made even better by the guides. Our guide, Tim, was very knowledgeable about the home and the time period itself. The tour was small and relaxed, allowing time for any questions we had (which were plenty). There was a temporary exhibit upstairs on life, death, and medicine; also very interesting. All of the staff we encountered were friendly and open to answering any questions. My only "complaint" is that they accept cash only. I would've liked to purchase something from the gift shop to support them, but, had no cash on hand and am not from the area. Additional information: -I didn't see a public restroom. -Parking is along the road in front of the home. It is free. -Take some time to walk around the property and read the informational signs. There are benches in the front if someone needs to sit. -Ask about their beeswax, honey, and bee colony. They are in the process of harvesting their own honey and making candles. Again, great job to all of the people involved who work diligently to care for historic homes such as this and to educate the public. Thank you!

I checked hours on website, called and the site had same hours, but when I arrived they were not…read moreopen and neither phone nor socials listed anytime different. It's frustrating when a site doesn't do any minimum to answer their phone nor update website or socials. There are so many easy ways to be helpful, but alas I was not able to visit and would be unable to return if unsure if/when they are open.

I can't believe I have lived in Trenton NJ for 15 years and never visited this little gem!…read moreI came in early December for their fantastic holiday greens sale. The place was popping! I nabbed some cool and unique gifts and beautiful fresh wreaths. We came back later in December for the annual Hogmanay celebration. Complete with bonfire, lectures and tour of the Trent House. We will definitely be back in the spring when the authentic 1700s gardens start to bloom. Especially the heritage apple orchard. Apples grown through out the 13 colonies as old as 1600s!!