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 know we have been to the museum in the past but today we had a chance to visit the gardens…read more Well maintained trails and grounds scattered with sculptures and local greenery. Several separate gardens throughout the 25 acre property. We did happen upon a heron getting some afternoon sun. Although we opted to stay in the shade. A good portion of paved shaded areas to walk to get out of the heat. The museum is about 20 for admission and accompanying planetarium is an extra fee. The gardens however are free to enjoy and are open sunrise to sunset.

This museum has tons to see and is even better because it is more of a local museum (so not super…read moretraffic heavy). Free parking and plenty of interesting things to see. I went for their version of the bodies exhibit and was not disappointed! It may be graphic for younger children, but it's extremely fascinating!!!

WHAT A BLAST. We came here for my birthday kind of ironically because online we saw reels saying it…read morewas the "weirdest museum ever," and thought it would be kind of funny/maybe even creepy. Little did we know it was actually FASCINATING; it was so fun to admire every last piece in the museum. The tram guide was great, the pre-recorded audio is helpful and interesting, and the collection is so varied and extensive that you can't help but love it. The pipe organs - fabulous. The walkable "toy box" collection was great after the tram. Overall, I'd recommend this to anyone - it was soooo fun.

What a fun thing to do! We didn't know what to expect and want to say we all really enjoyed the…read moreexperience! Admission was reasonable and enjoyed the self-guided part while waiting for the next tram departure time. There was everything you could imagine - except one thing! A TELEX MACHINE (which I used to operate). When I asked the staff if they had one none of them even knew what I was talking about (early 20's)! We took the tram tour and really enjoyed it. The tram moved at a nice pace so you could really take in everything. So much to see - everywhere. It was a really fun way to spend a few hours on a rainy day! But I urge you to visit rain or shine!

The Toy Robot Museum might be one of the least known and most underrated museums in eastern…read morePennsylvania. It's located halfway between Reading and Ephrata, in the Stoudtburg Village, which resembles an old European Village. Parking is free on the northside of the complex, and walking in is easy. The Toy Robot Museum's storefront is not really clearly marked, but when you see the fountain, keep walking down and look for a storefront on the left-hand side with a red colored exterior. You enter into the shop area, that houses various robot related merchandise for sale. There is no admission fee for the museum. This museum is a passion project for the owner and it is his personal collection on display. He is very nice and will show you around the displays, giving facts about the robots. There are also small video displays, that when activated will show ads and other information about the robots. Featured robots include but are not limited to Robocop, Forbidden Planet, and Metropolis. Large displays of robots from Japan and Europe are also included. Museum does tend to focus on robots from the 1960's and 1970's. Touring the museum will take about 45 minutes to an hour depending on your level of interest. Make sure to plan some additional time to explore the rest of the Stoudtburg Village. There are also many antique places in the area, both large and small. Overall, Toy Robot Museum is a great stop that many people don't know about, but should.

I love this museum! So many great robot toys from over the years. The owner Joe is also a super…read morenice guy. We go here every time we are in the area.

If you're any kind of aircraft or history enthusiast, you'll love this place. Tons of aircraft from…read moredifferent eras of the industry, and tour guides who are experts (my guide literally flew on and repaired some of the planes!). Don't be put off if you've seen pics of some of the beat up planes on the tarmac--there's a hangar full of pristine models including the work-in-progress Black Widow fighter. Couple of caveats: the hangar is hot in summer and cold in winter, dress and hydrate appropriately. Also, planes are stacked like sardines in the hangar--you'll be ducking and dodging to avoid banging your head on an aileron. Mobility-challenged folks may want to proceed with caution. Younger kids may get bored but I was perfectly happy to let the guide tell me stories for 2 hours and j loved every minute. (Note: for security purposes there is no self-guided tour option here.)

So the museum itself is pretty decent, it has a good variety of fairly rare aircraft. Very nice…read moreexamples in the hangar, outside on the ramp is a sad situation. Lots of old aircraft rotting outdoors craving some TLC. I got the impression the owner is a bit of a tyrant. Our tour guide wanted to show us the workshop where they restore the planes, he peaked in and asked the boss and was met with a loud furious "NO" we could all hear. Very odd. My biggest red flag is when I caught our tour guide in a sort of passive aggressive lie at the end of the tour. Perhaps an inadvertent one, but he clearly made it up and it made me reflect on what was true or not from the rest of the tour. They have a rotted out F-86 Sabre on the ramp, decaying in the elements. I told him I had spoken to the pilot of one and watched him take off before me on his way to Oshkosh. The old man looked at me strange, turned to another guest and began saying "there are only two of these left and none fly." Odd and passive aggressive. There are at least 20 airworthy examples and many more survivors in the US alone! Really rubbed me the wrong way as I had seen it with my own eyes just 2 years ago and he felt the need to clarify (really UN-clarify) nonsense to a guest who had overheard. At $10 I can't tell you not to go. It's affordable and worth that money, just maybe tune out regarding the "information" they provide.

I take my 2 y. o. granddaughter nearly every week. There are so many wonderful things to explore…read moreand learn from. They have a walking path through the woods with a natural playground and sandbox, a bird house building to watch and interactive displays, a mini zoo inside a house with small animals and activities including a treehouse. They also have weekly activities and seasonal events for elementary school kids. My granddaughter calls Briar Bush "The Animal House" and loves to put a donation in the collection box before we leave.

They were so friendly and it was a great little center to see the local wildlife and learn. We…read moredidn't get to do the whole path with a stroller but it was nice and shaded on the trail so even on a hot day it felt cooler.

I am an avid Halloween Haunt enthusiat. Every year my Buddy and I select a place to enjoy the sets,…read morethe scares and have a blast. This year we selected Hotel of Horror in PA. The YouTube videos looked great and tickets were purchased. After our pre-haunt meal we arrived. The place was lit up nicely, creepy music playing. The actor who gave the instructions was on point, he was creepy, funny and into the festivities that awaited us. So this is by no means a bad review, however, there was just not enough actors to deliver scares. The sets were fantastic, using all the standard fare that all the great places use. That being said, again, just not enough actors within the haunt. We walked through several scenes without seeing an actor. For the price of the tickets (which are on par with much larger places like Penhurst Asylum and East State Penitentiary) Hotel of Horror just does not stack up with the big boys. Would we return? Probably not, for the money, would most likely return to one of the big boys!!!

If your ready for fall time and you would like to get scared and spooky just before Halloween ,…read morethis is the place that will satisfy your needs. Great place to go with your friend. The Hotel of Horror and Altered Nightmares are both indoor, walk through Haunted House attractions featuring live actors and paranormal activity housed in the 200 year old "abandoned " Pocono Mountain resort once called The Lake House Hotel, Saylorsburg, Pa. Open rain or shine with a covered wait line and free parking. Don't let the weather scare you. That's our job! Our revamped ticketing process gives you less time in line and more time in the attraction. The Hotel of Horror and Altered Nightmares Halloween Attractions are both housed inside the legendary Lake House Hotel intertwined and breathing next to one another, sharing organs and a circulatory system like conjoined twins. The sinister subconscious of the Hotel of Horror feeds off the dark energy that stains the lumber skeleton of this once pristine mountain resort, while Altered Nightmares celebrates the chaos that grows stronger as each soul travels through its decaying halls and abandoned rooms. They are open the end of September until the end of October!!

This place has been on my radar for a while, and I'm genuinely kicking myself for not coming…read moresooner. We visited on a Friday afternoon during the school year and it was the perfect day for it, not crowded at all, staff was warm and attentive everywhere you turned, and there was just so much to explore across two floors. As a homeschool mom, I am always on the lookout for places where kids are learning without even realizing it and this delivered completely. My little ones were engaged the entire time, bouncing between exhibits and coming back to do things on repeat. The water table on the second floor was a huge hit (dam building = instant obsession), the crawl-through body exhibit had them giggling the whole way through, and the immersive hall with the giant projector and the orchestra activity where they put their faces into the performers? They talked about that the whole ride home. We timed our visit to catch the 3 o'clock otter feeding and training, definitely worth planning around. Maybe 30 people gathered and it was totally manageable and really sweet to watch. What surprised me most was how engaged I was as an adult. I was genuinely learning things alongside my kids, which is not always the case at these types of places. It felt appropriate and interesting for every age in our group. A few things to know before you go: follow the directions on their website for the specific parking garage , it's about a 5-minute walk and was only $5 for us. Strollers and wagons are totally doable with elevators throughout. They also have a café if you want to make a full day of it, and rotating special exhibits (always check the website ahead of time so you know what's on and whether it fits your crew). We stayed about two and a half hours and left happy. Already thinking about when we're coming back.

It hasn't really changed much in 20 years. There is virtually nothing to do for children under 5…read more The food is trash and the prices are astronomical. When you purchase the pass, they say you can have access to tons of museums nationwide, but The 2 in NJ and the Franklin Institute are not included. Waste of money and time. Wish it was more like the "Please Touch" museum.

Every once in a while you drive past a place so many times that it almost becomes part of the…read morescenery. That was the Turkey Hill Experience for me. I'd driven past it countless times over the last few years but either didn't have enough time to stop or couldn't convince anyone else to stop with me. During my Lancaster Adventure Day, though, all of that changed. I purchased a Single Scoop ticket online ahead of time for $16.75 and reserved the very first time slot of the day at 10am. I figured a late-summer Thursday morning would be the sweet spot, and it turned out to be a great decision. It was busy enough that the place felt lively but not so crowded that I had to wait for every exhibit. Parking was plentiful, and I somehow managed to snag a spot right in front of the GIANT cow out front. Honestly, my day was already off to a fantastic start! The only hiccup of the visit came during check-in. Even though I'd already purchased my ticket online, I still had to wait in the same line as everyone buying gift shop items, purchasing admission and asking questions. Since there were only a two employees working both the registers and admissions, the line moved a little slower than I expected. If I could change one thing, it would be creating a separate express check-in line for folks who already have tickets. Once I finally made it inside, though, everything became easy peasy! The exhibits are completely self-guided, so you can wander at your own pace learning how Turkey Hill makes its ice cream and iced tea while playing with interactive displays along the way. One of my favorite parts was creating my own virtual ice cream flavor, complete with custom packaging. I also wanted to film my own Turkey Hill commercial, but those stations stayed busy the entire time I was there, so that'll have to wait until another visit. Naturally, I made a beeline for the tea sampling station. As someone who appreciates sugar-free options, I was thrilled to find both Zero Sugar Sweet Tea and Zero Sugar Fruit Punch available to sample. Both were fantastic! Then it was time for the part we'd all been waiting for...unlimited ice cream samples. One thing I really appreciated is that they weren't tiny little "blink and it's gone" samples. You picked two flavors, and they served actual scoops in a bowl. For an attraction centered around ice cream, that felt exactly right. My only tiny complaint? Wooden popsicle sticks instead of spoons. They definitely got the job done, but they made eating melting ice cream a little more awkward than it needed to be. Still...free and unlimited ice cream? I'm not about to complain too loudly! I spent about an hour wandering through the exhibits, playing with the interactive displays and enjoying the air conditioning on a hot August morning before making one final stop in the gift shop. Prices there were about what you'd expect for a tourist attraction, but there were plenty of fun souvenirs if you're looking to bring a little Turkey Hill home with you. Overall, I'd absolutely recommend visiting the Turkey Hill Experience at least once. I don't know that it's somewhere I'd return over and over again, but it was a fun, interactive way to spend an hour learning something new, eating entirely acceptable quantities of free ice cream and escaping the August heat. That sounds like a pretty successful adventure day to me!

Turkey Hill Experience was a fun stop for our family! We visited with three kids, and everyone…read morefound something to enjoy. The interactive exhibits were engaging, and the kids loved learning how ice cream is made and creating their own virtual flavors. The highlight was definitely sampling the different ice cream flavors and making our own ice cream creations.

Great variety of trains with friendly layout. I encourage at least 2 hours to walk through, but…read moresomeone nerdy like me could take over 4 hours (if I didn't have kids in tow). Great friendly volunteers.

You can actually walk onto the trains, which makes the experience even more unique! The conductor…read moreshares so much fascinating information about the trains, their history, and what life was like during that time. The entire exhibit is designed to feel like you're stepping into an old train station, complete with the shops and details that would have surrounded travelers back then. It truly feels like stepping back in time. A one-of-a-kind experience and a beautiful walk through history!