This farm is beautiful anytime of the year. We went in July during the summertime and the flowers…read morewere in bloom and the bees were out, it was very pretty. Parking is a little far from the farm itself, but there is a paved walking trail to get to the farm. Once we were there, we headed to the farm. Once inside the homestead we were met with a tour guide. They were very well educated about the property and stories there. The buildings were fascinating. There is so much history, and artifacts inside. All the way down to the painting. I appreciate how they preserved alot of the original. We walked around the exterior gardens. The flowers were stunning. It was so cute to see the bees feeding on the pollen. There was a pretty good size gardens that had flowers and vegetables. The property itself was very clean and well managed. The bathrooms were also available and well maintained. I recommend dressing for the weather, and the interior can become hot. I highly recommend this as something to do when killing time or looking for something to do in the local area. It was very fun and fascinating. Takes about an hour or less depending on how many people. When we were there, there were not too many people. Maybe 1-2 other families.

Peter Wentz Farmstead has been on my list a few years now. Finally got a chance to visit this…read moreweekend. PWF is located inside a park similar to the Pennsylvania Colonial Plantation near me (Inside Ridley Creek State Park), however PWF is FREE admission while the PA Colonial Plantation charges. Two volunteers in the barn had amazing information on the oxen-in-training. The man was giving a very cool bovine lecture, and the woman was engaging as anything, especially with my child. The young man dressed as the Belsnickel brought said name Wikipedia page to life and had a very historically accurate costume. He had treats for the kids, but my kindergartener was a tad scared (not too scared to take the candy though). These cool folklore touches go deeper than anything I've seen at the PA Colonial Plantation, and I feel lucky to have been there to meet him! The volunteers in the Visitor's Center were very welcoming and informative! They even had free ginger cookies to cheer everyone up on a cold day! This Visitor's Center is much more sophisticated than the PA Colonial Plantation. They have didactics and video on the site history. It was too crowded to watch this visit, but I will catch it next time. Both Colonial historic sites have volunteers in period costumes standing by to give history lessons on farm life in that period household. Both sites have animals to visit (sheep, chickens, turkeys and oxen), although PA Colonial Plantation also has pigs and a horse or two. Both sites offer house tours, festival days, special activities, and summer camps. The quality of information and enthusiasm of the volunteers is equal at both sites; all of these historian-volunteers are amazing, with loads of fun information to teach. I know the variety and number of demonstrations is always more than a handful at PA Colonial Plantation fest days, which I expect with paid admission. What is offered free at PWF is impressive, but not as varied and prolific as PA Colonial Plantation (such as their blacksmith shop, rifle demos, beer making, pottery making, etc). Again, at the colonial plantation near me, I expect to spend a couple hours on all the demonstrations and activities. At PWF this weekend, we probably had about an hour's worth of browsing IF we had been able to brave cold winds for the long line awaiting a house tour. I know the Fall Festival and other festivals days here offer a lot more to do, but it seems to get overcrowded due to its free admission, and without a fence or natural boundary to enclose the farmstead, they can't control that flow of people very well. That would be my hesitation for future visits. Even in Jan freezing temps with fierce winds, loads of people were there, even very small toddlers. Idk if the weather made people cranky or not, but the crowd here was MISERABLE. We DelCo folks are not pushy, sullen, and crabby when we visit our plantation (which is actually also closed all winter because of the cold), but boy were these MontCo peeps rude! The volunteers are so sweet and kind but not a single visitor returned my smiles, and I got many scowls instead. One senior visitor blocked me in the hallway of the information office, preventing me from getting to my child. When I said "excuse me" to get past, she very reluctantly got out of my way, with a giant dirty look. Ten stars for the volunteers and free offerings; negative star for the local d!ckheads who visit.

(Note: This review is for the Thompson-Neely Section of Washington Crossing Historical Park, since…read moreI didn't have time to visit the main section! Washington Crossing Historic Park is more than 500 acres, and it has several sections.) The Thompson-Neely Section includes the Thompson-Neely Bridge, the Thompson-Neely House, the Thompson-Neely Grist Mill, and a memorial cemetery (graves of Washington Crossing soldiers). The Thompson-Neely House and grounds served as an encampment site for part of the Continental Army in December 1776. So there's a lot of history here, and you can walk along the Delaware Canal Towpath to each of the sites in this section. It's perhaps not as organized as the main section of the park; there's no visitor center in this section, but it's not too complicated - there's parking near the General Sullivan Pavilion and the house and grist mill, and then you can wander to each of the sites. (I don't recall a map of the section anywhere, but each site is on Google Maps, and that's what I used to make my way between them.) I was at the park in the late afternoon, and I don't think the house or grist mill was open, but I enjoyed walking along the towpath to the memorial cemetery, the bridge, and to see the exterior of the house and grist mill. New Hope has a lot to offer, but Washington Crossing Historical Park is great to include on your itinerary for exploring the area if you want to take in a little local/regional/American history!

On a cold, snowy Christmas night in 1776, the Continental Army changed the course of history. Led…read moreby George Washington, they braved the rough Delaware River to land at Johnson's Ferry in NJ and march on to victory against the British. Operated by the Friends of Washington Crossing, my partner and I visited the site on the PA side this morning where their departure was preserved at Washington Crossing Historic Park. Reservation was easily made yesterday on their website for the 10:30am tour. Between the Upper Section that has the Thompson-Neely House and Revolutionary War Soldier's grave. The Lower Section has the Visitor Center and the Old Village right at the site of the crossing. This encompasses 500 acres, which represents much more than a single event. Upon arrival, we had time to walk around the perimeter of the Visitor Center. When the building opened at 10am, we entered and were greeted by the staff. Inside had a wonderful auditorium and exhibit hall that featured the canon Marquis de Lafayette gave to the Continental Army. Our tour started by watching a short film about the history of the crossing. We further followed our tour guide David Price outside to the large white barn to view a Durham boat, similar to what George and his men used during the crossing. He led us along the Delaware River among the fall foliage to talk about the war leading up to and following the December 26 Battle of Trenton. He was able to make history come alive for us at $7 per person. The park also has wonderful historical homes but were closed while we were there. It's an ideal spot for picnicking, hiking, and bird watching. The well-maintained trails and scenic overlooks allow visitors to enjoy the natural beauty of the area. They do reenactments of the crossing on Christmas Day and one earlier in December. It's recommended to check their website. It's a remarkable place offering a unique blend of American history and natural beauty, making it a must-visit destination for history buffs and nature lovers alike, which we can recommend.