There are several castles that dot the Pennsylvania landscape. These royal structures serve a range of purposes, from Stokesay Castle, where weddings and other special events take place, to Buhl Mansion, which has been converted into a luxurious guesthouse and spa. While the structures are monuments to key periods in United States’ history, harkening as far back as the Industrial Revolution and the burgeoning years of the nation’s independence, none quite capture the exciting nature of America’s past like the Mercer Museum and Fonthill Castle in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.
Completed in 1916, the grand six-story structure is filled to the brim with artifacts of everyday life from the pre-industrial age. Every corner of this unique museum is stacked wall-to-wall with over 40,000 historic treasures including fascinating objects like tools for an apothecary, equipment for surveying and navigation, and weaponry for hunting and defense. The museum takes ‘stepping into the past’ literally, as it has also recreated entire rooms that you can peruse, such as its fully stocked kitchen exhibit and an 1800s general store stocked with a variety of authentic store wares. The castle is only a 45-minute drive north of Philadelphia and a one-of-a-kind historic Pennsylvania museum with a massive collection that will make you “ooh” and “aah” at every turn.
Exhibits and tours at the museum
The museum also features unique objects from various crafts, trades, and industries. As you step into the main hall of the museum on the first floor, make sure to look up where you will see a real-life whaling boat and a man-powered fire engine hung from the rafters. Punch and Judy puppets also reside at the museum, perhaps the quirkiest items on site.
When historian and archaeologist Henry Chapman Mercer built the museum, his curiosity was sparked from a fascination with historic objects, which he believed told humble stories that divulged deeper meanings and uncovered the heart of a particular tale. In keeping with Mercer’s vision to preserve meaningful stories, the museum is offering $25 tours of its The Doan Gang: Outlaws of the Revolution exhibition. This intriguing series tells the story of a Bucks County gang of loyalist brothers, their rumored hideouts, famed hangouts, and cloak and dagger operations…