Enjoy the good things in life with the Bucks County Countryside from Philadelphia package. Hotel pick-up is not included and you need to make your own arrangements for getting to the venues. There are many transportation options available to you. Please consult your hotel concierge for assistance or look up philadelphia.com/transport or philadelphiatransportation.com on the Internet.
Your package is valid for one year after purchase, so you can either choose to visit all the places on the Bucks County tour in one day or spread the visits over several days.
Located between Philadelphia and New York City in the heart of colonial America, Bucks County is steeped in rich local history and many historical landmarks dot the countryside. Offering you the chance to explore art, history and wine in a charming area, this delightful tour includes the following locations.
• James A Michener Art Museum: 138 South Pine Street, Doylestown, Pennsylvania 18901
• Mercer Museum: 84 South Pine Street, Doylestown, Pennsylvania 18901
• Crossing Vineyards Winery: 1853 Wrightstown Road, Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania 18977
As this is a self-paced and largely self-guided tour, you can choose the order in which you visit the three attractions. Your trip to Crossing Vineyards Winery includes a picnic lunch so it would make sense to plan to be there around midday.
The James A. Michener Art Museum is named in honor of the Pulitzer Prize Author and showcases a world-class collection of Pennsylvania Impressionist art. You will see many captivating paintings that vividly depict the grandeur and rustic beauty of the Bucks County landscape.
The Museum also features the unique Nakashima Reading Room, a traditional Japanese style room, a spectacular 22-foot mural by Daniel Garber entitled ‘A Wooded Watershed’ and an inspirational outdoor sculpture garden. You will need at least 2 hours to look round this delightful museum.
The historical part of your tour is found at the Mercer and Fonthill Museums, where you can view the extraordinary legacy of eccentric anthropologist Henry Mercer.
Funded by a wealthy aunt, Mercer built the 44-room Fonthill Castle entirely out of hand-mixed concrete. The rooms are used to display Mercer's vast collection of items from all over the world including tiles, books, pottery, guns, swords, and furniture. The artifacts range from 4000 BC to the 1800s.
Just a few miles away from Fonthill is Mercer Museum, another castle built entirely from hand-mixed concrete and completed in 1916. It is now filled with over 40,000 remarkable artifacts of early America which include a Conestoga wagon, an antique fire engine, a gallows, Early American tools used for crafts and trades, and much more. You should allow at least two hours for browsing these astonishing collections.
Perhaps the most indulgent part of your tour package comes at the Crossing Vineyards Winery, located on a 200 year old Bucks County Estate less than a mile from where George Washington crossed the Delaware in 1776. You'll tour the winery, sample various vintages, and enjoy a delicious lunch in the private tasting room or on the patio with gorgeous vineyard views. You should plan to be at the winery for at least 2 hours to enjoy the experience to the full.
The tour ends at your convenience.