If you want to learn about industrial history, particularly that of the Lehigh Valley and Bethlehem…read moreSteel, this is the place. I love industry, building, construction, machinery, engineering, etc., so I loved this museum. It's a Smithsonian affiliate, which is great, and they are expanding to a second level. It's across from the old Bethlehem Steel mill, so if you are looking for milltown vibes, this is it. We started with a ~30 minute overview/history of industry in the U.S., which was helpful for context. The docent provides this overview for the lobby exhibits/pre-exhibits. Our docent was fantastic. After that, you are free to move into the main room, which is full of machinery. There was a section on silk-making, which was interesting, as well as about early hot air balloons. You can also go across the street to an elevator, to get great views of the mill and area, but we didn't have time for that. I really appreciated that the learning starts outside, with information plaques and exhibits before you enter. Also, there is a parking lot next to the museum, and the museum is (currently) one level, with a few ramps, so is very accessible, though more seating in the lobby might be helpful. I'm looking forward to returning when the addition is complete.

This review is for the docent-led tour not the museum- which we thought was included in the $15 per…read moreperson fee. Our guide was a very sincere former employee of Bethlehem Steel who started our tour asking if we all were up for an hour and a half walk. We said yes. He started his presentation outside the door of the museum. An hour later we had walked maybe a block up a nondescript driveway as we listened to his stories of mismanagement, nepotism and greed within the company. He also showed pictures and told stories of some of the people who worked there over the years as well as some of the products produced. Some of the stories were interesting but an hours worth standing in the road? I finally asked if we were going to be able to go into some of the deserted fantastic looking buildings - he said no. We left the group and headed off by ourselves and found, across from the Arts Center, a stairway that headed up to the rusted gigantic steel stacks and accompanying infrastructure. Although it was fenced off, it was amazing walking along looking up, down, and around the place, almost close enough to touch. This is what we thought we were going to be learning about on the tour. Did we need to know what each gigantic piece did - not really - Did we waste $30 for the tour - sadly yes. Did we go back to see the museum - no. Will we, most likely not. Should you go? Take a look at the pictures and decide - you don't see this kind of scenery very often.

VAMPA exceeded our expectations…read more The exhibits are immersive, thought-provoking, and often genuinely eerie, with an impressive collection that explores the line between faith, folklore, and the paranormal. We loved it... VAMPA was my wife's suggestion to check this out, though she was ready to leave before the museum was finished with us. There is an unexpected presence there. Not to be taken lightly. ‍

My wife and I visited here on a rainy day in October, which is probably seeing it at its best…read more To reach it, it is just past the traffic lights at the end of the 202 expressway. It is on the left side of the road gonig north and there is no sign so keep an eye out for the house number or most likely you'll be doing a u-turn. There are three things here. Firstly the gift shop in the old barn which also sells the sort of antiques that populate all too many places in this part of Bucks county. The garden around the house is full of sculptures of all sorts. Dinosaurs stand next to roman gods next to the mad hatter from Alice in wonderland next to a bronze giraffe. My wife said it looked like a cross between a Wizard having a garage sale and Doctor Who had a clear out. Lastly we have the main house a place full of oddities supposed to be looking at vampire and demonic culture but they seem to be more of a display with little to explain them. boxes of 'vampire hunter kits' masses of stakes to , well, stake vampires, paintings and carriages and a rich collection but at the same time there is soemthing missing. There isn't an overall theme or much of an educational element beyond 'hey kids, look at this!' Many of the stakes presented have ornamental tops that would prevent them from being used as you couldn't hit them with a hammer. A great many paintings hung on the walls do not have even a title plaque making you wonder why they are there or who painted them. I mean if there's a pciture of a devil, it's pretty clear the subject but who did it? When? Other pictures, one of three women by a river bank in what looksl ike florence are very nice but there's no explanation for it. Lastly the attendants. I wanted to ask a man who took the money at the front door and spent his time sitting in the first room, about something but he would only say he wasn't qualified to answer questions. The barn gift shop has a sign that says "Yes the upstairs of the barn is haunted" but when I asked the woman in the gift shop she could only fumble a few meaningless words and that was it. Seriously don't put stuff like that out there unless you're going to explain it. Over all my wife and I had a pleasant enough time here. we were glad we came but would we ever go back? probably not.

In the heart of Abington, and about a hundred yards away from the Roslyn train station, you can…read morefind Briar Bush, a hidden nature preserve tucked away on Edge Hill road. With scenic walking trails, an outdoor classroom, day camps and a small indoor animal habitat, Briar Bush is a great spot for small children, couples on a date, or anyone looking for a brief respite from the urgency of the modern world. With free admission for locals and a small fee for out-of-towners, the preserve is accessible to all patrons provided that they are able to walk down some wooded trails that circle through the admittedly short walking routes. The centerpiece of the trails is a picturesque, secluded pond with benches for sitting and an interactive sign with information on the local fauna and flora. The indoor animal habitat has a small gift shop, pamphlets on upcoming events and information on other parks in the area, and several interesting animals such as a blind possum named Odin, a bearded lizard named Karl, and several other unique turtles and reptiles. All of Briar Bush can be walked through in an hour or so, but the low admission, interactive nature events and scenic walking trails will have you wanting to return again soon.

Staff are very informative when it comes to presentations but the facility is not very well…read moremaintained in some places because multiple trees have poison ivy on them. I know what poison ivy looks like, and when it's in hairy vine form, it can choke a tree and kill it. There was a wildlife sanctuary in the neighborhood that I grew up in as a child, and many of the trees almost died because they were being choked by poison ivy. Hairy vine, no friend of mine. But, on a more positive note, they have some animals that you can pet (when they are being presented by a lecturer), including rabbits, rats, and snakes, plus a turtle. In fact, now, as I am typing this, I remember coming here as a kid with school and Cub Scouts and my family as well, and I remember Boo the Rat (R.I.P!) and I remember a turtle who came to Briar Bush after being fed dog food by its owner. Eww. Bottom line, presentation is everything. One thing that I personally don't mind but that wildlife and some other visitors are probably irritated by is the fact that SEPTA's Warminster Line runs behind Briar Bush with a train going by every so often.

Why is the Hans Herr House significant and who the hell was Hans Herr?…read more The house itself is significant as it is the last remaining structure that is still standing from the original group of Mennonites who came to the Lancaster County area to escape religious persecution from their native Switzerland. The house is also significant in that it is the oldest structure in Lancaster County and likely the oldest remaining Mennonite meetinghouse in the Western Hemisphere. The original group traveled from Switzerland to Germany to escape religious persecution then after a governmental regime change they were forced from Germany to England where they met with William Penn who allowed them to colonize a portion of what is current day Lancaster County or when they arrived in 1711, the extreme most western frontier of Pennsylvania. One interesting piece of information is that the house did not belong to Hans Herr as it was built by his son Christian which is why his initials are over the doorway along with the inscribing mark of 1719. On the tour you are told why the name remained(s) Hans Herr House versus Christian Herr House but honestly I forget why. Maybe something just deferential from Christian towards his father or because of his father's status with the original group that came to the area or maybe everyone just liked the flow of the name more so it's based on tradition? The tour itself is around 40-45 minutes and it starts in the building which houses the gift shop and you are given a brief overview of the Anabaptist faith, the Mennonites who are direct descendants of the faith and a map which shows the route the initial settlers took from Switzerland to Pennsylvania. After that you are taken over to the house where you see the three rooms which make up the first floor (kitchen, bedroom and all purpose dining room-meeting room-family room) and the second floor which is where the eight children slept and finally the basement which is accessed from a side entrance outside of the house. You learn that the key to the home's design is that they didn't believe in wasting any space so every inch served a purpose such as not having hallways so as soon as you walk in the front door you're right in the kitchen. One thing worth noting, if you are someone who is hardcore hung up on only visiting historical places if they have lots of original items then this place might not be for you. There is not a whole lot original to the house that you can see with the exception of a piece of the ceiling insulation on the first floor (rye straw + manure + ??), the wooden crossbeam over the kitchen fireplace and the steps which go from the second floor to the third floor attic (obviously you can't use them). Past that I think most everything else was changed out in the 19th century when the house was still used as a residence or in the early 70's when the initial renovation occurred to make things into a tourist destination. If you want more original take a look at the bibles on display in the gift shop which are original to Hans and Christian. I wouldn't call the Hans Herr House a must see, but it's interesting enough and the tour is the right length to keep everyone interested along with being located close enough to most of Lancaster County's tourist elements. If you go: The 1719 Hans Herr House is open April 1 through November 30, Monday-Saturday, 9:00 AM-4:00 PM. Forty-five minute Herr House tours are offered at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. This is not the tour information for their reproduction Native American Longhouse. That tour is offered at 10 a.m., 12 noon and 2 p.m and has an entirely different focus. Prices are currently Adults: $8, Children 7-12: $4 and Children 6 and under: free with a slight discount if you choose to tour both structures. There are also several special events that happen throughout the year and that information is available on their website.

I visited the 1719 Museum this past Saturday and really enjoyed the experience…read more The guided tour starts with a short film about the property that provides some great context for the rest of the tour. Then you leave the visitor center and walk over to the first structure of tour, which is a full-sized reproduction of a Native American longhouse. Longhouses (large multi-generational family homes made of logs, saplings, and tree bark) were once ubiquitous in Pennsylvania, including along the Susquehanna River. At the time the Hans Herr home was built, south-central Pennsylvania was home to several Indigenous tribes, including the Shenks Ferry, Conoy, Lenape, Mohawk, Nanticoke, Seneca, Shawnee, and Susquehannock peoples. The 1719 Museum collaborated with the Circle Legacy Center and members of the local indigenous community to build the longhouse reproduction in order to share the history of and honor Pennsylvania's native communities and educate visitors to the area. With your guide, you walk into the longhouse, where you sit down while the guide explains quite extensively about the Native communities in the area, the longhouse and its architecture, and the relationships between the indigenous people and the Mennonite people who made homes in the area. After the longhouse, the guide walks you over to the Hans Herr House. It was built in 1719 and is a 2-story, rectangular sandstone Germanic-style dwelling. It is the oldest dwelling in Lancaster County and the oldest Mennonite meetinghouse in America. The guide walks you through various rooms in the house and shares information about the Herr family as well as the larger Mennonite community in early Pennsylvania history. Our guide was Cindy, and she was incredible. I learned so much about the Native, Indigenous and Mennonite communities of 18th century Pennsylvania (and - in the case of the Native peoples - a much earlier history of their lives in Pennsylvania). She really educated us on a broad range of topics, while keeping the tour fun (I love fun education)! She made my tour extra special. If you're spending some time exploring Lancaster Counter, the 1719 Museum should definitely make your itinerary! In one place, you can learn a little bit about Pennsylvania's Native and Mennonite communities, and it's just a special place!

Probably one of the biggest museums I've been to. We put…read moreaside 3 hours to visit. Definitely need at least 5 hours to see everything. It is set up on 4 different levels. Each side has multiple different rooms. The are sub rooms within bigger rooms. We tried to go in numerical order. The curator did a fantastic job. This was one of the highlights while visiting Philadelphia

The Philadelphia Museum of Art has one of my favorite balances in the city: it feels grand,…read morecosmopolitan, and genuinely important, yet somehow never intimidating. My art knowledge is limited, but the museum has a way of making curiosity feel like enough, whether I'm wandering through the galleries, people watching, browsing the excellent store, grabbing something at the café, or bringing our daughter to the terrific kids' areas. The building and its setting at the end of the Parkway are spectacular, and the staff consistently bring a warmth and approachability that feels distinctly Philadelphian. I also enjoy simply passing it on a run or walk and seeing it presiding over this beautiful part of the city. Friday evenings may be my favorite way to experience it. The happy hours are a fantastic deal, parking is deeply discounted, and there is something wonderfully civilized about having a glass of rosé or two in a world-class museum while a cool, diverse crowd settles in for the evening. We brought our daughter with us, and she felt completely welcome, which says a lot about what the museum gets right: sophistication without stiffness, culture without exclusion. One of Philadelphia's great institutions, and one I feel lucky to have nearby. Très bien!

Wings of War (WoW) is just starting out as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization. We have…read moreacquired a 1941 WWII Cessna T-50 Bobcat that was a Crane MK1 during WWII with the RCAF. The aircraft is currently portrayed as a U.S. UC-78 and will remain in U.S. colors. We believe this aircraft is the oldest, flying Bamboo Bomber in the world. We are actively pursuing nose art for this plane that will link it back to its Canadian lineage. Please go to our FB PAGE and add your ideas there. Call if you want to schedule an appointment to tour the aircraft.

From the owner: Wings of War (WoW) is just starting out as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization. We have…read moreacquired a 1941 WWII Cessna T-50 Bobcat that was a Crane MK1 during WWII with the RCAF. The aircraft is currently portrayed as a U.S. UC-78 and will remain in U.S. colors. We believe this aircraft is the oldest, flying Bamboo Bomber in the world. We are actively pursuing nose art for this plane that will link it back to its Canadian lineage. Please go to our FB PAGE and add your ideas there. Call if you want to schedule an appointment to tour the aircraft.

What a cool hidden gem in Valley Forge National Park! I took a tour of this museum in November…read more2025. Our tour guide was knowledgeable and intriguing as he guided us around the property and inside the home/studio. Esherick was extremely talented and it was incredible to see his stunning creations. Tips: The tour is inside and outside so dress accordingly. There are steps inside the building. Booking ahead is required and tour group counts are limited.

Visiting the Wharton Esherick Museum in Malvern had been on my to do list for a while, but the…read moretours sell out, and I've missed out on visiting a couple of times! Last week, I planned a last minute day trip to the Philadelphia area and noticed that they had exactly four tickets still open on tours for the rest of the month and they were for the upcoming Saturday at 11am. It was a sign, and I jumped on buying those tickets. How to explain the Wharton Esherick Museum?! Wharton Esherick was an American artist and designer (he's best known for his modernist wood furniture), and - while not a trained architect - he designed this house and studio compound (of four separate buildings) in Malvern to live and work in. By the time he was adding a workshop to the compound in 1955, building codes had made their way into law and Esherick got help from none other than Louis Kahn to help design that building. So what will you see if you visit? Just an incredible home and studio. Esherick was not into straight lines or right angles or wasting perfectly good wood, so the house and studio is an amazing sight: that staircase! the wood floor in the dining room! the concrete extension painted in colors that blend into the natural surroundings! the art and furniture pieces of Esherick's shown throughout the house! It's a hard place to describe, but our tour guide did a marvelous job of teaching us about Esherick and the buildings during our tour, while sharing some woodworking facts and passion, too! Reservations for the tours are required, and they do sell out. Regularly. There's an exhibit on Esherick at the Brandywine right now, and that might be generating more interest than usual in seeing his home and studio - or maybe tours of this amazing place are always this popular?! We did the Experiencing Esherick Tour, which takes you into the home and studio building and lasts about an hour. They offer some specialized tours of more limited days as well - I will definitely be visiting again for the architecture tour which takes you into at least one additional building you don't see on the general tour! The house? Fascinating. Our tour guide? Lovely. The grounds? Beautiful even in December. And a lovely little gift shop in Esherick's old garage where you can do some holiday shopping? Bonus. What's not to love about the Wharton Esherick Museum? I know I'll be returning to bring friends and family to this wonderful place in the future.

Carrie is amazing! Wonderful work, and she is so easy to work with. She was flexible with…read morescheduling, and her pricing is beyond reasonable. She took my idea and made it even better- I couldn't be happier! I can't wait to think up another project for her...

Carrie is absolutely amazing. I work at a brand new senior living community, and we have had the…read morepleasure of having Carrie paint several murals in our community. She is truly a wizard of her craft and makes her work look effortless. It is all so realistic--she works wonders.

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!!!

Our favorite activity during the Fall Foliage Festival! The house and its contents are gorgeous and…read moreseemingly untouched. A must see if you are in the area.

Built in 1861, this Victorian Italianate architecture-style home was constructed over a span of two…read moreyears at a total cost of $14,000 dollars. The Asa Packer Mansion listed as a National Historic Landmark was the home of philanthropist, railroad magnate, and founder of Lehigh University, Asa Packer, from Oct. 16, 1861, to Oct. 29, 1912. Located in Jim Thorpe, this building is recognized by a red-ribbed tin roof and a central cupola proudly atop Packer Hill with the commanding stunning views of the surrounding Pocono Mountains, where my partner, his aunt and I came for a tour today. Tickets were easily available and reasonably priced for the 1pm tour, which covered the entirety of the first and second floors. Our tour guide was a young lady (she mentioned she is a senior in high school) who obviously loves her job and is personally interested in the history of the mansion and family. From the furniture, woodwork, and stained glass to the artwork, she spoke about the history or significance. The mansion is not a restoration where pictures and video are prohibited inside. An amazing walk back in time, for which we can recommend this place.