Amazing property, it is a hidden gem. Went with my family for the tour and everyone enjoyed it!read more

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!

I have been thinking about number 2000 for a while, and reading what Yelp friends have been doing…read moreto mark this milestone. I could either ignore it and just write another review whose time had come, or attempt something bigger, grander. I guess most people like to acknowledge important landmarks in life, and while the "importance" is debatable in the universal scheme of things, on a personal level, it has meaning. So, I decided that my home area of Bucks County, Pennsylvania would be the subject. It is something I know a little about having lived here for a few decades. It is also a place I love for its beauty, spirit, and what it has been as the setting for my life. Until a few weeks ago, it would have been a bright and happy piece. After all, its history is fascinating with its exploration and settling beginning in the early Seventeenth Century. Quakers, William Penn, the Walking Treaty land grant from the indigenous tribes. General Washington crossing the Delaware on Christmas Eve, and the Doan Gang robbing the county treasury in Newtown during the Revolution. Authors James Michener, Pearl S. Buck, Nathaniel West, Diana Wells, Elizabeth Gilbert. Old towns Bristol, Doylestown, New Hope, Centre Bridge, Palisades. Parks Ringing Rocks, Nockamixon, Tyler. Covered bridges that put Madison Countys' to shame. The list of amazing people, places and historical events goes on for centuries. The Mighty Delaware flowing along its eastern boundary, the life blood of it all. It has been such a incredible place to live, work, love and create. But, for the moment, and likely much longer, its innocence is gone, and a shroud covers all that was great about Bucks with morbid sadness. A series of acts so savage and inexplicable, that it is almost impossible to fathom what could cause them, has deflowered and disgraced our peaceable kingdom. Four young men were murdered and buried deep in the earth by two dark and despicable souls, for motives beyond comprehension. Lives of twenty year olds snuffed out by peers. Buried in the low hills of Solebury, not more than a few miles from where patriots gave their lives to plant the seeds that became our Tree of Freedom. I am haunted by these souls, both those given in battle for our national destiny, and these four, two hundred and fifty years later, who gave their lives for nothing at all. Until I understand the connection between the two events, the pall covering Bucks County will not abate. The sorrow and angst of families knowing their sons are not coming home is too much for all of us to bear. The anger, uncontainable.

A "working museum," Moravian Pottery & Tile Works was founded and built by Henry Chapman Mercer in…read morethe early twentieth century, and the facility still produces handmade tiles using techniques that Mercer developed, and reproductions are crafted using his original molds and locally sourced clay. You can show up and just shop in their store (lots of tiles to choose from) or you can take a tour. The tour starts with a video (a pretty old one!) that explains the history and the architecture of the tile works and the process used by the tileworks to make its tile (pretty much the same as 100 year ago). Then you can wander through the self-guided tour path and see a demonstration of some tiles being pressed and talk to the staff about the tiles and process. It's definitely one of the many places worth visiting in Doylestown. It makes a great day or weekend trip combined with some of Doylestown's other attractions (like Mercer's home Fonthill, which is just next door, and the museum he founded in town). The tiles are beautiful, and it was great to learn and see how they're made!

OK to be honest this review is from when I visited as a young child about 50 years ago lol…read more However, the atmosphere and smell and beauty of the tiles have stuck with me forever. This is definitely a place worth visiting in my opinion.

Always wonderful there. The volunteers are so helpful and pleasant, and the movie theater is very…read morecomfortable. Absolutely the best.

Love the old school charm of this theater mixed with the new school seating! Love that they show…read moreclassic movies for $5 on Saturdays!

VERY INTERESTING!!! While visiting my daughter in PA from CA we checked out the Mercer Museum and…read moretruly enjoyed the experience. Plenty of free parking available and Admission @ $20 for adults and $ 17 for Seniors was fair. So much to see and learn, you literally had to look everywhere, no space was left unused! The staff was helpful and insightful and we learned a lot and were impressed with the collection. Down side was elevators we not working which was OK for us but might have been an issue for others. #2 issue was lack of air conditioning in parts of the building. I highly recommend you take the time to see this!

It was a random visit. A sunny day, a lovely ride, and we ended up in Doylestown, an area that…read morepiques my interest. Had no idea what was in the Mercer and was blown away by what we saw. Henry Mercer, a true renaissance man, built the Mercer Musem to preserve a vast collection of everyday objects from pre-industrial America. Watching a film at the outset -- most people skipped it -- gave us an idea of what was behind the exhibits. Everything is precisely categorized: tools used for meat preparation, tools for dairy production, tools used with fruit ..... (he had a fascination with tools.) In 1911-'12 Mercer built Moravian Pottery and Tile Works. For a period of time he was recognized as the premier maker of artistic tiles. A mile down the road is Fonthill Castle, Mercer's home and showplace for his tiles. Open to the public, but unfortunately closed Saturday because of a wedding. (What a cool place for a wedding!) Both properties are Smithsonian affiliates, operated by the Bucks County Historical Society. If you find yourself in the area, I recommend a visit. (Ladies, wear comfortable flat shoes; there are winding staircases of hard concrete, and I hate to imagine a fall.) After your visit, you might want to keep your car parked in Mercer's lot and walk a few blocks to State and Main Streets. A number of bars and restaurants.

Really cool place to browse and support local business. Kids loved all of the cool stones and other…read moreunique items.

Randi is wonderful and so is her shop. She is knowledgeable and has wonderful classes. It is…read moredefinitely worth the drive for me. I'm so glad I found this little shop. Her readings are also 'spot on'.

The new (2015) county courthouse for Bucks is located on North Main Street, Doylestown. It sits…read moreright across the street from the old court house that is now the Bucks County Administration Building. Although quite modern in design, it maintains its historic roots to the founding of the county and many of its oldest municipalities by William Penn, by providing artwork indigenous to the 17th-18th centuries, most beautifully the Moravarian Tile Works ceramics depicting scenes from those early days. The building houses the Court of Common Pleas, the trial level court in PA, County Sheriff, District Attorney, Probation Department, court administrator and the jury assembly room. The other row offices (Human Services, Recorder of Deeds, Recorder of Wills) remain across Main Street in the old courthouse/admin building. As an attorney I am a regular visitor to the Justice Center. Sitting on the hillside facing the northern vistas of Bucks, it is a beautiful building, well suited for its purpose. It is sufficiently spacious, attractive and comfortable for litigants, counsel and those employed by Bucks. The brick and slate front courtyard sets off the red/orange brick facade well, leading to the two story entrance foyer where security runs smoothly for the most part. I am here today to meet my civic obligation to appear for jury duty(no photos allowed). Doubtful I will be selected to sit on a trial jury due to my profession, but stranger things have happened, especially when there are several trials scheduled and the earlier starting trials are empaneled and there are fewer candidates available for trials starting later in the day. Happy to serve. PS. Turned out that no trials started today and we were all dismissed at 12:10 pm. We all get paid $9 per day for the honor, an inflationary improvement over the two bucks offered when I started practicing. That's cool. After all, it is not about the money.