How many small towns have four museums? Thanks to Henry Mercer, a wealthy and worldly, if eccentric resident, Doylestown owes 3 out of 4 of its museums to this man. The castle where he lived exudes his eccentricities and is on a beautiful piece of land right in the middle of town. The architecture includes a sun roof in every room for natural lighting as well as built in beds in case Mercer ever wanted to take a nap on the spot. The place has a spooky vibe, this it's popular Halloween tour. read more

Looks like taking photos are a relatively new thing! I decided to take advantage and snap as many as I could for YELP as it may encourage others to visit. As part of the YELP Bucks County weekend, this was one of the options during free time. I was hesitant on visiting as there aren't that many photos to show what you would get for your admissions price. Arrived for the after lunch tour and met with the tour guide. Our group had about 15. She explained that photography was allowed and she wasn't bothered if we took photos while she talked. The tour was about an hour long and our guide was very thoughtful about explaining everything we were seeing. As we went from room to room, it was always something different to see. As we were approaching gene terrace, our guide explained it was open during the spring when the weather was warm so we would have to come back another time. But wait! The door was open so after seeing everyone's sad puppy eyes she said "well alright. We're not breaking any rules if the doors already open!" Out we went. Let me say WoW! What a wonderful balcony, I'm sure the owner when he lived there and guests spent a lot of time admiring the beautiful view. Getting to go outside made the trip worth it. :) check out the view from the photos! read more

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An amazing experience! Loved my time here and will be back. What a wonderful place to spend a day.

Cool story friendly staff nice to see this place. Had a great time just looking and touching the tiles on the walls with the story's on them. If any one visit and read this post please be advised that the walk ways are small and stairs. Nice views from the balcony. Enjoy a 1 hour tour of this nice castle good for anyone that understands English. Be nice and have fun read more

A wise person once said about this place, "Absolutely breathtaking. It felt as though we were transported to Scotland. The landscaping and architecture are well preserved. The town surrounding the museum is quaint with boutique style shops and a strong New England air. The museum itself is tucked away amidst other well preserved historical landmarks." I guess this is true, but I just came here for a Philly Beerfest event and got drunk as hell. I have nada to add to the review of the castle. I'm very sorry. read more

There's really nothing like this place anywhere. Henry Mercer's dream house is essentially a reproduction of architecture and art from around the world using mostly concrete and handcrafted tiles from the Moravian Pottery and Tile works he ran. Take the tour of this place. You will not be disappointed. read more

Fonthill Castle - Museums Near Me - Doylestown, Pennsylvania

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A must see! Mr. Mercer left a true treasure for us to enjoy. Take a step back in time and see pottery thousands of years old, beautiful tile work, a bountiful blend of books and so much more. Our tour guide Joe, was great Highly recommend you stop by soon, you will be amazed at this true treasure find. read more

Pros: photos are now allowed as of January. Beautiful grounds. Cons: Rooms are a lot smaller than I thought. Not baby friendly or handicap friendly. If you have young children you can only use a carrier and not a stroller. Also, I was told by my tour guide that I couldn't have a backpack on my back and can only carry it on my front or leave it at their front desk (I had a very small one with just a bottle of milk and diapers for my child). This was pretty upsetting to me since I saw other people in a tour ahead of us wearing a backpack. I was constantly reminded to wear it on my front even if I was just resting it off my shoulders, which was almost necessary since the majority of the tour is hot and the rooms rarely have air conditioning or enough seating for people to rest. (They literally have ONE folding chair in each room). The regular guided tour do not show you rooms in the higher levels (I believe they do an extended tour on the first Saturday of every month). All in all- it wasn't as extravagant as I thought it would be And I thought the tour guide could've been kinder. I personally just didn't find it to be very family friendly, not complaining about that part.. it just is what it is. *shrug* read more

I was spending the last few days of my vacation day-tripping. I always wanted to explore Doylestown and never knew the Fonthill Castle, what a fantastic surprise! Our tour guide was fantastic and full of information about Henry Mercer and his collection. The life and history of Henry Mercer is fascinating. I look forward to visiting the Castle, tile works and museums again!! read more

I recently photographed a wedding at the Fonthill Castle. It was a very unique venue with architecture for backgrounds that made for amazing photographs. The wedding took place in front of the castle where it felt like an historic moment at least for this couple's lives. Very cool inside just wish I was given more ample time to explore with the bride and groom. Makes a great photo shoot with lots to work with! The cocktail hour was full of atmosphere and the tent out back was nice for the party. read more

Fonthill Castle - Couple's 1st look out back of castle - Museums Near Me - Doylestown, Pennsylvania

Amazing museum. A huge collection of America's history in tools& inventions! All inside a castle

I love walking around historic homes and Fonthill Castle didn't disappoint! Shane, our very knowledgeable guide was fantastic. The grounds are beautiful (though not large) and we had a beautiful Spring day to walk around it. Fun outing and I would definitely recommend it. read more

This is a very beautiful historical museum if you visit in historical Doylestown make sure you add to your list to visit & tour.

Fascinating tour about this residence (not really a castle). Stop by the tile works next door as well for the self-tour. Very glad we made the trip. read more

Very interesting. A bit pricey but worth the tour through the castle of a very eccentric man. Tour guides, overall were friendly.

We traveled one hour to visit the castle we got him right away they were only five of us on the tour due to the COVID-19 our tour guide was friendly and knowledgeable the castle was very interesting it did get very hot inside by the end of the tour but we went out on a balcony to get some air it is a beautiful place to visit on a day trip read more

Fonthill Castle - Museums Near Me - Doylestown, Pennsylvania

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excellent tour and tour guide love that your only option is a live tour guide you get much more from the visit

It's wonderful to see the genius of the architecture as well as the beautiful tiles. Just amazing to visit. Well worth the trip

Henry Mercer had a vision to create a castle with the comforts (day beds, skylights, reading rooms) and the technological advancements (indoor plumbing, heating) of the day. The architecture is stunning, the history is fascinating and the tile work is beautifully ornate. NO PHOTORPAHY in the inside of the home. My only complaint is that it does not clearly state prior to entry that flash and non-flash photography in the interior of the home is prohibited. As a photographer one of the reasons I visited the castle was to document the day. I carried a DSLR camera and lens throughout the tour around my neck through tight corners and narrow staircases because I was not told prior to entry. Had I been told I would have left my camera in the car. read more

The Fonthill Museum is one of the coolest, most surprising museums I have visited. It's even better if you combine it with the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works next door. The two are closely linked and, along with the Mercer Museum, make up the "Mercer Mile" in Doylestown. Fonthill is a rare museum in that it was designed and constructed by the eccentric Henry Mercer, a champion of the Arts & Crafts movement. From the stately and vaguely spooky exterior, to the quirky interior with its amazing collections of cuneiform tablets, artifacts from around the world and of course Mercer's ceramics, Fonthill is one-of-a-kind. The hour-long guided tour brings the place to life with vivid stories about Mercer's life and work, along with facts about the collections, artifacts and offbeat architectural details. Lots of laughs, wows, oohs and ahhs along the way through this 42-room concrete mansion. Time your visit right and check out the Moravian Tile Works for 2/3 of the Mercer experience. You'll be glad you did. Highly recommended. read more

I used to work at the Mercer Museum - as a summer day camp counselor \many years ago. We would take the kids to Fonthill for tours as well. Anyhow, Fonthill is the steel re-enforced home of Henry Chapman Mercer who also built his workshop & tile works right next door. His beloved horse Lucy and dog Rolo took part in the construction. Kids and Adults can both learn from the one hour tour at Fonthill. A trip to the Mercer Museum is also a must. (Especially during the annual Folk Fest.) You can also get married on the grounds of Fonthill. and it's a great place to have a picnic in the summer or fall. Christmas is a gorgeous time at Fonthill with an enormous tree in the great hall and candle-lit tours. (Not sure if they still do these.) What a marvelous piece of local history. read more

Spectacular! It's hard to explain how beautiful and inspiring this "castle" is, but I was surprised at what an amazing experience it was. I can't say that tile has ever fascinated me before, but now I'm all ready to fire up the kiln...or maybe just purchase some of Mercer's creations. We went to the Mercer Museum first and only had time to do the last tour at Fonthill (4 pm - you must take a one hour guided tour through the house) without the adjoining Morovian Tile Works. Big mistake. I did not anticipate wanting to see a tile factory, but after touring Fonthill know that you 100% will. The Mercer Museum is the storage castle for Mercer's 40,000 pre-industrial American tools, while Fonthill was the home Mercer built for himself that doubled as a showcase for his extraordinary tiles. His 3-dimensional history and story telling tiles, as well as a collection of foreign and ancient tiles, are embedded in the walls all over his almost gothic-style poured concrete castle. Our guide was incredibly knowledgable and completely entertaining, even though there were only 4 of us on the tour! As a previous reviewer said (and I wish I'd listened to), if you only have time to do one segment of the Mercer buildings, do Fonthill and the Tile Works over the museum. But ideally, do it all! Make sure to leave some time to explore Doylestown as well. It is an incredibly charming town with some great restaurants! read more

Read up on Henry Mercer prior to visiting, it will enhance your experience. We took a behind the scenes tour last night and although it was fascinating I felt that I needed a lot more. One really gets the crazy vibe from the architecture inside. Excellent and highly recommended. read more

If you are anywhere near Doylestown, PA, YOU MUST GO Here! This rivals anything you can find in Europe in terms of artistic, cultural, and historical significance. Mercer created a jewel for posterity that should not be missed. read more

This is a serious Philly area treasure. Little known, but absolutely mind-blowing. This castle is magical in every sense of the word. More than any other place in the region, Fonthill is an escape from reality. Mercer was truly a maniacal man, but no one can deny his legacy. If you have not seen this place - YOU MUST. It is slightly difficult to get to without a car - but is a quick bike ride from the Doylestown Septa station, if you're able to go non-peak. Probably worth checking out the Mercer Museum while you're there too (if you have the stamina - there is A LOT of stuff crammed into that building)! Also totally mind-boggling - and you can get a deal on admission to both! If I had to lodge one complaint about Fonthill it is that the tour is too short. I want to stand in the middle of those tiled masterpieces of rooms and imagine the fires blazing until the end of time! read more

My partner and I were supposed to get married in October 2020 at the Fonthill Castle with Jeffrey Miller Catering was our caterer. The closer it came, the more we felt we needed to move the date. It was such a hard decision to make... there's so much work involved in planning a wedding and we already had so much money put into it. We were so worried that we would not be able to move our reception date at Mercer Museum and Fonthill Castle , but our event organizer, Anthia was so sweet and Jeffrey Miller Catering was so flexible. We were able to roll the event right over to October 2021 and it was one less thing to worry about, so we were able to focus on how to do it right! I am so grateful! while we postponed the reception for 2021, we did still get married privately in 2020 and took pictures at the castle. It is so lovely there and everyone was so helpful. We are just delighted to be working with them! Cant wait for October 2021! read more

As a hopeless romantic, I had to see Fonthill castle. The exterior is visually stunning. Apparently it's also a wedding venue (I didn't know that before). We were lucky to go on the day when photography inside the castle was allowed. I won't put the inside pics here, though, since I heard most of the time they don't allow photography inside the building and I want to honor it. The castle was actually Henry Mercer's home. It has many bedrooms and even more fireplaces. There were 2 staircase that connect the first and second floor, and even more stairs to go further to the top. The interior is fully decorated with intricate (& I think handmade) tiles. A bedroom might have more than one entrance, so basically you can go around the building and go back to where you are without backtracking your way. Sort of like a maze, which is pretty fun. I like the guides who were working in each room. They were pretty knowledgeable and nice to us. I enjoyed my visit there, so did my 7 year old. After about 40 minutes, my 5 year old was done and ready to get out of the house. Free parking. The restroom is in the building that used to be Mercer's detached garage. The interior is not accessible as far as I can see, although I do read that there is an otis elevator. Probably they only offer it to those who need it. It's quite a drive for me, but I definitely considering to go back when I have guests coming over to show them this place. read more

History, architecture, and pottery geeks will be in heaven. It was a nice tour, guided because the maze of rooms and hallways would probably make you get lost. Tour lasted about an hour. Price of admission is $14. A little steep, but it helps keep the place open. Our guide was very good and experienced working at the castle. Only downer is no interior photographs allowed. You need to buy a permit. You also need a permit to photograph the outside if you are a professional. Such a beautiful castle and no pics to show for it. read more

We recently had our family pictures taken at Fonthill. All kinds of interesting spots for posing, whether it is on the grounds or along some of the steps or archways. Love the old buildings. We have been to a few weddings here as well and it is always a delightful time. read more

What a fun find! This unassuming tourist attraction boasts handmade tiles from Mercer and his beautifully crafted castle. It's 100 percent hand mixed cement which was unheard of back in those days, and is a must see if you're in Doylesburg! They also have a textile museum right next to the castle that you can purchase and peruse some of his originals. read more

We had a wonderful trip to Font Hill, such and interesting and unique place! Our tour guide, Joe, was wonderful, he was great with our large group and kept the kids entertained as well:) read more

So interesting seeing what culminates when a wealthy man is able to build his "dream home" (made totally of hand-mixed concrete... even some of the furniture). His handcrafted tile business provided him the means to create the intricate mosaic-style tile scenarios seen throughout. We were fascinated with this place and thoroughly enjoyed the tour by Joe C. (one of the best tour guides ever!). I would recommend doing the Fonthill Castle tour first, then the Mercer Museum afterward, but if you only have time for one of these, definitely choose the castle tour! (Reservations are needed for the castle, but not for the museum.) read more

Such a fascinating and beautiful landmark in Doylestown. This is my favorite place to bring visitors...and no matter how many times I've been there, I always learn something new from each visit! Definitely a must see! read more

My group went to Fonthill on Sunday. We were all first timers. The place and story is beautiful and intriguing. Our tour guide was friendly, knowledgeable and was able to answer everyone's questions. We bought a membership and can't wait to go back for the behind-the-scenes tour! read more

A great place for engagement photos. As a photographer I love taking photos of couples here so much I became a business sponsor one year. Absolutely beautiful. read more

Very cool place, a little disappointed that they only let you visit certain rooms however. I would have been more than willing to pay extra to be able to see the morning room, kitchen etc. read more

Far more entertaining than we were expecting. Fans of architecture and turn-of-the-century history will be richly rewarded with both a fascinating tour of a truly unique gem of a home, and a glimpse into the life of an eccentric and important mover-and-shaker from our early industrial era. Left me wanting to learn more about the town, the man, and the era. read more

I had been wanting to go here for a while and finally went this weekend. We were a group of four adults and four kids (ages 6-10). I wasn't sure what to expect but got nervous when I heard it was an hour-long guided tour. For some reason I thought we'd be able to tour at our own pace, so I was concerned the kids would be bored. But we had such a great time! Our tour guide, Joe, made a special point to involve the kids and give them special jobs like leading us into the next room. This really helped keep them interested and engaged in the tour. (Thank you again, Joe!!). The tour was really interesting and it was unlike any castle I'd ever seen. I highly recommend stopping for a tour and you're in for a treat if you get Joe as your guide. We bought the membership since it was only $16 more and includes the Mercer Museum, which we hope to visit soon. read more

Arts and Crafts at its slightly weird best! You learn about new gems in your area every day. Discovered this by accident and am now a fan. The guided tour was great (thank you, Carol!) and the castle is amazing. read more

We spent a pleasurable hour yesterday, touring this landmark and learning about the interesting life of Henry Mercer. Considering he didn't build this until he was in his 50s, thats quite the accomplishment. Our tourguide Bryan shared his knowledge about the property and that made the tour so much more enjoyable. Definitely going to tell my friends about this place. Then head to downtown Doylestown for dinner. You won't be disappointed. read more