17 Best Sights in Bucks County, Pennsylvania

The 134-acre preserve near the Thompson-Neely section of Washington Crossing Historic Park showcases hundreds of species of wildflowers as well as trees, shrubs, and ferns native to Pennsylvania. Stop at the visitor center and get a trail map, and then take the guided one-hour wildflower walk (included in admission and available in season at 2 pm, but call to check) or explore any of the short, well-marked trails (4½ miles in all) on your own. Wildflower blooms are seasonal, with mid-April through July a good period to visit, but fall brings colorful foliage; the website has bloom information.

Construction began in 1913, but Raymond Pitcairn, who provided the vision and the funds, insisted that the cathedral be built the old way—he wanted a medieval cathedral and he wanted the medieval techniques of stone cutting and stained glass making used as well. The cathedral was built from models, not blue prints, and these models became adaptable over the course of construction. While the cathedral is impressive from the outside, the most interesting architectural discoveries are in the inside, where it becomes more than a copy of medieval motifs, and where many New Church beliefs are melded into the architecture. Throughout the interior is optical refinement, meaning there are no hard angles, and no two things are the same—every archway, door, and window is slightly different; even every lock has its own special key, and no two carving details are alike. The walls are all slightly curved. Known for its stained glass, which was all made on site, the actual cathedral is a wash of red and blue, a stunning glow that changes throughout the day, depending on the sun. The church requests that you call ahead for groups of 10 or more.

Not far from the river in a nondescript corner of town is a delightful Asian fusion restaurant, Concerto Fusion Cuisine. Past the wall of water is a modern bar and dining room, where you can order from an ample menu that merges a host of Asian (and some non-Asian) cuisines. Start with crab Rangoon or phyllo-crusted prawns before moving on to wok-seared duck, Thai red snapper, or a large selection of sushi and sashimi. Lunch specials are a good deal.

On a 200-year-old estate near where Washington crossed the Delaware, the family-run vineyard mixes vintage charm with modern wine-making techniques. Despite a nod to the rustic (a beam ceiling in the tasting room and gift shop), the old gambrel-roofed barn feels fresh and upscale. In a 15- to 20-minute tasting ($10), the staff lets you know what to expect from eight different types of wines. Ask to see Lucy and Ethel, the computerized press and crusher-destemmer, respectively. Concerts are offered in summer.

You almost expect to see a dragon puffing smoke outside Fonthill, Henry Mercer's storybook home. Don't be at all surprised if you see one inside. Modeling the house after a 13th-century castle, Mercer began building in 1908. Outside, it bristles with turrets and balconies. Inside, the multilevel structure is truly mazelike. The concrete castle is built from the inside out—without using blueprints—resulting in a jumble of differently shaped rooms (44 in all) and stairways (following close behind with 32). Gothic doorways and inglenooks add to the fairy-tale effect. Ancient tiles that Mercer found around the world as well as Arts and Crafts tiles from his own kilns (depicting scenes from the Bible to Bluebeard) seem to cover every surface—floors, walls, columns, and ceilings. To see this amazing incrustation, however, you must take an hour-long tour (reservations suggested). If you come the first Saturday of the month, opt for the Tower Tour.

Built between 1928 and 1939, this neo-Romanesque 90-room former home of Raymond and Mildred Pitcairn, now houses the family's collection of antiques that were gathered by John and his son Raymond. The house has some fantastic details, but the best part is walking into old bedrooms that now serve as galleries for ancient Greek, Roman, Egyptian, African, Native American, and Sumerian artworks as well as a fantastic basement gallery full of 13th-century European stained glass and sculpture. The view from the observation deck, 149 feet up, is worth the tight elevator ride up there.

Three historic buildings—an 18th-century log cabin and a turn-of-the-19th-century tavern and house—have been restored and opened for guided tours by Historic Fallsington. In the off-season (mid-Oct.--mid-May), it's open by appointment only.

Named for the late best-selling novelist and Doylestown native, this museum, across the street from the Mercer Museum, has a permanent collection and changing exhibitions that focus on 19th- and 20th-century American art, especially those by Bucks County artists. It's known for its collection of early-20th-century Pennsylvania impressionists, representing such artists as Edward Redfield and Daniel Garber. The museum occupies the buildings and grounds of the former Bucks County jail, which dates from 1884. A 23-foot-high fieldstone wall surrounds seven galleries, an outdoor sculpture garden, and a Gothic-style warden's house. There's also a re-creation of Michener's Doylestown study. A relatively new gallery accommodates larger traveling exhibits, included in the price of admission.

In the center of town, the Mercer Museum, opened in 1916, displays Mercer's collection of tools, including more than 50,000 objects from before the steam age. An archaeologist, Mercer worried that the rapid advance of industrialization would wipe out evidence of preindustrial America. Consequently, from 1895 to 1915 he scoured the back roads of eastern Pennsylvania, buying folk art, tools, and articles of everyday life to display in another of his concrete castles. In what amounts to a six-story attic, log sleds, cheese presses, fire engines, boats, and bean hullers are suspended from walls and ceilings and crammed into rooms organized by trade or purpose. Interactive activities, like downloadable scavenger hunts , and a special audio-guide channel keep children amused. A new wing includes a climate-controlled gallery that allows for changing exhibits, including traveling shows and items from the collection that couldn't otherwise be displayed, such as a lock of George Washington's hair. Scholars can take advantage of the library and reading room, open to the public Tuesday through Saturday.

On the grounds of the Fonthill estate, the tile works still produces Arts and Crafts–style tiles from Mercer's designs. These tiles adorn such well-known structures as Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, as well as many of the homes and sidewalks of Doylestown. The late author and Bucks County resident James Michener described them as follows: "Using scenes from the Bible, mythology, and history, Henry Chapman Mercer produced wonderfully archaic tiles about 12 or 14 inches square in powerful earth colors that glowed with intensity and unforgettable imagery." You can watch a 17-minute video and take a partially guided tour (every half-hour) past artisans at work in the 1912 factory, which resembles a Spanish mission. You can also purchase tiles at the works.

Driving up to the shrine, you can't help but realize that you're not in Kansas anymore. This enormous Polish spiritual center has drawn millions of pilgrims, including the late Pope John Paul II, since its opening in 1966. The complex includes a modern church with huge stained-glass panels depicting the history of Christianity in Poland and the United States. The gift shop and bookstore sell religious gifts, many imported from Poland, and the cafeteria serves hot Polish and American food on Sunday from 10 to 3:30.

The passenger train, pulled by an authentic steam locomotive or vintage diesel, makes a 9-mile, 45-minute scenic round-trip between New Hope and Lahaska. The route crosses a trestle used in the rescue scenes in silent films like The Perils of Pauline. The New Hope depot is an 1891 Victorian gem. Special events, which require reservations, include dinner trips on Saturday evenings and holiday excursions in December.

Built in 1784, and home of the New Hope Historical Society, this stone house is fascinating because the furnishings reflect decorative changes from 1775 (Colonial) to 1900 (Victorian)—including candles, whitewashed walls, oil lamps, and wallpaper. Wealthy Quaker lumber- and flour-mill owner and businessman Benjamin Parry, often called the "father of New Hope," built the house, which was occupied by five generations of his family. Guided tours, including a brief film, give you a good sense of New Hope history.

Writer Pearl S. Buck, best known for her novel The Good Earth, lived at Green Hills Farm, a country house not too far from Doylestown. Here she wrote nearly 1,000 novels, children's books, and works of nonfiction while raising seven adopted children and caring for many others. The house, now a National Historic Landmark, still bears the imprint of the girl who grew up in China and became the first American woman to win both the Nobel and Pulitzer prizes. The house also contains the writer's collection of Asian and American antiques and personal belongings.

On a gentle rise 150 yards from the Delaware River, Pennsbury Manor is a 1939 reconstruction of the Georgian-style mansion William Penn built in the 1680s. Living-history demonstrations on 43 of the estate's original 8,400 acres provide a glimpse of everyday life in 17th-century America. The property, including formal gardens, an icehouse, a smokehouse, and a bake-and-brew house, helps paint a picture of the life of an English gentleman 300 years ago. The plantation also shows that although history portrays Penn as a dour Quaker, as governor of the colony he enjoyed the good life by importing the finest provisions and keeping a vast retinue of servants. These extravagances led to financial difficulties that resulted in Penn's spending nine months in a debtor's prison. Though you can wander about the grounds on your own, the house can be seen only on a tour. On Sundays from April to October there are special programs, including those devoted to historic trades, living history theater and open-hearth cooking, to name a few. To get here, follow the blue-and-yellow historical markers.

Next to the Oxford Valley Mall, this water and theme park based on the popular children's show Sesame Street is mostly for young kids and their families. Here children crawl, climb, and jump; float, slide, and splash; and meet, greet, and perhaps hug the ageless Big Bird and his friends. Though there are plenty of dry-land activities, the highlights of the park—especially on a hot summer day—are the water rides, including the popular Rambling River and Sky Splash, and the interactive Count's Splash Castle. (Keep in mind that water attractions are only open seasonally.) As befits a park for preteens, the four "thrill" rides in Elmo's World and the roller coaster—Vapor Trail—are modest by theme-park standards, but they've got more than enough excitement for young riders. Other kid favorites are the daily, and nightly, parades, shows; Sesame Neighborhood, a replica of the beloved TV street; and meals with characters like Elmo and Grover Parking is an additional cost of $17 to $30

It was from the site of what is now this park that on Christmas night in 1776 General Washington and 2,400 of his men crossed the ice-studded Delaware River, attacked the Hessian stronghold at Trenton, and secured a much-needed victory for the Continental Army. This crossing was immortalized in Emanuel Leutze's famous 1851 painting, which hangs in New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. The park's historic houses and memorials are divided between the Lower Park (McConkey Ferry section) and Upper Park (Thompson-Neely section), about 5 miles apart.

In the Lower Park, the visitor center has park information and historic exhibits, and sells tickets for guided tours of two areas. The historic village tour includes McConkey Ferry Inn, where tradition has it that Washington had Christmas dinner. You can see replicas of the Durham boats used in the crossing.

In the Upper Park, 125-foot-tall Bowman's Hill Tower (open weather permitting) offers a commanding view of the Delaware River. An elevator takes you up the 1931 tower, but you walk the last 23 steps. The Thompson-Neely House offers tours that tell of life in Bucks County during the Revolution. The house was used as a hospital during the 1776–77 encampment of Washington's army; there's also a gristmill. The park's special events include a reenactment of the crossing in December.