3 Best Sights in Bucks County, Pennsylvania

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.

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.

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