6 Best Sights in Doylestown, Bucks County

Archaeologist, collector, and noted Arts and Crafts tile maker Henry Mercer (1856–1930) designed his home, completed in 1912, creating what resembles a turreted 13th-century castle in fireproof, innovative reinforced concrete; it's stuffed with books, drawings, and, above all, tiles. The multilevel house was built without blueprints as a mazelike jumble of rooms (44 in all). Ancient tiles collected by Mercer and handcrafted Arts and Crafts tiles from his company's kilns (depicting scenes from the Bible, Dickens's Pickwick Papers, and more) cover floors, walls, columns, and ceilings. An hour-long tour—not for the claustrophobic—explains the amazing incrustations; reservations are suggested. Occasionally there are special, longer tours. Steps away, the TileWorks ( thetileworks.org) is Mercer's former tile factory; there are tours and a gift shop. 

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.

Located downtown, this eccentric museum opened in 1916. It displays a selection of the 50,000 pre-industrial, mostly American tools and objects collected by archaeologist and Arts and Crafts tile maker Henry Chapman Mercer, who worried that industrialization would wipe out evidence of the past. To house them, Mercer built a concrete, castle-like building similar to his nearby home, Fonthill Castle. The result is Instagrammable but tricky to navigate; use the museum's map. Boats, tables, chairs, and more hang from the six-story central court's ceiling; elsewhere, rooms are packed with objects organized by trade or purpose. A modern wing has a helpful introduction to Mercer and galleries for changing exhibits. The engaging The Doan Gang: Outlaws of the Revolution, about a local Loyalist family, will be on display throughout 2026. 

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.

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.