Bucks County: Pearl Buck House, Mercer Museum and Downtown Doylestown
Saturday, November 1, 2025
Join the Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation and Historic Harrisburg Association on a Bucks County Adventure!
Departing from the Camp Hill Shopping Plaza in Camp Hill, Cumberland County, our trip to Bucks County will celebrate the lives and homes of two remarkable Pennsylvanians.
Our first stop will be the Pearl S. Buck House. Located in Perkasie, this National Historic Landmark, celebrates her life and legacy. Ms. Buck was a Pulitzer and Nobel Award winning author, a humanitarian, and an activist. A guided tour will take you back to the time in which Ms. Buck and her family lived there. If you love history, architecture, folk art, fine art, or just appreciating the life of an extraordinary woman, this tour is for you. You will also have time to visit the gift shop and gardens.
Boxed Lunch:
An indoor room will be provided for you to enjoy a boxed sandwich or salad lunch (included). The bus will leave at 1:00pm.
Mercer Museum:
A short ride away, the bus will proceed to the Mercer Museum, arriving at approximately 1:30pm. Henry Mercer was an American archeologist and artifact collector. He founded and built the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works in 1898 and designed and built two other distinctive poured concrete structures, the Mercer Museum (1916) and Fonthill Castle (1910).The Mercer Museum is a self-guided visit with a welcoming orientation. The Mercer Museum is typically a 90-120 minute visit.
The Museum, a Smithsonian affiliate, features local and traveling exhibits as well as a core collection that offers visitors a unique window into pre-Industrial America through sixty different crafts and trades, and is one of the world’s most comprehensive portraits of pre-Industrial American material culture.
Accessibility:
There are stairs throughout the Pearl S. Buck museum tour. Most areas of the Pearl S. Buck House museum are not easily accessible by wheelchairs or walking support devices.
The original core of the Mercer Museum is partially handicapped accessible (approximately 65%) by elevator. The new wing, which includes the changing Exhibition Gallery and Learning Center, is fully accessible including restrooms.
Time On Your Own:
When you ready to move on from the Mercer, the remaining time is on your own until the bus departs for Camp Hill at 6:30pm. Below are some optional on-your-own activities - all within a short walk of the Mercer. Our bus will provide transportation to the Fonthill if you are interested.
Optional On-Your-Own Activities:
The following are all within a one-mile walking distance from each other.
Fonthill Castle: Our chartered bus will take you from Mercer Museum to Fonthill Castle for a 4pm tour time.
You must purchase tickets on your own. The cost is $20/adult or $17/65+. Last-minute tickets are not guaranteed on the day of your visit. Please book ahead to avoid disappointment. Here is the link to be directed to the Fonthill's website: https://www.mercermuseum.org/buytickets/ Note: This site is not recommended for those with limited mobility, issues with stairs, those who cannot stand for long periods of time, or those with concerns about small spaces/claustrophobia.
Moravian Tile Works: Dive into the world of Mercer at your own pace. Explore the decorative halls and historic workshops that lay throughout the grounds. Watch their craftsmen as they turn wild Bucks county clay into Mercer tiles.
Michener Art Museum: The Michener Art Museum collects, preserves, interprets, and exhibits art, primarily American art, and promotes the Delaware River Valley region’s rich artistic and cultural heritage, with a particular focus on Bucks County.
Downtown Doylestown: Shop, explore, eat and enjoy your time through historic downtown
The bus will depart on Saturday, November 1, 2025, at 8:00am from Boscov’s Parking Lot in the Camp Hill Shopping Center and will return to the same location at 8:30pm.
The cost is $129 for Members of the PA Heritage Foundation or Historic Harrisburg Association and $139 for Non-members.
The cost includes the bus, tour tickets for Pearl S. Buck House, Mercer Museum and a boxed sandwich or salad lunch.
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN
