This historic area along the Delaware River is renowned for a gracious, wealthy lifestyle that has attracted celebrities from Oscar Hammerstein to Pearl Buck to James A. Michener. The county seat is
Doylestown, where you will find some of the area's best museums along historic Mercer Mile: the Fonthill Museum (a concrete castle whose walls and ceilings are decked out in original Moravian tiles); the Mercer Museum (Early American arts and crafts, and more than 50,000 tools and artifacts); and the Moravian Pottery & Tile Works (a National Historic Landmark, this working-history museum produces decorative tiles and mosaics). Other attractions include the James A. Michener Art Museum (housed in a former prison, it displays American art from the 1800s and 1900s, especially works by Pennsylvanians), the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa (an incredible collection of stained-glass windows depicting 1,000 years of Polish Christianity) and the former home of author Pearl S. Buck.
Pennsbury Manor, in
Morrisville, is an authentic reconstruction of Pennsylvania founder William Penn's country estate. In
Langhorne, Anheuser-Busch and the Children's Television Network have teamed up to create Sesame Place, a theme park based on the long-running TV show,
Sesame Street. The park also has attractions and water activities that appeal to older children.
New Hope is a charming artists colony and a great place to shop for contemporary craftwork, expensive antiques and vintage clothing. New Hope marks the spot where George Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware's frozen water on Christmas ight in 1776. Visit the spectacular Benjamin Parry mansion, the Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve or see a play at the town's most beloved institution, the Bucks Country Playhouse, where some of the world's most famous actors have treaded the boards for nearly seven decades. The New Hope Mule Barge Co. depicts life as it was 150 years ago with rides on mule barges (a musician and historian ride along with you). The New Hope and Ivyland Railroad offers a scenic tour of the area. Be prepared—New Hope can get very, very crowded on weekends. Bucks County is 30 mi/45 km north of Philadelphia.
