1 of 3
2 of 3
Brooke Straiton Photography
3 of 3
The Mercer Museum, owned and operated by the Bucks County Historical Society (BCHS), is excited to offer a variety of family-friendly programs geared children and their caregivers in spring and summer 2026.
From hands-on crafts to live demonstrations, this schedule of family programs offers age- appropriate experiences for children that provide a window into the past and foster an early appreciation for Bucks County’s rich history.
“We are so excited to offer these fun family programs at the Mercer Museum,” says Meghan Dickson, BCHS Community Programs Coordinator. “These experiences help bring history to life for our littlest visitors, and hopefully helps develop a life-long love of exploring the past and inspire the next generation of museum-goers!”
These seasonal family programs include a variety of crafts and activities that relate to artifacts and stories in the Mercer Museum collection, as well as special experiences during the warmer months.
Upcoming family programs include:
Crafternoons
Crafternoons provide numerous crafts for children to create, inspired by the season and artifacts in the collection. Join museum educators from 1-3 P.M. as they help guide kids through the crafting process and make a fun take-home piece to remember their time at the museum. Crafternoons are only $5 per youth and include all supplies.
Saturday, May 9 – Crafternoon: Treasures of Central Court: Create crafts inspired by the treasures and artifacts hanging in the Mercer Museum’s Central Court in this family-friendly drop-in program.
Saturday, June 6 – Crafternoon: Happy Birthday Henry Mercer! Celebrate founder Henry Mercer’s birthday and make birthday-themed crafts during this family-friendly drop-in program. Lemonade will be served.
Saturday, August 8 – Crafternoon: Summer Fun: Beat the heat and create crafts inspired by the summer season at this family-friendly drop-in program.
In addition to these craft programs, the Mercer Museum is also offering a living history-inspired experience in the historic Log House:
Colonial Farm Experience Saturday, May 9, 2026, 1 – 3 P.M. $10 Adult / $5 Youth: Have you ever wondered what it was like to live in a log house? Explore the daily life of colonial farmers with Mercer Museum educators during this live, in-person education program that is fun for the whole family. Learn about the well pump, colonial games and toys, churning butter, and more! This program is hosted in an authentic Colonial-era style Log House. For more information and to register for any of these programs, visit
https://www.mercermuseum.org/mercer-museum-events/family-programs/. ###
Fonthill Castle 4th of July Saturday, July 4, 2026 Noon – 4 P.M.
Join us on the grounds of Fonthill Castle and enjoy an afternoon of fun, food, games, crafts, entertainment and live music. Highlights include a decorated children’s bike parade, wheelbarrow and sack races, live musicians, food trucks, antique bicycles, and other fun activities make this a day to remember! The event will kick-off with the beloved Decorated Children’s Bicycle Parade, where all participating children receive cheers from the crowd and a special certificate after pedaling down the historic site’s famed tree-lined driveway on their pre-decorated bicycles.
For more info and to book tickets in advance, visit www.mercermuseum.org/july4.
About the Mercer Museum & Fonthill Castle
Located in Doylestown, Bucks County, PA, the Mercer Museum and Fonthill Castle are historic castles celebrating the legacy of Henry Chapman Mercer (1856-1930), American archaeologist, anthropologist, ceramicist and scholar. Both sites are operated by the Bucks County Historical Society (BCHS).
The Mercer Museum, one of Bucks County's premier cultural attractions and a Smithsonian affiliate, features both local and national seasonal exhibits as well as a core museum collection of over 17,000 pre-Industrial tools. This permanent collection 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 American material culture. The museum also features a research library that is a center for local history related to Bucks County and the surrounding region, with its roots dating back to the founding of the Bucks County Historical Society in 1880.
Fonthill Castle was built between 1908-1912 and was the home of Henry Chapman Mercer. Mercer built Fonthill Castle as his residence and showplace for his collection of tiles and prints. The castle serves as an early example of reinforced concrete and features forty-four rooms, over two hundred windows, and eighteen fireplaces. Fonthill Castle's interior features Mercer's renowned, hand-crafted ceramic tiles designed at the height of the Arts and Crafts movement. The Mercer Museum is located at 84 South Pine Street, Doylestown, PA, 18901. Fonthill Castle is located at 525 East Court Street in Doylestown, PA, 18901.
The Mercer Museum & Fonthill Castle are open Tuesdays – Sundays from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. For up-to-date ticket and schedule information, please visit www.mercermuseum.org.