Holiday Open House

The Mercer Museum & Fonthill Castle are thrilled to announce that the beloved Mercer Museum Holiday Open House will return to the museum on Tuesday, December 5, 2023 from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Guests can delight in the sounds, scents and scenes of the holidays at the Mercer Museum’s Holiday Open House for an evening of free musical performances, family activities, and a visit with Santa, as well as the traditional burning of the greens activity.

Santa will arrive at 7:15 p.m. with the musical accompaniment of the Central Bucks East Brass Ensemble, and will be spreading joy and taking photos until 9:00 p.m.

Local musical performers include the Delaware Valley Saxophone Quartet, Central Bucks High School East Chamber Ensemble & Symphonic Band, Council Rock High School South Vocal Ensemble, Council Rock High School South Carolers, Bucks County Country Gentlemen, and harp music demonstrations with Darcy Fair.

Special offerings include Hanukkah celebrations and the dreidel game presented by Temple Judea, coloring and craft activities for kids, the burning of the greens, and rare evening access to the museum’s two exhibitions, Everyday Rhythms: Music at the Mercer and The Dusty Road to Doylestown Hospital: The Early Years of the Village Improvement Association.

Hot and cold apple cider will be served compliments of the Friends of the Bucks County Historical Society.

Event Details:

Mercer Museum Holiday Open House

Tuesday, December 5, 2023 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. – Free Admission

Location: Mercer Museum, 84 South Pine Street, Doylestown, PA 18901

This event is rain or shine. Certain activities and locations may be altered due to weather.

Please note that the historic nature of the castle portion of the Mercer Museum offers partial accessibility due to narrow passageways. It is not climate-controlled and may experience fluctuations in temperature and humidity, depending on external weather conditions.

The ground floor of the Mercer Museum features a modern wing that is fully accessible and climate-controlled with a changing exhibit gallery, museum shop, and restrooms.

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 mercermuseum.org.