Holiday Tour Schedule Announced At Fonthill Castle In Doylestown

DOYLESTOWN, PA — Fonthill Castle will celebrate the holiday season with special events and tours from Nov. 16 to Dec. 31.

Located in the heart of Bucks County, the castle is the one time home of Henry Chapman Mercer (1856-1930) and is a National Historic Landmark operated by the Bucks County Historical Society. Every year, the interior of the castle is transformed into a winter wonderland.

This year, there are three different ways to experience the holidays at the castle:

• Winter Wonderland Daily Guided Tours will be offered weekdays and November weekends beginning Nov. 16 and continuing through Dec. 31. The cost is $15 for adults, $13 for seniors (65 and over), $10 for students, $8 for youth (6 to 17) and free for children five and under and BCHS members. On all weekdays as well as weekends in November, daily one-hour guided tours of the castle showcase Henry Mercer’s home decorated for the holidays and share the history of Mercer and the construction of this unique property. Tours are 60 minutes and guided. Fonthill Castle’s interior features Mercer’s renowned, handcrafted ceramic tiles designed at the height of the Arts and Crafts movement, and the castle serves as an early example of reinforced concrete architecture with 44 rooms, 200 windows, and 18 fireplaces.

Pictures in front of the tree. (Kevin Crawford Imagery)

• December Weekends: Holiday Lights Meander Days. Offered on Saturdays and Sundays from Dec. 7 to 31. These special weekend days allow guests to explore the rooms and trees on the 2024 Holiday Lights Meander tour route inside Fonthill Castle at their own pace. Knowledgeable tour guides are available along the holiday route to answer questions and make this a seasonal experience to remember for the whole family. Meander Days will be held from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 7 and 8, Dec. 14 and 15, Dec. 21 and 22 and Dec 28 and 29. Time slots begin every 10 minutes. Special dates and times: Tuesday, Dec. 24 (Christmas Eve) and Tuesday, Dec. 31 (New Year's Eve). Time slots every 10 minutes. The cost is $20 for adults, $15 for BCHS member adult, $10 youth (6-17) and $5 for children (5 and under).
• Guided Holiday Evening Tours at Fonthill Castle. Nothing is as magical as discovering Fonthill Castle decked out for the holidays on guided evening tours. Discover Mercer’s renowned ceramic tiles and holiday trees glowing in the candlelight during these intimate 45-minute historic tours. Evening tours will be held Nov. 22, 23, and 29 and Dec. 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 26, and 27. Tour times begin at 5 p.m. The cost is $25 for adults, $20 for BCHS Member Adults, $10 for youth (6-17) and $5 for children (5 and under).

Visitors admire a tree inside Fonthill Castle. (Kevin Crawford Imagery)

Holidays at Fonthill Castle is generously supported by Fulton Bank, The Haverford Trust Company, Bountiful Acres, The Dog House Doylestown, Penn Community Bank, Peoples Security Bank & Trust, Phillips & Donovan Architects, Raphael Architects, The Tustin Group, and Michelle Pedersen. Up-to-date schedules and tickets are available at mercermuseum.org/holidays. Advanced tickets are highly recommended for all of these holiday events. Fonthill Castle is closed on the following days: Thursday, Nov. 28 (Thanksgiving Day), Wednesday, December 25 (Christmas Day) and Wednesday, January 1 (New Year's Day).