Take a Black Friday Break At The James A. Michener Art Museum and Mercer Museum

On Black Friday, families and holiday travelers seeking an alternative to crowded shopping malls can visit two world-class museums in Doylestown.

The James A. Michener Art Museum and Mercer Museum expect to see double their normal attendance and have a full-slate of activities planned for visitors who come out.

At the James A. Michener Art Museum, 138 S. Pine St., visitors are invited to view four special exhibitions, including The Death of Impressionism? Disruption and Innovation in Art, which explores stylistic transformations, changing taste, and cultural shifts during the past century of American art; Shifting the Limits: Robert Engman’s Structural Sculpture; Jonathan Hertzel: When Sparks Fly; and Highlights from the New Hope-Solebury School District Art Collection as well as permanent exhibitions such as the Lenfest Exhibition of Pennsylvania Impressionism, the Nakashima Reading Room, the Patricia D. Pfundt Sculpture Garden, and A Living Legacy, a re-creation of the office of author and museum namesake James A. Michener.

Across the street at the Mercer Museum, 84 St. Pine St., visitors will enjoy self-guided tours of the museum’s six-story concrete castle and its popular annual holiday exhibition, Under the Tree: A Century of Holiday Trees and Toys. Under the Tree features Christmas trees decorated with period ornaments that show the evolution of this Christmas tradition from the 1890s through the 1960s. Toys on display range from the Victorian era through the 1980s and include classic wooden toys, circus toys, vintage board games, and Baby Boomer toys like a 1950's era “Robby the Robot” mechanical figure and a 1960's era Easy-Bake Oven. Visitors can also play with oversize versions of games like Connect Four, Checkers and Snakes and Ladders.

In the Mercer’s Log House, food historian Susan Plaisted will explore the history of gingerbread as it evolved from a mixture of ginger and breadcrumbs to the present-day “gingerbread man."

Both museums will offer gift-buying opportunities to visitors through their respective museum shops.

After visiting the museums, visitors can walk a few short blocks to Main and State Streets, where the annual Doylestown tree lighting will take place at 5:30 p.m. The tree lighting also kicks off Doylestown’s Small Business Weekend, which will showcase the locally owned stores and restaurants in Doylestown and will feature discount offers, unique and one-of-a-kind gifts, a festive holiday atmosphere, and personalized service from friendly business owners. Parking in downtown Doylestown will be free every weekend throughout the holiday season.

Image via Mercer Museum