Shannon & Maxwell
Things to Do While Visiting
Start Here for Visiting Bucks County
The link lists out a wide variety of attractions in Bucks County, which you can sort by type (e.g. arts and culture, food and dining, etc). Some of the things on the website are repeated on the wedding website entries here, but the general guide can be helpful to see the variety of things available. A few sites in the neighboring Montgomery County and one in New Jersey are also listed on this tab on the wedding website.
Washington Crossing Historic Park
Start at the Visitor’s Center and see the original home of the “Washington Crossing the Delaware” mural. Then pick up some maps and check out the historic village and the crossing point marker. Take a short trip down the road to Bowman’s Tower and Wildflower Preserve and/or stop by Crossing Vineyards on your way out of the area!
Bowman’s Hill Tower and Wildflower Preserve
The Wildflower Preserve is open year-round (with more limited hours in wintertime), but the trails are still walkable and combination tickets can be purchased for the preserve and the tower. The link provided is for the preserve. Bowman's Hill Tower is considered part of the Washington Crossing Historic Park, though the tower was built after Washington's time. If seeing both attractions, the recommended route would be the crossing point, then the tower and the wildflower preserve, then on to New Hope potentially. There is also a restaurant called Bowman's Tavern that is worth stopping at.
New Hope
Home to eclectic shopping, riverside dining, and cultural attractions, New Hope is a small town with a larger feel and a fun way to spend an afternoon or evening. Browse through the specialty stores along Main Street, take in a show at the Bucks County Playhouse, or hear the stories of those who haunt the streets of this quiet town with a Ghost Tour. New Hope has even been named one of America's favorite small towns by travel and leisure magazines!
Peddler's Village
Peddler's Village is a quaint shopping district with winding brick and stone roads much like an outdoor mall. Some of the bride's favorites are Fehrenbach Black Forest Clocks and Gifts, Greenology Organic Living, the Cloak and Wand, Cuboid Nature Aquarium, the Celtic Rose, and What's in a Name. There's always a new shop that even frequent visitors find they haven't visited before in Peddler's Village. Stop by Hart’s Tavern or Cock and Bull while you’re there for a good bite and make sure to take pictures by the old water wheel.
Fonthill Castle and the Mercer Museum
Fonthill Castle and the Mercer Museum are a National Historic Landmark in Doylestown, PA. The castle and the museum were both designed by Henry Mercer and present an unusual yet logical style of organization and architecture. The museum was built to house the collection of Mercer, a historian and archaeologist, and contains artifacts showcasing pre-Industrial everyday American life. The collection space is unusual in that much of the collection is suspended from the ceiling.
Ringing Rocks County Park
The Bridgeton Boulder Field in Ringing Rocks County Park is an 8-acre field of primordial igneous diabase rocks which resonate and emit a curious bell-like sound when struck (be sure to bring a hammer to strike them with if you can!). It's one of the largest fields of its kind in the eastern US and is estimated to be 200 million years old. The park is also home to Bucks County's largest waterfall and can be accessed by following the Ringing Rocks loop trail, which will take you to its top. Some people say the best time of year to go is actually winter!
Valley Forge National Historical Park
Valley Forge is the location of the 1777-1778 winter encampment of the Continental Army led by General George Washington during the American Revolutionary War and is now the site of Pennsylvania's very first state park. The land was incorporated into the National Park Service as a gift from the state to the nation on the bicentennial. Historic buildings, statues and monuments, earthworks and forts, reconstructed encampments, and 35 miles of trails can be found in this beautiful 3,500-acre landscape. Take a tour or explore it self-guided!
King of Prussia Mall
With six major department stores and more than 450 stores, boutiques, and restaurants, the King of Prussia Mall is the third-largest mall in America, and caters to all budgets from luxury brands to bargain deals. The nearby Overlook at King of Prussia also hosts a movie theater and indoor skydiving center. The attraction’s 2.9 million square feet of retail space welcomes around 22 million visitors a year.
Long Beach Island
It is a really neat site when the beach has snow on it, so if it does snow, consider visiting a Jersey beach. Belmar is closest (about 45 minutes away) but Wildwood, Ocean City, and Long Beach Island (LBI) will have some eateries open in the off season. LBI holds sentimental value as well (both sides of the bride’s family have had houses here) and was a popular day trip or weekend stay growing up.
Start Here for Visiting Philadelphia
While there’s so much to do in the bride's home of Bucks County and the surrounding areas, most out-of-town guests probably have their eye on Philly if they’re making a trip of it. The link goes to the Philly visitor’s website and contains a whole lot more than the entries on the wedding website, for those looking for particular experiences. Once you’re in the city or if you don’t want to drive there, check out the Septa information provided in the Travel tab of the wedding website.
Reading Terminal Market
A great place to get lunch while spending a day in Philly, this public indoor market is one of the largest and oldest in the country. You can find a very wide range of cuisine here, and, of course, local favorites like cheesesteaks ("one wiz wit" is the recommended order) and Amish bakery items. Think of any movie that takes place in Philadelphia and has a chase scene, and you're probably thinking of Reading Terminal Market!
Penn's Landing
Named in honor of William Penn’s historic landing in Philadelphia in 1682, the waterfront area of Penn’s Landing is home to year-round attractions like Independence Seaport Museum, open spaces like Cherry Street Pier and Race Street Pier, and several restaurants. Plus, throughout the year, happenings and events like farmers markets, concerts, art exhibitions, and more take place. The main event at Penn’s Landing this time of year is the Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest. Visitors can ice skate, ride the Ferris wheel, warm up by a fire pit, and sip hot beverages and seasonal cocktails. The festival features seasonal trees, shrubbery, rustic furniture, and thousands of strung lights.
Philadelphia'a Historic District: Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, and More
These attractions are quite close together, as are several others in the historic district, such as the National Constitution Center, Betsy Ross House, Elfreth's Alley, Congress Hall, the President's House, Musem of the American Revolution, Carpenter's Hall, the African American Museum in Philadelphia, and Christ Church and the Christ Church Burial Ground (final resting place of several famous historical figures). There are simply too many for each to have their own entry, so guests looking to delve into the revolutionary history of Philadelphia are encouraged to check out multiple sites in the area as time allows. It’s truly the birthplace of our country and well worth a visit. The link shares an overview of the area and its attractions.
Philadelphia Museum of Art
The Philadelphia Museum of Art houses one of the most impressive permanent collections in the United States, spanning thousands of years, many mediums and geographic areas, and featuring the works of Claude Monet, Andy Warhol, Salvador Dali, Vincent van Gogh, and more. Some of the bride’s favorites are the areas that house the armory, the medieval Christian art and tapestries, and the East Asian rooms with live-size replica architecture. And, yes, there is a Rocky statue out front you can snap a photo with.
Walnut Street Theatre
The Walnut Street Theatre, founded in 1808, is America's Oldest Theatre. It is also the Official State Theatre of Pennsylvania, and a National Historic Landmark. Over the centuries, it has housed circus, opera, vaudeville, lectures, music, dance, motion pictures, and, of course, the live theatre productions. Its stage and stands were and are home to many famous artists and guests, and saw many firsts for the performing arts industry. Fun fact: To this day it continues to operate the original grid, rope, pulley, and sandbag system that was in use nearly two centuries ago. Check out their current season's schedule and/or schedule a behind-the-stage tour to experience it firsthand!
Eastern State Penitentiary
Eastern State Penitentiary was once the most famous and expensive prison in the world, and is considered to be the first true penitentiary. Its new system of incarceration, dubbed the "Pennsylvania system" or separate system, encouraged separate confinement as a form of rehabilitation, with the belief that criminals exposed to silent contemplation of their behavior and crimes would become penitent. The reality was mostly psychological torture however. Over its years of operation, Eastern State held nearly 85,000 people, including bank robber "Slick Willie" Sutton and "Scarface" Al Capone. Learn more about the history by taking an audio tour or a guided tour of the grounds and check out its various exhibits.
The Franklin Institute
Founded in honor of "America’s first scientist," Benjamin Franklin, The Franklin Institute is one of the oldest and premier centers of science education and development in the country. It offers three floors of permanent exhibits that provide hands-on learning experiences that introduce and reinforce key science concepts in creative and engaging ways. The museum hosts renowned traveling exhibits that draw local, national, and international visitors to the museum, such as King Tut in 2007 and Body Worlds in 2010, and its Fels Planetarium is a permenant must see. The museum's curatorial collections also hold artifacts considered to be national treasures, particularly those related to Benjamin Franklin and the Wright Brothers.
Philadelphia Zoo
The Philadelphia Zoo opened in July of 1874, becoming America's first zoo! In the first eight months, 227,557 visitors arrived by foot, horse carriage, steamboat on the Schuylkill river, and passenger train—a number unparalleled in the history of similar institutions. It has since welcomed nearly 100 million guests from around the world. The Zoo boasts the first animal health laboratory and research center of its kind and over the years has seen the first successful births in captivity for several species. Speaking of which, it is home to more than 1,900 rare and endangered animals!