Doylestown, PA Road Trips

The region was the province of the Lenni Lenape tribe of the Delaware Indians prior to the colonization by European settlers. Doylestown and Bucks County remains widely regarded as some of the most beautiful countryside in Pennsylvania – and America! Today it also classified as one of the best places in the nation to raise your family. Doylestown is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, 27 miles (43 km) north of Philadelphia. In 2018, the borough population was 8,300. The borough is the county seat of Bucks County.

Doylestown has a rich history, boasting cultural attractions from colonial times, to the early 1900s, to the present. Doylestown is a must-see for the history buff, the artist, and the student. 1 Mercer Museum, 84 South Pine Street, ☏ +1 215 345-0210, fax: +1 215 230-0823. M-Sa 10AM-5PM, Tu 10AM-9PM, Su noon-5PM. Built in 1916 by the archaeologist, anthropologist, artist and scholar, Henry Chapman Mercer. The six-story concrete castle houses a personal collection of over 30,000 items that Mercer believed should be preserved before the Industrial Revolution took over. The huge central atrium of the castle houses a whale boat, Conestoga wagon and stage coach, amongst other large pieces. Working your way through the narrow hallways of the museum, you can find ancient gadgets, woodworking instruments, early examples of electricity and even a "Vampire Killing Kit." In one of the hidden stairwells, there are footprints from Mercer's dog Rollo, who must have escaped before the wet concrete could fully dry. This is truly an eccentric place to visit. There are nooks, crannies, niches and rooms with all kinds of tools and implements used in the early history of the colonization. It's a great place to go on a hot day, the concrete keeps the building quite cool. There is a gift shop with postcards, Mercer tiles, crafts, books and other souvenirs. The Mercer Museum was recognized as a National Historic Landmark in 1985 and achieved accreditation by the American Association of Museums in 2005. 2 Fonthill Museum, ☏ +1 215-348-9461. M-Sa 10AM-5PM, Su noon-5PM..

Doylestown is alive with events and attractions for visitors of all ages - young couples, families with kids and groups interested in the arts. First Friday. The first Friday of every month 6:30PM-9PM. First Friday Doylestown features a night of live artists, bands and performers outside of Doylestown's local businesses. Shops and restaurants are open late to service the crowds of people walking around. Families, couples, and kids can walk the street of Doylestown while enjoying the local music, shops, and venues. Warm summer nights are the best! Come the Friday after Thanksgiving to watch the annual Christmas tree lighting in front of Starbucks on Main Street. Listen to the Central Bucks West High School Choir sing classic holiday songs and get into the Christmas spirit. Santa Clause will come to help the celebration on a fire ambulance. Starbucks also offers complimentary apple cider, cookies, and snacks to all who attend. Shops and restaurants stay open later to enjoy shopping and dining after the annual lighting. Perfect for families and children of all ages. 1 County Theater, 20 E. State St, ☏ +1 215 345-6789. The historic County Theater has been in the center of Doylestown since 1938. Showing mostly independent and old-time films, the non-profit theater has a wide membership in the Bucks County area. During the summer, the County features "Hollywood Summer Nights" and plays such classics as The Maltese Falcon, Casablanca, It's a Wonderful Life and North by Northwest. Kids Castle, 425 Wells Rd. Central Park.

Doylestown is home to dozens of eclectic restaurants that range from burger joints to fine dining. Villa Capri, 51 West Court, ☏ +1 215-348-9656. Pizza. Domani Star, 57 W. State St, ☏ +1 215-230-9100. Steak, seafood and Italian in a cozy, small-town bistro The Station Taphouse, 194 W. Ashland St, ☏ +1 215-348-1663. Dining within the historical freight house at the Doylestown train station. Big City Dining" in the heart of Doylestown, offering world class cuisine, outstanding professional service and a dramatic award winning design. "City Chic" cocktails and affordable premium wines. Jules Thin Crust Pizza, 78 S. Main St, ☏ +1 215-34-JULES (58537). Thin-crust pizza with a wide variety of toppings. Great for families with kids. All uses organic ingredients from local farmers. BYOB. Honey, 42 Shewell Ave, ☏ +1 215-489-4200. American style dining with small-portioned meals. Easy to share with friends and family. Ooka Japanese Restaurant, 110 Veterans Ln, ☏ +1 215 348-8185. Japanese food, sushi and hibachi Slate Bleu, 100 S Main St, ☏ +1 215 348-0222. Casual European dining. Cross Culture Restaurant, 64 West State Street, ☏ +1 215-489-9101. Indian cuisine. Pennsylvania Soup and Seafood in the Main Street Marketplace 22 S. Main Street, +1 215-230-9490. Fresh seafood and a variety of homemade soups. Chambers 19 Bistro and Bar, 19 N. Main St, ☏ +1 215-348-1940. Local fare. Bagel Barrel, 60 W. State St, ☏ +1 215-248-8280. Offering a wide variety of bagels, sandwiches, pastries, and coffee. Catering available. 86 West, 86 W.

Mesquito Grille, 128 West State Street, ☏ +1 215 230-7427. Literally hundreds of national, international and micro-brew bottle and draft beers are available at this bi-level establishment in the heart of downtown Doylestown. Both smoking and non-smoking bars are available as well as an extensive menu including ribs, steaks, salads, seafood and locally famous buffalo wings in a variety of flavours. Food is generally served until 9:30PM weekdays and 10PM on weekends but the bar is open until 2AM everyday except Tuesday when the restaurant is also closed. This is a great bar to visit if you want to soak in genuine local atmosphere, enjoy a sophisticated beer or discuss Philadelphia sports teams. Chambers 19, 19 North Main Street, ☏ +1 215 348-1940. Chambers Bar & Bistro is in downtown Doylestown, within walking distance to the local theatre, county courthouse and in the middle of a busy shopping district. Chambers offers a quaint restaurant and a charming non-smoking bar featuring favourite draft beers and a good selection of bottles. The bar and restaurant have daily food and drink specials and live acoustic pop and jazz music through the week and on the weekend. The Other Side, 19 North Main Street, ☏ +1 215 348-1940. Late night sister bar to Chambers. This is a good place to go when Chambers closes for the evening (usually between 10 and 11PM). Many specialty beers on tap as well as the expected domestics and imports. The Other Side has an excellent liquor selection.

Doylestown Inn, 18 West State Street, ☏ +1 215-345-6610. 11 furnished rooms featuring jetted tubs, mini bars, fireplaces and more. Hargrave House, 50 South Main Street, ☏ +1 215-348-3334. The Hargrave House is the only full service Bed and Breakfast in Doylestown. There are seven rooms in the Hargrave house and they all have en-suite bathrooms. Four of the room have fireplaces and five rooms have two-person jetted tubs. All rooms have flat screen TVs, internet connection, and climate controls. Breakfast is served every morning in the dinning room, which can also be turned into a meeting space. Mainstreet Inn, 625 N Main Street, ☏ +1 215-348-9222. Free continental breakfast, smoking and non-smoking rooms, free local newspaper, refrigerators, and flat screen TVs. Attached to the Courthouse Inn is Poco's Mexican-American restaurant and bar. Also attached is the Comedy Cabaret. The Inn is within walking distance to town and all the shops and restaurants. Highland Farm Bed and Breakfast This bed and Breakfast is a very historical house where Oscar Hammerstein wrote the lyrics to the Great American Musical Oklahoma. 4 large suites. Breakfast is offered in the dinning room every morning. A wine and cheese reception in the living room at nights. The Highland Farm offers a beautiful wrap-around porch which is great for sitting out on and taking in the views. The Highland Farm Bed and Breakfast is a walk away from town and is a step away far some very nice parks such as Burpee Park and Fanny Chapman Park. The Inn at Barley Sheaf Farm, 5281 York Road, ☏ +1 215 794-5104.

Doylestown is located at the crossroads of U.S. Route 202 and Pennsylvania Route 611. From Philadelphia, follow Interstate 76 west and take exit 331B to Interstate 476 north. Follow Interstate 476 north and pass through the Mid-County toll plaza onto the Pennsylvania Turnpike, taking the exit to Interstate 276 east. Follow Interstate 276/Pennsylvania Turnpike east and take the Willow Grove exit (exit 343) to Pennsylvania Route 611. Take the ramp to Pennsylvania Route 611 north. Continue north on Pennsylvania Route 611 and take the exit for Main Street. Follow Main Street north into Doylestown. From New York City, take Interstate 78 west into New Jersey. Take exit 29 to Interstate 287 south. Follow Interstate 287 south and take exit 17 to U.S. Route 202/U.S. Route 206 south. Continue to follow U.S. Route 202 south, crossing the Delaware River into Pennsylvania. In Buckingham, turn right to remain on U.S. Route 202 south. Turn right onto State Street and follow State Street into Doylestown. From South Jersey, take the New Jersey Turnpike north to exit 6. Take exit 6 and follow the Pearl Harbor Memorial Turnpike Extension across the Delaware River into Pennsylvania. Continue west along Interstate 276/Pennsylvania Turnpike and take the Willow Grove exit (exit 343) to Pennsylvania Route 611. Take the ramp to Pennsylvania Route 611 north. Continue north on Pennsylvania Route 611 and take the exit for Main Street. Follow Main Street north into Doylestown. From points south such as Baltimore and Washington, D.C., follow Interstate 95 north into Pennsylvania.

Doylestown is a very walkable town, with sidewalks and crosswalks for pedestrians. The town has the Doylestown Community Bike & Hike System, which consists of over 25 mi (40 km) of trails and side paths for pedestrians and bicycles serving both the borough of Doylestown and Doylestown Township. On-street parking and parking lots are available in the downtown area, allowing you to park the car and walk around town. Parking both on-street and in parking lots in the downtown area is regulated by parking meters, which are in effect Monday through Saturday from 9AM to 5PM. Parking is free during the evenings and all day on Sunday and holidays. Parking meters have either 3-hour or 10-hour limits depending on location; the 3-hour meters are $1 per hour while the 10-hour meters are $0.50 per hour. The Borough Hall offers 6-month parking permits for $50 that can be used at the 10-hour meters. All parking meters accept coins; smart meters accept coins in addition to payment with credit cards and the Parkmobile app. There are also free 15-minute parking spaces for people making a quick trip. On-street parking in downtown Doylestown consists of a mix of 3-hour meters, 10-hour meters, and free 15-minute parking spaces. There are 8 public parking lots that are available in the downtown area. The Plaza West parking lot at Hamilton and State streets uses the pay and display system for parking. The Dommel Way parking lot between Court and State streets has free 15-minute parking spaces and 3-hour meters. The Pine Street parking lot at Pine and State streets has 3-hour meters.