Mercer Museum, pt 2

View of the Main Hall
Mercer Museum, Doylestown PA
December 4, 2025

 I wrote about the Doan Gang exhibit at the Mercer Museum which is located in Doylestown, PA, last week. However, focusing on only the Doan Gang exhibit does a disservice to the larger museum. 

Firetruck
Mercer Museum, Doylestown PA
December 4, 2025

The museum is located in a purpose built facility, called the castle, and houses perhaps the most unique collection of authentic, used, and unrestored items from American life in the pre-industrial age. The museum website characterizes it as follows:

The museum complex features local and national traveling 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 pre-Industrial 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. (Mercer Museum Website)

The museum (castle) is seven stories tall and chock full of more items that can be fully appreciated in a day. In addition to large vehicles, like a horse-drawn firetruck, and whaling boat, each level has rooms dedicated to one aspect of life. These include, for instance, coopering, shoemaking, pottery, fishing, and almost anything that can be imagined. Each of the rooms contains most all of the unique tools necessary to complete the craft. 

We were given a great tip about viewing the collections; start at the top and work down. That worked very well for us. 

Horse-Drawn Log Sled
Mercer Museum, Doylestown PA
December 4, 2025

Which items impressed me most? The Conestoga Wagon, firetruck, whaling boat, gallows, and the incredible diversity and completeness of the collections. Be aware, the displays are in their natural state and have not been restored, but are maintained in the original condition. I was able to actually see the wear on the Conestoga wagon. I did not know that whaling boats were so large, although in retrospect they would have to be given they were harvesting whales. 

This museum is definitely worth the effort to visit and, as I previously wrote, Chris and I are planning a return trip next year. 

Note: Dress for conditions. The exhibit floors are not climate controlled and were cold during our December visit. Individual accessible display rooms may be climate controlled.  

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL