Join the Museum Council of Greater Philadelphia for an afternoon out in Doylestown!
The first stop will be the Michener Art Museum, where we will have a guided tour. There will be half an hour to transition between the two spaces, which are across the street from one another. The second stop will be the Mercer Museum, where we will have an orientation and time for self-exploration. We encourage our guests to wear comfortable walking shoes, bring water bottles, and eat a little something before attending.
Michener Art Museum (Tour at 2 pm)
The James A. Michener Art Museum collects, preserves, interprets, and exhibits art, primarily American art, and promotes the Delaware River Valley region’s rich artistic and cultural heritage, with a particular focus on Bucks County. The massive stone walls and warden’s house that make up the core of the museum today began as the Bucks County prison in 1884. A little over a century later, this historic landmark has been preserved and includes galleries, a landscaped courtyard, and an outdoor sculpture garden. Some of their current exhibitions include George R. Anthonisen: Meditations on the Human Condition and Monuments and Myths: The America of Sculptors Augustus Saint-Gaudens and Daniel Chester French.
Mercer Museum (Orientation at 3:30 pm)
The Mercer Museum is a history museum of everyday life in America during the 18th and 19th centuries. Henry Mercer (1856-1930) gathered the collection and constructed the museum. Most of the 55 exhibit alcoves display the tools or products of an early American trade, while others show categories of industrial objects such as lighting devices or architectural hardware. Mercer built the museum specifically to showcase his artifacts and to enhance the collection’s educational value. There is also currently a special exhibition called The Doan Gang: Outlaws of the Revolution, exploring the history of a group of Revolutionary War-era Loyalists.
Directions:
Both the Michener Art Museum and the Mercer Museum are a short walk from the Doylestown Station, accessible via the Lansdale/Doylestown Regional Rail line. Both museums also have free parking lots available to visitors.
If you are taking Regional Rail, get off and head to the front of the train. Walk to the corner (West Ashland St. and Clinton St.), turn right, and continue on Ashland. Cross Main Street and then Green Street to get to Pine Street. Turn right and you’ll see flags on the stone building on the left. That is the main entrance to the museum. The Michener Art Museum is located at 138 S. Pine Street, Doylestown, PA 18901.
The Mercer Museum is just down the street from the Michener. Walk along Scout Way, in between Pine Street and Green Street, to find the main entrance. The Mercer Museum is located at 84 S. Pine Street, Doylestown, PA 18901.
Program Schedule:
2 - 3 pm: Guided Tour at Michener Art Museum
3 - 3:30 pm: Transition
3:30 - 4:30 pm: Orientation and Exploration at Mercer Museum
$20 members (use promo code “Members”) / $25 non-members