fonthill

LauraLazewski

I kept looking at my watch and hoping the tour would end! Our guide knew a lot but seemed to struggle to spit it out. The house itself was something impressive. I can't imagine living there but it was neat to see. Wear something warm as it is cold inside!

Foster001

What a great tour to take on an afternoon! Packed with so much information. A great story about a man with a vision to build something unique that would last forever. Educational and inspiring.

cmf155

This is a great tour. Make sure to reserve ahead even if on the same day. We had a wonderful tour on Saturday March 28, 2015. Joe C. was our guide and he truly brought to all members of the tour a wonderful sense of who Henry Mercer was and how this shaped the design of his castle.Mercer was the true Renaissance man who used his wealth and privilege to travel and learn about the world and the history of civilization. His interest in tile reveals an interesting thread of human history both practical and artistic. The Castle is a quirky revelation of his own mind. Go and experience a unique building. As I said to my tour mates- I enjoyed this far more than a recent tour to Monticello.Must be relatively mobile to do this tour. No wheel chairs or crutches, walking casts etc.After the tour a great lunch at MOMS!

JaySPenna

This is the home of the Henry Mercer, who built the Mercer Museum. It is definitely worth seeing. No two rooms are on the same floor, you need to go up or down stairs to get to rooms. Very interesting.

Maralize

A wealth of history and a bit of dreaming big! Fonthill makes you wonder what interesting invention you can come up with. Henry Mercer was a world traveler and definitely a dreamer too! His talents will astonish you. What an amazing place to visit. Make sure to check out the tile woks too. Kids also can enjoy this... The movie is very educational and bucks County is just a great place to visit. There is a fee for the castle, Which is well worth it. But no fee for the Tile works.

BetsyLeeK

Truly a castle. Henry Chapman Mercer's dream was his home, built using his invention of reinforced concrete and decorated throughout with tiles from his own factory on his estate. The many acres are wonderful for strolling. Tours are by reservation only during parts of the year. Make sure to visit the Mercer Tile Works on the property.

mikemL3281BN

The castle was really cool. It is really interesting to see how many talents Henry C. Mercer had during his life.

lilypup64

We went for a tour while the castle was decked out for Christmas. There were trees decorated in most of the rooms, making it nice and festive. I wasnt quite sure what to expect after learning it was a "concrete" castle. I was pleasantly surprised to find the inside was as castle-y as any castle I've been to in England. Lots of stone(concrete) steps and narrow passages. Tour guide was great, so much more information than I expected. Would have loved to take pics inside but it isnt allowed, (which I totally understand). There was so much to look at, I feel like I need to go again to take it all in. There were areas of the castle the tour didnt cover, I believe you can go on different tours to see them, so I do believe we will be back!

DonnaandCraig

Set beautifully at the end of a long driveway lined by towering trees, Fonthill evokes a romantic chateau you would be more likely to find in France along the Loire River, or perhaps a small castle in Bavaria. Henry Mercer built this sandstone colored mansion using his beloved poured concrete. Built as he went along, and as his whims directed him, the castle is a compilation of cavernous and tiny rooms, twisting staircases and hallways. Samples of his original tilework (made on the same property) are embedded in the walls and ceilings throughout the house and pieces from his collection of preindustrial Americana are on display in all the rooms.

dianed120

A concrete castle preserved with all the furnishing from the early 1900's. Castle was built room by room, all of concrete. So many fascinating things to see. Excellent tour guide Joyce took us on a guided tour of this unique home. She was so knowledgeable about the estate and the history of the house. Lots of steps, walking and standing but extremely fascinating. A must for history buffs! Dress warmly, house was chilly in December. No photography allowed inside the home. A combo ticket is available if you also tour Mercer Museum in Doylestown the same day and will save you a few dollars.

879christinam

This is an excellent interesting site to visit I highly recommend a visit BUT the nature of the site requires you to be able to climb short flights of stairs to see all the tiles on the castle walls. If you cannot do stairs this is not the place for you. My 93 year old mom was barely able to do it with a cane and help so not handicap accessible, unfortunately.. The tiles are on the ceilings walls and floors but the lighting is maintained at the original levels so seeing details requires guides to carry flashlights which they briefly flash here and there at highlights I had a small light on my key ring which gave me the ability to see more details which I highly recommend! Overall a worthwhile trip. The Moravian tile works are next door and I will review them also.

stephaniem700

The web says to make reservations but we walked up and got into next tour no problem. It takes about an hour or hour and a half. I thought it was very interesting to see how he designed it and put all the tiles. My husband was a little bored but parts he found interesting. I think it depends on the guide.

ShirleyE601

Amazed at the magnitude of work completed by Mr Mercer. A small fee for a big pack of memories to take home.

packednreadyNePa

My husband and I loved this place. You can read all about it on their website. A 44 room house made from concrete - bottom to top. Our guide, Karen, was very knowledgeable and personable. We did not make reservations and I would suggest that you do so. On this day there were school trips and we had to wait one hour for our tour.. The tour itself was 1 hour and 15 min. We were told this was an usual day, but I would still recommend reservations. They recommended that we walk just a bit down the road to the Tile Works. Which we did but they would not leave us in - again, because of school field trips. We could come back in about 3 hours. We were told this was an usual day but my recommendation is to call ahead.

LouisePennsylvania

Frank, the tour guide, was very knowledgeable and able to answer all the questions regarding the castle and its eccentric owner. The castle is very unique in that its entirely concrete with elaborate tiles adding a decorative and ornate appeal. The history of the home and the man who designed it tell a very spellbinding human tale. I almost didn't give it a 5, because the woman at the admission desk had directed us to a video; after watching the first 3/4, more people entered the room and the woman rudely rewound the video to the start. She didn't even check with us. I would have liked to see the ending of the video, and I certainly didn't want to see the whole thing again from the start. How thoughtless.