Children and parents explore Henry Mercer’s castle from basement to tower and learn about Mercer’s creative ideas through stories and prints. Children must be 6 or older and able to climb the steep stairs. $10 adults,  $4 youth (age 6 – 17) $7 member addults, $3 member youth. Reservations required, call 215-348-9461 or e-mail fhmail@fonthillmuseum.org. 

The Intimate Henry Tour is returning! Last presented in 2007, this tour looks at the private side of Henry Mercer’s life (music lover, host, employer, pet lover) and Fonthill as a home (as opposed to a museum or tile showroom). The tour will delve into topics that have rarely been examined such as Mercer's romantic attachments, personal and family relationships, illnesses, political views and more.  In addition, guests can see where everyday activities happened and how the people who lived in the castle experienced life there. The tour is $12 for adults and seniors, and $6 for youth (6-17). Reserations are required, call 215-348-9461 or e-mail fhmail@fonthillmuseum.org

Enter a world of giant folk toys in the museum's newest interactive, hands-on exhibit that will delight children of all ages!  ToyTime features fifteen major interactive components, each a large-scale version of a traditional action folk toy that tumbles, walks, slides, spins, or dances. The exhibit focuses on the history, culture and science behind each of these toys, and offers visitors the chance to play, experiment and explore. The exhibit’s hands-on elements are supplemented with original toys and games from the Mercer collections. Take a journey back to a simpler time when play was just plain FUN! Exhibit provided by Museum Productions LLC. Included with museum admission. The exhibit will run through April 1.
   

Fun, hands-on crafts and try-it activities related to our current ToyTime exhibit. Included with museum admission.

Today: Make a Thaumatrope Toy

Why not celebrate the coming Valentine’s holiday with a plethora of historical sex scandals? The American public has long reveled in stories of sexual misconduct throughout our history. Alleged and real sexual hi-jinks intertwine in this program designed to both educate and astonish participants about the litany of licentious tales set deep within our local and national history. $15 per person/$12 members). Registration required, call 215-348-9461 or email mmeduc@mercermuseum.org.

Enrich your visit to the Mercer and celebrate Valentine’s Day by dropping in on one of these programs in which local craftspeople and collectors share their interests, expertise and creative passion.

Today: Make Cut Paper Valentines with Leslie May (a “make-it/take-it” activity)

Henry Mercer loved animals! All through out his Fonthill, his home, there are images and examples of animals. In this youth program, children, ages 5 to 9, go on a short scavenger hunt in the castle, searching for tile and artifact examples of animals. Following their hunt, the children will make a series of tile rubbings and create a paper animal mosaic inspired by a Mercer tile design. $8 youth, $5 member youth. Reservations required, call 215-348-9461 or e-mail fhmail@fonthillmuseum.org. Special Offer: Adults who have brought their child to Fonthill for the program will receive a $1 off regular admission in the sign-up for the 10:30 a.m. regular tour.

In the fall of 2011, ceramic students from Central Bucks East High School visited Fonthill and the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works seeking inspiration. Their assignment was to observe and be inspired by Henry Mercer’s creations, collections and processes. The students sketched and photographed as they toured the buildings. These images were then used to design a tile. Working with a Tile Works ceramist, they learned the art of molding making and pressed their tiles. Visit Fonthill during this month long exhibit to see the results of their hand work and how these students translated their inspiration. Free and open to the public. The exhibit runs from February 11-March 18.

Children ages 6-10 visit the exhibit ToyTime and experience an evening filled with scavenger hunts, games, crafts, movies and pizza, while their parents enjoy a night out! Registration required. $30/$26 members; $10 off each additional sibling.

Fun, hands-on crafts and try-it activities related to our current ToyTime exhibit. Included with museum admission.

Today: Learn to Play Pick-up Sticks

Celebrate President’s Day with foodways historian Susan Plaisted as she prepares, cooks, and interprets some of the favorite fare of our first president in the Mercer' Museum's Log House. Learn about Washington's favorite breakfast – mush cakes with butter and honey. Visitors can help prepare the breakfast by grinding corn in a quern. Included with museum admission.

Children, ages 6-12, will learn about one of Henry Mercer’s oldest collections; the Babylonian Tablets! The tablets, some of which are 4000 years old are covered in cuneiform, one of the earliest forms of writing. After examining Mercer’s tablets, the children will practice Cuneiform, and use their new linguistic skills to make their own Babylonian tablet. $8 youth/ $5 member youth. Reservations required, call 215-348-9461 or email fhmail@fonthillmuseum.org. 

Special Program Offer: Adults who have brought their child to Fonthill for the program will receive $1 off regular admission in the sign-up for the 11:00 a.m. or 1:00 p.m. regular tour.

Enrich your visit to the Mercer and our current ToyTime exhibit by dropping in on one of these programs in which local craftspeople and collectors share their interests, expertise and creative passion.

Today: Toys that Move with Collector Jim Wiley

Part concert, part demonstration and part workshop, this program introduces participants to the music of the autoharp. Join Marti Rogers as she performs vintage music, discusses the origins and nature of the instrument, and demonstrates various playing techniques and styles. Audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions, plus take a closer, hands-on look at the instruments to get a feel for how they are played. $15 per person/$12 members. Sign up for both this program and “This is the Dulcimer” on March 25 for $25/20 members. Call 215-348-9461 to register or email mmeduc@mercermuseum.org.