Nov 14, 2012

Day-off? No plans? You might want to consider a daytrip to the Mercer Museum in Doylestown, PA.

Built entirely of concrete, the museum houses thousands of artifacts obtained by archaeologist and scholar Henry C. Mercer — from floor to ceiling and everything in between with boats to carriages and cigar advertisements, to guns and traps and vintage medical instruments.

Mercer believed that “the story of human progress and accomplishments was told by the tools and objects that people used,” according to the museum’s site. Among the 50,000 artifacts that can be seen, some of the oldest include a whale oil lamp that is over 2,000 years old and Native American implements that dates back to 6,000 – 8,000 B.C., the site also said.

Current exhibits on display: “Stitches in Time: Bucks County Needlework Samplers” and “The Apron Chronicles: A Patchwork of American RIecollections.”

Bonus: Mercer’s home at Fonthill Castle and Moravian Pottery and Tile Works.

Road time: 2 hours 30 mins, one way from Baltimore | Advice: Get there early, there’s a lot to see and take in.