Fonthill Castle
Doylestown, PA · 1 hour 31 minutes from Reading · $20 to $50 a person
Plan the day
Fonthill Castle is the poured-concrete home that Henry Chapman Mercer began building in 1908 in Doylestown, PA, with 44 rooms set with his own handmade tiles.
The castle is seen on a guided one-hour tour through an early example of reinforced concrete: 44 rooms, over two hundred windows and eighteen fireplaces, with Mercer's own Arts and Crafts tiles and his print collection throughout the interior. The grounds have a marked walk, and the Mercer Museum, his other concrete castle, is across town. From November 14 to December 22 the tours go through rooms decorated for the holidays.
Before you go
Book ahead online; same-day tickets are not guaranteed. Park in the site lot and enter from the Swamp Road (Route 313) entrance. The tour has steep stairs and narrow, uneven passages, so the site does not recommend it for anyone with limited mobility or for children under 5.
Coming up
Holidays at Fonthill Castle: daily guided holiday tours of the decorated castle run November 14 to December 22; self-paced Holiday Lights Meander days run on weekends from November 27 through December 27 plus December 23, 24, 29, 30 and 31; candlelight Holiday Evening Tours ($35) run on 15 dates from November 18 to December 23. Before that, Frightful Fun tours on Gothic literature and mourning rituals run October 9.
Checked October 8, 2026 on the official site. Hours, prices and seasons change, so confirm there before a long drive. Fonthill Castle also has a listing on BerksConnect.
