Entry No. 9 — the Philadelphia file — filed under: cabinet of curiosities

Mercer Museum

Henry Mercer built himself a six-story poured-concrete castle in 1916 — then lit a bonfire on its own roof to prove the fireproof design worked — and crammed it floor-to-ceiling with 40,000+ pre-industrial tools and everyday objects, including a full whaleboat and a hangman's gallows suspended from the atrium ceiling above the stairwells.

The move: Wind through the maze of balconies and stairwells spotting what's hanging overhead (the whaleboat, the gallows, antique fire engines, carriages), then walk five minutes to Mercer's equally strange tiled home, Fonthill Castle.

• 📍 Doylestown, Bucks County
• 💸 $$
• ⚡ Up for anything
• 🌗 Indoors

Where: 84 S. Pine St., Doylestown, PA 18901

Hours: Added 2026-07-19 — confirm current hours before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Further reading: Official site · Wikipedia

last checked: 2026-07-19