In Doylestown, PA (central Bucks County) and the surrounding area, there are several items of note:

One is the Michener House in Doylestown (James Michener once lived there); they offer several cultural events throughout the year.

Another is the Pearl S. Buck House outside of town. Tours and cultural events here, too. I don't know if either of these two places count as "surprises", except for the fact that they're in the same locale for anyone who wishes to tour both.

But let me tell you about my favorite sites: Henry Chapman Mercer was a wealthy, eccentric Doylestonian who was enamored of concrete as a building material, and also of ceramic tile-making. He was a more-than-avid collector of 18th-19th century everday items, from small tools to horse-drawn carts. In town you will find the huge, 5+-story The Mercer Museum, designed (eccentrically) by Mercer and built of reinforced concrete in 1916. In the center court hang a prairie schooner, codfish dory, whaleboat, carriages and an antique fire engine; walkways with rooms full of what-was-once-considered-junk surround the court. On the third floor is a library with a wealth of *genealogical reference material* (kat, take note). Of particular note when taking the tour – watch your step, the concrete floor is uneven! – are the footprints of Mercer's dog as he strolled through before the concrete hardened!

Also in town is Fonthill, Mercer's self-designed mansion, also of reinforced concrete and even weirder than the museum (locally it's affectionately known as The Concrete Castle). It's filled with antiques, uniquely displayed (some set into the concrete!), and with tiles from his tile works. This mansion WAS featured on a cable TV program (A&E' "America's Castles"), so it may not fit the criteria of the thread, but it's still fascinating... and yes, Rollo the dog's footprints are there, too!

The Moravian Tile Works building is adjacent to the Fonthill grounds. As far as I know, tiles are still made here in the same designs Mercer designed and handcrafted.

Info on tours of the Mercer buildings is available at www.mercermuseum.org This site has contacts for the Bucks County Historical Society, which will also provide information about the Michener House, Pearl S. Buck House, and many other sites of interest in the county. Maybe I'll come back later and tell you about some more of them.