This Weekend: House Tours Galore!

Something about the holidays just makes us want to look at beautifully decorated old homes! Luckily, this weekend, there are many chances to do just that in Bucks County:

Doylestown

175 East Oakland Avenue, Doylestown

Begun in 1992, the annual tour has become a cherished Christmas tradition for the Central Bucks community. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church shares the proceeds of the House Tour & Boutique with the Bucks County Housing Group, to benefit the Doylestown homeless shelter in its battle against homelessness in Central Bucks. This year’s tour features borough homes in four distinctly different neighborhoods. They were built during a span of more than a century, and each has been renovated from its original floor plan. Ticket price includes admission to the four homes and Tea back at the parish hall. Advance tickets may be purchased for $20 through Thursday Dec. 1 at the church office at the corner of Pine St. and E. Oakland Ave., FX Dougherty, 64 S. Main St., or online at www.bchg.org. Tickets may be purchased on tour days for $25 at the parish hall 5 to 9 p.m. Dec. 2 and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 3.

The parish hall is also home to the Holiday Boutique, which opens one hour before the Tour begins. Admission to the Boutique is free. Offerings include fresh greens, Saint Paul’s famous boxed butter cookies, plain & fancy baked goods, raffles, and a Christmas Attic filled with bargains on gently used holiday decorations.

Newtown

It's time for the Annual Open House Tour in Newtown, a tradition that has been happening in Bucks County since 1963. For $25, the Annual Open House Tour gives participants an exclusive tour through many private local homes and historic buildings decorated for the holiday season. The 49th Annual Open House Tour will be held on Saturday, December 3, 2011 from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

The Half Moon Inn (Court Inn) will feature open hearth cooking, colonial music and re-enactors of the colonial period. Refreshments of mulled cider and cheese will be served throughout the day. Tickets are $25 and will be sold the day of the tour at the Half Moon Inn (Court Inn) and at the Stocking Works. Parking is available at the Stocking Works. Advance ticket sales are available online and at Newtown Hardware House. Rest room facilities are located at the Half Moon Inn (Court Inn) and the Newtown Borough Council Chambers. NOTE: No photos or high-heeled shoes allowed in the houses. Click here to purchase tickets online.

Quakertown

Quakertown house tour map

Sunday, December 4, 2011 starting at 2:30 with a Welcome Reception at McCoole's Arts & Events Center, including complimentary hors d' hoeurves, wine & spiced cider. The House Tour kicks off at 4:00 and includes 7 homes and churches. The historic Burgess Foulke House will have all 4 floors open as well as Liberty Hall. The tour ends at the Luken's Art Studio featuring his work along with the art of Dean Thomas. $15 admission ($12 Seniors 65+). Tickets available at Quakertown Alive, www.quakertownalive.com or 215-536-2273. Tickets also available the day of event at McCoole's.

Ottsville

On Saturday, December 3rd, from 10am to 4pm, head to the barn at Linden Hill Gardens for a fun and festive event featuring scrumptious homemade food, handmade gifts and wares by local artists, and seasonal plants.

Warminster

Seating is still available for Craven Hall’s Holiday Tea scheduled for Sunday, December 4th from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Guests will enjoy genuine Victorian hospitality as they dine on finger sandwiches, cookies, pastries and, of course, tea. Tea will be served in this gracious mansion, which will be decorated in full holiday splendor. Presentations by period-dressed guides and music will add to ambiance of this lovely event. All guests are encouraged to wear their holiday finest. Reservations can be made by calling Linda at 215-328-0512 or Lin at 215-230-6955. The cost of the tea is $30, which goes to the restoration and preservation of this historic mansion. Historic Craven Hall is called the best example of Greek revival architecture in mid-Bucks County. The Craven Hall Historical Society owns this beautiful home, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. Originally constructed around 1726, a front section was added by the Vansants during the 1840’s. The Vansants and their Craven relatives were both prominent local families. Craven Hall is located at the corner of Street and Newtown Roads in Warminster, PA. It is also the home of the John Fitch Steamboat Museum, which will also be open for tours during the Holiday Open House. For further information, please contact Craven Hall at 215-675-4698. And, be sure to “like” us on Facebook at Craven Hall Historical Society.