It’s no secret that Bucks County is home to Revolutionary history. From George Washington’s heroic crossing of the Delaware River to the Doan Gang’s notorious Loyalist schemes of espionage and theft, Bucks County played center stage in the fight against the American colonies and the British.
As the United States quickly approaches its 250th birthday this year — also known as the semiquincentennial — locals and tourists alike are looking to celebrate in Bucks County. With plenty of businesses, nonprofit organizations, and historical sites honoring the 250th, the Bucks250PA commission has brought together community leaders to facilitate coordination between these industries.
The commission is organizing several initiatives connected to the anniversary. These include the creation of a Revolutionary Trail map, which will showcase important sites in the county, and heritage trails highlighting both abolitionist history and Lenape history.
With so much history, choosing how to celebrate the United States’ birthday in Bucks County might seem overwhelming. However, we’ve broken it down for you with three places to start.
Washington Historic Crossing Park
One of the best places to have your semiquincentennial celebrations in 2026 is Washington Historic Crossing Park. We’ve all heard the story: George Washington and his battered army badly needed a win, with the harsh winter conditions contributing to low morale. So, Washington conceived of a risky plan to cross the Delaware River on the night of December 25, 1776, and launch a surprise attack. The bold tactic paid off in a victory, shifting the momentum of the war.
At Washington Crossing Park, preparations for the semiquincentennial started five years ago. But for Jennifer Martin, executive director of Friends of Washington Crossing Park and a member of Bucks250PA, this year has been a long time coming.
“This is my 12th year [at Washington Crossing Park],” Martin told the Beacon. “I’ve been thinking about this for the whole 12 years.”
Leading up to 2026, staff at Washington Crossing Park surveyed constituents to learn how people want to engage with history. The answers they received contributed to a robust calendar of programming and list of initiatives.
One of the pillars of the park’s work is historic preservation. Among other projects, the team upgraded the Thompson-Neely Grist Mill, restored the historic Thompson-Neely Garden, and reopened the Taylorsville General Store. The McConkey Ferry Inn is also being rehabilitated.
Furthermore, the Friends of Washington Crossing Park are constructing a full-scale replica of a Durham boat to imitate the one Washington used in 1776, creating a new introductory video in the welcome center, and working on enhanced experiences for the blind and low-vision community.
Plus, as with every year, Washington Crossing Park will hold celebratory events on the Fourth of July and in December to reenact the crossing of the Delaware.
According to Martin, all of these initiatives were intended to be “something real and lasting that will continue to inspire.”
“I always tell people that the 250th is something different for everyone,” Martin said. “It’s a chance for us to pause and reflect in the busyness of life on what it took to make our country what it is today and what it will be for the next 250 years.”
Mercer Museum
If you’re looking for an unconventional angle on the Revolutionary War, look no further than the concrete castle of the Mercer Museum in Doylestown, home to an exhibit highlighting the Doan Gang — a group of Loyalists whose loyalty to the crown made them enemies of the Founding Fathers. “The Doan Gang: Outlaws of the Revolution” launched in 2024, but the museum decided to keep it running through 2026 in honor of the semiquincentennial.
The popular exhibition investigates the gang’s exploits throughout Bucks County, and explores how neighbors, friends, and families had to make difficult decisions and pick a side in the war. Lindsay Scouras, director of PR and marketing for the Mercer Museum, describes the exhibit as “living and breathing,” as new artifacts and documents are continually added to the collection.
Scouras believes this exhibit can teach people that in times of political and social unrest, there is a lot of gray area.
“This exhibit is a really good reminder that it wasn’t so black and white at the time, kind of like the way things are now,” Scouras said. “It’s a really interesting kind of dichotomy of ‘What is good? What is evil? Who’re the bad guys? Who’re the good guys?’ You get to go through the exhibition and make some of your own determinations.”
In conjunction with the exhibit, the Mercer Museum is also hosting specialized programs, such as curator tours, lectures, and even “Coffee and Doan-uts” events with behind-the-scenes information on the making of the exhibition.
Michener Art Museum
For art lovers, consider a trip to the Michener Art Museum in Doylestown. According to Laura Turner Igoe, the Gerry and Marguerite Lenfest Chief Curator, the museum wanted to celebrate the 250th with a uniquely Bucks County viewpoint. The organization decided to focus on artworks that depict Washington crossing the Delaware River in “The Crossing: Picturing the American Revolution,” which opens on June 27.
Emanuel Leutze’s grand portrayal of the crossing in the Metropolitan Museum of Art may be the most iconic example of such artworks. However, the Michener Art Museum has collected pieces that reexamine this account and consider different people and perspectives not represented in Leutze’s composition.
“A lot of us, when we think of Washington’s crossing, we can picture the Emanuel Leutze painting at the Met,” Igoe said. “But many of the artists in the exhibition are challenging us to think of history differently.”
The exhibit will highlight local, national, and international artists, including Edward Hicks, William Francis Taylor, Charles Hargens, Robert Beck, Vanessa German, and more. Through the exhibit’s runtime (until January 10, 2027), there will be several artist lectures and gallery talks that will be found on the museum’s website.
Igoe is hopeful visitors will use the exhibit as an opportunity to think about the United States’ founding through an artistic lens.
“It’s a moment of reflection, thinking about our past,” Igoe said. “And I think we have always, as a county, done that through art.”
To learn more, visit washingtoncrossingpark.org, mercermuseum.org, or michenerartmuseum.org.
