Philadelphia's Boy Robot - The Franklin Institute Automaton

Unerring is my hand, tho small,
may I not add with truth?
I do my best to please you all.
Encourage, then, my youth.

The above poem, though lovely in its own right, is made extraordinary by its author: a clockwork robot from 1810!

Bethlehem's The Sun Inn: The Favorite Haunt of our Founding Fathers

On Main Street in Bethlehem, Pa stands a handsome stone structure dating to the very founding of our country.  The Sun Inn was constructed in 1758, and began welcoming guests in 1760... and what an impressive list of guests they had!  Two Governors of Pennsylvania, 10 signers of the Declaration of Independence, 19 Revolutionary Army generals, and two Presidents of the United States.


That the inn was so popular among the men who built our nation would be interesting enough, even if the structure didn't exude the sort of timeless charm only a building of its age possesses.  The inn is constructed of native stone, with thick walls punctuated with numerous windows, and simple colonial-style trim and furnishings. 

What is most interesting, for the purpose of this article, are the guests who never left the inn.  Yes, its haunted.  The SyFy Channel's hit show, Ghost Hunters, has investigated the inn and their findings will air on their Christmas special and season finale, episode 725 entitled "Christmas Spirit."  The show airs on Wednesday, December 7th at 9pm EST.


The Sun Inn is currently available for group tours and catered dinners.  Individual tours are available in the summer, and a restaurant service may become available in the future.


Visit the website of The Sun Inn for more information, and check Ghost Hunters for the latest episode.

A Castle Full of Treasure: The Mercer Museum - Doylestown, Pa

   If you drive through Doylestown in Bucks County, you'll doubtless observe its many downtown shops and restaurants lining its well-kept streets.  As you leave the downtown area, the street widens as the shops give way to suburban homes with gardens, shrubbery, and front porches.  The skyline as you approach Pine Street, however, is abruptly disturbed by something dark and foreboding - a 6 story tall concrete castle.

Eddie's Toy Museum and Store - Sciota, Pa

Eddie's Toy Museum & Store

   Edwin Stanat is a man who likes to collect stuff... a lot of stuff... make that an unbelievable amount of stuff.  When Eddie, as he prefers to be called, finally collected over 10,000 toys, memorabilia, and commemorative items he set out to build a museum to house his personal collection.  In 1999 he purchased a building with over 5,000 square feet of open space, and began to design and construct a winding pathway of display cases which take visitors through his collections, which are arranged by theme and type.  Since construction of the museum was completed, an additional 11,000 items were added, bringing the collection to a staggering 21,000+ items!

The Coca Cola Stairway

The Coca-Cola stairway is the first stop on the tour.  As you wind through the passageways you'll see the world's largest collection of Dale Earnhardt memorabilia, as well as an enormous collection of all things motor-sports.  There are collections of cereal boxes and other classic consumer packaging, as well as advertisements, taxidermy animals, and of course, toys, toys, and more toys.

Roadside America, Shartlesville, Pa

What lies within this building, located just off exit 23 of Route I-78 in Shartlesville, is the product of the lifelong obsessions of one man.

Scale model of the Highland Hotel

At the turn of the last century, a young Laurence Gieringer, age 5,  gazed out his bedroom window at what appeared to him as a miniature building atop Neversink Mountain, near Reading, Pa.









One fateful night the youngster crept out of his home into the darkness, convinced that the Highland Hotel was actually a doll house with twinkling lights inside.  Quickly he became lost in the woods, and was not found until the next day by frantic searchers.

America on Wheels - Allentown, Pa

America on Wheels is a 43,000 square foot museum of wheeled transportation in downtown Allentown, Pa.  Vehicles featured are from the 1880's up to the present day, and a major focus is on Mack Trucks, which is headquartered in the same city. 

One section of the museum is devoted to electric vehicles, such as the 1922 Detroit Electric pictured at the right, and including modern vehicles, such as the GM EV1 and Toyota Prius. 

Other vehicles, such as motorcycles, race cars, mopeds, etc. are also featured.

General admission is $7.00, with discounts for kids, students and seniors.

 




See their WEBSITE for hours and directions, as well as special event announcements.