Standard Guided Tours

Rich Buser

The story of tavern life unfolds before the eye inside the historic Inn

Students can watch our award winning orientation video, (approx. 15 minutes in length) in our Visitor Center. Guided tours of the Lower Park include: a River-side talk where Washington crossed the Delaware on December 25, 1776; the Durham boat barn which houses replicas of the boats used that fateful night; and the McKonkey Ferry Inn, which was used by Washington prior to the Crossing and as a place for Hessian prisoners after the Battle of Trenton. Beyond the history of the Crossing, the Lower Park tour includes a visit to buildings associated with the historic Village of Taylorsville, which tells the story of the region and the prosperity it exemplified after the Revolutionary War.

At the Upper Park, students can tour the Thompson Neely House, a miller's home used as a hospital for soldiers during the winter of 1776-77 encampment of the army. The Thompson-Neely gristmill can also be toured. (The mill is not operational at this time but still offers an informative and interesting touring experience.) Seasonally, students can visit Bowman's Hill Tower, allowing them a scenic view of the Bucks County area.

A complete tour of the Lower Park, not including the Visitor Center, is approximately one hour, however a shorter version highlighting the Washington history of the site can be given. Additional time will be needed to tour the Thompson Neely House and to visit Bowman's Tower. A group can choose either one tour of the Lower Park, Thompson-Neely House or a Tower visit for their experience at the Park, or may choose to visit all three for the same cost.

Fees and Sizes

Groups of 15 students or more are $1.00 per student. Groups of less than 15 students are $2.00 each for ages 6 — 17. Children under the age of 6 are free. Pre-payment is preferable, but we can accept payment that day. Payment can be made by cash, check or money order. Checks and/or money orders should be made payable to "Washington Crossing Historic Park" and should be filled out for the exact amount/total payment as change for checks or money orders cannot be issued at the site. Most group sizes can be accommodated, though a limited number of people can fit into some of the historic buildings at the same time. Large groups may need to be divided into smaller groups and tour different areas of the Park simultaneously in order to accommodate everyone on the same day. If a school group cannot come for their pre-booked field trip and does not call the site to tell them they will not be coming, the group will be charged for the field trip.

Chaperones

One adult admission is free with every 10 students. Extra adults are $4.00 each if the group size is over 15 students. Fees and programming may be different if the day is a special event day.

Times

The Park is open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on Tuesday through Saturday and on Sunday from 12:00 — 5:00 pm. The site is closed Monday and some holidays. Start your visit by viewing our orientation video in the Visitor Center. The orientation video usually begins on the half hour. Guided tours are given on the hour. No tour is given during the noon hour

Grades

Standard tours are appropriate for all ages

Accommodations and Transportation

There are plenty of spacious areas of land for students to run and play or picnic on the lawn. To rent one of the Park's picnic pavilions, a separate fee is charged. (See rental section of the website.) The Lower Park with the Visitor Center and the Upper Park with the Thompson Neely House and Bowman's Hill Tower are not within walking distance of each other. Bowman's Hill Tower and the Thompson Neely House, both located in the Upper Park, are also not within walking distance of each other. Buses will need to travel with the children between the various sites, paying strict attention to bus weight limitations on certain area bridges. Washington Crossing Historic Park has a museum shop in the Visitor Center. There is also a general store, The Patriot, within the Village for souvenir purchases. Drinks and a light lunch/snacks are also available at The Patriot. Groups may wish to contact The Patriot directly at 215-493-5411 if they plan to utilize their food services or wish to pay them a visit as a group. Field trips are scheduled for rain or shine, and it is up to the group to cancel or reschedule. The site prefers not to book rain dates but rather reschedule based on availability if a school cannot make their time.