Day Trip to New Hope, Pennsylvania

Just a little more than an hour’s drive from Monmouth County, New Jersey, along the banks of the Delaware River, lies a lovely town that boasts a combination of the quaint and the quirky: New Hope, Pennsylvania, the top tourist attraction in Bucks County. This historic village offers a perfect nearby respite that somehow feels worlds away. Amid picturesque scenery that changes with the seasons, New Hope visitors will find it a hugely popular day trip destination for everyone from bikers to artists, students to seniors, couples to families, and everyone in between, thousands of whom come to enjoy New Hope’s charms each week.

With its strategic location on the river, midway between New York City and Philadelphia, New Hope has been an important transportation hub for hundreds of years for stage coaches, canal boats, trains, trolleys, and cars. During the American Revolution, George Washington marched several times through New Hope, which played a vital role in plans for the Battles of Trenton and Monmouth. In the early 1900s, the area’s beauty attracted the great Pennsylvania Impressionist School of artists, followed later in the century by the arrival of Broadway summer stock theater, with acting greats such as Helen Hayes and George C. Scott. Today, New Hope is home to dozens of art galleries, fine antique shops, museums, unique boutiques, a renowned theater, more than 100 historic buildings, and nationally acclaimed craft shops and restaurants. 

One great touring option is the New Hope & Ivyland Railroad. It features restored 1920s vintage passenger coaches, an antique bar car, an authentic steam locomotive, and old-time diesel locomotives, all taking riders on a 45-minute roundtrip journey through the picturesque hills and valleys of Bucks County. Special themed trips are available seasonally, including Song & Story Hour Trains, Murder Mystery Dinner Trains, The Grapevine Express, Evening Star Dinner Trains, Family Dinner Trains, The North Pole Express, and Sunday Brunch Trains. For more details, call (215) 862-2332 or visit www.newhoperailroad.com. 

For an afternoon or evening of great entertainment, get tickets to one of the theatrical productions at the Bucks County Playhouse, whose history is deeply intertwined with that of New Hope. Originally a grist mill, called the Hope Mills, the structure burned to the ground and was rebuilt in 1790, and renamed the New Hope Mills – and gave a new name to the town, as well. In the 1930s, it was purchased and established a reputation as America’s Most Famous Summer Theatre, featuring dozens of famous stars of stage, screen, and television. Its accolades continue to this day, not just in the summer months but throughout the year, with an array of outstanding dramas, musicals, and youth programs presented in a newly and beautifully renovated, state-of-the-art facility. See the schedule of upcoming shows and more at www.bcptheater.org.   

Shop-a-holics, take note: Up and down the streets of New Hope, you’ll find a terrific selection of boutiques and shops offering everything you need and everything you didn’t know you did. There are tobacco products and biker gear, kitchenware and Christmas ornaments, leather goods and lingerie, handmade crafts and hookah pipes, and intricate works of Irish, Spanish, Indian, and Celtic design. You can get a tattoo, renaissance jewelry, or a suit of armor, or lose yourself in aisles of books. Explore it all along Main Street and the assorted intersecting side roads, and for even more shopping pleasure, take a short drive to nearby Peddler’s Village in Lahaska. There, you’ll find an 18^th-century style village boasting dozens of specialty shops, restaurants, a family entertainment center, and terrific seasonal events. For more info about this day- trip-within-a-day-trip, go to www.peddlersvillage.com.  

Alongside the shops, a wide variety of fine art, craft, and photography galleries line the streets of New Hope. Admire and acquire a lovely collection of creations, such as stained glass, contemporary art, collectible knives, ceramics, functional art for the home, hand-dyed silk scarves, oil paintings, sculptures, and more. 

When, at last, you decide to stop and make some time for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, your mouth will water at the culinary treats that await. Like everything else in New Hope, the cuisine is diverse and delightful. Sample some BBQ and “comfort food classics,” freshly prepared Mexican or Cuban dishes, fireside French dining, gourmet cheeses and meats, organic pizzas and salads, Italian specialties, or endless other tasty offerings.

If, by now, you have new hope of making a great day trip to this inviting destination, check out the websites at www.newhopechamber.com or www.newhopepa.com for even more details on places to visit, shop, and dine, and an updated listing of events.