Pearl S. Buck was a world-renowned author and humanitarian who lived in Bucks County, PA. She was the first American woman to win both the Nobel Prize for Literature and the Pulitzer Prize for the novel “The Good Earth”.
After living much of her life in China, Buck settled near Doylestown, PA and spent the later years of her life in a beautiful farmhouse in southeastern corner of PA.
Today, visitors can tour her home throughout the year, but if you visit during the holiday season, you get the added benefit of seeing some incredibly festive decorations.
The Festival of Trees is held at the Pearl S. Buck House near Doylestown each year from mid-November through early January. During this time, most of the tours of the home are very similar to the rest of the year, but with the added benefit of seeing and learning about dozens of beautiful decorated trees.
That being said, if you’ve toured the home previously, they do offer a couple of tours each day during the holiday season that don’t include the history of the home and Buck’s life. These are shorter and less expensive tours that focus solely on the decorations in the home.
They also offer candlelit tours of the home several times during the holiday season, as well.
When signing up for a tour during the holiday season, make sure that you know which tour you are opting for.
If you haven’t visited the home, I definitely recommend the standard tour, which lasts roughly 90 minutes and will let you learn all about the life and legacy of the remarkable woman who lived her (as well as her also accomplished husband, Richard Walsh).
While the decorations fit nicely into the home and some appear to be period appropriate, he trees on display during the Festival of Trees don’t have anything specific to do with Buck or the time period in which she and her husband lived in the house. Instead, they are created by local organizations and artists, which is in keeping her support of the arts and various non-profit groups in the region.
Since these trees are created by different groups, there is a ton of variety to them, which makes looking at each one during your tour quite interesting.
During the regular guided history tour that I took, the docent went through their information on the home and Buck, while also discussing the trees in the home and giving plenty of time for everyone to take a few minutes to enjoy them and check out the space.
However, I’ll save my thoughts on the historical tours themselves for a later article just on the home.
After the tour, visitors were invited to vote on their favorite tree, with the winner being announced after the holiday season is over in early January.
In addition to holiday season tours of the home, there are also two other events at the Pearl S. Buck House during the holiday season: a community Christmas party in mid-December and a juried craft show from late November through early December.
Unfortunately, I haven’t had a chance to check out either of these, but wanted to mention them for those who might be interested in checking them out.
Ultimately, I really had a great time taking the Festival of Trees Tour at the Pearl S. Buck Home in Bucks County. In addition to having the chance to learn about a truly remarkable woman, it was great to see the decorations in the home as they really add to the ambiance of the home during the holiday season.
Even if you aren’t familiar with Buck, this is still a great holiday season destination.
In 2025, the Festival of Trees at the Pearl S. Buck House near Doylestown, PA is open from November 12 through January 4. Ticket prices vary depending on the tour option that you choose.
Looking for more things to do in the area during the holiday season? Check out Holidays at Fonthill Castle, the free lights at Peddler’s Village, and the best Christmas Destinations in Philly.
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