Bensalem Travel and Things to Do Guide

As Philadelphia's next-door neighbor, Bensalem is at Bucks County's southernmost point. It is an urban area equipped for small to mid-size meetings. Those with a taste for either history or adventure will find Bensalem meeting venues a diverting change from the norm.

Four roadways – Interstate 95, US Route 13, US Route One and Interstate 276 – give Bensalem easy drive-to access from many points on the east coast.

Chief among Bensalem venues – and its major group attraction – is its connecting casino and Thoroughbred horse racing track, PARX East and PARX Casino. The 250,000-square-foot facility has indoor meeting and event space in view of the racetrack for up to 350 people. For outdoor events, Picnic Grove has pavilions and attendant facilities alongside the track for up to 5,000 guests.

Other Bensalem event venues include several historic mansions for tours and events. The beautiful Pen Ryn Mansion and Belle Voir Manor (the mansion's former carriage house), set along the scenic Delaware River, welcome weddings and other events. Bensalem is also home to The Mission Center and National Shrine of St. Katharine Drexel, who founded Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament in 1891, and was canonized in 2000 by Pope John Paul II (the second recognized American-born saint, after Mother Cabrini). The Center welcomes small religious groups.

Meetings groups find budget-friendly hotels in Bensalem, including the newly renovated Crowne Plaza Bucks County and Courtyard by Marriott Bensalem. Nearby Neshaminy Mall is Bensalem's shopping central, with over 120 shops and eateries. Included is The AMC Neshaminy 24 Theater.

Groups with an interest in heritage find plenty to contemplate in this township with over three centuries under its belt. It was here that Benjamin Franklin frequently visited his friend Joseph Galloway, who lived at Growden Mansion (a mid-18th-century residence that still stands). According to legend, Franklin conducted his famous kite-flying experiment to prove that lightning was the same as static electricity. The mansion also bears bullet holes where "red coats" fired shots during the American Revolutionary War.