Henry Francis du Pont founded Winterthur Museum, Garden, and Library and is responsible for the unparalleled collection of American decorative arts housed there. Du Pont wanted to show that American craftsmen were just as good as the Europeans, and the estate features almost 90,000 objects made or used in America between approximately 1640 and 1860. Items are displayed in the stunning 175 room home, which appears much as it did when the family lived there. The unique displays throughout the Museum reflect specific media including furniture, ceramics and glass, metals, textiles, and paintings and prints. Winterthur is surrounded by 979 acres, including a 60-acre garden. A tram can take you on a 20-minute narrated tour with stops along the way, at Azalea Woods, Magnolia Bend, and the fantastic Enchanted Woods, with toadstool lights, fairy cottages with thatched roofs, a giant bird’s nest, a meditation maze—all sized for the little ones to romp, explore and fantasize. More info: visit winterthur.org.
â–º For more about the Home and Garden Tours in the Brandywine Valley of Pennsylvania and Delaware, click here.
