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by gorboduc
Salem, Massachusetts
October 11, 2002
General admission includes a tram tour of the extensive gardens and admission to a small group of exhibits on display in the galleries. It costs $10.
The gardens are lovely, set in acres of rolling hills. They are most striking in the spring, when many varieties of daffodils are in bloom, and early summer, when the mountain laurel, rhododendron, and azaleas which grow beneath the canopy of the forest garden are flowering.
Kids will especially love the new Enchanted Garden, which has all sorts of things to play on, including a giant hollow tree to hide, a bridge (complete with troll), and a kid-sized thatched cottage.
For $5 in addition to genral admission, you can choose from one of a number of tours though the house itself. The house is gigantic - seven floors - and is almost completely composed of rooms removed from architecturally signifigant houses and reconstructed to give Mr. DuPont a fitting place to display his extensive collection of antiques.
If you are interested in a particular sort of antique - Federal furniture, or chinese export porcelain, for example - you can call at least two weeks ahead (but you should try to make it a month, to be on the safe side) and schedule a private tour with an expert on that type of item. This used to cost $60 for up to four guests, but contact Winterthur directly for the current cost.
If you get hungry as you tour, there's a pleasant cafateria at the visitor's center, just behind where you purchase admission tickets, and a smaller snack bar in the building that houses the galleries. If you visit in the summer, perhaps the most fun way to eat at Winterthur is to pack a picnic lunch. There are picnic tables for visitors' use near the parking lot and outside of the galleries.
From journal Wilmington, Land of DuPonts
by diminor1929
Norristown, Pennsylvania
September 16, 2002
After the museum, have lunch in the very upscale (but reasonable) cafeteria-type dining room. (You can eat outside under market umbrellas if the weather warrants it). Then head for the Gardens and the Museum shop.
From journal The Brandywine Valley,Delaware
by RV Momma
Melbourne, Florida
October 30, 2000
The gardens are equally grand and were Henry Francis' first love. He ordered the estate firefighters, in case of fire, to save the towering trees first, and let the house burn. Fortunately, it never did.
First time visitors can take the Highlights Tour of the Period Rooms and the Garden Tram Ride to get an overview of the estate. Special tours are also available. A general admission exhibit area includes interactive exhibits on decorative arts, a Touch-It Room for kids, and the Campbell Soup Tureen collection.
Winterthur hosts many special events all year, including an Easter egg roll, a Point-to-Point steeplechase in early May, a huge craft festival on Labor Day weekend, the annual Delaware Antiques Fair in November, and Yuletide Tours, mid-November to early January.
General admission in $8, $13 with the Highlights Tour, for adults. Senior and children's discounts available.
From journal Dazzling Treasures in Delaware