Winterthur Visitor Center — Attraction in Pennsbury Township

FIRST HINT: if you are using Google Maps. Search for 'Winterthur Museum,' not just 'Winterthur.' While it's quite possible the corner we were directed to using the shorter search word was on the (vast) property, it was not any sort of entrance. This was the first time any of us had visited in decades, so we really didn't remember much. We had pre-paid our tickets online, and had reserved a timed ticket for a guided tour of the current special exhibit in the museum. Nevertheless, first stop is the Visitor Center just off the Parking Lot. There we got our actual tickets for the timed guided special exhibit tour, and also a needed timed ticket for the self-paced House Tour. (N.B. As of summer 2022 masks are still required for 'guided' house tours, but not the 'self-paced' house tours.) Just right of the Reception area are the restrooms. Also in the Visitor Center is a Cafe (with indoor and outdoor seating). The menu is short, but the food quality and tasty, with options ranging from a 3-course lunch, to soup/salad/sandwich, to snack foods. Outside the Visitor Center there is both a free 1)circulating shuttle, which also has stops at the Conservatory, Gallery, and Parking Lot, and a 2) tram which offers a narrated tour of the grounds, with stops at the Magic Garden, and Gallery. (The Magic Garden is of special interest to children, as are special Tuesday programs in the Gallery; I suspect timed tickets may be required for the Gallery activities,) The house tour begins at the Conservatory at the ground level entrance to the 5th floor. Confused? The mansion sits on a hill, and a later expansion on the downhill side necessitated either labeling 4 floors as 'basement' (that were not really below ground) or re-numbering the main floor, which they did. So, the House Tour comprises floors 5 and 4 (what might be termed 'public' rooms) - not the bedrooms or working areas of the Estate, but the rooms where they entertained guests; the front part, if you will. The whole house is 150 rooms, but many are part of what is now called the Gallery. From the 4th floor exit it is a short walk down the drive to the left to get to the Gallery (museum) entrance, on the 'new' 1st floor. Tickets are not required for the regular exhibits, which fill 15 or 20 rooms on that level. The Gallery reception area was also the meeting point for our guided tour of the special exhibit arranged in numerous rooms on the 2nd floor. Any time during their stay, visitors are free to wander in the gardens surrounding...

Winterthur is kind of a sister-site to Longwood Gardens, both of which at one point were owned by the DuPont family. This area was mainly the private residence of the DuPont family until the 1950s, at which time it was turned into a museum. The natural surroundings of the area are beautiful and impeccably maintained by the staff. Aside from the natural features of Winterthur, the main attraction to me is the DuPont house. There are at least 100 room in the house and it is one of the most beautiful houses I’ve ever visited. Much of it was pieced together using the wood old estates that were set to be demolished. This makes the interior design very different from wing to wing, floor to floor, and even room to room. The decorative theme for 2023 revolves around Anne Lowe, one of the most famous designers in American history.

You can book private tours of the home for up to 5 people, costing up to $10 for non members and $5 for members as of December 2023. This is a great deal and you can see more of the house than what you can see on the self-paced tour (which is free). The cafe has good food, albeit a bit pricy. Those pastries are delicious though.

I recommend this place to anyone that loves nature and loves to explore beautiful homes. Memberships are decently priced as well and tax deductible, so it’s...

A Henry Francis du Pont home who was a big collector of this including furniture. Our Family went for the Yuletide House Tour and museum visit. There are garden trams( which have a roof cover but open sides) and small buses available to take you to the main house/mansion and museum. They were frequent so the wait time wasn't crazy during our visit. The Tram drivers are knowledgeable about the gardens and inform you about the seasons. We are looking forward to possibly visiting again in other seasons to get a full picture of the true beauty there. Loved the holiday tour where the seasonal decor was inspired by one main exhibit from Ann Lowe, a famous dress designer. Don't miss out on spending time in the museum and the available areas are clearly marked. There seems to be a calendar of events available on their website so you could plan your visit(s) around your interests. Noticed a cafe but didn't use it. Short wait for tickets which you need to show at the main home for your...