Winterthur

Winterthur Review

Henry Francis du Pont (1880-1969) housed his 85,000 objects of American decorative art in a sprawling nine-story country estate called Winterthur. The collection, displayed in 175 rooms, is recognized as one of the nation's finest. Its objects, made or used in America between 1640 and 1860, include Chippendale furniture, silver tankards by Paul Revere, and Chinese porcelain made for George Washington. To view the collection, you can choose between an hour-long introductory tour, different one-hour theme tours (such as "Elegant Entertaining"), and two-hour tours that delve into ceramics, textiles, or furniture. The museum also has galleries with permanent displays and changing exhibitions of antiques and crafts to study at your own pace. No children under 8 are allowed except on the daily family tour, which is open to all but geared to kids ages 4 to 12. Surrounding the estate are 982 acres of landscaped lawns and naturalistic gardens, which you can visit on a 30-minute narrated tram ride or on your own. The Enchanted Woods is a fantasy-theme 3-acre children's garden with an 8-foot-wide bird's nest, a faerie cottage with a thatch roof, and a troll bridge. A gift shop and cafeteria, which serves Sunday brunch, are also on the grounds.