2 Best Sights in Centreville, Delaware

Henry Francis du Pont (1880–1969) housed his nearly 90,000 objects of American decorative art in this 1,000-acre country estate with a sprawling mansion; his collection, displayed in 175 rooms, is recognized as one of the nation's finest. Its objects, created or used in America between 1640 and 1860, include Chippendale furniture, silver tankards by Paul Revere, and Chinese porcelain made for George Washington. General admission includes a self-guided introductory tour and access to special exhibitions, the garden tram, and grounds. Themed guided tours (reserve in advance; extra fee) allow a deeper look at the ceramics, textiles, furniture, and more. Children are welcome on introductory tours but must be eight years old for themed tours. Surrounding the museum are landscaped lawns and 60 acres of famous naturalistic gardens, including spectacular azaleas in spring, which you visit on a narrated tram ride (weather permitting) or on your own. There are also 25 miles of walking trails. 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 are on the grounds.  Allow four hours minimum to explore the museum, gardens, and grounds.

Beautiful and truly eye-opening, this botanical garden built around the country home of Pamela and Lammot du Pont Copeland focuses on an important garden trend: the use of native plants—species that have occurred in a region for thousands of years without human intervention—to support local wildlife and biodiversity. The forward-thinking Copelands added a wildflower garden in the 1940s, eventually expanding their use of native plants to 68 acres including formal gardens, trial gardens for native varieties, and naturalistic woodland areas. Mt. Cuba opened fully as a public garden in 2013. Some nonnative plants (like lilacs and tulips) remain, but native plants are the stars. Spring is a good time for wildflowers, such as Mt. Cuba's famous trilliums; the Ponds area blazes with color in fall. There's a visitor center in the former Copeland home, and a Welcome Walk is a great introduction to the gardens and how (and why) to use native plants. The garden now is about 1,000 acres, much of that natural land crisscrossed by 2½ miles of trails.