Yuletide at Winterthur (Courtesy of Winterthur)
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Splendid architecture and decorative arts, glorious gardens, and spectacular holiday decorations indoors and out are just some of the reasons why visits to two of the Brandywine Valley’s favorite destinations offer an ideal way to spend a December day.
Begin with a Yuletide house tour at Winterthur, the lavish Henry Francis duPont estate near Wilmington, Delaware. An array of bedrooms, parlors, dining rooms, and drawing rooms are decorated for the season, with elaborate trees and trimmings set against the house’s period furnishings and extensive collection of fine and decorative arts.
After lunch in the Winterthur cafeteria, join a curator for a brief introduction to the blockbuster exhibition of costumes created for “The Crown,” followed by some free time to explore on your own.
An evening visit to nearby Longwood Gardens offers time on your own to relax, wander the grounds, and take in the spectacular seasonal decorations. The famed holiday garden light display features hundreds of sparkling snowflakes, twinkling tree forms, and illuminated fountains.
Architecture and urban studies specialist Bill Keene, a frequent Smithsonian Associates tour leader, is your guide. Lunch is included at Winterthur; free time is allotted at Longwood Gardens for dinner on your own.
Fringe stop at about 8:25 a.m.
