County Lines 2024–45 Guidebook

Start with the Big Three

There’s no better way to appreciate the wonders of our area than by touring three world-class attractions: Longwood Gardens, Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library, and the Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art. Let’s start there!

Longwood Gardens

Photos courtesy of Longwood Gardens

“Horticultural splendor at every turn” is one way to describe Longwood Gardens, a top destination both locally and nationally, on 1,100 acres and anchored by a magnificent four-acre conservatory. Its brilliant summer blooms, lush landscapes and stunning vistas add to a summer to remember with new garden spaces, the popular Fireworks & Fountains Shows, dazzling Illuminated Fountain Performances and fun performances under the stars (The Brandywiners present Seussical, July 24–27).

The Festival of Fountains (through October 27; timed tickets sell out quickly) is perhaps the biggest draw, featuring the dramatic Fireworks & Fountains Shows (see details in our Picks feature). Six spectacular shows with dazzling fireworks and fountains choreographed to music by The Beatles, Adele and Prince. The Illuminated Fountain Performances dance, soar and delight in the Main Fountain Garden on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings with music from classic to pop.

Gather the family on Festival Fridays (July 12 is “You’ve Got a Friend in Me”) for quality time set to music, fountains and more. Enjoy Circus Arts, Family Nature Strolls, Chimes Tower climbs and concerts and the Illuminated Fountain Performance, “To Infinity and Beyond” (check website for playlist from animated movie faves) and more. The August 16 program is “Come Together” for all things Beatles.

Wondering about the status of the massive Longwood Reimagined project? The opening of the 32,000-square-foot conservatory/glass house on the 17-acre site is planned for November 22, 2024, featuring two weeks of festivities, so mark your calendar.

Longwood offers several dining options: full service at 1906 Restaurant, a la carte at the café (salads, mushroom soup) with indoor and outdoor tables, and a Beer Garden serving up pizza and pretzels with your brew. Plus there’s a picnic area with grills and 70 tables outside the main part of the gardens for BYO folks. And tempting options are nearby in Chadds Ford and downtown Kennett Square.

Allow three to four hours for your tour. Routes 1 & 52, Kennett Square. LongwoodGardens.org

Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library

Photos courtesy of Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library

Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library is so much more than a 175-room former du Pont mansion holding over 90,000 objects in the country’s finest collection of American decorative arts and material culture. And that’s saying quite a lot about this gem in northern Delaware.

To tour the collections, first-timers may opt for a self-guided Introductory House Tour. Dive deeper with a Guided Gallery Walk to focus on a special exhibit, like “Transformations,” showcasing contemporary art with 30 nationally recognized artists whose work draws inspiration from the historic collections of Winterthur. Or chose a Closer Look Tour in which guides share favorite objects, exhibit floors or rooms in the museum, making each tour unique. Scholars may want to visit the Library to view the rare books, manuscripts and archives there.

Tour the meticulously maintained 1,000-acre grounds at Winterthur, with 10 miles of roads and 25 miles of paths and walking trails. There’s an Introductory Tram Tour, with 30-minute narration, starting at the Visitors Center. Or choose the Estate Tram Tour to see the dairy farm and landscape views. Getting in your steps is another way to enjoy the grounds and gardens, with both guided and selfguided options. Combine your walk with a picnic — BYO food or purchase at the Visitors Center — with a stop on Sycamore Hill or in the Enchanted Woods, a favorite kids’ spot.

BTW: Kiddos are welcome to visit spots such as the Touch-It Room and the Hands-on History Cart, both on Saturdays, and the threeacre Enchanted Woods with Acorn Tearoom, giant Birds Nest and more. Terrific Tuesdays offer demos, crafts and stories geared to the little ones.

And come for the events. Highlights in July include touring the Hydrangea Collection on July 3, Birding Walk on July 17, and the Artisan Market, July 19–21, showcasing quality local makers and crafters creating works in textiles, ceramics, glass, woodworking, antiques, gardening and more (reservations required). Each month offers both recurring tours and new topics, like the Art of Beekeeping on August 14. 5105 Kennett Pike, Winterthur, DE. Winterthur.org

Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art

The aptly named Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art preserves and presents elements of art and nature that highlight the extraordinary beauty of the Brandywine region in Pennsylvania and Delaware. The Conservancy focuses on conservation of land, water, natural and cultural resources of the Brandywine-Christina watershed, while the Museum of Art engages audiences through its collection of American art, showcasing artworks by the Wyeth family and other artists of the Brandywine region.

The Museum is housed in a converted 19th-century mill with a modern glass-and-steel addition providing three floors of intimate exhibit space along with an onsite cafe and gift shop. It’s the perfect size for visitors to thoroughly enjoy both the galleries and the grounds along the Brandywine (more so when the current construction is completed).

Although the popular “Jamie Wyeth: Unsettled” exhibition headed for other museums in mid-June (online tours are still available), this summer offers more art to enjoy. “Every Leaf & Twig: Andrew Wyeth’s Botanical Imagination” includes 40 watercolors and drawings (many never before exhibited) on view through September 15, and a new exhibition opens June 30 called “Frank Stewart’s Nexus: An American Photographer’s Journey, 1960s to the Present.” This 100-photo retrospective of Stewart’s work centers on world cultures and Black life — including music, art, travel and dance. Long-term planners should note the October 12 opening for “The Crafted World of Wharton Esherick,” father of the studio furniture movement with a dedicated museum in Malvern.

Families will enjoy the Museum Explorers program (kids 3 to 10) on Thursday mornings, July 11 to August 1, to discover new treasures in art and nature on scavenger hunts through the galleries and campus followed by art projects. And grownups can join Concerts in the newly renovated Courtyard. On July 10, listen to traditional jazz and swing music by Parlour Noir from Mt. Airy and on August 23, an all-female mostly bluegrass trio called Wicked Sycamore, on guitar, mandolin and cello.

For those who can’t be separated from their phone, the Museum has a new free app used by 400 other museums and cultural groups. Bloomberg Connects gives you info — audio and text — before, during and after your visit, with entries on planning your visit, highlights, new and past exhibitions, and acquisitions. We love it! Route 1, Chadds Ford. BrandywineMuseum.org

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