Start with the Big Three

Longwood Gardens

Photos courtesy of Longwood Gardens

It’s official. USA Today named our local treasure the #1 Best Botanical Garden. But we knew that.

In our 2024 Guide, we hinted at the impact of the massive “Longwood Reimagined” project. And as always, Longwood over-delivered. Check out the 32,000-square-foot West Conservatory glasshouse with reflecting pool, plus the Cascade Gardens (preserving the design by Brazilian landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx), Bonsai Courtyard (with specimens over a century old) and revamped Waterlily Court, along with new outdoor landscapes highlighting views of the Brandywine Valley.

The final big piece of the project, the new 1906 restaurant, with bespoke furniture crafted from reclaimed wood from Longwood trees, was added to the lower level of the East Conservatory. Go there for fine dining and floor-to-ceiling window views overlooking the Main Fountain Gardens — perfect for savoring food and fireworks.

So, there’s that to visit, or revisit if you got a preview at the November 2024 opening. Or enjoy the fan-favorite features that draw crowds every year. Come for the musical performances and theater — from the local Brandywiners to Alan Cummings and Ari Shapiro. Or the fountain performances, including evening Illuminated Fountains on weekend, daytime Main Fountain Garden shows on weekdays, special Classical Nights and the spectacular Fireworks & Fountain Shows (from the Brat Pack to Everybody Dance Now programs).

Yes, there are family nature strolls, science series, live music in the beer garden, at carillon concerts plus organ demos, free book talks, courses and workshops, plus a dahlia show in September. The treehouses and Children’s Garden will always entertain the kiddos. And the café and snack huts will keep energy levels up.

Perhaps the best part, Longwood Gardens offers an escape to let you immerse yourself in nature — albeit a highly cultivated slice of it. Admire the pergolas, pillars, arches and arbors adorned with roses. Plan a few hours to wander the paths lined with a dazzling display of peak blooms, all carefully tended and artfully planted. You’ll understand why Longwood is indeed #1. Routes 1 & 52, Kennett Square. LongwoodGardens.org

Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library

Photos courtesy of Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library

Another part of the du Pont family’s local legacy — in addition to Longwood Gardens — is Winterthur. Though perhaps best known for the museum’s extensive collection of American decorative arts and its annual point-to-point horse races in May, Winterthur deserves more recognition for its gardens and other outdoors activities.

The estate’s thousand acres of rolling hills include 60 acres of naturalistic gardens along with 15 miles of walking trails — a wonderful setting for picnicking, birding, wellness yoga (Thursday & Saturday mornings) and forest therapy walks (July 25). A special section, the Enchanted Woods, is a three-acre children’s garden that includes a Faerie Cottage, Tulip Tree House, giant Bird’s Nest, Acorn Tearoom for make-believe tea parties, Fairy Ring, plus Frog Hollow and Water’s Edge water-play areas.

Winterthur’s grounds also host the annual Artisan Market, July 18–20, when talented artisans offer their wares, ranging from antiques to upcycled goods and original art to gourmet goodies. Sip wine, make candles, craft a signature scent as you browse the vendors or take a workshop.

And for a rainy day, stop in the museum to see exhibits like “Almost Unknown: The Afric-American Picture Gallery,” through January 2026. 5105 Kennett Pike, Winterthur, DE. Winterthur.org

Brandywine Museum of Art

Although less grand than Winterthur or Longwood Gardens, Brandywine Museum of Art is a gem — a right-size museum with deep roots in the local art world set on a lush 15-acre campus along the Brandywine Creek.

The museum is well known as home to art by generations of Wyeths (N.C., Andrew, Jamie, Betsy, Carolyn). See exhibits of their work (“Andrew Wyeth at Kuerner Farm”) along with work by other world-class artists (“Joseph Stella: Visionary Nature,” “Artful Deceit: Trompe l’oeil and the Pursuit of the Real”).

Explore the grounds’ native plant gardens, trails and animal sculptures. Stroll down the River Trail along the Brandywine Creek, heading under Route 1, then on a wetlands boardwalk over to a meadow near the Chadds Ford Historical Society. Or choose the five-mile Harvey Run Trail through preserved open space. Enjoy a picnic on the grounds or head for the child-friendly museum café.

Other excursions outside the museum include visits to the Wyeths’ former studios and Kuerner Farm, inspiration for hundreds of Andrew Wyeth’s artworks. More outdoor entertainment includes summer concerts and salsa lessons in the courtyard of the converted grist mill and main building. Route 1, Chadds Ford. BrandywineMuseum.org