NO. 1 ONLINE GUIDE
TO THE HISTORIC
BRANDYWINE VALLEY
SINCE 1999.
HOME TO LONGWOOD GARDENS, WINTERTHUR, BRANDYWINE RIVER MUSEUM, HAGLEY MUSEUM, NEMOURS MANSION & MORE
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What's Up at the Attractions

Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library
Through January 4, 2015
Costumes of Downton Abbey is an original exhibition of exquisite designs from the award-winning television series. Forty historically inspired costumes from the television show will be displayed and supplemented by photographs and vignettes inspired by the fictional program and by real life at Winterthur. Visitors will have a chance to step into and experience the world of Downton Abbey® and the contrasting world of Winterthur founder Henry Francis du Pont and his contemporaries in the first half of the 20th century.

In addition, Winterthur will host a wide range of lectures, workshops, and exciting events for adults and families focusing on entertaining and country house life in Britain and the United States.

Advance purchase of tickets is strongly recommended. Timed tickets are required for this exhibition. Included with general admission. Members free.

Visiting Winterthur during Costumes of Downton Abbey

Now on View
This pocket-size exhibition highlights the collection of decorated tinware that Henry Francis du Pont acquired from antiques dealers in New England and Pennsylvania, particularly from Ephrata, Lancaster, Carlisle, and York. These beautiful, hand-painted objects feature decorative techniques that have been in use from the early 1700s to today.
On view in the Winterthur Fellows Gallery, second floor.


Longwood Gardens
Through September 1

On June 13 the new Meadow Garden opens for you to explore. Its 86 acres of beauty telling the story of human interaction with the natural world. Enjoy a nature seek-and-find for kids, learn how this new garden was created, and engage with volunteers and staff who will spark your curiosity about its interconnected ecology. Guided Walks - 11:30 am, 12:30 pm, & 1:30 pm; free with general admission.

Fireworks & Fountains Shows: Glittering fireworks and colorful fountains light up the night sky and dance to exciting music on select evenings in the midst of our Gardens' lush, natural beauty. Celebrate America-July 4, A Touch of Classical: Tchaikovsky-July 19, Abbacadabra: The Magic of ABBA-August 16, Rachmaninoff Power and Passion-August 30, Ladies & Gentlemen . . . The Beatles-September 13.

Later in June, the Open Air Theatre turns 100 years old, marked with with Summer Soirée evenings.

The outdoor waterlily display comes alive with more than 100 types of day and night-blooming tropical waterlilies, hardy day-bloomers, lotus, and other aquatic plants. Visit the Rose and Topiary Gardens-with scented blooms and the precision geometry of clipped yew. The Flower Garden Walk overflows with annuals during the summer, and the deep calm of forest paths offer a cool respite.


Brandywine River Museum of Art
Through June 22, 2014
Wilhelm Schimmel: A Bold Piece of Work
This exhibition features wooden sculptures hand-carved in the 19th century by German immigrant Wilhelm Schimmel. Although famed for his carved birds, from his large eagles to the smaller parrots, Schimmel also created dogs, lions, squirrels and other more fantastic creatures. An itinerant artisan whose fights and scrapes--often fueled by alcohol--were chronicled in local newspapers, Schimmel's dramatic carvings, striking in their simplicity, have an expressive and sometimes whimsical nature and are highly collectible today.

June 7 through August 10
Lure of the Brandywine: A Story of Land Conservation and Artistic Inspiration
Celebrating the dual mission of the Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art, this exhibition examines the art of the region through the lens of land conservation. The approximately 45 works are drawn from private and public collections, including the museum's own holdings. The unique attributes of the landscape that attracted artists such as Jasper Cropsey, William T. Richards and members of the Wyeth family to the area are now largely protected by the activities of the Brandywine Conservancy, which works to preserve art and sustain the natural and cultural resources of the Brandywine watershed.

Brandywine River Museum of Art calendar of events for more information and events.


Delaware Art Museum
Through June 1, 2014
Best known for his innovative photographs of the fashion runways for Interview magazine, Scott Heiser was a talented photographer who documented a wide range of public entertainments including circuses, dance competitions, and the Westminster Kennel Club Dog show. His grainy, dramatically cropped images provide unexpected glimpses of performers in action, while his sensitive portraits capture famous faces of the 1970s and '80s. A meticulous printer, Heiser produced rich, beautifully toned photographs that inject mystery and beauty into his subjects. The Delaware Art Museum is organizing the first retrospective exhibition dedicated to Heiser (1949-1993), who was born and raised Wilmington.

Through August 10, 2014
The forms and moods of the natural world inspire the artists of the Brandywine Photo Collective, an informal group of regional photographers. Featuring 20 photographers from the Collective, this Outlooks exhibition showcases photographs that capture bright light and subtle shadow, the drifting of wind and water, and the human figure. Each image evokes an unfolding process or a brief moment in time, a reminder of the always-changing world around us.

See upcoming exhibitions at the Delaware Art Museum.


Delaware Museum of Natural History
June 14 - September 1, 2014
BUGS: Outside the Box
A long-arm beetle more than ten feet tall, a giant butterfly with a five foot wingspan, and heavily-armored stag beetles with jaws as big as your leg await you in this fascinating look at the insect world. BUGS: Outside the Box presents a selection of greatly enlarged insect sculptures, each showcasing the beauty hidden within the (mini)beasts of the natural world. Intricate details not visible to the naked eye are showcased alongside educational topics, including an exciting look at museum collections and taxonomy, and an exploration of the power of magnification.