As you drive onto the grounds of Winterthur Museum and Country Estate, the former home of Henry Francis du Pont in Winterthur, Del., you are amazed at the spaciousness of the land. The beautiful green lawn seems to go on forever. You look forward to exploring as much of that land as possible and especially visiting the 175-room mansion museum, which was built in the early 1800s and expanded in the early 1900s.

There is so much to see it is difficult to decide what to do first. The place you must begin is the Visitor Center, where you purchase your admission and gather information for your visit. You may want to take a quick peek at the bookstore, where you will definitely want to return after your tour of the house and gardens.

Your museum visit begins with a short shuttle bus ride from the front of the Visitor Center up the hill. When you reach the museum, you can visit the galleries, which are filled with furniture, porcelain, metalwork and many other pieces, as well as the special exhibits. Kids will enjoy hours of play in the Touch-it Room.

A tour of the museum is a must. Though not all the museum’s 175 rooms are available for exploration (even if they were, you wouldn’t have time to explore them all), the rooms you visit will give you a good idea of the expanse of the museum’s collection of early American decorative arts.

Du Pont (1880–1969) was an avid antiques collector who displayed his treasures with great attention to detail, with the result that the museum’s collection of antiques and Americana is unsurpassed. If you love fine antiques, you will be in your element when you move through the elegant period rooms. More than 85,000 objects made or used in America between 1640 and 1860 are housed at the museum. Collections include Chippendale, Chesterfield, Queen Anne, Baltimore and Empire furniture. In addition, clocks, paintings, pewter, silver, porcelain, textiles and chandeliers will delight anyone who ventures through the rooms. 

Another important estate feature is the library, containing 72,580 volumes of books and 500,000 manuscripts, periodicals and photographs relating to the American arts, history and culture. The library is open Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., to visitors interested in antiques, art, and history. It is closed holiday Mondays.

Yuletide at Winterthur 

The holiday season is a special time to venture through Winterthur. The splendor of childhood holiday experiences, combined with the fantasy of Winterthur’s spectacular period rooms, are all brought to life with the glistening decorations spanning the centuries. You can take a guided tour through the mansion and delight in the holiday ambience and festive decorations of yesteryear. Eighteen fabulous rooms will interpret holiday celebrations from the 1700s through today. Holiday festivities take place every weekend, with strolling carolers singing seasonal songs and other holiday festivities in the galleries reception area from 12:30 to 3 p.m. In the Touch-it Room, you can experience the holiday with hands-on fun for the whole family during special holiday hours, 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sunday during yuletide.

You can participate in yuletide events every day of the week. Among special yuletide events for children is a children’s shopping day at the museum bookstore in the Visitor Center on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Each child will have a personal helper to make his or her selections and assist with wrapping, so the gifts will be a surprise. Another special event for children ages 1–12 is breakfast with Santa on Dec. 8 and Dec. 22. Call 800-448-3883 for reservations.

A number of other events are planned including “Fashionably Late at Winterthur,” held on Tuesday evenings, beginning Nov. 27; music and light refreshments are free with a Yuletide Tour ticket, wine is available for purchase. Tour reservations are recommended.

Winterthur’s yuletide celebration takes place Nov. 23 through Jan. 6, and reservations are recommended. On Tuesdays, you can visit during special evening hours, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Check the website

www.winterthur.org as information on events becomes available.

Gardens

In addition to being a collector of antiques, Du Pont was a horticulturist. A visit to Winterthur wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the 60-acre garden, including the children’s garden, Enchanted Woods, which was designed as if the fairies created it. It includes a giant bird’s nest, a faerie cottage, an acorn tearoom and other features certain to appeal to children. You can view the gardens from the narrated garden tram, which leaves from the Visitor Center, or on foot.

Du Pont’s love of flowers also carried over to the dining room, where the antique china used on the dining table had to be coordinated each day with flowers being displayed from the gardens.

Dining at Winterthur

The cafeteria in the Visitor Center serves lunch and snacks and is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with hot food available from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. A Sunday brunch is also served. Reservations for the brunch can be made by calling 302-888-4826. For gourmet coffees, other beverages and light snacks, the Cappuccino Café, adjacent to the museum, is the place to go.

Barrier-free access at Winterthur

The shuttle bus and tram are equipped with lifts and wheelchair securement devices. Complimentary wheelchairs are available for use by guests, as are auxiliary aids, such as assistive listening devices for tours and presentations. Tours with a sign-language interpreter are available with at least a week’s notice.

Winterthur Museum and Country Estate is worth a visit during different seasons. Exhibits are always changing, and there is so much to see. Try to go early and stay late to take in as much as you can. For  information, visit www.winterthur.org or call 888-448-3883, 302-888-4600 or  TTY 302-888-4907.