Just as the flowers have bloomed, the many gardens of Wilmington have reopened or plan to reopen in the near future, welcoming guests to take in their extraordinary color and design once again.
Here are some of those attractions near the northern Delaware city.
NTA-member Hagley Museum & Library is home to two restored, functional gardens—one that fed the du Pont family and the other that fed the company workers of the on-site du Pont gunpowder mills. The historical complex, which includes the du Pont ancestral home, sits on 235 acres along the Brandywine River. New this year is a pollinator garden that teems with a variety of butterflies and bees.
Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library, the childhood home of Henry Francis du Pont, boasts 1,000 beautiful acres of rolling hills, streams, meadows, and forests. On the grounds are a fairytale garden called Enchanted Woods as well as thousands of Kurume azaleas and wildflowers in the Azalea Woods. Afternoon tea is offered in the Cottage Tea House on the museum grounds.
Nemours Estate’s exquisite French-style gardens were inspired by the Palace of Versailles, and they feature a one-acre reflecting pool, a boxwood maze, and woodland walking trails. The 77-room mansion was built by Alfred I. du Pont for his second wife, and its Chauffeur’s Garage houses a collection of antique luxury motorcars from the 1920s.
For more information, reach out to Jennifer Arrigo of the Greater Wilmington CVB or go to visitwilmingtonde.com, or email Tina Madanat at the Delaware Tourism Office or go to visitdelaware.com/groups.
Top photo: Nemours Estate
Photo by visitdelaware.com
Support for Courier articles provided by:
American Music Theatre
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Hagley Museum and Library
Maryland Office of Tourism Development
Meet AC
Virginia Beach Convention & Visitor Bureau
