Very interesting place to find out about local historical figures, and the facts of life back then…read more Though we've seen lot's of historic houses, but still discovered for ourselves something we didn't know before. Too bad not much of information about this place on the internet, but we were very glad to discover it and recommend it to everyone loving the history of this country.

This place never disappoints! You need to go back each season to appreciate the changing landscape…read moreand step back in time!

My family and I had such a great time on our northeast trip. We spent a little bit of time in…read moreDelaware and one of the favorite things we did in Delaware was the riverfront Riverwalk. It was very fun we walked up and down the bridge in the river and saw the sights and took pictures and just had a great time it is definitely worth visiting

We took a wonderful stroll on a brisk winter evening while the lights were still up in January…read more Highly recommend. we will definitely come back. Sorry we didn't take any pictures.

We visited Old Swedes Historic Site last Saturday when we visited Wilmington and New Castle on a…read moreday trip to Delaware. We're visiting Sweden at the end of the month, and I was keen to learn some Swedish American history. And - to be honest - until I started researching for our day trip (after learning about the replica of the Kalmar Nyckel and its sails down the Christina River) - I didn't know much at all about New Sweden! Old Swedes Historic Site was not only very informative - but interesting! Old Swedes Historic Site is a place where you can learn about New Sweden - a Swedish colony in North America (in what is now Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania) from 1638-1655 (it was incorporated into New Netherland in 1655 after it was conquered by Peter Stuyvesant). For a time, Fort Christina (in what is now Delaware, and just down the street from Old Swedes) was the first settlement of New Sweden. At Old Swedes Historic Site, you visit three different sites in one spot and on one guided tour: the Hendrickson House (an example of a home built by Swedish colonists) that was moved to the site); the 1638 Burial Ground; and the Holy Trinity (Old Swedes) Church (built in 1698). The church was particularly interesting - with its brick floor, oldest pulpit in America, beautiful stained glass, and carved into wooden doors! Our tour guide was very nice, and the tour was only about 45 minutes (you can stay and explore more of the burial ground if you choose after the tour). In a single day, you can visit the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation and Museum (and sail on the Kalmar Nyckel), visit the park and monument now at the former site of Fort Christina, and Old Swedes Historic Site. These three stops were interesting and really gave us a much better understanding of this part of American colonial history that I was quite ignorant of. Definitely worth including in a day of exploring the area!

Oldest active church in the US…read more.. You can also stop for a National Park cancellation stamp here. Very cool grounds to walk. 5 stars for that!

I visited Winterthur for the first time with my mom on Christmas Eve for their Yuletide exhibit…read more I'd been mildly curious about the mansion over the years, and it seemed like a fun thing to do on my day off from work. The mansion is ornate, truly massive, and opulent. It's a true peek into the lifestyles of the rich. The Yuletide theme this past year was centered around Christmas and children's books, like Alice and Wonderland, Twas the Night Before Christmas, etc. When we arrived, we were a bit confused on where to park, as my mom has a handicap sticker. We ended up parking right at the visitor's center where the tram retrieves guests. We didn't have a long wait. On the tram, the driver recommended starting at the house and then walking down to the galleries. She didn't mention the enchanted woods/garden, so I didn't even realize they were there until I got home later that night -- bummer. Some of the folks working the rooms were pleasant, others felt like security guards. One chided my mom for leaning her hand against a wall at one point. Some were knowledgeable, and others clearly didn't want to be there. I appreciated the girl in the garden entry room who snapped our photo with the decorated trees before we stepped into the house! I took many pictures while in the house, and then we traipsed over to the galleries. The gallery building had a doll house, a really well-done gingerbread train station, furniture and other exhibits on the ground floor, and a rotating, very interesting exhibit on African American history on the second floor. After the galleries, we stopped by the museum store, and while most everything was dramatically overpriced, I did find a few cool items in my price range. We were on the grounds for roughly 2-3 hours I'd say before having lunch nearby. Arriving early was a good choice. They do offer reciprocal garden access with other garden memberships (I have one at home in Richmond, VA), so perhaps one day I'll use that access to see the gardens that I missed!

This was not on our list of museums to hit but since the weather was so darn hot we changed what we…read morewere going to do after spending the morning at Longwood Gardens. It helped that we got free admission with our reciprocal museum membership. It was 2:30pm we when we arrived so we didn't have a lot of time. We were given good advice on what to do in our limited time from the folks at the ticket office. We took the garden tram tour which was educational and got off at the house where we did the self guided tour. You only see a small fraction of this giant mansion but that was enough for me. While most of the docents had interesting facts the actual contents of the collection were not that interesting to me. If you are really into this era of American decorative furnishing supposedly they have more in-depth guided tours. We still had time to see a bit more of the grounds around the house but with big thunderstorms rolling in we headed out. I am guessing for some this place is a must... I am glad we got free admission.

Visited on school trip. When we arrived, staff were waiting outside and grabbed our attention by…read moretheir traditional 1700's Quaker attire. Our tour consisted of the Blacksmith, Pond Life, Mill Tour, Miller's House and Hearth Cooking. I must admit I think the adults were a bit more intrigued by the program than the children. I specifically loved the Blacksmith demonstration. The gentleman showed us how tedious it was just to make a simple spoon and the amount of work that went into making items out of iron during this time frame. He explained that during this time 8-9 year olds would have been working on making nails and how important the Blacksmith was to the community. I would love to visit again and participate in learning more about the process. I not a bug lover so the Pond while the children thought it was cool to play in, I would pass. The Mill tour.. amazing the process of milling flour and the Miller's house displayed how the home would have been set up during the time period, including the brick oven. I also enjoyed the Hearth cooking.. the children learned how to make and "cook" cookies outside in a Hearth; the cookies actually tasted pretty good. Overall, I really enjoyed my time on the grounds. I look forward to returning and participating in another programs.

this place is HUGE! there are so many different trails to walk, beautiful waterfalls and a lovely…read morepicnic area. there are signs throughout showing the map of all the trails. I only wish there were signs telling you which trail you're starting because I struggle to read the map.

Living part time in NYC where I'm reliant on public transportation, it's kind of a treat to ride in…read morethe car when I'm back in PA. I was game when my husband suggested visiting Hagley Museum in Wilmington, DE. Hagley is the DuPont family's first U.S. "home," though I'd describe it more as an estate. The property encompasses 235 acres along the banks of the Brandywine with historic buildings, a research library and black powder mills. The gardens and grounds are spectacular. There's shuttle service between the visitors' center, powder yard and DuPont residence. What particularly impressed me are the friendly and knowledgeable docents leading tours at key sites. Demonstrations are pretty cool, including a blast -- a literal blast! -- at the black powder mill. (As I learned, gunpowder is made from black powder, so not exactly synonymous.) Wear comfortable shoes. Some paths are rocky. And if you can, avoid visiting on a broiling hot day. (I should've taken my own advice!)

Hagley is a little hard to describe, but I spent hours there this past weekend, so I'll do my best!…read moreHagley is one of many properties in the area associated with the du Pont family. Hagley is where Éleuthère Irénée du Pont founded his black powder mills in 1802. For more than 100 years (the factory was the largest in the world but then closed in 1921), it was the center of the du Pont family's work, wealth, and success. The reason it's hard to explain? Hagley has multiple areas and attractions - it's not just one place or one thing. There's the Powder Yard, Workers' Hill, the historic home and gardens, and the Nation of Inventors (a museum/exhibit exploring inventors/patents in 19th century America). When you arrive at the visitor center, a friendly staff members hands over a map, which you'll need during your visit. You can walk around most of the property, but you do have to take their shuttle to get to and from the historic home and gardens. Since I was already at the visitors center, I explored the Nation of Inventors first and found it interesting and fun (with some interactive aspects). Then I walked along the Brandywine River and the mill race to the Powder Yard. There, I visited the Powder Yard Orientation Gallery (for some context), explored the roll mills (historic structures where the black powder was produced), and visited the millwright shop. At the millwright shop, the friendly staff turned on some of the 19th century machines in the machine room, explained about the work that happened at the factory, and demonstrated a small, contained black powder explosion. From there, I took the shuttle to the historic home and gardens. I visited the barn (where you can see carriages and antique vehicles), the pollinator garden, and the restored French kitchen garden, before taking a tour of the house and the First Office (a structure next to the house that served as DuPont Company headquarters). After all this, I looked at my phone to realize I had spent about 2 hours longer than I had intended to at Hagley and I was starving. It says a lot that I had intended to spend about 2 hours at the museum and then go grab lunch in Wilmington and instead spent at least 4 hours at the museum. And I didn't even make it to Workers' Hill (where you can visit another house, the Sunday school, a picnic pavilion, and the workers' garden)! There is so much to do at Hagley. I learned a ton (big thanks to the docents that helped me to learn at Hagley - Pete, John, and Jonathan), and I had a great time. Visiting Hagley is easy - most sites have tours or demonstrations on the half hour, so you're never waiting for long for something new to begin. The shuttle makes it easy to get around, but the property was also beautiful to walk around. Hagley would be great for anyone interested in history, science, or the Brandywine region. Definitely plan to spend a long time here to fully experience what it has to offer!

Paper Mill House (ca.1770) is a township museum located in the same building as the Newtown Square…read moreHistorical Society's offices, but note that they are separate entities. The Paper Mill House allows visitation to its display rooms during open hours, while the Historical Society is by appointment, and is another part of the building. The Paper Mill House Museum is only open Sundays 1-4 PM in July and August. Admission to the museum is free, although donations are appreciated. There is a rep from the Historical Society there to answer questions, but you tour the display yourself. Paper Mill House was originally a residence for local mill workers. The building was restored in the '80s and is now set up as Colonial-era rooms, such as a colonial kitchen, parlor, bedroom, and 19th century general store. On the 2nd floor there are local history exhibits. The rest of the museum is offices and conference room for the Historical Society. There are 4.5 acres of grounds, including a neat wood plank bridge over a stream. The museum building itself is close on the corner of Paper Mill Rd. and St. Davids Rd., but, though the address is Paper Mill Rd., note that the gravel parking lot is off of St. Davids Rd.