Tour This Popular Delaware Mansion For An Unforgettable Old-Fashioned Christmas
By Kim Magaraci|Published November 24, 2017
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Kim Magaraci
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Kim Magaraci graduated Rutgers University with a degree in Geography and has spent the last seven years as a freelance travel writer. Contact: kmagaraci@onlyinyourstate.com
I’m not sure about you, but in my family, decorating for the holidays is an event that’s mostly fun, slightly challenging, and definitely a bonding experience for anyone brave enough to take on the task. Of course, we only have a few rooms and one tree to decorate, and we get to enjoy the fruit of our labor by the time the evening is through. At the Winterthur estate, however, decorating for the holidays takes dozens of people and a couple of weeks… because they have 175 rooms to decorate! All of the effort taken by those who work at Winterthur pays off, though, because this du Pont mansion’s Christmas display is absolutely breathtaking, year after year.
Yuletide at Winterthur is the most enchanting Christmas display in Delaware.
Walking through the house is like enjoying a timeline of Christmas history. Holiday traditions are on display by decade, from the 1800s to the early 20th century.
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Nearly every room has a tree - the Family Party Room is always one of my favorites to see.
Be sure you see each room on tour - you don't want to miss the the 18-room dollhouse mansion that's decorated, too! Nearly 500 needlework ornaments are on display in one room, and each one is decorated ina styl ethat would surely have pleased the mansion's original owner, Henry Francis du Pont.a
The Chinese room is always a favorite on the tour. Your tour guide will tell you the stories behind each carefully planned room.
Each of the 175 rooms in the house has plenty of history behind it, and you will learn more than you thought possible a you enjoy the antique Christmas decor.
I love looking at how the tables are set - as if they are waiting for their original families to join them for one last Christmas together.
Du Ponts mission was to put on display the way America had been in the past, and the home is filled with early American arts, items, and figurines. You will not find a better collection of antique furniture, silver, textiles, artwork, and glassworks than the collection on display at Winterthur.
Yuletide at Winterthur is open now through January 8th, and you do not want to miss this!
Tickets are available online here, and tours run from 10:00 AM to 3:30 PM. The home tours are fun for all ages, and children will love seeing how kids played and planned for Santa in the past.
Starting off the holiday season with a visit to Winterthur is a great way to get in the holiday spirit. If you can’t get enough of Christmas joy, gather up your family for a quick road trip through the best holiday light displays in the state! Read about it and see an interactive map here: The Christmas Lights Road Trip Through Delaware That’s Nothing Short Of Magical
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