Visiting Nemours (Estate & Mansion)

Nemours Mansion is an estate owned by Alfred DuPont who was an influential member of the DuPont Company. It is considered to be the grandest residence ever constructed in Wilmington, Delaware with a 300-acre of space.

The mansion has 5 floors (only 3 floors were currently accessible to the public when we were there), encompassing 47,000 sq. feet with one full acre under a roof! 

Nemours Mansion was created by Alfred DuPont as a gift for his 2nd wife, Alicia in 1909-10 and got its name from DuPont's great, great grandfather, - Pierre Samuel DuPont de Nemours, - a French writer, publisher, economist and government official of France.

Furnishings consist of eclectic collection of fine European, American and rare 18th-century French furniture, tapestries and outstanding works of art.

The Long Walk

At the sunken gardens

The gardens remained as the finest example in North America of a formal French garden which are exquisitely landscaped with pools, fountains and surrounded by natural woodlands. The grounds were inspired by Versailles in France covering 222-acres of lands.

Both the mansion and the gardens were renovated and restored and re opened on May 1, 2008 with a $39 million budget in a 3-year timeline renovation.

So far, basing on our experience during our visit, this is one of the mansion tours that allows photography inside and outdoors! Self-guided tours are always offered with some of the staff standing by for any further answer about any questions people would like to ask. At that moment, there were no guided tours available as we heard they were having a transition stage with their management.

A Visit To Read House & Gardens

The Read House is a 22-room mansion which was considered to be the largest house in Delaware when it was built in 1801, designed for George Read II, - a son of one of the Delaware's signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

The house exhibits the height of federal grandeur with combined advanced technological systems for comfort and refinement. It has 14,000 sq. ft. with architectural style, yet has a monumental simplicity. 

The Read House & Gardens is also fronting the New Castle riverfront which creates an amazing view of the Delaware river.

For the tour, you'll be visiting first and 2nd floors, including the basement and the garden areas outside. Inside the mansion has pretty wall borders and has intricately hand-shaved woodwork mouldings as well.

There are many things to see inside the mansion, including the exterior, - the gardens. See them yourselves and be amazed! ;)

Touring The New Castle Court House Museum

Me inside the court house museum.

Being one of the oldest surviving courthouses in the US, this courthouse was also Delaware's first capital building and meeting place for the colonial and first state Assembly. There has been several modifications and additions throughout the 18th & 19th centuries, by which in 1732, the original courthouse was built over the remains of the 1660's courthouse. It served as the state house of Delaware in 1776-1777.

The New Castle Court House Museum can be seen at the heart of historic New Castle neighborhood with address at 211 Delaware St., New Castle, Delaware 1720. 

Group tours are recommended to ask for reservations in advance. Various groups range from student grades to adults and older people.

The tour gives information and lets its visitors learn about Delaware's colonial and state history including their early system of law and government.

It also highlights Delaware's social, cultural, archaeological and underground railroad history.

At the second floor of the museum displays periodical portraits of people that had important role in the museum, artifacts, furniture and some decorative arts.

A Lazy Ride at Wilmington & Western Railroad!

Do you love taking steam-diesel-powered scenic train tours? I got the chance to experience a ride and it was one-of-a-kind experience.

Me during the stop over! ;)

Trains operate every weekends throughout the season, rain or shine. They also offer special themed rides at times throughout the year.

On the tour, you'll get to board Delaware's oldest steam tourist railroad for a scenic ride through the Red Clay Valley of Wilmington. It's best to do it at the peak of fall season.

You will step back in time as you travel the same route that was laid out in the early 1870's when the train was used as freight transportation.

Lunch At Jessop's Tavern

Having a sumptuos lunch in a historical neighborhood in New Castle, Delaware is such an experience worth keeping! If you want to take a step back in time as you enjoy delicious meal in the tavern, this place is ideal. It harbors and English style atmosphere that includes antique furniture and colonial fare. The tavern was built as early as in the 16th century (1674).

Here, you can see your meal served mostly in a traditional American way served on pewter dishes in a cozy setting, and a short distance walk from the Delaware river is a plus! ;)

Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library

This country estate and museum is considered to be a premier museum of American decorative arts because it houses one of the most important collections of Americana in the country. No wonder why, because in here was the former home of Henry Francis du Pont,-known to be an antiques collector and horticulturist.
The museum is named after the 6th-greatest city in Switzerland, - "Winterthur".

There are about 90,000 art collections placed and displayed in 175 period-room displays in which these collections spans more than 2 centuries of American decorative arts from 1640-1860 which also include pieces of American furniture and fine art.

Winterthur is beautifully nestled amidst a 1,000-acre preserve of rolling meadows and woodlands in Delaware's Brandy Wine Valley on route 52, minutes from I-195 and less than an hour south of Philadelphia.
Part of the acre is a 60-acre naturalistic garden with magnificent specimen paintings and various displays of colors.
Amidst the majestic oak trees is a garden that is called "Enchanted Garden" or "Enchanted Woods" that is good for exploring mystery and discovery.
In here is where you can touch and see objects from the past, who made them and who used them. Smaller kids can enjoy visiting here with the garden reflecting as a fairy-tale garden in the eyes of the little ones.

Delaware Museum of Science & History

Trip date: July 2-3, 2011

The museum (Wilmington, DE) was just close to the Longwood Gardens, so we thought of dropping by a visit before going to our hotel for a check in then proceed to the gardens.
The museum was mostly ideal for kids, but what the heck, we need to be a little bit child-like at times ;). It was just a short visit since it was yet too early to go check in and the concert at Longwood Gardens by the Philadelphia Orchestra will not start until 7pm.
So, it was no rush.

It was nice looking around inside checking those huge stuffed animals that are really looking like real. Whew!

I tried climbing on top of that turtle, and realized it was so hot because it was made of metal, and hubby wanted me to ride on the turtle's back, ugh...lol! The temperature that day was 88F. Well, I got curious as well. So, I struggled so bad. I did it later on but I guess I got burned on the butt! hahahaha!

That was fun!

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