Winterthur

The du Pont family has left its mark all over the area, and the world, with its many inventions and accomplishments. A tour of any of their remarkable, lavish estates and gardens is an experience to remember.

Winterthur (5105 Kennett Pike, 800/448-3883, www.winterthur.org [1], Tues.–Sun. 10 a.m.–5 p.m., $20 adult, $18 student and senior, $10 child 2–11, free under 2) was designed by Henry Francis du Pont (1880–1969), an avid antiques collector and horticulturist, and his father, Henry Algernon du Pont, in the spirit of 18th- and 19th-century European country houses.

Part of the estate has been converted into a museum with artifacts and exhibits about mostly local history. A walk or trolley ride through the grounds and gardens when they are in bloom is spectacular.