Spread across 933 acres (377.57 hectares), Brandywine Creek State Park was established in 1965. It features four nature preserves, including Tulip Tree Woods, Flint Woods, the Carney Tract, and the FreshWater Marsh, along with bike trails, pavilions, an interpretive center, hiking trails, picnic spots, and a disc golf course. Some of the activities that you can enjoy here are geocaching, canoeing, mountain biking, birdwatching, and fishing. Comprising old growths of tulip poplar, Piedmont hardwood, and coniferous trees towering over lush green shrubs and blankets of spring wildflowers, Brandywine Creek State Park makes for an idyllic weekend destination to enjoy the Great Outdoors.
The Hagley Museum and Library is a grandiose treasure cove spread across an area of 235 acres. The museum houses a collection of artifacts and machinery of the DuPont mills and tries to show the impact of industrialization on the progress and growth of America. The library, on the other hand, houses a collection of books, photographs, archives and other manuscripts that recite the tale of economic and technological growth of the country. Apart from enriching the knowledge of its visitors, the Hagley Museum and Library also serves as an event space where local events and conferences are a regular feature.
The Winterthur Museum is an old house that used to be inhabited by Henry Francis du Pont. Located on the Country Estate, there are over 150 rooms in the house that are beautifully maintained. The house is decorated with artifacts that he collected over the years as well as items added after he died. Tastefully laid out, the house has 85,000 pieces of priceless artifacts that include paintings, furniture, artwork and lots more in the galleries at the house. It is also home to the Campbell Collection of Soup Tureens. You can also take a self-guided tour around the vast estate.
The Delaware Art Museum is a grandiose exhibition space that features an impressive collection of paintings and illustrations belonging to the Pre-Raphaelite period and the artistic trend of 19th and 20th Century America. Here, you get to see artworks by masterminds like Dante Rossetti, Simeon Solomon, Thomas Dewing, Raphaelle Peale, among several others. Besides featuring an awe-inspiring collection, the museum also hosts various art-related activities like exhibitions and workshops. Apart from that, the various halls located within the premises of the Delaware Art Museum are rented out for corporate functions, meetings, private gatherings, cocktail parties, and several other events.
The Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts is one of the best art centers in the country. What used to be a railroad passenger-coach factory is now an art hub like no other. The facility has as many as 30 studios and seven galleries to display their work. They also have a lecture hall to study art while artists could visit the cyber cafe for references. The venue also conducts regular workshops and courses.
Delaware History Museum with its three galleries ensures that visitors get to see new and unique exhibits every time they are here. Collectibles, paintings, art pieces and many other objects are on display.
The Temple University Boyer College of Music presents a multitude of free concerts, master classes, lectures and special events seven days a week throughout the year. The Rock Hall Distinguished Artist Series is known for its recitals by highly regarded faculty and visiting artists. Temple's Greater Philadelphia Concert Series presents a rich array of programs on campus and in the greater Philadelphia region. All programs subject to change. Call ahead to confirm. Admission to all events is free unless noted otherwise.
Temple graduate and undergraduate students produce and star in six fully-mounted productions and prize-winning plays from the Philadelphia Young Playwrights Festival per season. The performances include a full range of modern and classic, comedy and drama, at the Randall and Tomlinson theaters. Alumnae of the Temple Theater program have gone on to work in stage, television, and opera productions all over the country. Call for specific show times and dates or visit the website. Tickets are more than affordable and there are discount rates for groups. Parking is free during main campus events.
See the humble surroundings that gave rise to one of the most famous First Ladies in US history. Other than being known as the only First Lady to be burned out of the White House in 1814, Dolly Madison became legendary for her reputation as a magnificent diplomatic hostess and decorator. His modest, circa 1775 colonial home was once the home of Dolley Payne Todd, who acquired greater fame as First Lady Dolley Madison. Tickets are required but are free from the Visitor's Center.
The Germantown Mennonite Church, established circa 1690, is North America's oldest living Mennonite congregation. It hosted North America's first gathering of Mennonites in 1725 and served as the home of a summer school taught by pioneer educator Christopher Dock in the 1730s. The Mennonite heritage promotes peace and personal responsibility through the worship of God. The Congregation transcends differences of ethnicity, race, gender, sexual identity, physical ability, marital status and class.
Since 1979, the Horticultural Center has augmented the variety of its botanical life by collecting seeds from Asia, Europe, and the West Indies. Permanent and seasonal plantings display over 2,000 examples of flora. The center is located in Fairmount Park. On the grounds there is a Shofuzo-a reproduction of a 17th-Century Japanese middle-class house and Japanese garden. A donation of $1 is suggested.
The Goldie Paley Gallery at Moore College of Art and Design features contemporary art, architecture, photography and crafts by national and international artists. The mission of the gallery is to seek out and present works of art that might not otherwise be seen by the Philadelphia community. Goldie Paley Gallery inspires creative thought by featuring artists who are not always in the mainstream of cultural consciousness, but whose art is often cutting-edge and profound.