Winthertur Museum near Wilmington, DE, is famous both for its unrivaled collection of American decorative art and the surrounding gardens of the former country estate of the duPont family. During the holidays, the collection is beautifully decorated for Yuletide with trees, flowers, and greenery drawn from the grounds and greenhouses. The table is set, and the punch-bowl is filled. What better way to get into the spirit of the season?
Look here for more information about visiting Winterthur.
Just beautiful! We put up our tree & lights this weekend. Can't wait for Christmas!
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite outings from DC some years back w/a sister & mother. Thanks for the reminder. Cheers.
ReplyDeleteI volunteer at Van Cortland Manor, a colonial stone manor house on the Hudson River, not far from Manhattan. We also decorate for the holidays, and have special candle-lit tours with colonial music and treats. If you're in the NYC area, please come join us for an old-fashioned Christmas experience:
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Oooo! I want to spend Christmas THERE!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm fascinated by those tall candle stands in the top picture. What an ingenious way to increase the light around a dining table!
ReplyDeleteI was running around this place like a child in a lolly shop, not knowing what to look at first. The parlour, in your photo, is gorgeous; decorative arts always look better in situ, rather than in glass cabinets on a museum wall.
ReplyDeleteOh ... and the garden *bliss*
Welcome back, ladies. I trust you had an enjoyable vacation & holiday.
ReplyDeleteI've been dying to go to Winterthur for years but have never gotten around to it. It looks lovely.
ReplyDeleteBarbara, I've been to Van Cortlandt Manor around Christmas, and had a fabulous time.
Winterthur is a pretty magical place any time of the year. The Yuletide tours are so popular that there's not the same amount of time to admire the rooms and furnishings as usual (last week I kept getting hustled along by the guide and ordered to stay with the group), but it's still lots of fun to see the trees.
ReplyDeleteBarbara, I've been to Van Cortland Manor, as well as nearby Phillipsburg. Lovely places to visit, too.
Mme. Tresbeau, I liked those candlestands, too, and I agree that they must have helped dispel the gloom in a large dining room on a long winter evening.
Hels, that's exactly my response to Winterthur: where to look first? And the gardens -- ah, the gardens are amazing (though not at this time of the year, I'm afraid.)
Richard, I'm glad you missed us! As much as Loretta and I enjoyed our little break, we confessed to one another that we actually missed blogging, too. Oh, we're never satisfied...
Elizabeth Kerri, you have to go! It's not far from NYC. And you could definitely write it off for research. *g*
You can also visit The Van Cortlandt house museum built in 1748 also decorated colonial style and we have our candlelight tours with period dressed personages. This is happening this weekend 4th and 5th of December. www.vancortlandthouse.org
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