DuPont Sites in Delawere

Last weekend we decided to go on a mini getaway. We started our trip on Saturday morning, and returned on Monday afternoon. Our first stop was Grounds for Sculpture, one of our favorite places. We have not visited it in several years. In that time, many new sculptures and a new visitor’s center have since been added to the park. We took a short tour with a volunteer guide (which is available every Saturday at 1 pm). The tour was very enlightening. For example, we learned that the founder and creator of many sculptures, Seward Johnson, is part of the Johnson family that founded the Johnson & Johnson Company. Every visit to Grounds for Sculpture gives you the opportunity to discover new sculptures.  This time we discovered a sculpture called “Employee Shower”. Given the fact that showering is a private affair, the sculpture was well hidden. We encountered some people that were searching for this particular piece, having learned about it prior to their visit. Intrigued, we followed them, and understood why they were searching for it: see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaJwJTOOgas. To find the statue, look in the area between the lake and Rats restaurant.

Our final destination was DuPont sites in Delaware. The area surrounding Wilmington, DE is home to the mansions belonging to the DuPont family. There are several mansions worth mentioning & visiting. We were only able to visit two from that list – Hagley Museum and Gardens, and Winterthur Gardens. 

Hagley Museum and Gardens tell the story of the DuPont family. We had no idea that the DuPont Empire started with an immigrant who built this large facility for manufacturing explosive powder. What an interesting slice of history. The grounds are really fun to walk around and there is lots of material for picture taking. We took a tour of the grounds which had something for everybody: The DuPont ancestral home; gardens; river-side setting; antique automobiles; gunpowder manufacturing facilities; a vintage machine shop; a worker's home; school, etc.

You are allowed to walk most of the grounds, and there is a free shuttle that runs about every half hour throughout the area. If you get hungry, Belin House serves a quick menu of sandwiches and lighter fare at reasonable prices.

One important point: get directions from their website http://www.hagley.lib.de.us/info.html

Like many, we followed GPS directions and ended up at the Library/Soda House end of the facility which is a private area. So many people do this that they have directions on their website to get you to the correct entrance.

I'll tell you about the rest of our trip next time...