Planning a Trip

Getting There

The valley's attractions in Delaware are spread out north of Wilmington, but most are along Route 52. By car, take I-95 into Wilmington to Delaware Route 52 North. The main attractions in Pennsylvania are along U.S. Route 1. From Wilmington, routes 52 and 100 both lead to U.S. Route 1. Alternate routes from I-95 are U.S. Route 202, which goes all the way to U.S. Route 1, and Route 141 to Route 52.

Bus service from Wilmington is available through DART (tel. 302/652-3278; www.dartfirststate.com).

Visitor Information

Contact the Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitors Bureau, 100 W. 10th St., Ste. 20, Wilmington (tel. 800/652-4088; www.visitwilmingtonde.com), open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm; or stop by the branch at the I-95 Delaware Travel Plaza, between exits 1 and 3 near Newark, Delaware, open daily from 8am to 8pm. (The old center was demolished in 2009 with a new one to open in summer 2010.) Or stop at the Chester County Visitor Center, on U.S. Route 1 at the entrance to Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania (tel. 800/228-9933 or 610/388-2900; www.brandywinevalley.com), open Monday to Saturday from 11am to 5pm and Sunday noon to 5pm.

Area Code

Brandywine Valley attractions located in the Wilmington suburbs use the 302 area code. Pennsylvania sights, inns, and restaurants use the 610 area code.

Special Events

Longwood Gardens (tel. 610/388-1000) has seasonal displays including the Christmas Display, featuring hundreds of poinsettias and a lighted outdoor display. Yuletide at Winterthur (tel. 800/448-3883) is always a sensation, with rooms decorated according to customs from throughout history. The Battle of Brandywine Reenactment (tel. 610/459-3342), held in September, recalls local American Revolution history. In May, the Winterthur Point to Point Races (tel. 800/448-3883) is a good place to see horses and to be seen.