Wilmington is the gateway to the Brandywine River Valley with its world-class museums, attractions, accommodations and restaurants. Wilmington is located half way (100 miles) between New York City and Washington DC, 35 minutes to Center City Philadelphia, and 90 minutes to Baltimore.

Everything from antique-furnished Bed & Breakfasts to motels (local and national) to five-star hotels located 5 to 15 minutes from I-95. See the Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitors Bureau link below for details.

Historic inns to ethnic restaurants that have been serving local citizens for decades. Classic and country French to Italian to fresh seafood to American cuisines. For details see the Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitor’s Bureau link below.

Christina Riverfront: lighted, landscaped 1.2-mile Riverwalk. Water Taxis. Parks, museums, cafes, restaurants, entertainment complex, baseball stadium, outlet shops.

Delaware Art Museum: largest collection of Pre-Raphaelite paintings and objects outside the United Kingdom. Famous American illustrations and paintings by N.C. Wyeth, Howard Pyle, Frank Schoonover of the Brandywine School, plus John Sloan and many others from the Ashcan School). Works by Edward Hopper, George Segal and more. National and international traveling exhibitions, too.

Longwood Gardens: the world’s premiere horticultural display garden. Year-round venue consisting of 1,050 acres, including indoor gardens, spectacular fountains, waterfalls, specimen trees, bonsai, children’s gardens, orchids, water lillies, 62-bell carillon from The Netherlands, ballroom with pipe organ. Many concerts and special events throughout the year.

Winterthur, An American Country Estate: the nation’s top collection of American interiors and design from 1640 to 1860s. 175 period rooms of antiques, paintings, and objects, including furniture, silver, crystal, ceramics. Campbell Soup Tureen Collection. Gardens. Enchanted Woods for Children.

Brandywine River Museum: home of the Wyeth Family (N.C., Andrew, Jamie and others) and Brandywine School paintings. Maxfield Parrish

Hagley Museum: one of America’s great museums of the Industrial Revolution. Original site of the DuPont Company’s gunpowder mills (1802-1921) along the beautiful Brandywine River. Water- and steam-powered industrial exhibits, 1803 family mansion, stone buildings, gardens, exhibitions, living history.

Delaware Museum of Natural History: one of largest seashell collections in US; authentic dinosaur skeletons; flora and fauna of the area; large scale model of International Space Station.

Tall Ship Kalmar Nyckel: full-size recreation of the 3-masted Swedish warship that brought the first permanent Old World settlers to the Delaware Valley in 1638. 139 feet long; 105′ tall; elaborate carving; seven working cannon.

Old Swedes Church: built in 1698 by Kalmar Nyckel descendants; still in use for regular worship; one of America’s oldest churches; graveyard holds remains of some 15,000 men, women and children from a wide variety of religious traditions.

Hendrickson House: stone Swedish farmhouse built in 1690; museum of 17th-century life.

Historic New Castle: founded by the Dutch in 1651; beautiful colonial buildings from early 1700s through Federalist period; quaint shops and galleries.

Nemours Mansion, Gardens & Fountains: Louis XVI-style French chateau home (built 1909-10) of A.I. du Pont. Fabulous gardens, fountains, staturary. Also home of the world-renowned A.I. du Pont Hospital for Children.

Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts: Seven galleries plus studios for 26 professional artists. Ever-changing exhibitions. Housed in a spacious 19th-century railroad car manufactory.

I-95 Exits 6 and 7 give best access to area attractions. Visitor Centers are located in I-95 Rest Stop south of Wilmington and in Downtown Wilmington at 10th & Orange Streets.

Need more? Try these links for additional information about Wilmington, Delaware.

The I-95 Exit Information Guide
“Flat out, the single best website for auto travelers on the Net” — Yahoo’s Internet Life Magazine

Greater Wilmington Convention & Visitors Bureau
Comprehensive info about Greater Wilmington & Brandywine Valley attractions, sites, accommodations, etc. Calendar of Events.

Delaware Tourism Office
Website of the Delaware Tourism Office — information about all parts of the First State.

The Brandywine Valley of Delaware and Pennsylvania is an extraordinary vacation destination offering so much more than you would expect… World-class attractions along scenic country roads, recreation for young and old, shopping of every kind, dining from elegant to casual and accommodations catering to every type of traveler.

Greater Wilmington’s Brandywine Valley is easily accessible from I-95, exit 8 (US Route 202 – Concord Pike). You’ll find a number of first-class accommodations just a few minutes away.The Best Western Brandywine Valley Inn (1807 Concord Pike), Holiday Inn North (4000 Concord Pike), Radisson Hotel (4727 Concord Pike), and Tally-Ho Motor Lodge (5209 Concord Pike) are all accessable from this exit.A bit furthur north via US 202 is US Route 1 and Chadds Ford, where you’ll find the Brandywine River Hotel and the Ramada Inn. A few miles more west on US 1 is Kennett Square and the Longwood Inn.

You need not travel very far to find your favorite food. The Concord Pike (US 202) seems like a neverending choice of restaurants, both fast food and elegant!The Copperfield Grille at the Radisson (4727 Concord Pike) offers a Southwestern and traditional British menu and has an award-winning Sunday Brunch. Wing Wah (3901 Concord Pike) serves Cantonese cuisine and special family dinners. Enjoy fresh beef and seafood at The Melting Pot (1601 Concord Pike). Flavour of Britain (1601 Concord Pike) is an elegant Tea Room serving traditional British fare. They also have a very nice retail shop offering imported fine foods and gifts.We can go on and on…Throughout the Valley and into Pennsylvania you’ll find more of the same. Dilworthtown Inn in West Chester is just the place for a romantic dinner, with candlelight dining in an old world atmosphere… Verino’s (at the Ramada Inn in Chadds Ford) and the Longwood Inn both offer American and Continental cuisine and great prices!

Longwood Gardens is right at the top of our “must see” list. Just 15 minutes north of Wilmington, the former duPont estate is a 1,050 acre horticultural masterpiece, with over 3 acres under glass!There are several museums in the Valley including the Deleware Art Museum, the Brandywine River Museum, the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts, and the Rockwood Museum.The Brandywine Battlefield is an excellent Revolutionary War era attraction with authentic displays amid rolling, wooded hills where the Battle of the Brandywine was fought

Exploring the valley is easy! Just remember… US Route 202 north ( I-95, exit 8 ) is the “gateway” to Delaware and Pennsylvania’s Brandywine Valley. Once in Pennsylvania, Route 202 continues north and intersects US Route 1. US 1 will take you west to Chadd Ford and Kennett Square. If you continue north on Route 202 you’ll find West Chester. Most of the Valleys services and attractions are along these routes.

Need more? Try these links for additional information about The Brandywine Valley.

The I-95 Exit Information Guide
“Flat out, the single best website for auto travelers on the Net” — Yahoo’s Internet Life Magazine

Chester County Tourist Bureau
More information about the Brandywine Valley from the Chester (PA) County Tourist Bureau.

The Brandywine.com
A visitor’s guide to the historic Brandywine Valley in southeastern Pennsylvania.

Longwood Gardens