The crisp air we feel as October takes over feelings of joy and wonder accompanied by a season filled with changing colors. This new season creates brand new adventures. For your next weekend getaway, experience fall in Wilmington and the Brandywine Valley. With a can’t miss lineup of events, attractions and unforgettable discoveries, this trip is one you won’t soon forget! To help jump start your trip planning we have put together five amazing attractions with equally fun events coming this autumn to Wilmington & the Brandywine Valley.
1. Fall Foliage Drives
Discover gorgeous, Insta-worthy landscapes as you venture through Wilmington’s Brandywine Valley and its many scenic drives, including the Brandywine Valley National Scenic Byway. With your friends, family or favorite travel partners at your side this journey will uncover some of the country’s best-kept secrets. Who says summer is peak travel season?
2. Fall Fun on the Railroad
The Wilmington and Western Railroad is one of Wilmington’s oldest landmarks. Chartered in 1867 to move goods, the railroad soon became a passenger train operating between downtown Wilmington and Landenberg, Pennsylvania. Fast forward to today and the W&W Railroad operates a steam- and diesel-powered train on 10 miles of track chugging throughout the Wilmington suburbs and the Red Clay Valley Scenic Byway. Check the list below for fun fall events coming your way this September, October and November, including the beautiful and inspiring Autumn Leaf Special.
3. Fall on the Farm
Pumpkins, hayrides and corn mazes are synonymous with fall, and you can get your fill at Ramsey’s Farm just north of downtown Wilmington, Delaware. The Ramsey family has been operating this farm since 1995 and offers fun for the whole family. Be sure to check their Instagram page for an aerial view of their 2022 Corn Maze!
4. Mt. Cuba Center Fall Adventures
The 630-acre estate, once owned by Mr. and Mrs. Lammot du Pont Copeland, has since been named Delaware’s premier native plant garden. The center aims to inspire appreciation for the beauty and value of native plants and the commitment to protect habits that sustain them. Partnered with the ample learning opportunities comes tons of fall fun! Adventures await with an experience for the whole family to enjoy. Check out more events coming down the line in October and November.
5. Du Pont Mansion Tours
With the founding of the DuPont Company in 1802, the name has since immensely impacted Wilmington and the Brandywine Valley. Today, their former estates have become cultural attractions. This colorful season is an ideal time to visit as each chateau radiates with beautiful, colorful, and historic magnificence.
Hagley Museum and Library is home to the original headquarters for the Du Pont’s gunpowder manufacturing site. E.I. Du Pont founded the company in 1802 on this land that stretches over 234 acres of stunning beauty. Within the property lies restored mills, powder yards, gardens, and of course the library filled with a patent collection that is second only to the National Smithsonian. Get a taste of where the family’s history began.
Nemours Estate, a 77-room mansion Alfred A.I. DuPont once gifted to his second wife Anna, is known for its French-inspired formal gardens. A gardener himself, Mr. Du Pont, created a European escape right here, in Wilmington, Delaware. He dedicated the residence to his great-great-grandfather naming it, Nemours, after a town his relative represented in the French Estates General.
Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library, former childhood home of Henry Francis DuPont, houses the family’s collections of American decorative arts. With its collection of nearly 90,000 objects made or used in America, spread across this 175-room mansion, and its 60 plus acres of naturalistic gardens, the museum is a spectacle of design and architecture.
We invite you to create your own fall road trip incorporating the amazing attractions Wilmington and the Brandywine Valley has to offer. Oh, and don’t forget... let us know about your adventures by using #VisitWilm on Instagram.
Take Advantage of the Season in #VisitWilm
