Special Events
Conservation Tour
September 3, October 1, November 5, 1–3 pm
On the first Wednesday of every month, get a behind-the-scenes look at renowned conservation laboratories where antiques and works of art are examined, studied, and cared for by expert conservators. $15 Members; $30 nonmembers.
GardenFair
September 26–28
Join us as GardenFair celebrates its fifth anniversary! This year’s spectacular autumn sale pays tribute to the Artist & Gardener and features more than 80 exhibitors offering everything from one-of-a-kind selections of plants to garden art and antiques. Enjoy expert gardening information, artists, celebrity lecturers, demonstrations, entertainment, and more! $15 general admission; $35 Early-Bird admission. Members free.
Wednesdays at Winterthur: Garden Walks
Now through October 29, 11:30 am
Join us Wednesdays for guided walks covering a wide variety of gardening topics. Programs last approximately one hour. See
winterthur.org/wednesdays for locations. Included with all admission tickets. Members free.
Symposium: American Silver of the Early Nineteenth Century
September 5–6
The symposium will address European goldsmithing, English luxury goods, American jewelry, Philadelphia silver of the early 19th century, and more. $340; $295 Members and professionals working for nonprofit organizations; $225 students.
Silversmith Family Day
September 6, 11 am–3 pm
Visit the exhibition Silversmiths to the Nation for some hands-on fun. Watch silversmithing demonstrations, listen to stories, make crafts, and learn how silver objects are made and decorated. Included with all admission tickets. Members free.
Second Saturdays Garden Walks
September 13, October 11, November 8, 1 pm
Meet at the Visitor Center for walks highlighting both popular and little-known features of the Winterthur landscape. Rain-or-shine walks last about 90 minutes. Included with all admission tickets. Members free.
Winterthur Institute—Fall Session
September 14–26
Learn about the decorative arts made or used in America from after the Revolution to 1920 in this two-week graduate-level course taught by Winterthur curators, conservators, and guest speakers. $1,600. By application only. Applications accepted on a space-available basis. Please call 302.888.4786.
Conservation Clinic
September 25, October 16, November 20,
1–4 pm, by appointment only
Bring your work of art, and experts will discuss its condition and care. Sorry, no appraisals.
Call 302.888.4974 for an appointment. Free.
Informed Perception: An Objective Approach to Aesthetic Appreciation
Wednesdays, October 1–December 17, 2–4 pm
Sponsored by the Violette de Mazia Foundation and inspired by the writings of Dr. Albert Barnes, Violette de Mazia, and John Dewey, this 12-week course introduces students to a method for understanding art. Application required. For more information or to register, visit demazia.org or call 610.971.9960. $50 materials fee.
Delaware Steel Concert
October 12, 2:30 pm
Enjoy the sounds of traditional steel drum music as Delaware Steel performs under the direction of Harvey Price. $8 Members, seniors, UD staff and alumni, Winterthur staff; $15 adults; $5 students and children.
Who’s Your Daddy? Families in Early American Needlework Conference
October 17–18
Explore the theme of families in early American needlework through lectures, workshops, and hands-on classes. $425; $375 Members and professionals working for nonprofits; $250 students.
Historic Fort Worth Designer Showhouse
November 1–16, Fort Worth, Texas
Experience a taste of Winterthur in Texas. A benefit for Historic Fort Worth, this designer showhouse features historic millwork and interior designs inspired by the rooms of Winterthur and created by Winterthur licensees. Visit historicfortworth.org for more information. Winterthur Members receive a
10% discount on tickets to both the showhouse and the Gala.
The 45th Annual Delaware Antiques Show
November 7–9
The Delaware Antiques Show features
some of the country’s most distinguished dealers in American antiques, including furniture, paintings, rugs, porcelain, silver, jewelry, and other decorative arts. See page 28 for details on lectures and book signings. The show takes place at the Chase Center on the Riverfront in Wilmington. For tickets to the show or preview party, call 800.448.3883.
General show admission: $13 Members; $15 nonmembers. Tickets valid for all three days.
Winterthur Study Day: Theater of the Table
November 21
Held in conjunction with the exhibition Feeding Desire, this study day includes an opening lecture by Sarah Coffin of the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum and hands-on workshops and special focus tours. Themes include dining in the 1700s and 1800s, early 19th-century silversmithing, cookbooks in the Winterthur collection, and 18th-century dinnerware.
$275; $225 Members.
Brandywine Baroque Concert
November 30, 6 pm
Brandywine Baroque offers a buffet of 17th- and 18th-century music about food and wine as the perfect complement to Winterthur’s
latest exhibition, Feeding Desire. $20 Members; $25 nonmembers.
In the Galleries
Included with Garden & Galleries Pass. Adults $15, children $5, Members free.
Silversmiths to the Nation: Thomas Fletcher & Sidney Gardiner, 1808–1842
Through September 21
Thomas Fletcher and Sidney Gardiner were the premier silversmiths of their time, renowned for their dramatic presentation pieces and jewelry. This exhibition is the first to focus solely on the work of these influential silversmiths.
K is for Kids
Open through September 18, Re-opens November 1
Winterthur celebrates literacy with this exhibition of objects from its collection. The show explores the history of reading education in America and illusrates each letter of the alphabet with an artifact and a rhyming label.
Feeding Desire: Design and the Tools of the Table, 1500–2005
November 1, 2008–February 1, 2009
A journey through the evolution of Western dining, Feeding Desire features objects from the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum. The exhibition will address the development of utensil forms, innovations in production and materials, flatware as social commentary, and table etiquette.
Who’s Your Daddy? Families in Early American Needlework
October 4, 2008–January 9, 2009
This exhibition explores how family ties are honored and strengthened through needlework, how needlework can serve as primary source material for historical and genealogical research, and the function of needlework as gifts and inheritance.
Library Exhibitions
Carriages and Wagons
Through October 19
Art Nouveau Style
October 21, 2008–January 11, 2009
Visitor Information
Winterthur is located on Route 52, six miles north of Wilmington, Delaware. For admission details, reservations, and events, call 800.448.3883 or 302.888.4600 or visit winterthur.org. For membership information, call the Membership Office, 800.448.3883 ext. 4713 or 302.888.4713.
Museum & Garden Hours
Tuesday–Sunday, 10 am–5 pm (closed Mondays except holidays). Last tour tickets sold at
3:45 pm.
Museum Store Hours
Tuesday–Sunday, 10 am–5:30 pm. Museum
Store in Alexandria, Virginia: Monday–Saturday, 11 am–6 pm; Sunday, 12–6 pm
Upcomming Events
Ceramics Conference - Coming to America: Imported Ceramics & the Wares They Inspired
March 5–6, 2009
Winterthur looks back over 300 years of earthen-ware, stoneware, and porcelain consumption in America to learn more about the wares themselves: Who imported ceramics, who made the American ones, and how were such objects
integrated into American households? A pre-conference field trip to Philadelphia historic sites provides an additional study opportunity. Registration begins this fall.
Exhibition - Harbor & Home: Furniture of Southeastern Massachusetts, 1710–1850
March 21–May 25, 2009
Explore the cultural identity of a little-studied region of 18th- and 19th-century New England through its furniture, paintings, maps, and more.
Furniture Forum - Harbor & Home: Furniture of Coastal New England, 1725–1825
April 16–17, 2009
Held in conjunction with the exhibition Harbor & Home, Furniture Forum explores in greater detail the furniture of coastal Maine, Connecticut, southeastern Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. Pre-conference workshops and a post-conference field trip to the Philadelphia Antiques Show make this a weekend not to be missed. Registration begins this fall.
Event - 31st Annual Winterthur Point-to-Point
May 3, 2009
Celebrate the thrill of steeplechase racing! Enjoy tailgate picnicking, an antique carriage parade, and the excitement of thousands at the Brandywine Valley’s signature spring event!
Event - Enchanted Summer Day
June 20, 2009
Celebrate the beginning of summer with your family in Enchanted Woods with crafts, music, games, and more!