Guided tours join the self-paced option, so visitors can experience Winterthur the way they like best.
“I really love the Baltimore Drawing Room,” says Reggie Lynch, associate director of interpretation and engagement. “It’s done in the Federal style, which I really love, personally. It’s really sunny and beautiful, and it’s a very intimate space.
“That’s what I feel going into it, the intimacy,” Lynch continues. “It’s like I want to sit there and have a cup of tea and read the newspaper or paint my watercolors.”
In her role at Winterthur, Lynch is a sort of guide to the guiding staff, helping to identify stories in the rooms and objects that bring Winterthur to life. One of her goals is for visitors to feel the same personal connection to Winterthur that she, the guides, and other staff feel.
For those who want that kind of intimacy from their Winterthur experience, guided tours have returned. The Introductory Tour is a guided walk through the main entertaining spaces of the fourth and fifth floors. Each guide provides his or her unique perspective on the rooms, the objects, and the lifestyle of Henry Francis and Ruth Wales du Pont.
A Closer Look is a one-hour guided tour that allows an even deeper dive into the stories of favorite objects and spaces. Each tour provides a different experience because the rooms and objects are chosen by Winterthur’s highly experienced interpreters.
For those who prefer to move at their own speed, self-paced tours of the house continue 10:00 am–1:00 pm every day. Guides are on hand to answer questions. Guided tours are available 1:00 pm–3:00 pm. In May, the Introductory Tour will change to Walking in the Footsteps of Jacqueline Kennedy with the opening of the exhibition Jacqueline Kennedy and Henry Francis du Pont: From Winterthur to the White House. The tour is a look at the spaces the First Lady explored during her visit to Winterthur while working on her historic restoration of the White House with H. F. du Pont, chair of her Fine Arts Committee. Self-paced and guided options are available.
“The house tour is always changing,” Lynch says. “Even if you think you’ve seen it before, you’re going see something new on every single tour.”