3 Best Sights in Brandywine Valley, Pennsylvania

In a converted Civil War–era gristmill, the Brandywine River Museum contains the art of Chadds Ford native Andrew Wyeth, a major American realist painter, as well as his father, N. C. Wyeth, illustrator of many children's classics; and his son, Jamie. The collection also emphasizes still lifes, landscape paintings, and American illustration, with works by such artists as Howard Pyle and Maxfield Parrish. The glass-wall lobby overlooks the river and countryside that inspired artists from the area. The museum uses a system of filters, baffles, and blinds to direct natural light. Outside the museum, you can visit its wildflower and native plant gardens and follow a 1-mile nature trail along the river.

The N. C. Wyeth House and Studio, where N. C. painted and raised his children, is open part of the year. The 1911 home, set on a hill, holds many of the props N. C. used in creating his illustrations. His daughter, Carolyn, lived and painted here until 1994. You can also tour the Kuerner Farm, a mile away. Andrew discovered it on a walk when he was 15; he used the farm's landscape, buildings, and animals as the subjects of many of his best-known paintings. A shuttle takes you from the museum to the house and studio or to the farm for an hour-long guided tour.

Longwood Gardens has established an international reputation for its immaculate, colorful gardens full of flowers and blossoming shrubs. In 1906 Pierre S. du Pont (1870–1945) bought a simple Quaker farm and turned it into the ultimate early-20th-century estate garden. Attractions include magnolias and azaleas in spring; roses and water lilies in summer; chrysanthemums in fall; and camellias, orchids, and palms in winter. You can stroll in the Italian water garden or explore a meadow full of wildflowers on the garden's 350 acres. Bad weather is no problem, as 4 acres of cacti, ferns, and bonsai plants, and the biggest green wall in North America, are housed in heated conservatories. Outdoors is the Bee-aMazed Children's Garden, with a honeycomb maze, queen bee throne, and small splashing fountains. The Indoor Children's Garden has a bamboo maze, a grottolike cave, and a drooling dragon. There is a regular summer concert series, as well as special fireworks and fountain events. The cafeteria (open year-round) and dining room (closed January–March) serve reasonably priced meals.

The park is the location of the 1777–78 winter encampment of General George Washington and the Continental Army, where winter tested and proved the army's perseverance. Stop at the temporary Valley Forge Visitor Center for touring information; a renovated center is due to open in late 2020. The renovated center will have park and regional information, a new orientation film, and the Encampment Store, as well as displays of historical objects and engaging, immersive displays about the encampment. Take a driving tour (free cell phone guide) or buy a CD ($14.95); hire a guide for your car; or take a narrated trolley tour (limited times other than summer) for $17.50. Stops include reconstructed log huts of the Muhlenberg Brigade and the National Memorial Arch, which pay tribute to the soldiers, and Washington's headquarters.

In 1777 the army had just lost the nearby battles of Brandywine, White Horse, and Germantown. While the British occupied Philadelphia, Washington's soldiers endured horrid conditions—blizzards, inadequate food and clothing, and disease. Although no battle was fought at Valley Forge, 2,000 soldiers (of about 12,000) died here. The troops did win the war of will, regaining strength under the leadership of Prussian drillmaster Friedrich von Steuben. In June 1778 Washington led his troops away from Valley Forge in search of the British.

The park contains more than 8 miles of jogging and bicycling paths (bike rentals available in summer) and hiking trails, and you can picnic in designated areas. A leisurely visit takes about half a day.