WINTERTHUR, DE (November 17, 2022) – A Philadelphia bakery installed a giant gingerbread replica of the Winterthur mansion today at Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library in preparation for the annual one-of-a-kind holiday experience that begins with the Yuletide Tour November 19, 2022, and runs through January 8, 2023.

The gingerbread reproduction – with a base measuring four-by-eight feet – contains more than 150 pounds of cake and icing, said Jacob Boyd, owner of Bredenbeck’s Bakery, which constructed the massive baked treat at its shop in Chestnut Hill, Pa.

Bredenbeck’s has produced spectacular gingerbread creations before, including one of the Philadelphia skyline.

“But this is our largest recreation of a specific structure,” Boyd said.

Gingerbread houses have been a staple of White House holiday decor going back to at least First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, said Jennie Brown, Winterthur’s manager of audience engagement.

Winterthur commissioned the gingerbread replica of the du Pont family home in homage to the White House tradition and in recognition of the exhibition Jacqueline Kennedy and H. F. du Pont: From Winterthur to the White House, which runs through January 8, Brown said.

The gingerbread display is new to the annual holiday celebrations at Winterthur.

Also new this year is a toy train display presented by the Standard Gauge Module Association. The display is open from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm on Saturdays and Sundays, and Wednesday evenings in December from 5:00 to 8:00 pm.

Winterthur also offers a tour of the house decorated in holiday style and featuring Christmas trees inspired by those displayed over the years at the White House.

Jacqueline Kennedy debuted the first themed White House Christmas tree in 1961. It featured decorations inspired by the classic Christmas ballet The Nutcracker.

Other Yuletide activities at Winterthur:

  • Winterthur is open late on Wednesdays in December for evening tours, live jazz, and a different workshop each week, from a wine tasting to a chocolate tasting, and more.
  • Gerald Charles Dickens, great-great-grandson of Charles Dickens, brings his one-man version of A Christmas Carol to Winterthur for three performances on December 7 and 8.
  • A candlelight concert featuring performers from Winterthur, Switzerland, will take place on December 10.

Admission includes entry to all exhibitions, including Jacqueline Kennedy and H. F. du Pont: From Winterthur to the White House. In 1961, the First Lady appointed Winterthur founder Henry Francis du Pont to lead her project to restore the White House interiors. The redesign became a history lesson for the country and awakened an interest in preservation and interior design that is still felt today.

During the holiday season, Winterthur is open daily from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm. Self-guided tours of the house are available daily from 10:00 am until 3:30 pm. Reservations are not required. Admission costs $27 for adults; $25 for seniors and students; $8 for children ages 2 to 11, and includes a self-paced tour, the garden, a narrated garden tram tour (space and weather permitting), the Campbell Collection of Soup Tureens, and two floors of exhibits in the Galleries.

The Museum Store is open daily for holiday shopping, featuring unique home décor, gifts, jewelry, and more that celebrate Winterthur’s beauty, indoors and out.

ABOUT WINTERTHUR MUSEUM, GARDEN & LIBRARY

Winterthur—known worldwide for its preeminent collection of American decorative arts, naturalistic garden, and research library for the study of American art and material culture—offers a variety of tours, exhibitions, programs, and activities throughout the year. Admission includes an introductory house tour, exhibitions, a narrated tram ride (weather and space permitting), and the Winterthur Garden.

Winterthur is located on Route 52, six miles northwest of Wilmington, Delaware, and five miles south of U.S. Route 1. Winterthur is committed to accessible programming for all. For information, including special services, call 800.448.3883, or visit winterthur.org. Winterthur is closed seasonally from early January through late February.