WINTERTHUR, DE (August 15, 2025)—On Discover Winterthur Day, August 23 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library offers a free, fun-filled day for all ages featuring access to its naturalistic gardens, live performances, hands-on crafts and activities, and engaging experiences with community partners.

Visitors can enjoy interactive storytelling, early childhood games, art workshops, nature walks, and educational exhibits from local organizations like the Delaware Museum of Nature & Science, Humane Animal Partners, and Tri-State Bird Rescue.

With something for everyone, from story time to seed planting, face painting to fossil exploration, historic games, bird conservation, and even adoptable dogs, Discover Winterthur is a vibrant celebration of nature, culture, and community.


Event Highlights

Visitor Center

  • Take a guided garden walk to areas not seen from the tram route.
  • Meet adoptable dogs and learn about pet wellness with Humane Animal Partners.
  • Participate in child development activities with Books, Balls & Blocks.
  • Enjoy a special performance by The Rainbow Chorale of Delaware at 11 a.m.

Greenhouses & Brown Horticulture Learning Center

  • Watch live cyanotype artmaking, using the sun to print, with Sarah Bourne Rafferty of Atwater Designs.
  • Learn to grow fall vegetables with the Food Bank of Delaware and take free seeding supplies.
  • Decorate your own terra cotta pot, plant a seed, and make a garden marker.
  • Discover how to add native plants to your garden with Winterthur’s Delaware Master Naturalists.
  • Explore Winterthur’s historic firetruck, get a photo, and meet local fire safety experts.
  • Visit Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research and learn about bird conservation.
  • Experience “From Fleece to Fiber: A Winterthur Wool Journey.” Observe (10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.) how to skirt and scour fleece sourced from one of Winterthur’s merino sheep. Watch and try your hand at processing wool and spinning yarn (1:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.).

Clenny Run Lawn

  • Dive into the magical world of Bubbletopia with giant soap bubbles, music, and interactive fun.
  • Get your face painted, inspired by the garden.
  • Enjoy giveaways and story time with Read Aloud Delaware, featuring Mother Goose.

Galleries Reception Area

  • Make your own mini loom art with Hello Loom.
  • Touch real fossils and learn about dinosaurs with the Delaware Museum of Nature & Science (10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.).
  • Meet future seeing-eye dogs from Guiding Paws of Delaware.
  • Try 18th-century-style tools at a cabinetmaker’s workbench.
  • Connect with local organizations like Delaware Division of the Arts, People to People Delaware, and Woodlawn Library.

Rotunda

  • Join Winterthur Maker-Creator fellow Emmanuel Aboagye for an immersive art-making session using image transfer, painting, collage, and drawing on canvas, and Maker-Creator fellow Shefon Taylor for an introduction to sculptural wire drawing (ages 15+ only).

Library (10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.)

  • Drop in for historic toys and games, read a storybook, or craft a colorful bookmark.


Important Information

Admission is free, but parking is limited. A large early turnout is expected, so visiting later in the day is encouraged to ensure a relaxed experience. Registration is strongly encouraged but not required. See www.winterthur.org for more information.

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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 a self-paced 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, Del., 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.