Brandywine Valley gardens and du Pont estates
Valley Forge, Longwood Gardens, the Wyeths and the mills and mansions of the du Ponts.
- Distance
- 118 km (74 mi)
- Driving
- 1 h 19 min
- Suggested days
- 2
- Stops
- 8
- States
- PA, DE
- Updated
- May 1, 2026
At a glance: 2-day road trip of about 118 km (74 mi) with 8 stops, from Philadelphia to New Castle. About 1 h 19 min of driving in total.
Route description
Head northwest from Philadelphia on I-76 to Valley Forge, where Washington’s army spent the winter of 1777–78. The loop road passes rebuilt huts, memorials and his stone headquarters.
Drive south through the rolling Chester County countryside to Longwood Gardens, which needs half a day for its conservatories and fountains. Nearby Kennett Square is the self-proclaimed mushroom capital of the world, with a lively main street.
US-1 leads east to Chadds Ford and the Brandywine Museum of Art, dedicated to the Wyeth family. Cross into Delaware on State Road 52, a lovely road past horse farms, to Winterthur and then to Hagley, the gunpowder mills where the du Pont fortune began.
Finish at New Castle, a colonial town on the Delaware River with cobbled streets and the old courthouse. The gardens are at their best from April to June; many sites have timed tickets, so reserve for weekends.
Stop-by-stop itinerary
In driving order. Distances are estimates between consecutive stops.
- 1Start
Philadelphia
PA - 232 km
Valley Forge National Historical Park
HistoryKing of Prussia, PAThe winter camp of Washington’s army in 1777–78, with rebuilt huts, his headquarters and a scenic loop road. The visitor center has maps of the tour.
- 340 km
Longwood Gardens
NatureKennett Square, PAFormer du Pont estate with vast conservatories, fountain shows and themed gardens. Tickets are timed; book ahead for holiday lights.
- 45 km
Kennett Square
PA - 513 km
Brandywine Museum of Art
HistoryChadds Ford, PAA converted mill on the Brandywine Creek showing three generations of Wyeth painters, with a riverside trail outside.
- 69 km
Winterthur
HistoryWinterthur, DEHenry Francis du Pont’s country estate with a huge collection of American decorative arts and a naturalistic garden best in spring.
- 75 km
Hagley Museum
HistoryWilmington, DEThe first du Pont gunpowder works along the Brandywine, with stone mills, water wheels and the family’s first home.
- 815 km
New Castle
DE
