Winterthur builds upon the vision of Henry Francis du Pont to inspire and educate through its collections, estate, and academic programs by engaging diverse audiences in the study, preservation, and interpretation of American material culture, art, design, and history.
Mission: Winterthur builds upon the vision of Henry Francis du Pont to inspire and educate through its collections, estate, and academic programs by engaging diverse audiences in the study, preservation, and interpretation of American material culture, art, design, and history.
Winterthur's Mansion
Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library is an American estate and museum located in Winterthur, Delaware. It was the former home of Henry Francis (H.F.) du Pont, a renowned horticulturist and collector. Born at Winterthur as a member of Delaware’s prominent du Pont family, H.F. studied at the Bussey Institute, Harvard University’s college of practical agriculture and horticulture. He spent the rest of his life managing Winterthur’s estate and its farm, perfecting his gardens, and amassing one of the most significant collections of American decorative arts in the world. He ultimately transformed his magnificent 175-room mansion to display nearly 90,000 objects made or used in America since 1640.
Two graduate degree programs and a highly regarded research library make Winterthur an important center for the study of American art and culture. The Winterthur Library includes more than 87,000 volumes and approximately 500,000 manuscripts and images, mostly related to American history, decorative arts, and architecture. Winterthur, in partnership with the University of Delaware, sponsors the Winterthur Program in American Material Culture and the Winterthur/UD Program in Arts Conservation.
Winterthur is situated on 1,000 acres of protected meadows, woodlands, ponds, and waterways. H.F. was an adherent to the concept of a “naturalistic garden,” a plant-driven approach to landscape design first written about in William Robinson’s The Wild Garden in 1870. Today, the 60-acre garden he designed is among America’s best, with magnificent plantings and stunning displays of color throughout the year.
