nemours mansion and gardens

We toured this beautiful home on the first ever Christmas candle-light, decorated evening tour. Just wonderful! This particular tour takes you all over the house and into areas which are not usually open to the public. Tom (who had been our guide at Winterthur) turned out to be our guide here also. He is beyond excellent; do request him at either place.We made advance reservations (a must) and arrived early to see the exhibits about the DuPont family. Another pleasant surprise/nice touch was that on this, the only "open for Christmas in the evening" tour of the season, homemade cookies and punch were being served. The docents were very informative. I cannot recommend this home and a tour highly enough.

If you are in Delaware, the Nemours Mansion and Gardens are truly a must see! The tour groups are small, allowing a unique and intimate opportunity to interact with the very knowledgeable guides and get a first-hand look into the lives and history of the influential DuPont family. As you learn about them, you will gain an appreciation for the many contributions they made to the state of Delaware. For me, Nemours is right up there with Winterthur and Hagley!Plan on arriving 15-20 minutes before your scheduled start time to see the duPont family timeline and history and learn about their connections to many influential Americans of their day. If possible, visit during warm weather months so you can enjoy the magnificent gardens in bloom.

Fantastic mansion and beautiful garden. Put your walking shoes on. Guides take you through and explain the history of the house and grounds. It's hard to imagine that people once lived like this in the US. Think Downton Abby. You must make reservations and a time for your tour.

This was a great place to visit for anyone traveling near Wilmington. I would highly encourage you to purchase tickets in advance and give yourself enough time to see the mansion and the grounds. It is absolutely breathtaking! Go!!!

The tour was awesome. Small group size made the tour intimate with the ability to ask questions. The tour started in the visitor's center and we were then taken by minibus to the main house. From there we were divided into small groups of 5-6 people. The home is beautiful and the tours were not rushed. Afterwards we went by bus to the carriage house and had some time to walk the beautiful grounds.Make sure you have a reservation as they limit the number of visitors!

This was one of the best mansion tours we've ever experienced. Even better than the best tours in France and Italy. Small groups, excellent guides, and few barriers made for an exceptional experience. We look forward to going back in the Spring to see the gardens when the weather is warmer.

Have now been to this place twice with out-of-town visitors. The Mansion is beautiful and going around in small groups was great. Unfortunately both times the weather was not kind so we could not walk the gardens. The one negative was that we wished we had known "beforehand" that we could have requested closed captions on the video. I suppose if we had identified ourselves as needing this service that would have worked but we were not aware until I made a comment at the end of the video as we were exiting.

Very interesting inside and out. Tour guides excellent. Gardens are spectacular, even though not much was in bloom in late November

Nicely laid out tour with film and small groups 3-5 people per tour guide in the house. The mansion is as it would have been when the last resident was present so reflects the real living situation as opposed to a museum like atmosphere. Quite elegant and reminded me of the Newport mansions. Well informed tour guide.

The mansion has been beautifully restored, and we enjoyed our time with the friendly, informative tour guide. Overall, a very nice visit and glimpse of history! The house tours are well organized and the staff are all friendly. It was very nice that tour groups were limited to 6 people, but there were so many groups in the house at once that they we constantly felt rushed. It would have been great to spend a bit more time in each room.

I have no idea why the powers that be continue to keep this place a secret. This mansion and gardens are awesome. When I go to England, I love going to places like this, and this is just as good as many I've seen if not better. It was also a 20 minutes drive from me! You take a bus there and get a guided tour of the house and car collection. Depending on the season, you can tour the gardens on your own and they're beautiful.I never see this place advertised, and honestly I don't even remember how I came to hear of it. All I know is that it's really beautiful and if old buildings are you thing, go!BOOK AHEAD!!

took a long weekend touring the Brandywine Del. area and this was our last stop...and the best. The guides are so informative about every detail and of all the tours it was the most personal look into a DuPont home and family. very comprehensive- almost 2 hours and we covered all facets of the most authentic "home" and property. well worth the time and money.

The tour of Nemours, the country home of Alfred DuPont begins at the Visitors Center with a timeline of one of the most wealthy and influential families in America and history of the magnificent Versailles-like mansion depicted in pictures and artifacts. Next you view a brief film about the life of industrialist and philanthropist Alfred DuPont, after which you are taken by shuttle bus to the mansion. Although there were 24 people on the bus, I was very surprised but glad they split us into smaller groups of 5-6 to tour this grand home's 3 floors of priceless furnishings and art including the billiard room and bowling alley, along with necessities like the ice-making and bottling rooms. After the 1 1/2 hour tour of the mansion, you once again board the shuttle and tour the estate itself where visitors can experience the formal gardens, the property's winding paved roads, numerous wildlife, and finally the DuPont's carriage house, housing and meticulously maintaining Mr. DuPont's many, now-antique roadsters, Rolls Royces and Mercedes as well as numerous wildlife trophies. The tour and the home itself is like taking a trip back in time to experience the extravagant lifestyle of the rich and famous at the beginning of the 20th century. It is a home and not a museum, furnished as it was when it was lived in. The tour was detailed, intimate, and guests could comfortably see and hear everything, as well ask questions. The tour guides are very knowledgeable about the home and the life of the DuPonts. Reservations are strongly advised and guests must be at least 12 years old. The best part of this attraction is that there are no gift shops!

I went there with a friend from high school. Beautiful gardens and house. Americana at it's best. A wonderful experience.

I've lived in Delaware all my life and grew up thinking I knew about the duPont family. I was fascinated by the history, and loved the house tour. The house has many priceless pieces of art and is a beautiful place to visit. The gardens are amazing, both the structured beds and the wild area around the grounds. But I was most fascinated by the history of Alfred DuPont. He was a true renaissance man, definitely ahead of his time and multi-faceted. I highly recommend this tour which will please people who love gardens, beautiful houses, and history.