By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times
Winterthur
Spring is here with flowers in bloom everywhere. Not surprisingly, the area’s schedule of special things to do is filled to the brim with both indoor and outdoor activities.
The recent warm weather has been beckoning people to come outdoors.
Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library (Route 52, Wilmington, Delaware, 800-448-3883, www.winterthur.org) is forging ahead into its 2023 season.
On April 15, Winterthur will host its annual “Daffodil Day” from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
With his collector’s eye, Henry Francis du Pont arranged hundreds of heirloom daffodil bulbs in cloudlike drifts throughout the garden. The day’s events include walking tours of the daffodil collection (departing hourly from the Visitor Center Patio from 10 a.m.-1 p.m.) and guided Garden Tram tours.
“Daffodil Day” is included with site admission – adults, $22; seniors (62 and over) and students (12 and over), $20; children (ages 2-11), $8.
On April 16, Winterthur will present “Wine through Winterthur: Sip Among the Daffodils” from 1-4 p.m.
Participants can explore cheerful masses of Narcissus throughout the garden as they sample wine varietals perfect for spring. As they sip and stroll, they will be able to enjoy live music and local plein-air artists.
Guests can also stop by the library to explore botanical collections that have inspired generations of scholars, artists, and garden lovers.
Daffodils are one of the few plants Henry Francis du Pont would write about and one in which he maintained a lifelong interest. Winterthur is one of the few places in the country where you can see so many daffodils. Many that blossom here are historic cultivars from the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Tickets for this event are $50.
Visitors are invited to celebrate the early bulb display of the March Bank with self-guided garden tours.
The white arrow tour has returned for the season.
When the Winterthur Garden was first opened to the public, Henry Francis du Pont had white wooden arrows placed in the garden to direct visitors during spring tour to the “must-see” flowers that week. The self-guided tour starts at the Visitor Center Patio and winds through the garden, highlighting the changing colors of spring and leading guests back to the Visitor Center. The path will change weekly as the color progression dictates.
Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival
If you want to see hundreds of lovely trees showing off their pink blossoms, you can find what you want at the Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival (http://subarucherryblossom.org), which is known in Japanese as Sakura Matsuri. The event is running on April 15 and 16 in Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park.
For centuries, Japan has been celebrating the beauty of the elegant pink cherry blossom with picnics under the trees and traditional music and dance performances.
The Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival offers visitors the opportunity to explore the best of Japanese culture including delicious cuisine, delicate craft displays, intriguing performances and demonstrations of traditional customs.
The celebration takes place in historic Fairmount Park in the Sakura forest featuring flowering Japanese cherry trees. Most of the cherry trees here were planted in 1926 as a gift from the people of Japan to mark 150 years of American independence.
The family-friendly festival features taiko drumming, multicultural musical performances and more.
This weekend’s event will feature a Japanese marketplace, a beer garden and a Japanese cultural activity center. The festival will be held on Saturday and Sunday outside of the Fairmount Park Horticulture Center from 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. each day.
Hagley Museum and Library (Buck Road East entrance via Route 100, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-658-2400, www.hagley.org) is presenting “Hagley After Hours: Behind the Scenes Tours on Nations of Inventors” with Hagley curators on April 14.
Hagley invites its members and guests to join Hagley curators Caroline Western-Osienski and Chris Cascio for a behind-the-scenes exploration of what it takes to transform objects and space into this exciting learning environment.
Wine and light refreshments will be served. Space is limited and we encourage early reservations.
Hagley After Hours ticket price is $5 for members and $15 for nonmembers. One-hour tour and discussion included.
In October 2022, Hagley, a 230-acre historical village on the site of the original du Pont Company gunpowder mills in northern Delaware, opened a new attraction – “Nation of Inventors.”
“Nation of Inventors” celebrates the American spirit of ingenuity by taking visitors on a journey from the early years of the patent system, in the 1790s, through the “golden age” of American invention, in the late 1800s. The exhibit features more than 120 patent models from Hagley’s unique collection highlighting the diverse stories of inventors from all walks of life.
Patent models are scaled representations of inventions and were part of the patent application process for nearly 100 years. “Nation of Inventors” showcases patent models representing innovations in a variety of industries from transportation and manufacturing to food preservation and medical devices.
In the exhibition, visitors will enjoy engaging experiences around every corner, testing their knowledge of innovation and hearing personal accounts from inventors.
The patent models in “Nation of Inventors” were created between 1833 and 1886. “Nation of Inventors” not only features patent models submitted by inventors from the United States, but also models from inventors in England, France, Ireland, Russia, and Spain, demonstrating an international interest in America’s intellectual property system.
“Nation of Inventors” includes patent models from well-known inventors and companies like Ball (Mason Jars), Jim Beam, Bissell, Corliss, Steinway, and Westinghouse. The exhibit presents important topics and timely themes including women inventors, Black inventors, immigrant inventors, improvements in urban living, and the ways Americans learn about and understand progress and change.
“Nation of Inventors” is located on the first two floors of Hagley’s Visitor Center. Visitors can plan to spend about 30 minutes on their self-guided tour of the exhibition.
Admission to Hagley Museum is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and students and $6 for children (ages 6-14). Victorine’s Valentine activities are included with regular admission.
On April 15 at 1 p.m., The Morris Arboretum (100 East Northwestern Avenue, Philadelphia, 215-247-5777, morrisarboretum.org) is presenting “Spring Bulbs in the Landscape and Annual Displays” with Jen Monico, Compton Horticulturist, Morris Arboretum.
Now is the time to observe spring blooming bulbs so you can determine what you want to plant in your garden for when fall rolls around. Grab your notepad and come check out some of the bulbs on display at the Arboretum.
The event will start in the classroom with an overview of bulbs and also cover some that have already flowered. During the presentation, Morris staff will also take note of excellent bulb usage exemplified in other gardens. Then, participants will get outside and observe what is blooming, successful combinations, and take note of foliage from past blooms.
Tickets for this event are $35.
Additionally, Morris Arboretum is presenting its “Garden Highlights Tour: A Focus on the Environment” throughout the month of April.
Participants can join an experienced guide for Morris Arboretum’s featured tours. They will be able to celebrate spring and discover flowering trees and colorful blooms. Tours begin at Widener Visitor Center.
Some of the featured buds and blooms are yoshino cherry (Cherry Allée), Mertensia virginica (Out on a Limb), Camellia japonica “Berenice Boddy” (Visitor Center), Cercis canadensis (Oak Allée), Magnolia ‘Sayonara’ (English Park) and saucer magnolia (Magnolia Slope).
Another venue where you can enjoy flowers up close is Tyler Arboretum (515 Painter Road, Media, 610-566-9134, www.tylerarboretum.org).
The arboretum’s schedule for this weekend features the “Saturday Wildflower Walk,” on April 15 at 1 p.m.
At the “Saturday Wildflower Walk,” wildflower expert Dick Cloud will lead an informative two-hour hike that will take visitors through meadows, woods, and occasionally streamside. These walks are for those who have a love of plants, their role in ecology, or for those who want to learn more.
Admission to Tyler Arboretum is $18 for adults (ages 18-64), $15 for Seniors (65+) and $10 for children (ages 3-17) and Military with valid ID.
This weekend, more than 25 artists from around the Mid-Atlantic region, will participate in the Artists Circle’s “Annual Art Show and Sale” at Saint Luke Lutheran Church (203 North Valley Forge Road, Devon, 610-688-0122, www.theartistscircle.net). The event opens at 1 p.m. on April 14 and runs through 4 p.m. on April 16.
The popular annual show, which is free and open to the public, will showcase hundreds of original works by members. The artwork will be displayed in the church’s Schlack Hall and will include ongoing demonstrations of painting styles and media.
The event will feature originals and prints for sale.
Hours are from 1-8 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday and noon-4 p.m. on Sunday.
“World Oddities Expo” is heading our way this weekend.
Expanded from a one-day show to a two-day event this year, the “Third Annual World Oddities Expo” will be held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center (1101 Arch Street, Philadelphia,www.woetothee.com) on April 15 and 16.
The “World Oddities Expo” is a traveling oddities festival — a peculiar paradise where weird thrives. It is an all-inclusive artisan and small business fueled mega-convention featuring artists, vendors, performers, educators, and guest speakers to create a macabre and magical experience for all.
Visitors can shop the showroom floor packed with peculiar pleasures and treasures from artists and small businesses. They will be able to find everything in the Lost Curio Marketplace from taxidermy, insects, macabre art, jewelry, home decor, and more.
Ons special attraction is Oddity Ink Parlour, which has partnered with the infamous Villain Arts to bring you talented tattoo artists from all over the land for tattoos on-site.
Other special attractions are the “Butterfly Pinning Workshop” and the “Owl Pellet Dissection Workshop.”
There will also be live painting, burlesque, guest speakers and live music performances.
Tickets are $20. The show will be open from noon-8 p.m. both days.
The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center (Station Avenue, Oaks, www.phillyexpocenter.com) is hosting “Super Billiards Expo” now through April 16.
The Allen Hopkins Super Billiards Expo is the largest consumer-oriented billiards trade show in the world!
Introduced in 1993, this show has grown every year and thousands of pool players from around the world reunite every year to enjoy this extravaganza.
The SBX brings the industry to the people. It’s open to the public so that everyone can meet and mingle with the world’s top players and billiards industry movers and shakers.
If you’re up to the challenge, take your best shot in one of the Amateur Players Championship events. All contests are battled out playing 9-Ball on barbox-size Diamond Smart Tables.
Tickets are $20 with free admission for children (13 and under).
On April 15, Laurel Hill Cemetery (3822 Ridge Avenue, Philadelphia, 215-228-8200, www.thelaurelhillcemetery.org) will present
“Pocket of Paradise Walking Tour: Preview Launch & Celebration” at 11 a.m.
This is a walking tour that covers both the history of the area, as well as the more recent past as it has been experienced firsthand by neighborhood residents.
Highlights include this history of original settlers, the rise and fall of Dobson Mills, as well as the second phase of the industrial revolution that included household names such as Pep Boys, Tastykake, and Penn Reels.
Tours will be led by Hidden City area residents and the Friends of Laurel Hill.
Following the tour, participants are invited to a celebratory reception at RAH Civic Association.
The event is free and open to the public.
Elmwood Park Zoo
“Elmwood Park Zoo” (1661 Harding Boulevard, Norristown, www.elmwoodparkzoo.org) is hosting several of its ultra-popular “Dog Days” over the next week.
The Zoo’s “Dog Days” event will be held on April 14, 16, 19, 21 and 23 from noon-4 p.m. each day.
All guests visiting the zoo with a furry friend must complete an online waiver and submit required documents before visiting the zoo. You must upload a copy of your most recent veterinary visit, including proof of vaccine and heartworm test here. All items will be required for you to attend “Dog Days.”
Pricing is $12.95 per dog. Regular zoo admission is required for all humans.
Sesame Place (100 Sesame Road, Langhorne, www.sesameplace.com) will be presenting “Elmo’s Springtacular” every weekend now through June 18.
“Elmo’s Springtacular” at Sesame Place is filled with furry fun and exciting events – including an exciting line up of meet & greets, music, magic, pirate adventures, and fireworks.
This weekend, the opening weekend, will be “Dino Ranch Meet & Greets” on April 15 and 16.
It’s Veloci-time.
Guests will be able to meet Jon, the fast-talking, wide-eyed young cowboy, and his speedy raptor Blitz, the fastest dino on the ranch. Bold, brash, and full of swagger, Blitz and Jon are the perfect match. Fans should not miss this meet and greet opportunity.
April 23 will be the final day to check out the “Third Annual PEEPS® in the Village” display at Peddler’s Village (Routes 202 and 263, Lahaska, peddlersvillage.com).
Housed in an indoor area in the Village Courtyard, this colorful display includes more than 90 creations of wall art, dioramas, and sculpture, all prominently featuring PEEPS® — the popular Pennsylvania-made bunnies, chicks, and other candies.
The event will also feature PEEP-themed food and drink specials in the site’s varied restaurants.
Safety measures are in place. Admission to the display is free.
There will also be “Spring FunFest at Peddler’s Village” on April 23 and 24 from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. each day.
It will be a weekend of family fun at Peddler’s Village with sidewalk sales, live entertainment, and plenty of food and drink. There will be Family Fun Walks, and Petting Zoo and pony rides.
“Banksy Was Here” was here – and still is.
“Banksy Was Here” was scheduled to run until January 31 at a location in Fashion District Philadelphia (901 Market Street, Philadelphia, banksyexpo.com/philadelphia/). It was initially extended until April 17 and now has its closing date scheduled for May 7.
“Banksy Was Here” features the work of elusive, anonymous street artist Banksy.
Far from being elusive, the top caliber presentation is an immersive, multisensory exhibit featuring original works, projections, virtual reality and more to plunge you into Banksy’s world.
“Banksy Was Here,” the “unauthorized exhibition” features a plethora of original works and installations, as well as interactivity, in galleries that pay homage to the artist’s themes, works, and sense of chaos, satire and controversy.
Banksy, the British artist whose identity is still unknown, is considered one of the main contemporary street art icons. In Philadelphia, an “unauthorized” Banksy’s exhibition lets visitors dive into the controversial artistic universe of the most influential creator of present time.
The exhibition will include over 80 original works, sculptures, installations, videos and photos including the now classics of the artist (presumed to be British). These pieces come from private collections and – with the collaboration of Lilley Fine Art / Contemporary Art Gallery – will be exhibited in Philadelphia for the first time.
Banksy is a pseudonymous England based street artist, political activist and film director whose real name and identity remain unconfirmed and the subject of speculation.
Active since the 1990s, his satirical street art and subversive epigrams combine dark humor with graffiti executed in a distinctive stenciling technique. His works of political and social commentary have appeared on streets, walls and bridges throughout the world.
Banksy’s work grew out of the Bristol underground scene, which involved collaborations between artists and musicians. Much of his work can be classified as temporary art.
“Banksy Was Here” is running now through May 7 in Fashion District Philadelphia. Timed tickets are $37.90 for adults (ages 13 and up), $28.90 for seniors, students and military and $22.90 for kids (ages 4-12).
There is also another popular destination in the Fashion District.
Wonderspaces at the Fashion District (27 North 11th Street, Philadelphia, philadelphia.wonderspaces.com) is an experiential, interactive arts venue.
Building on the success of annual pop-up shows in San Diego, and its first permanent location in Scottsdale, Arizona, Wonderspaces opened a 24,000 square foot gallery space in Philly a year ago.
Wonderspaces features 14 art installations that all play with the idea of perspective. The artwork ranges from award-winning virtual reality short film about a dinner party-turned-alien abduction, to a room where visitors digitally paint the walls with the movement of their bodies.
New artworks are rotated in every few months, creating an ever-evolving, year-round show.
Tickets are for entry at a specific date and time. Visitors are welcome to stay as long as they please during operating hours. The average time spent experiencing the show is 90 minutes.
A few installations contain flashing lights, images, and patterns that may trigger seizures for people with photosensitive epilepsy. All visitors must sign a waiver prior to being admitted into the space. Adult supervision is required for visitors under 16.
The “FRIENDS™ Experience: The One Near Philadelphia” is running now through May 29 at the King of Prussia Mall, 640 West Dekalb Pike, King of Prussia,
Visitors can step into the iconic TV show like never before in this interactive experience.
They will be able to explore set recreations including Joey and Chandler’s apartment, Monica and Rachel’s kitchen, and Central Perk!
Visitors to the attraction can dance in front of the fountain and pose on the iconic orange couch.
Participants will be able to see a wide array of props and costumes from the show which will bring them one step closer to their favorite characters.
And they can shop exclusive items at The FRIENDS™ Experience Retail Store which features an array of clothes, accessories, collectibles and more.
The interactive exhibit is open from noon-7 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. on Saturdays and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sundays.
The exact location is at The Pavilion, which is on the third floor above Cheesecake Factory and Urban Outfitters and across from Ethan Allen)
All ages are welcome. Children 3 and younger don’t need a ticket when accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Adult ticket prices start at $32.
Longwood Gardens (Route 1, Kennett Square, 610-388-1000, www.longwoodgardens.org) is now featuring one of its popular annual special events – “Spring Blooms.”
Right now, one of the featured blooms is the Magnolia denudata.
Magnolias, which typically bloom in early April, are known for having large fragrant flowers which may be bowl-shaped or star-shaped, in shades of white, pink, purple, green or yellow.
Magnolia is an ancient genus. Appearing before bees evolved, the flowers are theorized to have evolved to encourage pollination by beetles. To avoid damage from pollinating beetles, the carpels of Magnolia flowers are extremely tough.
Other showcase blooms this week are Glory-of-the-snow (upward facing, sky blue flowers), Silver-squill (small, bulbous plants that are a striking dark gray with vivid green patches and a deep violet underside), Yulan Magnolia (a deciduous tree native to central and eastern China), Clivia (lightly fragrant, buttery yellow flowers with overlapping petals that produce a beautiful floral display) and Star Magnolia (early blooming deciduous with fragrant, double white flowers).
Visitors to Longwood Gardens can embark on a poignant journey with “Voices in the Landscape: Deeply Rooted with Storyteller Charlotte Blake Alston.” This is a series of 10 stops throughout the Gardens which honor the contributions of the African American community through the lens of horticulture and the power of story.
Participants will follow along as storyteller Charlotte Blake Alston honors and celebrates the strength, resilience, and contributions of the African American community through the lens of horticulture and the power of story.
Those taking the tour can hear an ancient Zulu creation myth paired with the oldest plant on Earth in the Conservatory; make their way to the Lookout Loft Treehouse and learn the story of the significance and symbolism of woods and meadows; and call out the name of an ancestor in remembrance at the Large Lake while a traditional spiritual soothes your soul.
“Voices in the Landscape” signage is at each stop. Each audio recording ranges between three and eight minutes in length. The estimated time to experience the entire Voices in the Landscape exhibit is approximately 1.5 to 2 hours.
Inside Longwood’s Conservatory, visitors can check out the towering Clerodendrum schmidtii (chains of glory) as well as nearly 300 blooming orchids on display in the site’s newly renovated Orchid House.
A new attraction this year is Longwood Gardens’ “Science Saturdays” series.
Beyond the boundaries of the formal gardens, Longwood stewards a rich variety of natural habitats. The rolling terrain of the Pennsylvania piedmont and changing ways people have used land over time provide us with diverse conditions for plant and animal life. Dr. Lea Johnson, Associate Director, Land Stewardship and Ecology, will reveal how patterns in the landscape reveal both history and potential futures for biodiversity.
As always, admission by “Timed Ticket” — tickets issued for specific dates and times. Timed ticketing limits the number of people in the Gardens at any given time and allows guests to enjoy minimal lines and a better viewing experience.
You may enter the Gardens up to 30 minutes prior and 30 minutes after your designated time. Make every effort to arrive at your designated reservation time. Earlier or later arrivals may not be accommodated.
Admission to Longwood Gardens is $25 for adults, $22 for seniors (ages 62 and older) and college students, $18 for active military and veterans and $13 for youth (ages 5-18).
The newest exhibition at the Brandywine Museum of Art (1 Hoffman Mill Road, Chadds Ford, brandywine.org), “Andrew Wyeth: Home Places,” opened a few weeks ago and will run through July 13.
This exhibition is a presentation of nearly 50 paintings and drawings of local buildings that inspired Wyeth time and again over seven decades of his career.
The artworks in this exhibition are drawn exclusively from the nearly 7,000-object Andrew and Betsy Wyeth Collection of the Wyeth Foundation for American Art, now managed by the Brandywine. Many of these pieces have never before been exhibited, offering a first glimpse at a significant treasure trove that will shed new light on the collaborative creative process of Andrew and Betsy Wyeth.
“Andrew Wyeth: Home Places” shares the story of a remarkable immersive and intensive artistic practice that ranged across the full array of media Andrew Wyeth practiced. Over the course of a long and diverse career of many chapters, Wyeth repeatedly depicted a small group of historic houses in the vicinity of his hometown of Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania.
In these weathered buildings others might have overlooked or even scorned in the face of gentrification and commercial development of the region, Wyeth found layers of emotion and association. These structures—both venerable and vulnerable in a changing Brandywine Valley—served as a means of pursuing his abiding attention to that which lies beneath the surface of things.
Through living in this landscape his whole life, he engaged in an artistic practice of uncommon focus over an extended timescale, coming to know deeply the evocative buildings in a radius of just a few square miles and rendering them in an astonishing variety of compositions, handlings and approaches. As Wyeth said, “You can be in a place for years and years and not see something, and then when it dawns, all sorts of nuggets of richness start popping all over the place. You’ve gotten below the obvious.”
Among the previously unexhibited works on view are the charming early oil “The Miller’s Son,” painted when Wyeth was just 17 years old, and the stunning watercolor “Noah’s Ark Study” made at age 87—both depicting the same property, Brinton’s Mill.
That the Wyeths came to own and restore this property for use as their primary residence is among the many contributions of Betsy James Wyeth, whose distinct role in stewarding historic properties in Pennsylvania and Maine, which informed her husband’s painting practice, is a key context of this exhibition.
Museum admission is $18 adults, $15 seniors (65+), $6 children (ages 6-18) and students with ID and free for children (ages five and under).
April 1 was no joking matter for area nature enthusiasts. The first day of April was “Opening Day 2023” for Nemours Estate (1600 Rockland Road, Wilmington, Delaware, nemoursestate.org). The entrance is located on the campus of Nemours Children’s Health, follow signs for Nemours Estate.
Originally constructed in 1910, Nemours Mansion is one of Delaware’s grandest buildings and includes the largest formal French garden in North America.
Nemours Estate comprises an exquisite, 77-room Mansion, the largest formal French gardens in North America, a Chauffeur’s Garage housing a collection of vintage automobiles, and 200 acres of scenic woodlands, meadows and lawns.
Nemours was the estate of Alfred I. duPont.
Alfred named the estate Nemours, after the French town that his great-great-grandfather represented in the French Estates General. While looking to the past and his ancestors for inspiration, Alfred also ensured that his new home was thoroughly modern by incorporating the latest technology and many of his own inventions.
The Gardens is one of the estate’s prime attractions.
The two elk at the top of the Vista are the work of French sculptor Prosper Lecourtier (1855–1924), a specialist in animal figures. Lined with Japanese cryptomeria, pink flowering horse chestnuts and pin oaks, the Long Walk extends from the Mansion to the Reflecting Pool.
The 157 jets at the center of the one-acre pool shoot water 12 feet into the air; when they are turned off, the entire “Long Walk” is reflected in the pool. The pool, five and a half feet deep in its deepest section, holds 800,000 gallons of water and takes three days to fill. The Art Nouveau-style, classical mythology-based “Four Seasons” around the pool are by French-born American sculptor Henri Crenier (1873–1948).
Admission to Nemours is $20 for adults, $18 for seniors and $10 for children.
Historic Odessa (Main Street, Odessa, Delaware, 302-378-4119, www.historicodessa.org) is both a scenic and an historic site in Delaware.
Known in the 18th-century as Cantwell’s Bridge, Odessa played a vital role in commercial life along the Delaware River as a busy grain shipping port.
Today, visitors can stroll along tree-lined streets and admire examples of 18th- and 19th-century architecture in one of the best-preserved towns in Delaware. They can also tour a remarkable collection of antiques and Americana preserved in period room settings and quaint exhibits.
Historic Odessa is open to the public from March through December, Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m.4:30 p.m. and Sunday from 1-4 p.m. The site is also open Monday by reservation.
There are many other sites where nature’s spring glory is on display. Chanticleer (786 Church Street, Wayne, www.chanticleergarden.org), which just opened its 2023 season, is one of them.
The Chanticleer estate dates from the early 20th-century, when land along the Main Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad was developed for summer homes to escape the heat of Philadelphia. Adolph Rosengarten, Sr., and his wife Christine chose the Wayne-St. Davids area to build their country retreat. The family’s pharmaceutical firm eventually became part of Merck & Company in the 1920s.
The garden has evolved greatly since the death of the owner in 1990. As the home of the Rosengartens, Chanticleer was beautiful and green with impressive trees and lawns. Most of the floral and garden development you see today has occurred since 1990 — designed by Chanticleer staff and consultants.
There are seven horticulturists, each responsible for the design, planting, and maintenance of an area. The areas are continually evolving, each with its own feel, yet joined together as one complete unit.
The Teacup Garden and Chanticleer Terraces feature seasonal plants and bold-textured tropical and subtropical plants.
The Tennis Court, Ruin, Gravel Garden, and Pond Garden focus on hardy perennials, both woody and herbaceous.
Asian Woods and Bell’s Woodland are shady areas. The Serpentine celebrates the beauty of agricultural crops.
Admission to Chanticleer is $12 for adults and free for pre-teen children (12 years and under).
Andalusia Historic House, Gardens and Arboretum (1237 State Road, Andalusia, www.andalusia house.org) opened its gates for the 2023 season at the beginning of April.
Located on a wooded promontory overlooking the Delaware River, Andalusia has been a stately presence on this stretch of water, just north of Philadelphia, for more than 200 years. The ancestral home of the Biddle family, Andalusia is also a natural paradise of native woodlands and spectacular gardens that have evolved over time.
Placed on the National Register of Historic Landmarks in 1966, the Big House is one of the finest examples of Greek Revival architecture in the United States.
Its surrounding gardens delight the senses all through the year, from the tumbling, brightly colored leaves of fall to the floral extravaganza of spring and the abundance and scent of summer.
Self-Guided Garden Tours will be available Mondays through Wednesdays from April 4-November 2 (excluding holidays) at 10 a.m. or 1 p.m. Picnics are allowed on the grounds (with have a “carry-in, carry-out” policy).
Access to the Big House is not included with this tour, which is $20 per person. There is no charge for children 12 and under.
Big House Tours with Garden Access will be available Mondays through Wednesdays from April 4-November 2 (excluding holidays) at 10 a.m. or 1 p.m. Tickets are $30 per person. There is no charge for children 12 and under.
The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University (1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, ansp.org) celebrates the remarkable diversity of birds, their important role in ecosystems, and people’s relationships with our avian friends with a special exhibition, “Conversations with Birds.”
The exhibition, which runs through May 21, spotlights familiar local birds, such as house sparrows and cardinals, and goes beyond to introduce the variety of migrators that pass through on astounding epic journeys across the globe.
“Conversations With Birds” features amazing avian photography and video by local birders and wildlife photographers, including Anwar Abdul-Qawi, an Academy educator, and Tom Johnsonof Cape May, N.J., a Field Guides birding tour leader; nest cam video footage of a peregrine falcon nest from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and of a bald eagle nest courtesy of HDOnTap.com and the Pennsylvania Game Commission; hands-on activities that explain the body architecture that enables birds to do what they do; gorgeous taxidermy mounts of familiar local birds and also migrators that visit the area; and BirdCast animations from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology showing live bird migration forecasts
Also featured will be bird-tracking products by Cellular Tracking Technologies that use cell towers, GPS, big birds, small birds, and what’s being used in research projects; an interactive media exhibit that shows five migratory birds that pass through the Philadelphia region on their seasonal passage between North and South America; live or video demonstrations (depending on the day) of Academy ornithologists and volunteers preparing specimens from the Bird Safe Philly project for research and storage in the Academy’s world-renowned Ornithology Collection; and informal presentations by a diverse range of regional birding groups and participatory poetry workshops by Drexel’s Writer’s Room on select Saturday afternoons.
“Conversations With Birds” opens just ahead of spring migration when millions of birds will wing through the Atlantic Flyway north to their breeding grounds. During this period, April 1–May 31, the partnership of Bird Safe Philly asks communities to participate in “Lights Out Philly” to minimize unnecessary lights by turning off, blocking or dimming artificial lights from midnight-6 a.m. to help keep birds from becoming confused by the lights and colliding with buildings.
The exhibition shows that there are engineering solutions that can go a long way to helping prevent window strikes. Visitors also will learn about local birding groups such as In Color Birdingand Bird Philly, as well as birding app options for the adventurous birder and the backyard kitchen-table pigeon watcher alike.
“Conversations With Birds,” which is on view through May 21, is free with general museum admission – adults, $25; seniors, military and students, $22; and children, $21.
Every Saturday and Sunday in April, the Chaddsford Winery (632 Baltimore Pike, Chadds Ford, 610-388-6221, http://www.chaddsford.com) is presenting “Reserve Tastings – Wine & Cheese.”
Guests will join the CFW Crew for an intimate and educational 60-minute experience in the Barrel Room. The trained staff will guide them through a pre-selected tasting of five widely diverse and award-winning wines from across our portfolio. The selections will be paired alongside seasonal local cheeses and other accoutrements to enhance your tasting experience.
The staff will also discuss topics such as grape growing conditions at our partner vineyards and the onsite winemaking process from production to aging and bottling.
The 2023 Pairing Line Up is Greeting Wine: 2021 Sparkling White; 2021 Presage with First Light Honey Chèvre & an apple slice; 2021 Dry Rosé: Redux with Caulkins Creamery Noblette Hibiscus Petals; 2020 Maréchal Foch with Highlander and Sour Cherry spread; and Niagara with Goat Rodeo Bamboozled
Reserve seatings are $35 per person.
The latest edition of “April Blind Wine Wednesdays” at Penns Woods Winery (124 Beaver Valley Road, Chadds Ford, http://www.pennswoodswinery.com) is scheduled for April 19.
The winery invites guests to visit every Wednesday of the month to experience a blind tasting of three mystery wines.
They will be able to challenge their senses and explore the nuances of three mystery wines sipped out of crystal Riedel wine glasses.
The staff will provide a detailed tasting sheet to help guide guests through the aromas and flavor profiles!
This Three Wine Blind tasting is offered from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. every Wednesday in April.
For the month of April, the three wines will be all White. To top it all off …if you guess the correct varietal and vintage, you will receive a $5 gift card for each correct guess.
Tickets are $18 per person and reservations are not required.
Ghost Tour of Philadelphia (215-413-1997, www.ghosttour.com), Ghost Tour of Lancaster (717-687-6687, www.ghosttour.com) and Ghost Tour of Strasburg (717-687-6687, www.ghosttour.com) operate throughout the winter and offer an eerily entertaining evening of true ghost stories and real haunted houses.
The Ghost Tour of Philadelphia, which is based on the book, “Ghost Stories of Philadelphia, PA.,” is a candlelight walking tour along the back streets and secret gardens of Independence Park, Society Hill, and Old City, where ghostly spirits, haunted houses, and eerie graveyards abound.
Participants can discover the ghost lore of America’s most historic and most haunted city with stories from the founding of William Penn’s colony to present-day hauntings.
The activity is open year-round – weekends, December-February; every night, March-November. Tickets are $24.
The Ghost Tour of Lancaster and the Ghost Tour of Strasburg are based on the book, “Ghost Stories of Lancaster, PA.”
Participants in the Ghost Tour of Lancaster explore the long-forgotten mysteries of one of America’s oldest cities, with haunting tales of otherworldly vigils, fatal curses, and star-crossed lovers. The tour provides the opportunity to experience 300 years of haunted history from the Red Rose City’s thorny past. Tickets are $20.
The Ghost Tour of Strasburg is a candlelight walking tour of the quaint and historic town of Strasburg in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Visitors will experience an entertaining evening with a costumed tour guide spinning tales of haunted mansions, eerie graveyards, and spirits that roam the night … in a town lost in time. Tickets are $20.
Grim Philly’s “Dark Philly History Tour” (www.grimphilly.com) will be held every evening throughout the winter.
Participants can walk with tour guides from the grounds of America’s first White House, Congress, and Liberty Bell to homes and sites of Hamilton, Washington, Franklin, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, and more than 10 other Founding-Fathers. The surprising dirt of espionage, murder, sexual license and blackmail highlight the secrets of 1776 with a ghost story or two along the way. This tour is highly researched. And your guide is a historian.
Tickets are $35.
A comfortable way to sit back and enjoy the colors of spring is to take a ride on a tourist rail line train.
Wilmington and Western Railroad (Greenbank Station, 2201 Newport-Gap Pike, Wilmington, Delaware, www.wwrr.com) is running its “Yorktown Limited” on April 22 and 23 at 12:30 and 2 p.m. each day.
Passengers can take a leisurely 1.5-hour round-trip ride up the Red Clay Valley to our Mt. Cuba Picnic Grove, where they can de-train to enjoy a half-hour layover along the banks of the Red Clay Creek to have a picnic or simply admire the natural surroundings.
Those who don’t want to get off the train at Mt. Cuba can remain onboard and travel further up the line through the communities of Ashland and Yorklyn.
The “Yorklyn Limited” excursion is a relaxing and fun way to spend an afternoon with family or friends. This is the re-branded name of the “Mt. Cuba Meteor” excursion.
This departure is powered by one of the rail line’s historic first-generation diesel locomotives.
Tickets are $18 for adults, $17 for seniors, and $16 for children (ages 2-12).
The Strasburg Rail Road (Route 741, Strasburg, 717-687-7522, www.strasburgrailroad.com) is running a special train – “The Wine & Cheese Train.”
Passengers can enjoy the luxurious, climate-controlled first-class accommodations and a tasting of select wine, cheese, and crackers as they travel in style down the tracks from Strasburg to Paradise and back. The train departs at 6 p.m. and the total trip time is 45 minutes.
“Wine & Cheese Train” boards 30 minutes before the scheduled departure. Riders must be 21 or older and have their photo ID ready when they board.
Featured wines are carefully selected from Waltz Vineyards, and cheeses are paired accordingly. Beer and select non-alcoholic beverages are also available for purchase upon request. Riders can purchase a souvenir wine glass on board the train if desired. Glasses are $7 each.
In accordance with Pennsylvania law, alcohol is only served during the train ride. The rail line is not permitted to serve alcoholic beverages while the train is berthed in the station.
Departures are scheduled for April 14 and 15 at 4 and 6 p.m. and April 16 at 4 p.m.
Tickets are $65.
The Colebrookdale Railroad (South Washington Street, Boyertown, www.colebrookdalerailroad.com) is running its “Secret Valley Expedition” on April 15 and 16 at 1:30 p.m. each day.
The Colebrookdale ride is billed as “your ticket to a verdant land lost in time.”
Passengers board one of the railroad’s meticulously restored century-old rail cars for a two-hour expedition into one of the most scenic and historic regions in the northeast.
Deluxe coach fares are $45 for adults (13-64), $35 for children (2-12), $42 for seniors (65 and older) and $10 for toddlers.
