Brandywine Valley Scenic Byway

Designated Delaware Byway On Kennett Pike (Route 52) And Montchanin Road (Route 100) North West Of Wilmington, Reported To Have Been Named A National Scenic Byway In 2021 Confirm · Wilmington, Delaware

The Brandywine Valley Scenic Byway is a loop of two old country roads north-west of Wilmington, Kennett Pike (Route 52) and Montchanin Road (Route 100), through the rolling land locals call Chateau Country. The du Pont family and their relatives built great estates here in the 19th and 20th centuries, and much of the land has stayed open, so the drive passes stone walls, horse pastures, woods, old mill villages and gates to places that are now museums and gardens: Winterthur, Hagley, Nemours, Mt. Cuba Center, the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science and Brandywine Creek State Park, with the Delaware Art Museum at the city end. It is a designated Delaware byway and is reported to have been named a National Scenic Byway in 2021 - confirm. The Delaware part is roughly a dozen miles, and both roads carry on into Pennsylvania toward Chadds Ford and Kennett Square, where Longwood Gardens and the Brandywine River Museum sit. The roads are narrow two-lane routes with no shoulders, busy at rush hour, and loveliest in spring bloom and October color.

Kennett Pike (Route 52) and Montchanin Road (Route 100), Wilmington, Delaware, 19807, United States

The roads are public highways open at all hours and free to drive; there is no toll, gate or visitor fee for the byway itself. What sets the schedule is the attractions along it. Winterthur, Hagley, the Delaware Art Museum and the nature museum are generally closed at least one weekday, often Monday, and some close for holidays or between seasons - confirm each. Nemours runs its mansion by timed tours in a limited season, roughly spring to late autumn, and is closed in winter apart from special events - confirm. Mt. Cuba Center opens mainly from spring to autumn, with timed tickets on busy weekends - confirm. Brandywine Creek State Park opens daily from about 8 AM to sunset and charges a vehicle fee in season. Across the line, Longwood Gardens needs timed tickets on peak days. Kennett Pike carries heavy commuter traffic on weekday mornings and late afternoons, and there are few places to stop or turn safely - plan your stops in advance.

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