Nemours Estate
Early 20th Century Country House And Formal Garden Of Alfred I. Du Pont, Owned And Operated By The Nemours Foundation And Open To The Public For Part Of The Year · Wilmington, Delaware
Nemours is the country house that Alfred I. du Pont built for his second wife in 1909 and 1910, named after the French town the du Pont family came from. It is a 77-room mansion in the style of a Louis XVI chateau, pale and symmetrical, set on roughly 200 acres just north of Wilmington next to the children's hospital his fortune later founded. Inside are the family's furniture, paintings, tapestries and gadgets - Alfred was an engineer and inventor, and the house had its own power and some early mechanical comforts. Outside, the formal garden runs about a third of a mile from the house, with a long vista of lawns, a reflecting pool, a maze garden, statuary, a colonnade and a small classical temple; it is one of the largest French-style formal gardens in North America. The Chauffeur's Garage shows the family's vintage cars. Nemours is seasonal: it opens roughly April to late December, closes on Mondays, and the Sunken Garden was closed for renovation with a 2026 reopening announced, so confirm what is open. It is grand and formal rather than cozy, and best on a fine day.
850 Alapocas Drive, Wilmington, Delaware, 19803, United States
Nemours is SEASONAL. It is open roughly from early April to late December and closed through the winter months, usually January to March, so a winter visit finds it shut; confirm the opening and closing dates for the current year before planning around it. During the season it has opened Tuesday to Sunday and is CLOSED ON MONDAYS, with closures on some holidays such as Thanksgiving. Visits start at the visitor center, where tickets are checked, and access to the mansion is by timed entry, so arrive in time for your slot; the last entry of the day is well before closing. The Sunken Garden was closed for a major renovation, with a reopening announced for 2026 - check whether it has actually reopened before you go if it matters to you. Parts of the garden or the mansion may close for private events or weather, and the holiday season (Noel at Nemours, with decorated rooms late in the year) runs on its own ticketed schedule and draws the biggest crowds. Confirm all current hours with the estate before you travel.