Holiday events continue to keep daytrippers busy around the region. If you were unable to attend some of the celebrations before Christmas, here's one more chance to enjoy the sights and sounds of the season.
Take a Christmas trip up U.S. 1 for a visit to some of the fine museums of the Brandywine Valley. First stop is Winterthur Museum near Wilmington, Del. "Yuletide at Winterthur," through Jan. 8, recalls winter holiday celebrations of the 18th and 19th centuries . The tour features more than 20 rooms. One setting depicts a Christmas party given by Swedish singer Jenny Lind in Charleston, S.C., in 1850.
Other highlights include a Pennsylvania German Christmas fair, a dance hall of the City Tavern in Philadelphia during the American Revolution and a depiction of the way the du Pont family celebrated New Year's Day at Winterthur in the 1930s. Also featured is a display of historically documented model trees, from one done in the style of circa 1747 to an elaborate Victorian version.
Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday; noon to 7 p.m. Sunday. Tickets cost $13 for adults; $11 for seniors and ages 12 to 18; $9 for ages 5 to 11; free for under 5. Winterthur is on Route 52, six miles northwest of Wilmington. Call (800) 448-3883 or (302) 888-4600.
'A Brandywine Christmas'
Next stop: "A Brandywine Christmas" through Jan. 8 at the Brandywine River Museum in Chadds Ford, Pa.
The setting is a restored 19th-century gristmill along a river bank. Whimsical "critter" ornaments made by museum volunteers from natural materials adorn trees throughout the museum. The ornaments received national recognition in 1984 when they decorated the White House Christmas tree and later were featured in national magazines.
One of the highlights of this year's display is an exhibition of Jamie Wyeth's pen-and-ink drawings from the children's book "The Stray," written by his mother, Betsy. Ann Wyeth McCoy's antique doll collection is another attraction, along with a rare Victorian dollhouse and live O-gauge model trains, which fill the second-floor gallery.
The museum, located on U.S. Route 1 in Chadds Ford, is open daily, except Christmas Day, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Hours will be extended until 6 p.m. tomorrow through Friday. Call (610) 388-2700.
Hagley holiday
While in the vicinity, plan to attend "Christmas at the Hagley," the museum located on the site of the original du Pont black powder mills in Wilmington.
As part of the Hagley's Christmas celebration, the du Pont family home is dressed for a 19th-century-style holiday through Jan. 2. Fresh and dried floral arrangements are prominent. Tours are offered daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (except Christmas and New Year's Eve).
At the Henry Clay Mill village on the property, visitors can see the exhibit "Hagley's Christmas Past," depicting the Hagley mill complex, circa 1895-1915, complete with an operating HO-scale model train. This exhibit also features a historic Christmas parlor scene, a display of Santa postcards and a collection of toys from 1900 to 1950. This exhibit runs through Jan. 2 and also on the weekends of Jan. 7-8 and Jan. 14-16.
All-inclusive admission is $9.75 for adults; $7.50 for seniors and students; $3.50 for ages 6 to 14; free for under 6. Admission to the "Christmas Past" exhibit only is $4 for adults; $2 for ages 6 to 14; free for under 6. The museum is on Route 141 in Wilmington. Call (302) 658-2400, weekdays.
Washington Crossing
Several thousand people head north on Christmas Day to Washington Crossing Historic Park, Pa., to attend the annual Washington Crossing Re-enactment. The event commemorates Christmas night in 1776, when Gen. George Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware River and went on to defeat the British at Trenton and Princeton. The re-enactment has been held on Christmas Day for more than 40 years, and for many it has become a traditional activity.
At 1 p.m. more than 120 re-enactors will gather on the banks of the Delaware River to hear Washington's address to the troops. Then they will march along the riverbank past McConkey Ferry Inn (Washington's headquarters) to the crossing site. Using Durham boats, exact replicas of the ones used in 1776, the soldiers will row across the river to the New Jersey shore. The event should be over by 3 p.m.
Some of the park buildings will be open, and a documentary film on the crossing will be shown at the visitors' center at noon and 12:30 p.m. Cider will be served in one of the park's Colonial houses. Admission is free. Visitors should be at the park between noon and 12:30 p.m. Enter at Route 32 north of Route 532. Call (215) 493-4076.
Frederick's 'clustered spires'
"The clustered spires of Frederick," as they are called in a famous phrase from Whittier's Civil War poem, "Barbara Fritchie," can be inspected tomorrow evening during the annual Candlelight Tour of Historic Houses of Worship from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The self-guided tour visits 13 churches and one synagogue and provides an opportunity to learn the history of various congregations. Some will offer seasonal music, and five hospitality centers will serve free refreshments.
The sites include: Visitation Academy Chapel; Frederick Church of the Brethren; Asbury United Methodist Church; All Saints Episcopal Church; Frederick Presbyterian Church; Calvary United Methodist Church; Beth Sholom Synagogue; Centennial Memorial United Methodist Church; Grace United Church of Christ; St. John's Catholic Church; Evangelical Lutheran Church; Evangelical Reformed Church; Trinity Chapel; and First Baptist Church.
As a complement to the tour, an open house will be held by the Frederick Historical Society from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., and an actor dressed as Francis Scott Key will be there to greet guests. Tour brochures and a map may be picked up at the Frederick Visitor Center, 19 E. Church St., which will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Call (301) 663-8687 or (800) 999-3613.