Exciting Tours that You Can Take in Your Car, and at Your Leisure

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Each tour is designed in a pattern that forms a reasonable and easy driving loop…you can enter the loop from any direction…and simply follow the attractions back to your original entry point for an easy return home. Of course you may also juggle the sites to fit your particular schedule. WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND that you visit the web sites of those attractions you plan to visit, to make sure they are open during the season and hours you expect to be here. Most of our sites are open year round and at least 5 days a week. But a few places are closed in the winter and a handful do tours only by appointment. (Smaller historic sites manned by volunteer-only staff, are open limited hours, but are glad to do tours by appointment)

1. Our Tour-For-Two includes many of the sites and attractions visited by couples who come to Brandywine Country, including tours of award winning vineyards and art museums, taking an afternoon sail on the Delaware River, exploring historic sites, a Wildlife Refuge and spending a glittering evening of food and fun at Harrah’s Chester Casino and Race Track.

2. The Family Fun Tour features several tours and activities where everyone takes part in the action, like canoeing down the Brandywine River, picking your own fruit and vegetables from a family orchard, taking a trolley ride and visiting a Helicopter Museum. There a many unique places where the prices are good and the fun quotient is off the chart!

3. We also list a sample Garden Tour and History Tour. Many visitors to our region come because we are a perfect match for a particular interest they have. Two of the top 5 reasons people visit Brandywine Country are to visit our gardens and to soak up America’s earliest history. As part of the birthplace of freedom, Brandywine Country is a ‘must visit’ destination for history buffs…and our famous gardens draw both professionals (botanists and naturalists) and amateurs (all lovers of things that bloom, home gardeners and nature lovers).


NOTE: There are many more museums, wineries, and attractions to choose from than just those listed as part of the tours below. There are automobile museums, sculptor’s studios, year-round Christmas shops, a special tourist commuter train, bronze artisan studios, Battleship New Jersey tours, the PA Veterans Museum and much more. Please explore this web site and click on the links to those types of places you might enjoy visiting.

2. Family Fun Tour

Veterans Museum

Families will find lots of fun and exciting activities and attractions that appeal to all ages. Fortunately many of those ‘family-friendly’ events and sites are free or reasonably priced! In addition to upscale restaurants and hotels, there are many that are affordable and/or designed comfortably for families – with indoor pools, game rooms and other options that please a variety of tastes and expectations. Listed below are activities for both children and adults, along with several highlighted restaurants that put ‘fun’ and great prices on their menus as well as great food!

Day One

MORNING
John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge – a hidden treasure of lush flora and native fauna surrounded by 5 million people! Award winning green Visitor Center features exhibits, displays, gift shop and more. 10 miles of hiking & biking trails, great fishing and canoeing. Located just minutes from the Philadelphia International Airport.
Off I-95, in Tinicum Township
AFTERNOON
PA Veterans Museum and Trolley Ride through Downtown Media – see hundreds of artifacts, uniforms and living history replicas from every war
Media, PA

Lunch: Consider Margaret Kuo’s Peking Restaurant on State Street…choose from Japanese or Chinese fare, and kids will love the challenge of trying to eat with chopsticks! There are also many great pizza places, sandwich cafes not to mention top Bistros, French and Italian eateries all along State Street!

EVENING
Visit the Media Theater, Upper Darby Performing Arts Center, People’s Light and Theater, Hedgerow Theater, Darlington Arts Center or take in a musical show at Rose Tree Park during its Free Summer Concert Program (45 nights of live shows with a state-of-the-art amphitheater). (Bring blankets or lawn chairs)

More theaters are listed on our web site for seasonal specials and show schedule.

Dinner: The Town of Media is bursting at seams with great restaurants for all tastes and budgets. The landmark Rose Tree Inn is a fine food, upscale restaurant that recently underwent a beautiful renovation. Sligo is an Irish Pub with a ‘cheery’ atmosphere and well priced food. Stephen’s and Fellini’s are popular choices and Iron Hill Brewery is a local chain with great tasting brews made on the premises. For more choices, click on the Dining link of our website
Stay the Night
…at one of these fine B&B’s or Hotels just minutes from the attractions above.
Hamanassett B&B
Days Inn, Springfield
Magnolia House B&B, Swarthmore
Longfellow House B&B, Swarthmore
Purcell Darrel House B&B, Swarthmore (children must be 10 years or older)
Quality Inn, Media
Motel Providence, Media









Day Two
MORNING
In the spring, summer and fall…
Visit Linvilla Orchards – One of the oldest farms in the county – and you can pick your own fruit and vegetables! Plus farm animals, hayrides, country store and more.
Media, PA

In the winter visit IceWorks – four skating rinks plus game rooms, pro shop, restaurants – with public skating times, hockey tournaments to watch and more! It is also the training center for recent Olympic and World Medal winning figure skaters!
Open 6am to 2am, 7 days a week.
701 Duttons Mill Rd, Aston, PA

Tyler Arboretum – a unique hiking spot with cool exhibits and great fun activities for children.
Media, PA
AFTERNOON
Lunch is a treat at Jimmy John’s Pipin’ Hot Sandwich Shop – More than 90,000 hot dogs served each year plus see a cool electric train display. Voted to have the best dogs and sandwiches in the county!
Rt. 202, West Chester

Enjoy a family canoe, kayak or tubing trip on the historic Brandywine River
(available daily, year round!)
Wilderness Canoe Trips – Wilmington DE

Or…tour Herr’s Snack Factory – Free factory tours include sampling fresh tasty snacks as they are made…with a café, gift shop and videos
Nottingham, PA
EVENING
Do a little shopping and dining at one of these great local malls!
The Shops at Brinton Lakes are upscale stores for kids and adults including a Barnes and Noble, plus experience the American Bar and Grill for dinner
Glen Mills, PA

Olde Ridge Village is a quaint village of specialty stores for beading, scrapbooking, beer and wine making, etc. Great ice cream stores and eateries including Big Fork Restaurant.
Chadds Ford, PA

Enjoy dinner at family-priced-right restaurants, pizza places and sandwich shops, including:
Pescatores Italian Restaurant
Fuji Fusion Steakhouse and Sushi
Big Cheese Pizza
Concord Steak Shop
Hank’s Place Restaurant
Pig Out BBQ Pit
The Gables at Chadds Ford

Stay the night
…at one of these fine hotels or B&Bs:
Days Inn, Wilmington
Comfort Inn and Suites of Brandywine Valley, West Chester
Staybridge Suites of Brandywine Valley
Hampton Inn & Suites of Chadds Ford
Sweetwater Farm, Glen Mills
Brandywine River Hotel, Chadds Ford













Day Three
MORNING
Brandywine Battlefield – Site of one of the fiercest battles of the Revolutionary War; Walk the fields where thousands of our troops fought and died…plus visit both Washington’s and Lafayette’s Headquarters.
Rt. 1, Chadds Ford, PA

American Helicopter Museum – one of the few helicopter museums in the country –also an education center. Call for dates of air tours, and more.
American Blvd., West Chester, PA
AFTERNOON
US Hot Air Balloon Team – For year-round pleasure and adventure take a hot air balloon ride – flights daily. Call in advance.
800-763-5987, St. Peters, PA
Leave for home…