Winterthur w/toddlers? Where to stay?

Looking for a 3 nt getaway w/husband %26amp; 2 toddlers...

Is DE a good option for us? (Not the beach.) We plan to go Mar 22-25. Is Winterthur good for little ones? What hotels would you suggest? Indoor pool?

Other area attractions?

Thanks!

Shari

Winterthur w/toddlers? Where to stay?

Shari,

Winterthur has an Enchanted Garden that is absolutely WONderful for little ones. But if the weather%26#39;s cold or rainy, it wouldn%26#39;t be any fun at all. And honestly, there%26#39;s not much else to appeal to kids unless there%26#39;s a special exhibit or program. I%26#39;m 60, live nearby, and *I* find most of the indoor stuff incredibly boring. One exception is the soup tureen collection . . . but I can%26#39;t quite see toddlers enjoying that!

Here%26#39;s Winterthur%26#39;s family activities schedule:

winterthur.org/for_families/for_families.asp

I%26#39;d guess anything beyond the Garden would keep the kids amused for 15 minutes max.

But here%26#39;s the good news: the Delaware Museum of Natural History (http://www.delmnh.org/) is about five minutes north on Route 52. And it%26#39;s a FABulous place for younger kids! You can count on at least an hour of amusement for kids from 2 or 3 to 10. It%26#39;s recently been renovated, and I haven%26#39;t been there since it reopened, but I%26#39;m sure it%26#39;s even better than it used to be . . . and it used to be just wonderful for little ones!

if you find you like the Brandywine Valley, you%26#39;ll have to come back later this year. Longwood Gardens (longwoodgardens.org/FamiliesandFun_1_3_5.html), just across the state line in PA, will be re-opening a Children%26#39;s Garden in late 2007. The old one was great; the new one will be a not-to-be-missed experience for little kids. Such a shame you%26#39;ll miss it this trip!

Here%26#39;s another possibility: http://www.thomes.net/toys/ Not more than 10 minutes from Winterthur. Never been there, and haven%26#39;t heard a thing about it. Definitely call before you go to make sure it%26#39;s still there.

Hilton Garden Inn in Kennett Square, PA, isn%26#39;t far, and according to some of these reviews, there is a pool: tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g52926-d224438-… . If you have an unlimited budget, and the pool isn%26#39;t critical, The Inn at Montchanin Village is even closer to Winterthur and ';was ranked the World%26#39;s Best Hotel for $250 or less, 1st among the Top 15, by Travel %26amp; Leisure 2006.'; http://www.montchanin.com/

Since Winterthur is so close to the PA line, do consider PA hotels as well as Wilmington ones. Towns in PA within reasonable distance include Kennett Square, Chadds Ford, Mendenhall, Fairville, and Concordville.

I%26#39;ll keep my fingers crossed for good weather for you. If I think of other attractions for little kids, I%26#39;ll post again. This area is full of history, art, and fine cuisine, but not a whole lot for youngsters. (We%26#39;ve had lots of nephews and nieces come visit over the past 25 years, so we%26#39;ve looked!)

You%26#39;re welcome to email me at aritchey at yahoo.com if you have more questions.

Winterthur w/toddlers? Where to stay?

wythany,

Thanks so much for your great post!

I%26#39;ve got Inn at Montchanin tucked away in the back of my mind for a non-toddler getaway. It looks amazing!!

Thanks again,

Shari

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