By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times
Blobfest
The word “unique” means “being the only one of its kind.” It is a very demanding qualification – a very specific qualification.
The annual BlobFest in Phoenixville definitely qualifies as unique.
In the entire world, there is just one BlobFest and it’s held every year right here in Chester County.
“The Blob” is a low-budget horror film that was filmed at the Colonial Theatre and other locations around Phoenixville in 1958. The movie, which starred a very young Steve McQueen, has evolved over the years into a full-fledged cult classic.
“Blob” fans from all around the globe will be heading to Phoenixville to participate in the Annual BlobFest.
The Colonial Theatre (227 Bridge Street, Phoenixville, 610-917-1228, www.thecolonialtheatre.com) will host the BlobFest with a variety of special events now through July 14.
The BlobFest is not only unique, but also old. The event is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.
On July 13, it’s time for the re-enactment of the “Running out of The Colonial” scene. The dress code is billed as “creative” so that the scene will look just like it did when that classic scene was filmed here many years ago.
If you purchase a ticket for “The Blob” (1958) at 6:30 p.m. on July 13, you will get the chance to run out after the film. The second Run-Out will follow the film screening.
On July 13, the “Blobfest Streetfair,” which begins at 11 a.m. and runs until 5 p.m., will start with a “Fire Extinguisher Parade” at 11 a.m.
Saturday’s Street Fair is free to enter and features vendors, classic cars, Costume Contest, Tinfoil Hat Contest, Kid’s Activity Table, and Blobfest Festival Merchandise.
The Colonial Theater will also host screenings of “The Blob” and other horror films this weekend.
The Seventh Annual Blobfest 5K, 10K and half-marathon are scheduled for the morning of July 14 with the first race — the BlobFest 10K — slated to go off at 8:05 a.m.
From July 16-20, the Malvern Fire Company Fair (Monument Grounds, Monument Avenue, Malvern, 610-647-0693, http://www.pa-carnivals.com) will be held from 6-10 p.m. each night.
The free Malvern Fire Company Fair features rides, games and fun for the entire family and discount ride coupons will be available at local merchants.
Guests can ride an unlimited number of rides at the 2024 Malvern Fire Company Carnival for just $30 per person per day when purchased online.
This annual fire department fundraiser features rides for all ages by Houghton Enterprises, plenty of delicious food and treats, carnival games & prizes, fire truck rides, and more.
Fireworks will be held on July 19 at 9:30 p.m.
The Ludwig’s Corner Horse Show Association (1326 Pottstown Pike, Glenmoore, ludwigshorseshow.com) will hold its Fifth Annual Ludwig’s Corner Carnival now through July 13 at the show grounds in Glenmoore.Enjoy rides and amusements by Houghton Entertainment, delicious food, a beer garden, and various vendors. The carnival runs Friday from 6-10 p.m. and Saturday from 4-10 p.m. Parking on-site is a $5 donation per vehicle.
Levante Brewing and Epicurean Garage will offer handcrafted brews & cocktails for those 21+.
SALT Performing Arts princesses will meet and greet kids Friday and Saturday and School of Rock Downingtown will perform Saturday.
Ride tickets are $1.25 per ticket, or $25 for 24 tickets with each ride taking multiple tickets.
All proceeds benefit the Ludwig’s Corner Horse Show Association.
The intriguing new production Paranormal Cirque (https://paranormalcirque.com), which is intended for a mature audience, is touching down at several locations over the next six weeks –Pottstown (July 18-21) and Dover, Delaware (July 25-28).
This weekend, the circus will set up at Philadelphia Premium Outlets (18 Lightcap Road, Pottstown).
Paranormal Cirque will expose audiences to a unique creation of combined theatre, circus, and cabaret with a new European style flare.
This innovative horror story, which is presented in true circus style under a Big Top tent, features different shades of sexy and an incomparable storyline. Audiences likely will find it difficult to separate reality from illusion at this show as they fall into a parallel world and end up surrounded by monstrous creatures with hidden talents.
Currently, Paranormal Cirque has three tours running – Paranormal Cirque, Paranormal Cirque II and Paranormal Cirque III. The tour visiting our area is Paranormal Cirque III
Paranormal Cirque’s “Clown Castle” (also known as the Big Top) presents a mesmerizing effect while hosting a two-hour hypnotizing and enchanted show.
A
careful casting selection has united the best artists from all over the world.
Under this Clown Castle, the black and red big top tent, there are aerial acrobats, illusionists, freaks, mysterious creatures and all the elements that make one think of a “normal” circus – but this one is not “normal.”
A new show with breathtaking implications always poised between fun and the most uninhibited fear that will transport you to a dark world inhabited by creatures with incredible circus art abilities. A crazy yet fun fusion between circus, theatre, and cabaret in perfect harmony with the evolution of a show that brings you back to when we dream … and when we had nightmares and fantasies.
Video link for Paranormal Cirque — https://youtu.be/locxFnh5UR8.
Blueberries will be in the spotlight this weekend at local farm markets.
Blueberry Festival at Linvilla Orchards
This Saturday, it will be time for the annual Blueberry Festival at Linvilla Orchards (137 West Knowlton Road, Media, 610-876-7116, www.linvilla.com). The free festival will be held July 13 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Linvilla’s grounds in Media.
The festive event will feature children’s entertainment, costumed characters, live music, ice cream sundaes, and blueberry treats.
Festival Treats include a refreshing Blueberry Frozen Lemonade, a Blueberry Apple Cider Slushy, a savory Blueberry Goat Cheese Salad, and the indulgent Blueberry Smash Sundae, featuring Old Fashioned Blueberry Pie, homemade blueberry compote, creamy vanilla soft serve, and a delectable sugar cookie.
The host for the Blueberry Festival will be Silly Joe, who will offer music, fun and games for kids of all ages.
George, The Magician! will be performing his amazing Bubble Magic Show at 11 a.m. Following the magic, the Manatawny Creek Ramblers will perform a mix of bluegrass and indie folk music at 1 p.m.
Two rounds of our pie eating contest will crown Linvilla Champions. Ages 13-17 and Ages 18 and up can compete in a timed Blueberry Pie eating challenge. The winner in each category will be awarded a prize and more importantly have bragging rights for life. Registration for the contest starts at noon. The first 10 people to register will be accepted in each age category.
On July 13 and 14, Highland Orchards (1000 Marshallton-Thorndale Road, West Chester, www.highlandorchards.net) will host its annual “Blueberries, Bluegrass, Beers, and BBQ Festival.”
This family friendly event, which starts at 10 a.m., will feature food trucks, beer, wine & spirits, kids train, goat feeding, farm tours (weather permitting), and berry picking.
The Bakery and Market will be open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. with fresh, local produce, pies, donuts, fudge, homemade brittle, and many local favorites.
This is a free event.
Philadelphia Expo Center (100 Station Road, Oaks, 610-529-3614, phillyexpocenter.com) is hosting two events this weekend – two very diverse events.
On July 13, the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center will host the East Coast Reptile Super Expo featuring hundreds of live snakes and reptiles.
Many people think snakes and lizards are interesting creatures and maybe even fun pets to own. If you fall into this category, you should check out the show on Saturday. A wide array of reptiles will be on display as part of the popular exhibition, which is an annual event that is closing in on its silver anniversary.
One of the show’s main attractions is a sales exhibit area featuring many vendors with live reptiles, amphibians and arachnids as well as food items, supplies, books, cages, and related accessories.
The East Coast Reptile Super Expo, which is always a well-attended event, will run from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. this Saturday. Tickets are $10 with children (under five) admitted free.
The Expo Center is also hosting “Greenberg’s Train & Toy Show” on July 13 and 14.There will be a lot of model trains and a lot of toys on display and for sale when Greenberg’s Train & Toy Show visits the area for a two-day stop at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center).
The show, which is scheduled for July 8 and 9 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. both days, will feature a number of operating train displays, including Allegheny Western Lines HO Scale Layout, Philadelphia N-Trak N Scale Layout, Royersford Modular Model Railroaders HO Scale Layout, Atlantic Division TCA O Gauge Layout, and Strasburg Model Railroad HO Scale.
Also featured will be North Penn O Gaugers O Gauge, North Penn S Gaugers S Gauge, South Eastern Pennsylvania Garden Railway Society G Scale, Strasburg Model Railroad Club LEGO® Train Club, Keystone N Trak N Scale and Railroad in a Box HO Scale.
This weekend’s show will also offer free clinics on a wide variety of topics, including track work, using accessories and using a digital command control. There will be a large number of dealers with toys, trains, accessories and hobby publications. Other features include hourly door prizes.
Tickets for adults are $11 for Saturday and $10 for Sunday. Children (12 and under) are admitted free.
Penns Woods Winery (124 Beaver Valley Road, Chadds Ford, http://www.pennswoodswinery.com) will open at 11 a.m. each day and have matinee performances of live music.
On July 13, there will be music by Allison Landon from 2-5 p.m.
July 14’s concert will feature Rick Caldwell from 2-5 p.m.
Wine will be available by the glass or bottle for enjoying (no tastings).
Visitors are welcome to pack a picnic and bring their children and well-behaved leashed pets. Lawn seating is entirely weather dependent.
The newest exhibition at the Brandywine Museum of Art (1 Hoffman Mill Road, Chadds Ford, brandywine.org), is “In Shadows’ Embrace: Prints by Peter Paone,” which is running now through October 13.
Peter Paone is an acclaimed Philadelphia artist and teacher who has mastered the mediums of painting, drawing, and printmaking over his seven-decade career. This exhibition features a selection of 22 prints from a recent major gift to Brandywine from the artist.
Known largely as a painter today, Paone is also a talented printmaker. He won a prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship in the 1960s for his prints and feels that the medium, especially etching, was critical to his artistic development. “In Shadows’ Embrace” focuses on this early period of Paone’s career, offering a close look at his printmaking practice.
Artists associated with German Expressionism, especially Käthe Kollwitz, are among Paone’s major printmaking influences, as their evocation of the plight of the human condition aligned with Paone’s own concerns. Another major influence on Paone was the Spanish romantic painter and printmaker Francisco Goya.
His renowned nightmarish series “Los Caprichos” (1799) informed Paone’s first major printmaking achievement, a portfolio entitled “The Ten Commandments of Ambrose Bierce” (1963). This rarely seen portfolio will be shown in full for the first time since 1967, when it was displayed at the Musée d’Art Moderne, Paris.
An additional selection of prints with themes drawn from religion, art, history, and poetry reveal Paone’s ability to layer complex meanings onto what may seem to be straightforward subjects, transforming them into meditations on faith, loneliness, and death.
Some materials from his studio—including several of his tools and the copper etching plate used to make one of the prints in the exhibition—will also be on display, illustrating the technique that enabled Paone to create the stark contrasts of light and shadow that were key to setting the mood of each image.
“In Shadows’ Embrace” is curated by Audrey Lewis, former associate curator of the Brandywine Museum of Art.
Museum admission is $20 adults, $18 seniors (65+), $8 children (ages 6-18) and students with ID and free for children (ages five and under).
“Under the Canopy: Animals of the Rainforest,” which will run now through September 2 at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University (1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, ansp.org), is an immersive exhibition introducing visitors to the fascinating world of rainforests and the animals that inhabit them.
You can learn about unique plants and rainforest ecology as you encounter a live sloth, boa constrictor and other animals that call these habitats home. You will see the importance of rainforests to the planet as you explore interactive discovery stations, dynamic displays and engaging programming.
Presented in English and Spanish, “Under the Canopy” will engage students of all ages, with accompanying curriculums on rainforests, water cycles, the science of diversity, deforestation and soil, how kids can save the planet and so much more. Hands-on interactives are complemented by life-size, climbable animal sculptures, including a gorilla, tortoise, crocodile, red-eye tree frog and Banyan tree.
All exhibits are included with the purchase of a general admission ticket.
Admission prices are — Adults (Age 13 and above), $22; Children (Age 2 – 12), $18.
As part of Historic Philadelphia’s celebration at Franklin Square (200 Sixth Street, Philadelphia, www.historicphiladelphia.org), the organization is illuminating the park with its annual “Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival in Franklin Square.”
Now through August 18, Franklin Square will come alive every night with its Chinese Lantern Festival featuring more than two dozen illuminated lanterns – all constructed by lantern artisans from China.
Chinese-inspired performances will take place in Franklin Square twice nightly. Performances, which celebrate Chinese performance art and entertainment, are 30-minutes long and are scheduled for 7 and 9 p.m.
Festival hours are 6-11 p.m. Admission is $25 for adults ($28 on Saturday and Sunday), $23 /$26 for youth and seniors, and $16 for children.
On July 16, Elmwood Park Zoo (1661 Harding Boulevard, Norristown, www.elmwoodparkzoo.org) is presenting “World Snake Day featuring Phang, the Philadelphia Union Mascot.”
On Tuesday, visitors to the zoo can celebrate World Snake Day with the zoo’s educators and Phang.
There will be a “Wild Encounter with Phang and Ambassador Snakes” at 11 a.m. at Zoo Bowl Theater. It will be a show about snake behaviors and their essential role in our ecosystem.
There will be “Phang Photo Ops and Greet” at 12:30 p.m.at Zoo Bowl Theater
There will also be “Breakfast with the Giraffes” sessions on July 20 and 21 at 10 a.m. each day.
Visitors are encouraged to rise and shine for the most important meal of the day and share it with the Zoo’s three towering giraffes.
After enjoying a delicious outdoor breakfast buffet right next to the giraffes, participants will be able to enjoy an exclusive giraffe feeding.
Prices start at $134.95 for a table of four.
Sesame Place (100 Sesame Road, Langhorne, www.sesameplace.com) is presenting its “Summer Splash” now through September 8.
There’s nothing like summer at Sesame Place Philadelphia! It’s a great time to have fun and cool off with splashy water attractions like the Bert & Ernie’s Splashy Shores and the new tropical themed land, Big Bird’s Beach.
Other attractions are The Count’s Splash Castle and Big Bird’s Rambling River, Captain Cookie’s High C’s Adventure, Elmo’s Flyin’ Fish, and Oscar’s Wacky Taxi Roller Coaster.
Summer is perfect for meeting your favorite furry friends and taking bright, beautiful pictures with them. The park also has exciting shows, special events, parades, dance parties, character dining experiences, and other surprises lined up to give visitors even more ways to connect.
This weekend’s featured guest will be Elmo’s music-loving, curious puppy, Tango.
Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library (5105 Kennett Pike, Wilmington, Delaware, 800-448-3883, www.winterthur.org) is presenting “Terrific Tuesdays” on July 16.
Visitors can discover how the old influences the new with crafts, games, and demonstrations inspired by the artists and makers of the “Transformations: Contemporary Artists at Winterthur” exhibition as they introduce design, history, and craftsmanship to kids ages 3‒10 and the adults they bring along. New activities and guests each week. Drop-in program. $5; free for Members and children under age 2. Includes General Admission.
The schedule of topics is: July 16: Collages, Prints, and Scrapbooks; July 23: People, Places, and Storytelling; July 30: Music and Sound; August 6: Weaving and Mending; August 13: Ceramics and Food; August 20: Re-used and Re-claimed; August 27: Colors and Dyes.
At Winterthur, there seems to be no end to what’s in bloom — and in almost every corner of the garden.
The garden is a result of the artistic vision of its creator, Henry Francis du Pont (1880-1969) and is surrounded by nearly 1,000 acres of meadows, farmland, and waterways.
The views in every direction are important to the whole. The paths are an integral part of the overall design, curving rather than straight, following the contours of the land, passing around trees, and drawing walkers into the garden.
Visitors can explore the garden on foot, or on a narrated tram ride (March-December).
Admission to Winterthur is $22 for adults, $20 for seniors and students and $8 for children.
Wilmington and Western Railroad (Greenbank Station, 2201 Newport-Gap Pike, Wilmington, Delaware, www.wwrr.com) is running a special train on July 13 – “Brews on Board.”
Local craft breweries will be serving up the brews for your tasting pleasure aboard a leisurely 2-hour round-trip evening excursion through the valley.
Your ticket includes two 12 oz. pours of your choice and a selection of snacks. Plus, each rider will receive a complimentary mug.
Additional pours will be available aboard the train for $5 cash each.
Outside alcohol is not permitted on the train.
This departure is powered by one of the rail line’s historic first-generation diesel locomotives.
Tickets for a two-person table are $80.
This weekend, there will be river cruises on the Kalmar Nyckel (kalmarnyckel.org) at the the Kalmar Nyckel Shipyard (1124 East Seventh Street, Wilmington, Delaware).
Additionally, there will be a special event on July 13 – “Captain Kid’s Pirate Day.”
The event, which will run from noon-4 p.m., features Kalmar Nyckel ship tours, pirate crafts, cannon demonstrations, scavenger hunt, face painting and a food truck.
Cruises are scheduled for 10 a.m. on July13 and 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on July 14.
The ship sails rain or shine, however in the event of severe weather/high winds, the captain may need to cancel the sail.
For two decades, the Kalmar Nyckel, which has its home base in Wilmington, has been hosting riders all over the world – especially in Delaware.
A ride on the Kalmar Nyckel is totally different from most tourist water rides. The ship is a beautiful recreation of the original Kalmar Nyckel, which was built in Holland in the 1620s. Her mainmast is taller than a 10-story building and she carries 7,600 square feet of sail area and six miles of rigging.
The original Kalmar Nyckel was a Swedish-owned, three-masted armed pinnace that sailed from Goteborg, Sweden in November of 1637 and brought the first permanent European settlers to the Delaware Valley.
In 1986 a group of citizens established the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation to design, build and launch a replica of the Kalmar Nyckel at a shipyard adjacent to the original landing site.
The new Kalmar Nyckel was constructed there and was launched on September 28, 1997. She was commissioned on May 9, 1998, and now serves as Delaware’s sea-going Ambassador of Good Will. She is a fully functional sail training vessel and has represented Delaware all over the country.
Tickets are $45 for adults and $25 for youth.
Chaddsford Winery (632 Baltimore Pike, Chadds Ford, 610-388-6221, http://www.chaddsford.com) is presenting “Friday Night Wine Down” every Friday night now through September 27.
“Wine Down” will feature Quizzo trivia games on Fridays.
In addition to wine available by the glass, there will be food items provided by Common Good Pizza.
The Eagleview Summer Concerts on the Square at Eagleview Town Center (Wharton Boulevard, Exton, www.ineagleview.com) will present Eddie 9V and Glen David Andrews on July 16, Handsome Jack and Scott Tournet on July 30, Fantastic Cat on August 13, and Zach Russell on August 27.
The Shady Grove Music Fest was scheduled to be held on July 13 in Arden (2126 The Highway, Arden, Delaware, ardenconcerts.com).
However, the event has been cancelled because of the weather. It will be an indoor event in the fall with the date TBA.
On July 15, Laurel Hill Cemetery (3822 Ridge Avenue, Philadelphia, 215-228-8200, www.thelaurelhillcemetery.org) is presenting a special event called “Hot Spots & Storied Plots.”
In life and death, we all have stories to tell, and what better place to hear tales of wonder than Philadelphia’s most famous home of the dead?
This introductory tour provides an informative overview of Laurel Hill East’s long history, which includes many marble masterpieces, stunning views, and legendary stories that afford the cemetery its WOW factor. An experienced graveyard guide will offer genuine perspective on beautiful art, scenic nature, and fascinating history.
The tour guide on Saturday will be Linda Blowney.
Tickets for the event are $15 for adults, $13 for seniors and $10 for youth (ages 6-12).
There will be several “Guided Museum Tours of Rockwood” this weekend at Rockwood Park & Museum (4651 Washington Street Extension, Wilmington, DE, www.newcastlede.gov/431/Rockwood-Park-Museum).
Visitors can explore the grandeur, history and beauty of the Rockwood Mansion, home of the Shipley, Bringhurst and Hargraves families for 120 years.
This tour emphasizes the magnificent mansion interiors and stories of the families that lived there. Tour involves stairs. Reservations are suggested. Tickets for the 90-minute guided tour are $10.
Tour times on Saturday are 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m.
The “Below the Stairs and In the Attics: The Servants’ Tour” will be presented on July 14.
Rockwood is proud to provide a glimpse of Rockwood from the perspective of servants who lived and worked on the estate from the 1850’s through 20th century.
This tour will reinterpret the spaces used by servants located within Rockwood Mansion. Several areas are only interpreted on this tour and are not usually open to the public.
Guests must be able to traverse many staircases during this 90-minute tour. Tickets for the 90-minute guided tour, which starts at 1 p.m., are $20.
Delaware may be a small state, but it is big when it comes to interesting attractions.
Historic Odessa (Main Street, Odessa, Delaware, 302-378-4119, www.historicodessa.org) is both a scenic and an historic site in Delaware.
Odessa is one of Delaware’s most historic sites.
Known in the 18th-century as Cantwell’s Bridge, Odessa played a vital role in commercial life along the Delaware River as a busy grain shipping port.
Today, visitors can stroll along tree-lined streets and admire examples of 18th- and 19th-century architecture in one of the best-preserved towns in Delaware. They can also tour a remarkable collection of antiques and Americana preserved in period room settings and quaint exhibits.
Historic Odessa is open to the public from March through December, Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m.4:30 p.m. and Sunday from 1-4 p.m. The site is also open Monday by reservation. General Admission: Adults, $10; Groups, Seniors, Students, $8; and Children under six are free.
The Brandywine Valley has quite a few museums and tourist sites that provide residents and tourists ideal opportunities to spend leisure time — and you can maximize your effort if you take advantage of the 2023 Brandywine Treasure Trail Passport.
The cost is $49 for an individual pass and $99 for a family pass (for up to five family members).
The Brandywine Treasure Trail Passport is good for one-time admission to Wilmington and the Brandywine Valley’s top attractions now through October 31.
A family pass, which includes one-day admission to each of 12 sites, can bring a savings of over $200 for the holders — especially since many of the participating institutions have regular admission fees in double figures.
The list of locations covered by the Brandywine Treasure Trail Passport includes Longwood Gardens, Delaware Museum of Nature and Science, Brandywine River Museum, Delaware Art Museum, Delaware History Museum, Hagley Museum and Library, Delaware Center for Contemporary Arts, Nemours Mansion & Gardens, Read House and Garden, Mt. Cuba Center, Rockwood Museum and Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library.
For more information, visit www.visitwilmingtonde.com/bmga/.
Hagley Museum and Library (Buck Road East entrance via Route 100, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-658-2400, www.hagley.org), a 230-acre historical village on the site of the original du Pont Company gunpowder mills in northern Delaware, has a popular ongoing attraction – “Nation of Inventors.”
Additionally, there will be a “Walking Tour” on June 17 at 11 a.m.
With the “Walking Tour,” participants can walk through history during an in-depth, 90-minute guided tour each Monday morning from March through December. This week’s theme is “Workers’ World.”
“Nation of Inventors” celebrates the American spirit of ingenuity by taking visitors on a journey from the early years of the patent system, in the 1790s, through the “golden age” of American invention, in the late 1800s. The exhibit features more than 120 patent models from Hagley’s unique collection highlighting the diverse stories of inventors from all walks of life.
Patent models are scaled representations of inventions and were part of the patent application process for nearly 100 years. “Nation of Inventors” showcases patent models representing innovations in a variety of industries from transportation and manufacturing to food preservation and medical devices.
In the exhibition, visitors will enjoy engaging experiences around every corner, testing their knowledge of innovation and hearing personal accounts from inventors.
The patent models in “Nation of Inventors” were created between 1833 and 1886. “Nation of Inventors” not only features patent models submitted by inventors from the United States, but also models from inventors in England, France, Ireland, Russia, and Spain, demonstrating an international interest in America’s intellectual property system.
“Nation of Inventors” includes patent models from well-known inventors and companies like Ball (Mason Jars), Jim Beam, Bissell, Corliss, Steinway, and Westinghouse. The exhibit presents important topics and timely themes including women inventors, Black inventors, immigrant inventors, improvements in urban living, and the ways Americans learn about and understand progress and change.
“Nation of Inventors” is located on the first two floors of Hagley’s Visitor Center. Visitors can plan to spend about 30 minutes on their self-guided tour of the exhibition.
Admission to Hagley is $20 for adults, $16 for students and seniors (62+) and $10 for children (6-14).
The 2004 season is underway at Nemours Estate (1600 Rockland Road, Wilmington, Delaware, nemoursestate.org). The entrance is located on the campus of Nemours Children’s Health, follow signs for Nemours Estate.
Originally constructed in 1910, Nemours Estate is one of Delaware’s grandest buildings and includes the largest formal French garden in North America.
Nemours Estate comprises an exquisite, 77-room mansion, the largest formal French gardens in North America, a Chauffeur’s Garage housing a collection of vintage automobiles, and 200 acres of scenic woodlands, meadows and lawns.
Admission to Nemours is $23 for adults, $21 for seniors and $10 for children.
There are many other horticultural/garden attractions around the Philly suburbs.
Visiting Longwood Gardens (Route 1, Kennett Square, www.longwoodgardens.org) is a real treat at any time during the year but especially sweet during the summer when the grounds are filled with vibrant colors produced by a variety of flowers.
Longwood Gardens is one of the best outdoor attractions in the area, one of the best family attractions in the state and one of the best gardens attractions in the country.
There are times when even the very best can get better.
Each of the six districts has a distinct personality.
Chimes Tower District — A stunning hillside of rare, expertly edited plants, a historic bell tower anchored on a 50-foot waterfall, and award-winning trees beckon, all within view of the majestic Main Fountain Garden.
Conservatory District — Considered the centerpiece of Longwood Gardens, stunning 19th-century architecture works in harmony with a perpetual flower show under acres of glass. Explore dazzling displays and otherworldly plant species through a series of breathtaking rooms.
House & Theater District — Developed with the specific purpose of display and performance, experience a vista to the early days of Longwood, taking in views that Pierre and his family enjoyed more than a century ago, including Peirce’s Park and Peirce’s Woods.
Lakes District — Open vistas, rolling green lawns, sparkling water, and splashing fountains recall a European holiday from days gone by, reminding us of the joy of fresh air, a nice walk, and an exquisite view.
Meadow & Forest District — The expansive landscape of the Meadow and Forest District harmonizes the best practices in ecological restoration with garden design—showcasing horticultural excellence and beauty while prioritizing plant and animal communities.
Main Fountain Garden District — The classical gardens and grand theatre of this district have captivated guests for more than 90 years. Inspired by Pierre S. du Pont’s travels to Europe’s great water gardens, world’s fairs, and expositions, the Main Fountain Garden highlights horticulture, engineering marvels, and the beauty of exceptional design.
Longwood’s summer schedule features Main Fountain Garden Performances through October 27, Illuminated Fountain Performances Thursdays-Saturdays through October 26, Festival of Fountains through October 27, Fireworks & Fountains Shows on select dates through October, Open Air Theatre Fountain Shows daily through November 10, and Festive Fridays on August 16, September 20 and October 18.
Admission to Longwood Gardens is $32 for adults, $28 for seniors and college students, $23 for active military and $17 for youth.
If you enjoy walking around garden displays or if you like to look at model railroad layouts, then you should definitely check out the Garden Railway Display at the Morris Arboretum & Garden (100 Northwestern Avenue, Chestnut Hill, www.morrisarboretum.org).
The ultra-popular Garden Railway Display has become a major summer attraction at The Gardens at Morris Arboretum. The 26th annual edition of the display had its official season opening in late May and now will remain open until September 30.
This summer, Morris Arboretum will unveil a brand-new exhibition in its popular Garden Railway – “Garden Railway: Dinos!”
With more than 15 different rail lines running along a third of a mile of track, visitors will enjoy a spectacular display of dinosaurs including Triceratops, and Velociraptor, as well as other Mesozoic creatures—all made out of natural materials such as bark, leaves, and twigs.
As one of the largest outdoor miniature train displays in the United States, the Garden Railway will delight and amaze visitors of all ages.
The railway has a quarter mile of track featuring seven loops and tunnels with 15 different rail lines and two cable cars, nine bridges (including a trestle bridge you can walk under) and bustling model trains.
The buildings and the display are all made of natural materials – bark, leaves, twigs, hollow logs, mosses, acorns, dried flowers, seeds and stones – to form a perfectly proportioned miniature landscape complete with miniature rivers.
Philadelphia-area landmarks are all meticulously decorated for the holidays with lights that twinkle. There is even a masterpiece replica of Independence Hall are made using pinecone seeds for shingles, acorns as finials and twigs as downspouts.
Visitors will be able to see miniature replicas of iconic structures at some of America’s most famous public gardens including the Climatron at Missouri Botanical Garden, Torii Gate and Pavilion at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Science Pyramid at Denver Botanic Gardens, and so much more.
The Garden Railway is celebrating 25 years with a new addition — 300 feet of track. This is the largest expansion of the Garden Railway since it was installed in 1998. The new looping section of track extends the total model rail trackage to a third of a mile, making it one of the largest outdoor model train displays in the country.
Admission is $20 for adults; $18 for seniors (65 and older); $10 for students (ages 13-17 or with ID), active military and retired military; and free for children (under 3).
A sweet place to enjoy flowers in bloom is Tyler Arboretum (515 Painter Road, Media, 610-566-9134, www.tylerarboretum.org).
The arboretum’s schedule for this weekend features Pink Hill Tour – Tyler’s Serpentine Barren on July 13 and the “Bluebird Nesting Box Tour” at 1 p.m. on July 14.
The Pink Hill Tour will start at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday.
Pink Hill is renowned as a “serpentine barren,” yet the ancient grassland there is anything but barren. Serpentine barrens are globally rare ecosystems and hotspots for biodiversity, including many imperiled species. Of roughly 40 locations described a century ago in the eastern U.S., less than 20 remain, and all of those have lost species due to habitat shrinkage.
Pink Hill showcases the only surviving serpentine barren of 10 that once existed in Delaware County. Hear about the barrens’ origins and links to continental collision, extinct megafauna, and Native American prehistory; see the unique landscape and some of the endangered and threatened species; and learn what Tyler is doing to restore and sustain this geological, ecological, and cultural treasure.
For more than 50 years, volunteers at Tyler Arboretum have been monitoring the nesting activities of the Eastern Bluebird. This is a family-friendly tour to share this tradition.
Admission to Tyler Arboretum is $18 for adults (ages 18-64), $15 for seniors (65 and older) and $10 for children (ages 3-17) and Military with valid ID.
The 2024 season is in full swing at Chanticleer (786 Church Street, Wayne, www.chanticleergarden.org).
The Chanticleer estate dates from the early 20th-century, when land along the Main Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad was developed for summer homes to escape the heat of Philadelphia. Adolph Rosengarten, Sr., and his wife Christine chose the Wayne-St. Davids area to build their country retreat. The family’s pharmaceutical firm would become part of Merck & Company in the 1920s.
The Rosengartens hired architect and former classmate Charles L. Borie to design the house, which was completed in 1913. Landscape architect Thomas Sears designed the terraces as extensions of the house. A 1924 addition converted the summer home into a year-round residence and the family moved here permanently.
Rosengarten’s humor is evident in naming his home after the estate “Chanticlere” in Thackeray’s 1855 novel “The Newcomes.”
As the home of the Rosengartens, Chanticleer was beautiful and green with impressive trees and lawns. Most of the floral and garden development you see today has occurred since 1990 — designed by Chanticleer staff and consultants.
Admission to Chanticleer is $12 for adults and free for pre-teen children (12 years and under).
Andalusia Historic House, Gardens and Arboretum (1237 State Road, Andalusia, www.andalusiapa.org) opened its 2024 season on April 1.
Located on a wooded promontory overlooking the Delaware River, Andalusia has been a stately presence on this stretch of water, just north of Philadelphia, for more than 200 years. The ancestral home of the Biddle family, Andalusia is also a natural paradise of native woodlands and spectacular gardens that have evolved over time.
Placed on the National Register of Historic Landmarks in 1966, the Big House — one of the finest examples of Greek Revival architecture in the United States — provides an unparalleled look into our nation’s past, while also offering a glimpse into the life of a family that helped to shape its future.
Its surrounding gardens delight the senses all through the year, from the tumbling, brightly colored leaves of fall to the floral extravaganza of spring and the abundance and scent of summer.
Self-Guided Garden Tours will be available Mondays through Wednesdays through November 4 (excluding holidays) at 10 a.m. or 1 p.m.
Visitors can stroll the spectacular formal gardens and native woodlands during a self-guided garden tour at their leisure and enjoy sweeping views from the banks of the Delaware River. Picnics are allowed on the grounds (with a “carry-in, carry-out” policy).
Hope Lodge (553 South Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington, 215-343-0965, http://www.ushistory.org/hope/) will be presenting a “Guided Mansion Tour” on July 14.
Hope Lodge was built between 1743 and 1748 by Samuel Morris, a prosperous Quaker entrepreneur. Morris acted as a farmer, shipowner, miller, iron master, shop owner, and owner of the mill now known as Mather Mill. Hope Lodge is an excellent example of early Georgian architecture, and it is possible that Edmund Woolley, architect of Independence Hall, offered advice in building. Samuel Morris owned the estate until his death in 1770.
Visitors can participate by watching a short film and then taking a tour. Guided tours of the mansion will depart at 1 and 2:30 p.m.
Tour admission is $8 for adults, $5 for seniors (age 65+) and for youth ages 6-17, and free for children under 5. Hope Lodge is a Blue Star Museum which means that active-duty military personnel, including National Guard and Reserve and their families, are admitted free for regular tours from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
The West Chester Railroad (610-430-2233, www.wcrailroad.com) is running its “Summer Picnic Specials” every Sunday now through September 22 at noon each day.
Passengers can enjoy a relaxing 90-minute train ride from West Chester to Glen Mills and return on a warm summer afternoon. They can also pack a lunch to have during the excursion’s stop at the Glen Mills train station picnic grove.
Tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for children (ages 2-12).
The New Hope Railroad (32 Bridge Street, New Hope, 215-862-2332, www.newhoperailroad.com) is running its “Grapevine Express,” which features “Grapevine Express” on July 12, 13 and 14 at 5 p.m. each night.
Riders are invited to take part in a romantic “Wine and Cheese Excursion” and enjoy fine gourmet cheese, artisan crackers, meats, fruit, and our featured local wines. Additional Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic beverages are also available onboard.
Wine and cheese will be served to passengers as they travel along the same railroad line passengers did when it was built in 1891 connecting New Hope with Philadelphia. The journey travels through the beautiful hills and valleys of Bucks County, along once vital waterways and streams and across numerous trestle bridges.
The excursions will take place aboard one of the railroads lavishly appointed early 1900’s first-class parlor cars.
Tickets are $116 (Ages 21 and older only).
This weekend, the Strasburg Railroad (Route 741, Strasburg, 717-687-7522, www.strasburgrailroad.com) is running its “Wine & Cheese Train” on July 12, 13 and 14 at 5 and 7 p.m. each night (5 p.m. only on Sunday).
Passengers can enjoy the luxurious, climate-controlled first-class accommodations and a tasting of select wine, cheese, and crackers as they travel in style down the tracks from Strasburg to Paradise and back. The total trip time is 45 minutes.
“Wine & Cheese Train” boarding is 30 minutes before the scheduled departure. Riders must be 21 or older and have their photo ID ready when they board.
Featured wines are carefully selected from Waltz Vineyards, and cheeses are paired accordingly. Beer and select non-alcoholic beverages are also available for purchase upon request. Riders can purchase a souvenir wine glass on board the train if desired. Glasses are $7 each.
In accordance with Pennsylvania law, alcohol is only served during the train ride. The rail line is not permitted to serve alcoholic beverages while the train is berthed in the station.
This popular train is available on select Friday and Saturday evenings throughout the season. Tickets are $70.
Wonderspaces at the Fashion District (27 North 11th Street, Philadelphia, philadelphia.wonderspaces.com) is an experiential, interactive arts venue.
Building on the success of annual pop-up shows in San Diego, and its first permanent location in Scottsdale, Arizona, Wonderspaces opened a 24,000 square foot gallery space in Philly two years ago.
Wonderspaces features 14 art installations that all play with the idea of perspective. New artworks are rotated in and out every few months, creating an ever-evolving, year-round show.
Tickets are for entry at a specific date and time. Visitors are welcome to stay as long as they please during operating hours. The average time spent experiencing the show is 90 minutes.
A few installations contain flashing lights, images, and patterns that may trigger seizures for people with photosensitive epilepsy. All visitors must sign a waiver prior to being admitted into the space. Adult supervision is required for visitors under 16.
Some of the current featured exhibits are SPHERES: Songs of Spacetime, ERUPTURE, Rainbow Rooms and RADIANCE (INFINITY BOX NO. 6).
Grim Philly’s “Dark Philly History Tour” (www.grimphilly.com) will be held every evening throughout the winter.
Participants can walk with tour guides from the grounds of America’s first White House, Congress, and Liberty Bell to homes and sites of Hamilton, Washington, Franklin, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, and more than 10 other Founding-Fathers. The surprising dirt of espionage, murder, sexual license and blackmail highlight the secrets of 1776 with a ghost story or two along the way. This tour is highly researched. And your guide is a historian.
Tickets are $35.
The Ghost Tour of Philadelphia (www.ghosttour.com), which is based on the book, “Ghost Stories of Philadelphia, PA.,” is a candlelight walking tour along the back streets and secret gardens of Independence Park, Society Hill, and Old City, where ghostly spirits, haunted houses, and eerie graveyards abound.
Participants can discover the ghost lore of America’s most historic and most haunted city with stories from the founding of William Penn’s colony to present-day hauntings.
The activity is open year-round – weekends, December-February; every night, March-November. Tickets are $24.
The Ghost Tour of Lancaster and the Ghost Tour of Strasburg are based on the book, “Ghost Stories of Lancaster, PA.”
P
articipants in the Ghost Tour of Lancaster explore the long-forgotten mysteries of one of America’s oldest cities, with haunting tales of otherworldly vigils, fatal curses, and star-crossed lovers. The tour provides the opportunity to experience 300 years of haunted history from the Red Rose City’s thorny past. Tickets are $20.
The Ghost Tour of Strasburg is a candlelight walking tour of the quaint and historic town of Strasburg in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Visitors will experience an entertaining evening with a costumed tour guide spinning tales of haunted mansions, eerie graveyards, and spirits that roam the night … in a town lost in time. Tickets are $20.
