Yuletide at Winterthur

Yuletide is one of the most beautiful times of the year at Winterthur, when the house is decorated in its holiday best and creative and unique tree displays adorn the rooms and the Conservatory.

Visitors on the Yuletide Tour this year will be delighted with visions of sparkling trees and American Christmas vignettes, from skating and sleigh ride scenes inspired by the work of Currier & Ives to a Mississippi family’s holiday decorations on the eve of the Civil War to the White House in the early 1900s.

New to the Yuletide experience this year is an exquisite addition on display in The Galleries stair hall—our new doll “mansion.” The 6-foot-by-3-foot, slate- roofed, fully electrified dollhouse, inspired by Queen Mary’s dollhouse, was lovingly assembled by creator Nancy McDaniel over 30 years and donated to Winterthur. The carefully selected furnishings and design details of this dollhouse are simply amazing. Just in time for the holidays, the 18-room house is fully decorated with wreaths, candles, trees, and more miniature delights.

Celebrate the season with the Brandywine Valley’s most spectacular holiday showcase and revel in the warmth and beauty of Yuletide. 

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website.