delaware governor's mansion (woodburn)

While it's understandable that the mansion, which (technically) houses the current governor (who really only uses it for dinner parties), can't have visitors walking up and down the stairs you will see very little. You will see three rooms in the house and a small collection of collectible plates. Also the house is open only on strange hours or on certain Saturdays.

Woodburn was open to the public for First Saturday in the First State, and I had not been there since the current governor has been in office, so I gave a visit to Woodburn (the Governor's Residence) and Hall House, the guest residence. Of course it looked nice, the guides were knowledgeable and very accommodating when I got a business call. I must say that this administration has gone toward practicality in the way of upholstery over beauty but I guess they had their children in mind. The portraits of the first ladies are very interesting and styles range from stolid to glamorous (Elise duPont). The guest residence is next door and was used for a designer showhouse, so the excellent original millwork is surrounded by some jarring differences in paint color and wallpaper between the different rooms on the first floor.

Top flight museum type part time residence of the Governor. Beautiful artifacts donated by some of Delaware's museums. Worth the visit. Grounds are beautiful

Like a museum but is in service every day. Beautifully appointed.Guided tours. Worth the trip. Check the schedule

The Governor's Mansion is suprisingly small for a Governor's Mansion but has a lot of history because it was the first State in the Union.