Step into a lavish world where Du Pont family wealth cultivated grandeur and art: the Brandywine Valley, a landscape of rolling hills and storied estates that shaped America's artistic heritage. With Alice W. Schwarz, a historic homes scholar who has educated art lovers at The Met for more than four decades, gain rare, behind-the-scenes access to treasures that define this region. When the museum is closed to the public, go behind the scenes at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, America's first art school. In Philadelphia, explore the Barnes Foundation's unparalleled collection, including Renoir and Cézanne, guided by a curator. In Wilmington, step inside the Du Pont family's opulent estates—Winterthur, Nemours, and Longwood Gardens—where wealth blossomed into artistic splendor. Then discover the legacy of Howard Pyle, America's greatest illustrator, at his private studio, and enjoy an intimate look at the Wyeth family's evocative works at the Brandywine Museum of Art.